by Parliamentary Opposition Leader, DAP Secretary-General and MP for Tanjung, Lim Kit Siang, in Penang on Friday, 28th February 1992:
The two demolished Thean Teik dwellings have become the test case of the legal, moral and political integrity of the MPPP and the Penang State Government
The case of the two demolished Thean Teik Estate dwelling has become a test case of the legal, moral and political integrity of the MPPP and the Penang State Government.
I hope the Penang Chief Minister, Dr. Koh Tsu Koon, will not continue to remain silent on two pressing questions: Firstly, Why have the Penang State Government and MPPP refused to honour their undertaking that the two demolished Thean Teik Estate dwellings would be rebuilt and reinstated to their original condition after completion of sewerage construction works.
Secondly, why the Penang State Government and the MPPP are still stubborn in refusing to honour their solemn legal, moral and political commitments.
I am very surprised that Dr. Koh Tsu Koon has said nothing on this matter yet, for from his practice so far, he would be very fast to present his story to the public. Is it because Dr. Koh Tsu Koon knows that the Penang State Government and the MPPP are legally, morally ad politically wrong on this matter?
I said on Wednesday that a top Penang State Government leader, who is in the Penang State Executive Council, had made it clear that the authorities have no intention to honour their commitments and rebuild the two Thean Teik dwellings to their original condition. It is significant that no one has yet dared to challenge or contradict my revelation.
The 20 of the former 24 MPPP Councillors should bear equal responsibility with the MPPP Secretary, Lakhbir Singh, for the MPPP dishonouring its solemn legal, moral and political commitments to rebuild the two demolished dwellings in Thean Teik
While the people of Penang awaits an explanation from Dr. Koh Tsu Koon, I want to remind the 20 MPPP Councillors who were in the previous MPPP Council that they must bear equal responsibility with the MPPP Secretary, Lakhbir Singh, for the MPPP’s dishonouring its solemn legal, moral and political commitments to rebuild the two demolished dwellings in Thean Teik Estate.
Up to now, the MPPP Councillors accept their allowances but never accept any responsibility for the wrongdoings, in efficiencies and incompetence of the MPPP – or even worse, the ‘decadence and impotence’ of the MPPP to use the words of Gerakan President, Datuk Dr. Lim Keng Yaik. In other words, the MPPP Councillors just accept ‘gaji buta’ – payment for no responsibility!
This is no more acceptable, and the MPPP Councillors must be made to accept responsibility for the failures, wrongdoings and malpractices of the MPPP – starting with the MPPP scandal of the two demolished Thean Teik dwellings.
This is why the 20 of the 24 former MPPP Councillors who were responsible for the previous legal, moral and political commitments to rebuild the two demolished Thean Teik swellings after the completion of the sewerage project must be held equally responsible as the MPPP Secretary, Lakhbir Singh, for this MPPP scandal.