Speech by Parliamentary Opposition Leader, DAP Secretary-General and MP for Tanjung, Lim Kit Siang, when launching the DAP Voters’ Registration Campaign in Bayan Baru parliamentary constituency at Sunshine Square, Bayan Baru on Sunday, 17th July 1994 at 12 noon
With Tan Gim Hwa indicating his intention to contest in next state general elections, Tsu Koon will have to serve two ‘masters’ instead of one in the state government if he continues as Penang Chief Minister after the general elections
The Gerakan State Chairman, Datuk Tan Gim Hwa, has indicated his intention to contest in next state general elections when he disclosed yesterday that he had been given the ‘green light’ by Gerakan President, Datuk Dr. Lim Keng Yaik to contest any state seat except Tanjong Bungah.
This will mean Dr. Koh Tsu Koon will have to serve two ‘masters’ instead of one in the Penang State Government if he continues as Penang Chief Ministers after the next general elections.
At present, Tsu Koon who occupies the 28th Floor at KOMTAR has to serve one ‘master’ at the 26th Floor – Deputy Chief Minister Dr. Ibrahim Saad, the UMNO representative in State Government – at the Penang State Government level and another ‘master’ at the 17th Floor – Tan Gin Hwa, the Penang Gerakan Chairman – at the local government level.
When Gim Hwa also stands for state elections, then Tsu Koon will have to serve two ‘masters’ at the state government level if he continues as Penang Chief Minister after the next general elections – making him the most ‘unique’ state government leader in Malaysian political history!
Gim Hwa’s announcement that he could “choose any seat to contest, be it the state seat of Machang Bubok, Bayan Lepas Sungai Bakap or Kebun Bunga” is most interesting. Of the four state seats mentioned by Gim Hwa, Machang Bubok and Kebun Bunga are just ‘red herrings’.
Of the four seats mentioned, Gin Hwa had been eyeing the Bayan Lepas seat which he regards as the ‘safest’. His reference to Sungai Bakap is very interesting. Gim Hwa would not dare to contest in Sungai Bakap, but the very fact that he mentioned Sungai Bakap and not Sungai Pinang (held by Dr. Kang Chin Seng) is an open indication that the present incumbent, Dr. Goh Cheng Teik may be dropped in the next general elections.
Gerakan Government only ‘allows officials to start fires but prohibits the people from lighting lamps’
The Gerakan Government attitude of ‘allowing officials to start fires but prohibiting the people from lighting lamps’ is again highlighted by the arbitrary and undemocratic MPPP action in tearing down DAP posters and banners urging the people to register as voters.
The people of Penang know that Tsu Koon and Gim Hwa are applying double standards when MPPP tear down DAP’s posters while they allowed Gerakan to put up series of posters making false attacks on the DAP on lamp posts, public places and even on Penang’s precious palm trees.
The ‘Save-Tsu Koon Operation’ brainstrust wants to ban DAP from putting up any posters in Penang, even during the next general elections
Yesterday, I revealed a Gerakan Save-Koh Tsu Koon Operation which is trying to register about 2,000 Malay workers resident and working in Bayan Baru as voters in Tanjong Bungah state constituency, as well register or transfer another few thousand ‘phantom voters’ to Tanjong Bungah from other constituencies, including from Penang mainland.
This ‘Save-Tsu koon Operation’ brainstrust also wants to ban DAP from putting up any posters in Penang, even during the next general elections.
I do not know why Tsu Koon is so afraid of posters bearing my photograph.
A DAP Penang State Government will play a leading role in providing financial support for the building of new Chinese primary schools and the renovation or rebuilding of dilapidated Chinese primary schools
DAP has announced that the DAP’s Battle of Tanjong 3 is to make Penang the model state in the ‘Big Liberalisation’ of nation-building policies.
One area where a DAP Penang State Government can play a great role in the ‘Big Liberalisation’ in Malaysia is in according full recognition to the importance of Chinese education, Chinese Independent Secondary Schools and Chinese primary schools in nation building.
In the Penang State Assembly last month, I called on the Penang State Government to provide full financial banking to allow the completion of the Yoke Hwa Chinese primary school in Balik Pulau.
The school needs RM800,000 to build a new 12-classroom new school and has collected RM200,000. the Federal Government should be responsible for the balance of RM600,000 needed for the construction of the new school premises for ‘Yoke Hwa Chinese primary school.
However, until the Federal Government agrees to provide this RM600,000 allocation, the Penang State Government should be prepared to provide full financial backing of RM600,000 for the construction of Yoke Hwa Chinese primary school new premises.
A Penang DAP State Government will play a leading role in providing financial support for the building of new Chinese primary schools – as an example for other State Governments and even the Federal Government to follow.
DAP calls on Mahathir to agree to an all-party conference to draw up guidelines for a ‘fair, free and clean’ general elections
At the special UMNO General Assembly last month to amend the UMNO party constitution to combat ‘money politics’, the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamed, challenged opposition parties to do likewise.
I will raise Dr. Mahathir’s challenge at the DAP Central Executive Committee meeting tomorrow. There I s no ‘money politics’ in DAP, but Dr. Mahathir’s proposal that all opposition parties incorporate a clause in their party constitution to prohibit ‘money politics’ is worth consideration.
However, what is even more important than UMNO amendment its party constitution to combat ‘money politics’ is for the Prime Minister to ensure that the next general elections is ‘fair, free and clean’.
For this reason, DAP calls on Mahathir to agree to an all-party conference to draw up guidelines for a ‘free, fair and clean’ general elections, which should focus among other things on the following areas:
• Fair access to mass media, including radio and television, for all political parties during the general elections camping;
• Lifting the ban on public rallies during general elections;
• Strict control of election expenditures to enforce the law that only RM50,000 could be spent by a parliamentary candidate and RM30,000 by a state assembly candidate to wipe out ‘money politics’ in national politics;
• Strict ban on the misuse of public funds, government machinery and civil servants in Barisan Nasional election campaign; and
• Amendment of postal ballot regulations to disqualify postal ballots as ‘spoilt votes’ where agents of candidates are denied the opportunity to supervise their voting process.