Statement (2) by Parliamentary Opposition Leader, DAP Secretary-General and MP for Tanjung, Lim Kit Siang, while visiting Ipoh in connection with the Perak DAP State Voters’ Registration Exercise on Thursday, 21st July 1994 at 9.30 a.m.
Mahathir should reconsider not only the Cabinet post to be given to Bernard Dompok but should also reconsider his decision to appoint Dr. Jeffrey Kitingan as Senator and Deputy Minister
Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamed, said in Penang two days ago that h was reconsidering the Cabinet post to be given to Datuk Bernard Dompok, the Parti Demokratik Sabah president.
He said the Sabah Affairs Minister’s post was created previously because the Federal Government has no one to take charge of the state, which was then under PBS rule. Now Barisan Nasional has a chief minister and deputy chief Ministers to look after the state.
Mahathir should not only reconsider the Cabinet post to be given to Bernard Dompok but should also reconsider his decision to appoint Dr. Jeffrey is most likely to be appointed as Deputy Minister for Housing and Local Government.
In Parliament early this month, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister’s Department, Othman Abdul said the seven corruption charges against Dr. Jeffrey Kitingan was withdrawn by the Attorney-General because the ACA failed to get approval from the Hong Kong court to obtain evidence and documents.
This means that the Attorney-General and the ACA had to withdraw the charge because of technical difficulties of getting evidence from Hong Kong and not because they have found that there was no basis whatsoever to charge Jeffrey with corruption.
If this is the case, how can Mahathir appoint Jeffrey as Senator and Deputy Minister, which will violate the main Barisan Nasional election call in the Sabah state general elections – to get rid of corrupt leaders?
Mahathir will be visiting Sabah this weekend, and I urge the Prime Minister to make a clear stand on the issue of corruption and corrupt leaders?
If Jeffrey had been wrongly charged on seven counts of corruption, for which he was released on RM1 million bail, then the Attorney-General and the MCA should clear Jeffrey’s name first before his appointment as Senator and Deputy Minister.