by Parliamentary Opposition Leader, DAP Secretary-General and MP for Tanjung, Lim Kit Siang, in Petaling Jaya on Wednesday, 29th January 1992:
Clarification with regard to Utusan Malaysia report on meeting of DAP delegation with Kelantan Mentri Besar
I wish to make the following clarification with regard to Utusan Malaysia report today on my press conference statement in Kota Bahru after the meeting of the DAP delegation with the Kelantan Mentri Besar in Kota Bahru yesterday.
The Utusan Malaysia can give rise to the two following erroneous impressions which would be further distorted and exploited by the MCA and Gerakan propaganda campaign machinery against the DAP:
Firstly, that the DAP ‘berpuas hati’ with the Islamisation policy and measures of the PAS-led Kelantan State Government;
Secondly, that the DAP is now supportive of the Islamic State concept of PAS.
Firstly, let me state that when I said at the press conference that I was ‘berpuas hati’ with the meeting between the DAP delegation and the Kelantan Mentri Besar, Haji Aziz Nik Mat and the senior members of the State Executive Council, it is different from saying that I was ‘berpuas hati’ with the Islamisation policy and measures of the Kelantan State Government.
The DAP delegation has declared publicly during out three-day visit to Kelantan that the DAP supports measures taken by the PAS-led Kelantan State Government which promote universal values which are shared by all religions to promote a good, clean, honest and just human being, government and society; and opposes Islamisation measures – whether by PAS or UMNO – which infringe on the rights and interests of non-Muslim Malaysians.
The DAP is ‘satisfied’ with the meeting because the Kelantan Mentri Besar and the senior Exco members were open and frank, and prepared to discuss and review Islamisation measures which have created problems and hardships to the Chinese and non-Muslims in accordance with their public position that Islamisation measures will not infringe the rights and interests of non-Muslims.
Secondly, the DAP ’s stand on an Islamic State is unchanged, that the DAP rejects the Islamic state as unsuitable for a multi-racial, multi-religious democratic Malaysia, I made particular stress on this in the ceramah-dialogue which the DAP delegation had with the people of Kota Bahru and Kelantan on Monday night.