Speech by Parliamentary Opposition Leader, DAP secretary-General and Member of Parliament for Tanjong, Lim Kit Siang, at the Kepong DAP Branch National Day Dinner held at Jinjang Utara, Kuala Lumpur on Sunday, August 14, 1994 at 8 pm
I have written to the Prime Minister asking for an appointment to discuss the issue of ensuring that the next general elections, the first to be held after the announcement of Vision 2020, is the most ‘free, fair and clean’ in Malaysian history and making it a model general elections for the world
I have written to the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamed, asking for an appointment to discuss the issue of ensuring that the next general elections, the first to be held after the announcement of Vision 2020, will be the most ‘free, fair and clean’ in Malaysian history and making it a model general elections for the world.
The next general elections will be the ninth general elections in Malaysia since Merdeka in 1957, the fourth to be held under the Prime Ministership of Mahathir, and the first to be held after Mahathir’s Vision 2020 announcement.
One of the nine strategic challenges of Vision 2020 is “fostering and developing a mature democratic society, practicing a form of mature consensual, community-oriented Malaysian democracy that can be a model for many developing countries.”
As the first general elections to be held after the government’s proclamation of Vision 2020, the next general elections must stand out as one which is fully imbued by its democratic spirit to demonstrate to Malaysians and the world that Vision 2020 is not just ‘talk but no action’!
DAP proposes that the Barisan Nasional and Opposition parties co-operate to make the next general elections a model general elections of the world which is recognized universally, both at home and abroad, as ‘free, fair and clean’.
Let Malaysian political parties, in particular the ruling parties, dare to have the courage and vision to try to make the next general elections a model general elections for the world in terms of the ‘democratic, free, fair and clean’ manner in which it is conducted.
If the next general elections is to be the most ‘free, fair and clean’ in Malaysian history, the following are some of the matters which should be addressed by all political parties:
* Fair Election Campaign: Democratic election campaign where contesting political parties and candidates have the time and facilities to put their election programmes and minifestoes to the electorate.
Political parties should be given at least three weeks’ campaigning period and the ban on public rallies should be lifted.
The Election Commission Secretary, Datuk Abdul Rashid bin Abdul Rahman recently said that the Election Commission supported the holding of public rallies during general elections so as to ensure a free and fair general elections.
So long as public rallies are banned in general elections, Malaysia cannot claim to hold ‘fair, free and clean’ general elections especially as neighbouring countries as well as South Africa could allow public rallies during general elections.
Furthermore, there could be no more security justification for the continued ban on public rallies, as the Malayan Communist Party had already laid down their arms in the Haadyai Agreement with the Malaysian Government in 1989 and former top MCP leaders like Shamsiah Fakeh have been allowed to return to Malaysia.
In fact, there was no cause for the 1978 ban on public rallies as history has shown that the fear by the security authorities that the MCP would be resorting to urban guerrilla warfare, like planting bombs and assassinations in conjunction with the MCP’s 30th anniversary of its armed struggle, never materialized!
* A Fair and Free Press: Fair access to the mass media, both printed and electronic, by all political parties. As the Election Commission Secretary, Datuk Abdul Rashid pointed out in Penang a few days ago, at present the Opposition parties and candidates are shut out in the mass media, particularly radio and television.
So long as the mass media, printed and electronic, continue to ‘black out’ the Opposition, the general elections cannot qualify to be ‘fair, free and clean’.
& Curb Money Politics. Money politics whether in political parties or during general elections is the root cause of corruption, and must be eliminated ruthlessly.
If Mahathir is prepared to convene an emergency UMNO General Assembly to deal with money politics in UMNO, then he should be consistent and invoke a special Parliamentary meeting to root out money politics during general elections, with necessary amendments to election laws and regulations.
*An Election Commission which fulfils its Constitutional mandate and responsibility, not just to perform the mechanical task of holding general elections, but to ensure that the elections is ‘free, fair and clean’.
