By Parliamentary Opposition leader, DAP Secretary-General and MP for Tanjong, Lim Kit Siang, in Penang on Tuesday, August 24, 1993:
Challenge to Liong Sik to publicly declare his family asserts within a week
The MCA President, Datuk Dr Ling Liong Sik, has just made his third biggest political mistake in the past two months.
Early last month, Liong Sik ate the leopard’s heart and changelled me to declare within a week the DAP Save Bukit China One Person One Dollar Fund. When I accepted his challenged and invited him to Malacca on July 10 for a Lim Kit Siang Liong Sik mutual questioning session where he could raise any questions about the DAP SAVE Bukit China Fund, Liong Sik dared not turn up although he was the one to issue the challenge.
The reason why Liong Sik dared not to turn up for the Malacca Lim Kit Siang Liong Sik mutual questioning session on July 10 was very obvious: Liong Sik had too many MCA financial scandals which he could not give a satisfactory explanation, including his own Bolton Finance scandal.
This was Liong Sik’s first political mistake. His second political mistake is in the past two months was to accept the advice of his ‘cow-dung political counsellors’ like his political secretary to publicly relate the ‘cow-dung’ story o Tsu Tong Poh, which ended up in Liong Sik himself splattered with cow-dung all over his face.
Liong Sik made his third political mistake at the Bagan MCA dinner on Sunday night when he challenged me to make a police report within a week that he (Dr Ling) is corrupt. Liong Sik said that if he was found to be corrupt, he would retire from politics, and that alternatively, I should retire from politics.
Liong Sik though that his ‘bravado’ of his would help him to make amends for his two earlier political mistakes, not realishing that this is the climax of his series of political mistake in the past two months.
Liong Sik said that if he is found to be corrupt by the police and the ACA, he would retire from politics. Is Liong Sik admitting that at present, Barisan Nasional eaders who are found to be corrupt or to have corrupt or to have committed crimes whether by the police or the ACA continue to hold top government posts and to be active in politics?
If not, why is there the need for such a statement by Liong Sik? The position should be, where a government Minister or Leader is found to be corrupt or to have committed a crime, he should retire from politics – whether he likes or not.
From Liong Sik’s speech at the Bagan MCA dinner, it is very clear that Barisan Nasional government leaders who have been found to be corrupt or to have committed crimes continue to be active in political and Liong Sik wanted to suggest that he would be a bit different!
I am also very intrigued by Liong Sik’s challenge, which is an empty challenge. Why did Liong Sik make it at Bagan MCA dinner?
The reason is that also very obvious. Everyone who attended the Bagan MCA dinner was waiting for Liong Sik to give an acceptable explanation why he was the first MCA national leader to flee Penang in 1986 after he heard that I was going to contest in Penang.
Liong Sik has no reason to give and the only way was to come out with the bravado of challenging me to lodge a police report within a week that he (DR Ling) is corrupt.
Liong Sik should know that Malaysians have lost faith in the ACA as it is powerless to go after the corrupt in high political places.
Barisan Nasional Ministers and leaders are not worried about police reports as ACA reports, especially after the failure of the ACA to take any action after 16 months of investigation into the MAIKA Telekom shares hijacking scandal and the MIC President, Datuk Seri Dr Samy Vellu and the over half a dozen ACA reports lodged by DAPSY National Chairman, Lim Guan Eng against the Malacca Chief Minister, Tan Sri Rahim Tamby Cik, for his unusual wealth.
In fact, the country has lost faith in the Anti-Corruption Agency as it has proved to be completely powerless as far as going after the corrupt in high political places, and Liong Sik should be fully aware of this.
If Liong Sik wants to set a high standard of political integrity for Cabinet Ministers, then I challenge him to declare his family asserts within a week.
If in Taiwan, top political leaders including the President, the Prime Minister, all Ministers and legislators have to publicly declare their family asserts under its sunshine law, can Liong Sik explain why he is reluctant to publicly declare his family asserts?
Liong Sik has said that he would not attend any face-to-face mutual questioning session over his allegations about the DAP Save Bukit China Fund.
If Liong Sik stands on strong grounds, he would not be so fearful of such a face-to-face mutual questioning. For me, I am prepared to meet Liong sik in a face-to-face mutual questioning on the numerous MCA financial scandals, including jis own personal Bolton Finance scandal, any time and any place, including MCA Headquarters.
Liong Sik’s fear in attending and face to face mutual questioning on the DAP Save Bukit China Fund does not give Liong Sik the right or immunity to make defamatory statements against me and DAP leaders, as making the insinuation that the DAP had collected RM3 million from the DAP Save Bukit China Fund and that I had pocketed the money.
This is why I instructed my lawyers to file defamation proceedings against Liong Sik, and the MCA President would have the opportunity to prove his allegation that I have misappropriated the funds collected from the DAP Save Bukit China campaign, or he would have to pay compensation for damages to my reputation.
I have been informed by my lawyers, Sdr. Karpal Singh and Co, that the legal suit against Liong Sik would be filed at the Kuala Lumpur High Court on Thursday.
Why is Liong Sik afraid to institute legal proceedings against me if he believes that I had accused him of being ‘corrupt’?
If LIong Sik believes that I had charged him with being corrupt why hasn’t Liong Sik taken legal proceedings to clear his own name?
I stand on by what I have said publicly, and if Liong sik believes that I had accused him with corruption, and he dare not take legal action to clear his own name, reoutation, then the Malaysian public can make their own judgement about Liong Sik.
Liong Sik should know that the people are still waiting for satisfactory and acceptable explanation from him on the numerous MCA financial scandals, whether it be in connection with the Multi-Purpose Holdings BHD., the Chang Min Tien Education Fund, the MCA Save Bukit China Fund or his own Bolton Finance scandal.