Kit Siang to take up with Nik Aziz if there are cases of ‘oppression’ and ‘persecution’ of Kelantan Chinese under PAS State Government as alleged by MCA and Gerakan

Speech by Parliamentary Opposition Leader, DAP Secretary-General and MP for Tanjung, Lim Kit Siang, at the Penang DAP State Working Committee meeting on Wednesday, 22nd January 1992 at 8.30 p.m.

Kit Siang to take up with Nik Aziz if there are cases of ‘oppression’ and ‘persecution’ of Kelantan Chinese under PAS State Government as alleged by MCA and Gerakan

A DAP delegation will visit Kelantan next week to get first-hand information and feedback from both the Kelantan State Government and the people of Kelantan, in particular the Chinese and other non-Muslim in the state, on the state government policies and measures since the last general elections 15 months ago.

In the past few months, MCA and Gerakan leaders have painstakingly created the impression that the Chinese in Kelantan have become the most oppressed and persecuted lot after 15 months of PAS Kelantan State Government, describing them as being driven into ‘deep waters and furnace heat’.

I call on members of the Kelantan Chinese community to come forward to meet members of the DAP delegation during our visit to Kelantan to let us know about any such oppression and persecution under 15 months of PAS Kelantan State Government.

The DAP can give them an assurance that we will not only represent and champion them in such cases of oppression and persecution, but I will also bring such cases of oppression and persecution to the attention of the Kelantan Mentri Besar, Nik Aziz Nik Mat, during our meeting at the Mentri Besar’s office in Kota Bahru next Tuesday.

In the New Straits Times of 16th January 1992, the Kelantan Chinese Assembly hall Chairman, Datuk Chow Yong, said that the Assembly would not meet me during my visit to Kelantan “if it is politically-motivated”. He said that the Assembly “had no qualms about meeting anyone if its was for the good of the community in Kelantan and not if it was used to gain political mileage.”

I do not know whether Datuk Foo’s reluctance to meet me is an example of the ‘oppression’ and ‘persecution’ suffered by the Chinese in Kelantan as alleged by MCA and Gerakan leaders, or whether it is an example that there is no such ‘oppression’ and persecution’.

I am ever ready however to meet Datuk Foo or anyone from Kelantan who can tell me about this ‘oppression’ and ‘persecution’ of the Chinese in Kelantan as alleged by MCA and Gerakan.

The so-called ’70 Islamisation measures’ should be divided into three categories: those which promote universal values of a good, clean, just and caring society; those which strictly concern Muslims only; those which infringes on the rights of non-Muslim Malaysians

The DAP leaders will visit Kelantan with a completely open mind. We are going to Kelantan not for the interest of DAP, but for the interest of the people of Kelantan, in particular the Chinese community in the state.

This is why we are prepared to meet anyone- including MCA and Gerakan state and branch officials. This is also the reason why I had extended an invitation to the MCA President, Datuk Dr.Ling Liong Sik and the Gerakan President, Datuk Dr.Lim Keng Yaik, to jointly visit Kelantan and meet the Kelantan Mentri Besar.

While the DAP leaders will visit Kelantan with a completely open mind, we will be guided by the political principles and convictions which had sustained the DAP for the last 25 years- that Malaysia is a secular state and that no Muslim laws and measures should be imposed on non-Muslim anywhere in Malaysia.

The DAP will not however follow the opportunistic, unprincipled and irresponsible example of MCa dn Gerakan which support all Islamisation measures if they come from UMNO but oppose all measures, whether Islamisation or not, if they come from PAS.

DAP will evaluate, judge and take stand on all Islamisation measures or measures which are claimed to be related to Islamisation-regardless of whether by UMNO or PAS- strictly of basis as to whether they infringe on the rights and interest of non-Muslim Malaysians.

For this reason, the DAP will divide the so-called 70 ‘Islamisation measures of the PAS Kelantan State Government into three categories: those which promote universal values also to be found in other religious for a good, clean, just and caring society; those which strictly concerns Muslims only; and those which infringes on the rights of non-Muslim Malaysians.

It is the height of irresponsibility on he part of MCA and Gerakan leaders to lump the first two categories with the third category and to allege that the first category of measures taken by the PAS Kelantan State Government to bring about a good, clean, just and caring society and second category which strictly
concern Muslims only all infringes on the rights and interests of non-Muslims.

The DAP stand on the third category is very clear-that we oppose the imposition of Islamic laws and measures on non-Muslims and infringes on the rights and interests of non-Muslims.

The DAP delegation will verify the accuracy of the measures in this third category, get feedback from the
people of Kelantan, and take them up with the Kelantan Mentri Besar, Nik Aziz Nik Mat during our meeting.