By Parliamentary Opposition Leader , DAP Secretary-General and MP for Tanjung , Lim Kit Siang , in Penang on Monday , 3oth January 1994:
Tsu Koon should learn from Datuk Syed Hamid Albar in regarding the preposterous allegation in Sdyney Sunday Telegraph as an issue of grave concern to the nation instead of politicizing the issue to score cheap political points
Penang Chief Minister , Dr Koh Tsu Koon should learn from Datuk Syed Hamid Albar in regarding the preposterous allegation in Sdyney Sunday Telegraph as an issue of grave concern to the nation instead of politicizing the issue to score cheap political points.
In Kemaman two days ago , Syed Hamid said Canberra should make its stand on the allegation that Australian spies had recruited and bribed Opposition politicians and MPs as the issue was of grave concern to Malaysia.
He said :” The Australian Government should explain the matter clearly and inform us of the latest developments.
“Such reports are tarnishing the name of our country as well . The integrity and credibility of our politicians are being threatened.”
I fully endorse the views of Syed Hamid Albar , and I hope Tsu Koon can learn from such an approach , instead of trying to play politics with issues of national concern which should transcend party politics.
Unfortunately Tsu Koon can only see the issue from the narrow perspective of how and the Gerakan benefit by exploiting and playing politics with the issue.
DAP challenges Tsu Koon to declare whether it is the official stand of Penang State Government and the Gerakan that foreign press have bribed opposition politicians in Malaysia
He is not only concerned about the issue tarnishing the image of Malaysia , he is prepared to further tarnish the image of the country by alleging that foreign press might have also bribed opposition politicians in Malaysia.
DAP challenges Tsu Koon to declare whether it is the official stand of Penang State Government and the Gerakan that the foreign press had bribed opposition politicians in Malaysia.
Tsu Koon accused me in the past of extensively using foreign sources to ‘discredit’ the Malaysian Government . This is a most mischievous allegation , as Tsu Koon seems to suggest that apart from published materials , I have access to certain secret sources of information from foreign governments to discredit the Malaysian Government.
Tsu koon should have the honesty and courage to state clearly he is suggesting that I have conspired with foreign governments to ‘discredit’ the Malaysian Government . If he is not, then he should stop making vague and baseless allegations , which could only further undermine his position , credibility , authority and integrity as Penang Chief Minister.
Tsu Koon should realize that if he could make wild allegations that foreign government agencies and foreign press have bribed opposition politicians when he does not have any iota of evidence whatsoever , then the Penang Chief Minister could also be accused of having been bribed by foreign government agencies and foreign press as well , without the accuser having to produce any evidence.
Tsu Koon had asked why I had reacted so fast to the Australian report as it had not accused anybody specifically , whether within or outside the country.
Tsu Koon said :” But Lim has protested a bit too much and too fast in a melodramatic manner , as if stung by a bee .”
If I had not reacted on the same day the Sydney Sunday Telegraph had been made public by the Cabinet on Wednesday would Tsu Koon not have alleged with righteous indignation that I had “acted a bit too slowly as if I had something to hide?”
In actual fact , after the Malaysian press received copies of the Sdyney Sunday Telegraph on Wednesday after the Cabinet decided to make public the Australian report which had appeared ten days earlier on January 16 the DAP was virtually besieged by the press , both printed and electronic , for comments.
TV3 for instance contacted me in Penang at about 520 pm from Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday wanting to send a television crew to interview me , the crew came to my house at about 6 pm for the purpose.
So, what is the basis for Tsu Koon ‘s statement that I had acted too fast in reacting to the Sydney Sunday Telegraph report?
I know that Tsu Koon . Dr. Kang Chin Seng and the Gerakan leaders are very disappointed that they could not fully exploit this issue , as the DAP had been very forthright in our reaction – demanding to know the authenticity of the allegation , and if so , the names of the ‘traitors ‘ and our refusal to protect anyone who could be bribed to become agents of Australian spies.
Tsu Koon , Chin Seng and others in Gerakan thought they could ‘fish in troubled waters ‘ for they find that the waters, as far as the DAO is concerned , is very clear and pure!
If Tsu Koon wants to be a responsible Chief Minister , he should ask the Gerakan in Cabinet and Parliament to support the establishment of an All-Party Parliamentary Committee to investigate the Sydney Sunday Telegraph allegation
If Tsu Koon wants to be a responsible Chief Minister , he should ask the Gerakan in Cabinet and Parliament to support the establishement of an All-party Parliamentary Committee to investigate the Sdyney Sunday Telegraph allegation.
If Tsu Koon is serious about his allegation that the foreign press bribed Opposition politicians in Malaysia, he should make a straightforward and formal allegation and ask the All-Party Parliamentary Committee to include this in the terms of reference.
Two days ago . it was reported that in the United Kingdom , an all-party parliamentary investigation would be launched in the allegation concerning British government ‘aids for arms ‘ deal with Malaysia involving RM980 million for the Pergau hydro-electric dam and the RM5 billion Malaysian arms purchases from Britain.
There is therefore no reason why there could not be an all-party parliamentary investigation in Malaysia into the allegation that Australian spies had bribed opposition politicians or Tsu Koon ‘s allegation that that the foreign media had also bribed Opposition politicians in Malaysia.