By Parliamentary Opposition Leader, DAP Secretary-General and MP for Tanjong, Lim Kit Siang, in Penang on Friday, 12th August 1994:
Penang DAP’s 10-night marathon ‘Tanjong 3’ Thousand-People Dinner in October to evoke People’s Power in Penang to teach Gerakan leaders a lesson in democracy
Penang DAP’s 10-night marathon ‘Tanjong 3’ Thousand People Dinner in October will evoke People’s Power in Penang to protest against Gerakan’s double-standards in refusing to alow the DAP to hold a 10,000-People ‘Tanjong 3’ Dinner on MPPP grounds, whether at Esplanade or at Taman Free School Grounds and to teach the Gerakan leaders a lesson in democracy.
Neither Penang Chief Minister, Dr. Koh Tsu Koon nor the MPPP President, Datuk Tan Gim Hwa can give a satisfactory or acceptable explanation why Gerakan Jelutong Division could hold a political dinner at Taman Free School Grounds on July 17 (where all Gerakan leaders spent the whole night attacking me) while the DAP is not allowed to hold a 10,000-People Tanjong 3 Dinner on the same grounds.
The People of Penang who wants Penang to be the “Number One” in Malaysia where the state government is the most fair, just and democratic are ashamed at the Gerakan double-standards at the state or local government level in Penang.
If former Penang Chief Minister, Dr. Lim Chong Eu had no objection when the DAP held a 10,000-People Dinner at the Penang Esplanade in 1989, why should Tsu Koon and Gim Hwa deny the DAP the right to hold a 10,000-People ‘Tanjong 3” dinner in October at Penang Esplanade or at Taman Free School grounds?
Gerakan is telling the people of Penang that it has no democratic principles and is an enemy to the demand for greater democratization and liberalization
The Gerakan double-standards are not only a gross abuse of power but a fundamental denial of democratic rights of the people of Penang.
What the Gerakan government leaders in Penang have done is going backwards and trying to block the tide for greater democratization and liberalization in Malaysia.
Gerakan is in fat telling the people of Penang that it has no democratic principles and is an enemy to the demand of the people for greater democratization and liberalization in the country.
This is all the more reprehensible at a time when even the Election Commission Secretary, Datuk Abdul Rahman had proposed in Penang a few days ago that public rallies should be allowed in the coming general elections and that the mass media, particularly radio and television, should be fair to Opposition parties.
From Gerakan’s latest undemocratic decision, Gerakan would be the first to oppose the proposal by the Election Commission Secretary to lift the ban on public rallies and to allow Opposition parties fair access to the mass media, especially electronic media.
A DAP Panang State Government will promote the culture and tradition of democracy and allow MPPP grounds to be used by opposition political parties
By its double-standards and undemocratic action in denying the DAP the MPPP grounds to hold Tanjong 3 10,000-People Dinner, Gerakan has shown its true colours – that it is prepared to sacrifice democratic principles just to hang on to power in Penang.
If the DAP forms the Penang State Government in the next general elections, DAP will allow the MPPP grounds to be used by any political party including the Opposition for its political functions, for the State Government has the responsibility to promote the culture and tradition of democracy in the State.
The DAP’s 10-night marathon ‘Tanjong 3’ Thousand-People Dinner in October is therefore to evoke People’s Power to teach both Dr. Koh Tsu Koon and Tan Gim Hwa a lesson in democracy.
The DAP’s 10-night marathon ‘Tanjong 3’ Thousand-People Dinner will be five consecutive nights on the Penang Island from October 3 to 7 at the Penang Chinese Town Hall, and five consecutive nights on Sebberang Prai from October 20 to 24, the first two Thousand-People Dinners in Bukit Mertajam on October 20 – 21, followed by two Thousand-People Dinners in Butterworth on October 22 and 23 and ending in Nibong Tebal on October 24.