Speech by Parliamentary Opposition Leader, DAP Secretary-General and MP for Tanjung, Lim Kit Siang, at the Kluang DAP Branch Anniversary Dinner held in Kluang on Friday, 22nd July 1994 at 7 p.m.
If MCA cannot list out the ‘Little Liberalisation’ which they claim credit, MCA Ministers and leaders should stop making empty claims
In Ipoh yesterday, I challenged the MCA Ministers to list out within three days the ‘Little Liberalisation’ in the past three years which they claim credit for.
The MCA Ministers and leaders have now 40 hours to produce this list of ‘Little Liberalisation’. I will not be surprised, however, if the MCA Ministers and leaders are unable to produce this list of ‘Little Liberalisation’ when my three-day challenge to them expires on Sunday.
I understand that the MCA leadership is split as how to respond to my challenge. There are MCA leaders who suggest that the best MCA response is to ignore my challenge, as they know that the MCA will not be able to list out any ‘Little Liberalisation’ which MCA Ministers could credibly claim credit and bear public scrutiny.
Other MCA leaders fear that if they cannot produce a list of the ‘Little Liberalisation’ which MCA had been publicly claiming credit, MCA will lose whatever credibility it had regained.
I will not teach MCA Ministers and leaders how to respond to my challenge to list out the ‘Little Liberalisation’ of the past three years which they are claiming credit.
One thing however is certain: If the MCA cannot list out the ‘Little Liberalisation’ whey they claim credit for, then MCA Ministers and leaders should stop making empty claims, for it would prove that MCA Ministers not only had nothing to do with the ‘Little Liberalisation’ of the past three years, but does not understand the DAP’s goal of ‘Big Liberalisation’ as the major theme in the next general elections.
Any UMNO Parliamentary Secretary can put up better parliamentary performance than the MCA Ministers
The inability of the MCA to list out the ‘Little Liberalisation’ in the past three years which they have publicly claimed credit will only highlight the completely marginalized role of the MCA in the Barisan Nasional Government and Cabinet.
This was why I told the MCA Minister for Housing and Local Government, Datuk Dr. Ting Chew Peh in Parliament on Tuesday that the parliamentary performance of an ordinary UMNO parliamentary secretary would be better than all the MCA Ministers any time.
During the recent Parliamentary meeting, DAP MPs called on the Barisan Nasional Government to allocated regular annual financial grants to the Chinese Independent Secondary Schools to fully recognize them as ‘future assets of the country’ and to give income tax exemption to all donations to the Chinese Independent Secondary Schools.
However, there was not a single MCA MP who dare to stand up in Parliament to support the DAP on these two proposals.
Fong Chan Onn should explain whether the new law on private universities and colleges would permit the establishment of the Dong Jiao Zong New Era College
Three days ago, the Prime Minister, Dr. Mahathir Mohamed said in Penang that the government was introducing legislation to allow reputed foreign universities to set up branch campuses in the country and to simplify the regulations on entry and visa requirements for foreign students.
There is no mention about the government allowing Malaysians to establish private universities or the use of various languages, including mother-tongues, as medium of instruction in these private universities.
For this reason, I call on the MCA Deputy Education Minister, Dr. Fong Chan Onn, to spell out clearly whether the new legislation being drafted by the Ministry of Education on private universities would be liberal and enlightened enough to permit Malaysians to establish colleges and universities allowing the use of mother-tongue languages as medium of instruction.
Specifically, would the new education legislation being drafted by the Education Minister repeal the ultimate objective of the National Education Policy and permit the establishment of New Era College as proposed by Dong Jiao Zong at the Kajang Dong Jiao Zong Education Centre?
And when would the new Education Bill to replace, the 1961 Education Act and the new Private Universities and University Colleges Bill be ready to be presented to Parliament?