Speech by Parliamentary Opposition Leader, DAP Secretary-General and MP for Tanjung, Lim Kit Siang, at the Bintulu DAP Branch 15th anniversary dinner held in Bintulu on Tuesday, 1st June 1993 at 7 p.m.
I agree with Mahathir that there can be no unlimited freedom in Malaysia but he is wrong when he claims that Malaysia has a good record on democracy and human rights
At the Gerakan annual general meeting last weekend, the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamed said Malaysia would avoid practicing democracy in its absolute sense and that unlimited freedom was dangerous as riots could easily take place in the country’s plural society. He then went on to accuse critics of Malaysian democracy and human rights as slaves and stooges of Western ideas and countries.
Dr. Mahathir is up to his perverse illogic, where he initially made certain valid arguments and criticisms, but went on to draw conclusions which are completely baseless and unfounded.
I agree with Dr. Mahathir that there can be no ‘absolute democracy’ or ‘unlimited freedom’. I also agree with Dr. Mahathir’s criticism of double-standards of Western countries which had not practiced democratic principles in the international arena.
But all these have nothing to do with the struggle of Malaysians for democracy and human rights in the country – for we not advocating ‘absolute democracy’ and ‘unlimited freedom’ in Malaysia, but greater democracy and more respect for human rights in the country.
I agree with Dr. Mahathir therefore that there can be no unlimited freedom in Malaysia but he is wrong when he claims or pretends that Malaysia has a good record on democracy and human rights which bears national and international examination.
Dr. Mahathir cannot defend his violation of human rights in Malaysia, as in arbitrarily detaining the six Sabahans including Dr. Jeffrey Kitingan for prolonged periods without trial under the Internal Security Act, on the ground that the Western countries are advocating the rights of homosexuals in their understanding of human rights.
Similarly, Dr. Mahathir cannot justify the suppression of press freedoms over electronic media like television and radio and the printed media by objecting to the prevalence of single-parent families in the West.
Dr. Mahathir complained that Malaysia had never been given space in the Western media expect for news that was damaging – but is this justifications for Malaysian mass media, particularly the electronic media of television and radio, not giving space to the Opposition, government critics and dissent expect for news that are damaging, whether concocted or otherwise.
There are blemishes in the record of democracy and human rights in Western countries, but these cannot be used as justification in Malaysia for the Barisan Nasional government to commit even greater violations of democratic freedoms and human rights of Malaysians.
Dr. Mahathir claims that the Barisan Nasional is committed to democracy. If this is the case, then he should not only be tolerant of calls for greater democracy and more respect for human rights, but should take positive steps in this direction.
DAP calls on Malaysians to come forward to fight for space for more democracy and human rights in Malaysia
Dr. Mahathir should not distract and divert attention from the legitimate aspirations of Malaysians for greater democracy and more respect for human rights by denouncing the so-called ‘excessive’ and ‘fanatical’ democracy elsewhere.
I call on Malaysians to come forward to fight for democracy and human rights in Malaysia, because we are not asking for unlimited freedoms or absolute democracy, but for space for more democracy and human rights in Malaysia.
Assuming 100 per cent is absolute democracy and unlimited freedoms, Malaysia has at present only 10 per cent democracy and human rights.
What we want is to stretch the present limits of our democracy and human rights to say 15 per cent, where controls on press freedoms are removed; detainees under ISA released; and Malaysians accorded the right to freedom of speech, expression and information; and where Malaysians are restored their rights to assembly and association.
Surely, Dr. Mahathir is not suggesting that there would be chaos or riots in Malaysia if the Opposition are allowed fair time on radio and television, or if the Rocket is allowed to continue to be sold to the public as it had done for 25 years from 1966 to 1991!
Dr. Mahathir seems to want to turn ‘democracy’ and ‘human rights’ into some dirty terms. We must not allow Dr. Mahathir to succeed, or it would only lead to the death of democracy and total suppression of human rights in Malaysia.