by Parliamentary Opposition Leader, DAP Secretary-General and MP for Tanjong, Lira Kit Siang, in Penang on Wednesday, July 21, 1993:
Gerakan Minister, Deputy Ministers and MPs should explain why they could support, amendment to the Federal Constitution for the sake of one person but could not support a constitutional amendment to increase two new Parliamentary seats for the sake of over one million people in Penang
Gerakan Minister, Deputy Ministers and MPs should explain why they could support amendment to the Federal Constitution for the sake of one person but could not support a constitutional amendment to increase two new Parliamentary seats for the sake of over one million people in Penang.
Yesterday, the Gerakan Minister, Deputy Ministers and MPs showed that they were no better than ‘yes-men’ like their counterparts in the other Barisan Nasional component parties when they voted in Parliament to amend the Federal Constitution for the sake of one-person – to allow Tun Mustapha to become Federal Minister for Safaah Affairs without having to resign his Usukan Sabah State Assembly seat.
This amendment is not for the sake of the country or people f but to protect the political interests of UMNO in Sabah, for UMNO fears that it, would lose if there is a by-election in the Usukan Sabah state assembly seat following Tun Mustapha’s resignation as required by the existing Article 43(8). Now this test and ignominy for UMNO is avoided by the repeal of Article 43(8).
During the debate on this Bill in Dewan Rakyat, I asked the Gerakan MPs, including Gerakan Minister and Deputy Ministers, why they could support a constitutional amendment for the sake of one person and yet they could not support a constitutional amendment to increase two new Parliamentary seats in Penang for the sake of over one million Penangites.
There was silence from the Gerakan Parliamentary team, whether Minister, Deputy Minister or Minister – as none of them dare to stand up to defend their position.
In fact, in the whole two-day debate on the Constitution Amendment {No. 3) Bill, nobody from the Gerakan said a word, as the role of the Gerakan in Parliament, is just to blindly vote when required to do so by the Barisan Nasional Whip!