Barisan Nasional plot to register about 2,000 Malay workers resident and working in Bayan Baru as voters in Tanjong Bungah state assembly constituency as part of the Gerakan Save-Kch Tsu Koon-Operation

Press Conference Statement by Parliamentary Opposition Leader, DAP Secretary-General and MP for Tanjung, Lim Kit Siang, at Penang DAP Hqrs on Saturday, July 16, 1994 at 11.30 a.m.

Barisan Nasional plot to register about 2,000 Malay workers resident and working in Bayan Baru as voters in Tanjong Bungah state assembly constituency as part of the Gerakan Save-Kch Tsu Koon-Operation

This press conference is called to expose a Barisan Nasional plot to register about 2,000 workers resident and working in Bayan Baru as voters in Tanjong Bungah state assembly constituency as part of the Gerakan Save-Koh Tsu Koon Operation.

These Malay workers have come from other states to work in Penang and had never been registered as voters before.

This is only part of the Gerakan Save-Koh Tsu Koon Operation in this 21-day Voters’ Registration Exercise being conducted by the Election Commission.

Other elements of the Save-Koh Tsu Koon Operation include:

• Registration of new voters in Tanjong Bungah although like the target of 2,000 Malay workers in Bayan Baru, they work and reside for away from Tanjong Bungah, including from the Penang mainland;

• Mass transfer of voters from other constituencies, including from the Penang mainland, to Tanjong Bungah.

It is clear that the basic strategy of the Gerakan Save-Koh Tsu Koon Operation is the mass registration of ‘phantom voters’ from outside Tanjong Bungah, whether as new voters or through transfer of constituency.

The Election Commission should be on the alert and nip in the bud this attempt to register a few thousand ‘phantom voters’ from outside Tanjong Bungah in the Gerakan Save-Koh Tsu Koon Operation.

The DAP Tanjong 3 Voters’ Registration Committee will set up a special unit on this Gerakan Save-Koh Tsu Koon Operation to expose this Gerakan election scandal of trying to register a few thousand ‘phantom voters’ in Tanjong Bungah from people outside the constituency and even from Penang mainland.

The Gerakan Save-Koh Tsu Koon Operation to register a few thousand phantom voters’ in Tanjong Bungah shows two things:

• Firstly, that Gerakan takes the 21-day Voters’ Registration Exercise which ends on July 31 very seriously, meaning that those who register as voters now will play a decisive role in deciding the outcome of the DAP’s Tanjong 3 Battle in Penang. This means a high likelihood of general election being held next year rather than this year, as otherwise, those who register as voters in the 21-day Voters’ Registration Exercise will not be able to cast their vote;

• Secondly, the mortal fear of Koh Tsu Koon for the DAP and DAP’s Tanjong 3 Battle.

This is why the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Dr. Mahathir and entire Cabinet is coming to Penang in response to Tsu Koon’s SOS appeal.

The latest manifesto of this DAP-fear syndrome of Tsu Koon could be see by the directive to MPPP workers to tear down DAP banners and posters urging the people of Penang to register as new voters.

When Gerakan put up posters which tell lies about the DAP, Tsu Koon and the MPPP did nothing to tear down the posters, although many of them were put up on lamp posts, public places and even palm trees which are the pride and heritage of Penangites.

When DAP put up posters urging the people to register as voters, they were not put up on lamp posts, public places or on the precious palm trees of Penang but on private property.

DAP to put up the posters torn down by MPPP workers, and call on the people to be our eyes and ears a to who tear down the new DAP posters as MPPP has denied responsibility

Tsu Koon’s DAP-fear syndromes is so great that immediately, MPPP sent out its workers to tear down the posters as well as banners.

Although the people of Penang saw the MPPP tearing down the DAP posters and banners, and there is photographic proof, it is most shocking that the MPPP could issue a statement of denial of full responsibility for the tearing down of DAP posters and banners.

I would firstly advise Koh Tsu Koon not to allow his DAP-fear syndrome to reach an extent where he could not bear to see a DAP poster or banner, forcing the MPPP workers to tear down DAP posters and banners.

Secondly, in view of the MPPP denial of responsibility for tearing down the DAP posters and banners, the DAP will replace the posters that have been ton down – and we call on the people to be our eyes and ears when these new DAP posters are torn down.

If these posters are again torn down by MPPP workers, the public should immediately inform the DAP and even telephone to police to arrest the MPPP workers, as the MPPP had denied issuing such a directive.