The Election Commission must be prepared to suspend or even cancel elections in any state or constituency which violate the rules of a ‘free, fair and clean’ elections, such as declaring null and voi8d the 200,000 postal ballots if the security authorities refuse to allow all contesting candidates to monitor their issue and voting process.
In my meeting with the Prime Minister, I would suggest the holding of an All-Party Convention on the Holding of Free, Fair and Clean General Elections to draw up a guideline binding on all political parties to make the next general elections a Vision 2020 general elections – in the sense that it is conducted in the most democratic, free, fair and clean manner in Malaysian history.
Chan Kong Choy should resign as MCA Youth Leader because he was the one who officiated at the MCA Jempol Division ‘Dragon Lion Dances Great Display’ scandal where ‘Jempol MCA kept over 75 per cent of the donations collected for Chinese Independent Secondary Schools
MCA Youth Leader and Deputy Minister for Culture, Arts and Tourism, Datuk Chan Kong Choy should resign because he was the one who officiated at the MCA Jempol Division ‘Dragon Lion Dance Great Display’ scandal on 10th July, where Jempol MCA kept over 75 per cent of the donations collected in the name of Chinese Independent Secondary Schools.
Chan Kong Choy must accept full responsibility for the Jempol MCA Division Chinese Secondary Independent School donation scandal where Jempol MCA handed over less than 25 per cent of the donations for three reasons:
Firstly, it was Chan Kong Choy who accepted on behalf of the national MCA leadership the Jempol MCA Division cheque for RM6,300;
Secondly, he should know from the programme for the ‘Dragon Lion Dances Great Display’ organized by Jempol MCA Division and assisted by Aik Bee MCA Branch that there were 80 donors who donated a total of RM25,700.
Why did Chan Kong Choy agree to accept a cheque made out to the Huaren Fund Account for only RM6,300 when the donations totaled RM25,700?
Thirdly, immediately after the ‘Donation Presentation to Chinese Independent Secondary Schools’ ceremony at the ‘Dragon Lion Dances Great Display’, there was immediate outrage among donors who publicly questioned why Jempol MCA Division retained over 75 per cent of the donations for Chinese Independent Secondary Schools and handed over only RM6,300!
What did Chan Kong Choy do in the Past one month over such public outrage over the MCA Jempol Division Chinese Independent Secondary School donation scandal?
A leader in any self-respecting political party would resign when involved in a scandal like the MCA Jempol Division Scandal, where the MCA had been caught red-handed in handing over less than 25 per cent of the donations which it had collected using the name of the Chinese Independent Secondary Schools, While keeping for itself over 75 per cent of the donations.
I want to ask Chan Kong Choy whether he does not think he is honour-bound to resign both as MCA Youth Leader and Deputy Minister for Culture, Arts and Tourism for his involvement in the MCA Jempol Division Chinese Independent Secondary School donations scandal?
Or does Kong Choy think that going by previous MCA and MCA Youth traditions, bearing in mind the examples of former MCA President, Tan Koon Wan, former MCA Youth leader, Kee Yong Wee and former MCA Deputy Minister, Wong Choon Wing, he need not do so as he had not yet been arrested, charge, convicted and jailed for criminal breach of trust?
I have extended my three-day deadline till Wednesday to allow the MCA President, Datuk Dr. Ling Liong Sik more time to consider whether to declare that he would attend the ‘Kit Siang-Liong Sik mutual verification’ appointment in Bukit China in Malacca.
MCA Presidential Council and MCA Central Committee should advise Liong Sik to declare that he would attend the ‘Kit Siang-Liong Sik mutual verification’ appointment in Bukit China in Malacca
The MCA Presidential Council and the MCA Central Committee which meets on Tuesday should advise Liong Sik to declare that he should attend the ‘Kit Siang-Liong Sik mutual verification’ appointment in Bukit China in Malacca, or not only the MCA President, but the entire MCA would lose all credibility.
