by Parliamentary Opposition Leader, DAP Secretary-General and MP for Tanjung, Lim Kit Siang, in Penang an Saturday, April 3, 1993:
Government’s move to de-register Semangat 46 shacking and most undemocratic
The Government’s move to de-register Semangat 46 is shocking and most undemocratic, and raises the question whether the Constitution Amendments to remove the Rulers’ immunity is the beginning of a democratisation process or the opposite.
Although the UMNO leaders may have reason to believe that in the next general elections, they face their greatest challenge in history to garner support in the Malay rural ground – even greater than the 1990 general elections – this cannot be justification for the undemocratic administrative action to deregister Semangat 46.
UMNO leaders must be prepared to face the challenge from any political opposition to win the hearts and minds of the voters in the general elections, and accept the verdict of the people, and not resort to undemocratic actions like the notice of deregistration by the Registrar of Societies to Semangat 46.