by Parliamentary. Opposition Leader, DAP Secretary-General and MP for Tanjung, Lim Kit Siang, in Petaling Jaya on Monday, 28th February 1994:
DAP calls on the Cabinet at its next meeting on Wednesday to seriously consider the establishment of a Royal Commission of Inquiry into the British mass media allegations of corruption, bribery and improprieties against Malaysian Government leaders and politicians
MCA President and Transport Minister, Datuk Dr. Ling Liong Sik said yesterday that there is no need for a Royal Commission of Inquiry into the British mass media allegations of corruption, bribery and improprieties against Malaysian Government leaders and politicians.
Liong Sik said such a commission would not resolve the problem as the British press would continue to publish baseless reports to discredit the Malaysian Government and its leaders.
Liong Sik cannot be more wrong in rejecting a Royal Commission of Inquiry into the British massmedia allegations.
A Royal Commission of Inquiry is necessary and vital to protect the reputation and integrity of the Malaysian Govern¬ment and its leaders, and in particular the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Dr, Mahathir Mohamed’, who had been directly named in one of the British mass media allegations.
If the Government refuses to establish a Royal Commission of Inquiry to get into the bottom of the allegations, there would be two adverse inferences: firstly, that the Malaysian Government has got things to hide and is afraid of a public inquiry; and secondly, that the government could not rebut the allegations in the British mass media.
These adverse inferences detrimental to Malaysia’s good name and reputation would be reinforced by the failure of Dr. Mahathir to institute legal proceedings against the London Sunday Times to clear his name, especially as Dr. Mahathir was accused of asking for ‘special payments’ in one business deal and asked that they should be paid into Swiss bank account.
For the sake of protecting,the integrity of the Malaysian Government and its leaders, and in particular that of the Prime Minister himself, the Cabinet at its next meeting on Wednesday should seriously consider the DAP proposal for the establishment of a Royal Commission of Inquiry into the British mass media allegations about corruption, bribery and improprie¬ties against Malaysian Government leaders and the Prime Minister.
1 am prepared to appear before the Cabinet to convince the Prime Minister and the Ministers why a Royal Commission of Inquiry should be established
Instead of giving blind support in Cabinet, Liong Sik should advise Dr.Mahathir that it is in his best interest as well as that of the nation that a Royal Commission of Inquiry is set up to inquire into the allegations.
It is natural that Dr. Mahathir would feel very angry about the British mass media reports, especially as he had been personally named in the allegations.
But personal anger is one thing, and what is in the interests of the reputation of the Malaysian Prime Minister, the government and country is another.
If Liang Sik does not feel confident that he could argue in the Cabinet for the establishment of a Royal Commission of Inquiry, I am prepared to appear before the Cabinet to convince the Prime Minister and the Ministers why they should agree to the establishment of a Royal Commission of Inquiry.
Why is the Government escalating the trade war against Britain when it had initially announced that the sanctions would not affect services, management, consultancy and education or private contracts?
When the Deputy Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, first announced imposing sanctions against British companies, he said that they would be confined to government contracts and would not affect services, management, consultancy and education or private contracts.
However, Education Minister, Datuk Dr. Sulaiman Daud yesterday advised local firms which intend to take British partners for joint ventures in education-related projects to look for alternatives.
Why is the government escalating the trade war against, Britain in a matter of 48 hours, extending the sanctions from government contracts to private contracts as well?
Is Dr. Sulaiman Daud suggesting, for instance, that the thousands of students who are preparing for the London University LL.B. external -examinations and other British degrees and qualifications should abandon their studies and refuse to sit for the examinations?
Government must first get the mandate from Parliament before it declares trade, war against another country
DAP cautions the Cabinet not to escalate the trade war with Britain but to find a proper, correct and honourable response to the British mass media allegations which could serve the following two objectives:
protect the integrity of the Malaysian Government and its leaders, particularly the Prime Minister, by establishing the falsity of the British mass media allegations; and
protect the interests of Malaysians to ensure, that these are not undermined or jeopardised in a trade war with Britain.
Finally, the Cabinet must accept the principle that before it declares a trade war with another country, it should first seek the mandate from Parliament. This is why the DAP is calling for the convening of an emergency meeting of Parliament in the middle of March.