The MCA Presidential Council should make Liong Sik understand that the most burning issue in the Chinese community today is the question of the honestly, integrity and accountability of MCA donation drive for Chinese Independent Secondary Schools because of two reasons:
*Firstly, the MCA Jempol Division Chinese Independent Secondary School donation scandal where the MCA retained more than 75 per cent of donations from Chinese Independent Secondary School;
* Secondly, MCA Jempol Division Chinese Independent Secondary School donation scandal wide practice of MCA donation drive, where the MCA would only give 25 per cent of donations collected in the name of the Chinese Independent Secondary Schools while keeping 75 per cent of the donations for its own use.
Liong Sik should come to the ‘Two-Lims mutual verification’ appointment at Bukit China in Malacca to satisfy the Chinese community by making use of the name of the Chinese Independent Secondary Schools would be fully accounted for and not kept and retained by MCA or its leaders for their own use.
Of course, at the ‘Two Lims mutual verification’ appointment at Bukit China, Liong Sik can ask any questions about the DAP Save Bukit China One-Person One-Dollar Fund or any other DAP fund, and Liong Sik must be prepared to answer all my questions on all the MCA scandals, including his Bolton Finance scandal.
However, all these issued have now become secondary to the primary issue of the honesty, integrity and accountability of the MCA donation drive suing the name of Chinese Independent Secondary Schools because of the DAP expose of the MCA Jempol Division donation scandal!
In my meeting with the Prime Minister, I would suggest the holding of all All-Party Convention on the Holding of Free, Fair and Clean General Elections to draw up a guideline binding on all political parties to make the next general elections a Vision 2020 general elections – in the sense that it is conducted in the most democratic, free, fair and clean manner in Malaysian history.
Chan Kong Choy should resign as MCA Youth Leader because he was the one who officiated at the MCA Jempol Division ‘Dragon Lion Dances Great Display’ scandal where Jempol MCA kept over 75 per cent of the donations collected for Chinese Independent Secondary Schools
MCA Youth Leader and Deputy Minister for Culture, Arts and Tourism, Datuk Chan Kong Choy should resign because he was the one who officiated at the MCA Jempol Division ‘Dragon Lion Dances Great Display’ scandal on 10th July, where Jempol MCA kept over 75 per cent of the donations collected in the name of Chinese Independent Secondary Schools.
Chan Kong Choy must accept full responsibility for the Jempol MCA Division Chinese Secondary Independent School donation scandal where Jempol MCA handed over less than 25 per cent of the donations for three reasons:
Firstly, it was Chan Kong Choy who accepted on behalf of the national MCA leadership the Jempol MCA Division cheque for RM6,300;
Secondly, he should know from the programme for the ‘Dragon Lion Dances Great Display’ organized by Jempol MCA Division and assisted by Aik Bee MCA Branch that there were 80 donors who donated a total of RM25,700.
Why did Chan Kong Choy agree to accept a cheque made out to the Huaren Fund Account for only RM6,300 when the donations totaled RM25,700?
Thirdly, immediately after the ‘Donation Presentation to Chinese Independent Secondary Schools’ ceremony at the ‘Dragon Lion Dances Great Display’, there was immediate outrage among donors who publicly questioned why Jempol MCA Division retained over 75 per cent of the donations for Chinese Independent Secondary Schools and handed over only RM6,300!
What did Chan Kong Choy do in the past one month over such public outrage over the MCA Jempol Division Chinese Independent Secondary Schools donation scandal?
A leader in any self-respecting political party would resign when involved in a scandal like the MCA Jempol Division scandal, where the MCA had been caught red-handed in handing over less than 25 per cent of the donations which it had collected using the name of the Chinese Independent Secondary Schools, while keeping for itself over 75 per cent of the donations.
I want to ask Chan Kong Choy whether he does not think he is honour-bound to resign both as MCA Youth Leader and Deputy Minister for Culture, Arts and Tourism for his involvement in the MCA Jempol Division Chinese Independent Secondary School donations scandal?