Speech by Parliamentary Opposition Leader, DAP Secretary-General and MP for Tanjung, Lim Kit Saing, at the DAP Tanjong 3 ceramah at Kampong Makam, Jelutong on Monday, 15th August 1994 at 5 p.m.
DAP pledges that a DAP Penang State Government will defend the rights and promote the interests of the Penang Malays as DAP wants to get Malay support to be re-elected and not be a mere a one-term Penang State Government
When on behalf on the the Jawatankuasa Penyelaras Melayu DAP Pulau Pinang, I raised in the Penang State Assembly in early June the complaints and grievances of the Muslim community on Wakaf land in Penang, it was the first time in the history of the Penang State Assembly that the problem of wakaf land in Penang was raised and debated.
In the Penang State Assembly in June, I made the following statement:
“DAP memberi pengakuan sepenuhnya untuk membela serta mempertahankan setiap inci tanah-tanah Wakaf daripada diselewengkan atau disalahgunakan oleh mana-mana pihak termasuk MAIPP yang bertanggungjawab sebagai pemegang amanah. DAP mencadangkan supaya sebuah suruhanjaya ditubuhkan bagi menyiasat kedudukan tanah-tanah Wakaf di seluruh negeri Pulau Pinang dan tindakan yang sewajarnya diambil keatas mana-mana pihak yang telah menyeleweng dan menyalahgunakan tanah-tanah Wakaf ini.”
Just now, the DAP National Vice Chairman, Chairman of the Jawatankuasa Penyeleras Melayu DAP Pulau Pinang and DAP MP for Bayan Baru, announced the lauching of a ‘Selamat Tanah Wakaf’ campaign in Penang which will involve a 50,000 mass signature campaign, poster campaign, ceramahs and other activities.
The DAP has been accused by UMNO leaders of being anti-Malay and anti-Islam. These are lies which have no basis of truth whatsoever.
Right from the beginning, the DAP is a party for all Malaysians and had not hesitated to speak up to champion the rights of the down-trodden regardless of race or religion, and defending the interests of all communities, religions and cultures in Malaysia.
The ‘Selamat Tanah Wakaf’ campaign launched by the Jawatankuasa Penyeleras Melayu DAP Pulau Pinang is in keeping with the DAP tradition to defend the rights of all Malayisna, religions, cultures and the national heritage.
This was why a decade ago, the DAP launched a nation-wide ‘Save Bukit China campaign’ because as the most ancient Chinese cementry hill in Malaysia, Bukit China is not only the cultural, religious and historic heritage of the Malaysian Chinese but a national heritage as well.
From my own experience, I wish to forewarn that the ‘Selamat Tanah Wakaf’ Campaign will face many obstacles and hindrances by certain powerful people in government to ensure that the campaign is a failure.
Already, three youths from Tanah Wakaf Haji kassim, Kampong Makam had been arrested by the police a few days ago, not because they had stolen, robbed or murdered anyone, but for putting up the ‘Selamat Tanah Wakaf’ poster of the ‘Selamat Tanah Wakaf’ campaign.
This is most unfair, unjust and undemocratic! The Gerakan had been putting thousands of posters in Penang telling lies about the DAP, like its posters on ‘DAP Lies’ and ‘Tanjong 3 = Kelantan’, but not a single Gerakan member had been arrested by the police!
I do not really blame the Police for the arrest of the three youths from Kampong Makam, for without a directive from some-one from the ‘higher-up’, the Police have better to things to look after law and order instead of arresting youths putting up ‘Selamat Tanah Wakaf’ posters.
I am sure everyone would agree on our guess as the who would have issued such a directive to the Police to arrest the three youths – none other than the Penang Deputy Chief Minister, Dr. Ibrahim Saad, who seems very worried about the ‘Selamat Tanah Wakaf’ campaign launched by the Jawantankuasa Penyelaras Melayu Pulau Pinang.
DAP Assemblyman for Datuk Kramat, K. Balasundram would defend the three yourths who will be charged in court tomorrow, and Sdr. Ahmad Nor and I will appear at the magistrate’s court tomorrow to lend our moral support and demonstrate our protest against such undemocratic abuse of power.
DAP’s Tanjong 3 plan to capture Penang State Government in the next general elections has upset a lot of ‘powerful’ people in Penang, making them more and more undemocratic to try to defeat the DAP’s Tanjong 3 plan.
For instance, the MPPP had refused to allow the DAP to hold a 10,000-people Tanjong 3 Dinner either at the Esplanade or the Taman Free School ground unless the Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister, State Exco members, Ministers or Deputy Ministers are invited to speak at the function. This is a ridiculous and completely unacceptable condition!
I have just been shown today’s Sun where the Exco Member in charge of Housing, Zakaria Bakar, was reported as saying that the State Government hopes to make use of a portion of the RM150 million State Investment Fund to develop Wakaf land.
Is money the tral problem in the question of the development of wakaf land, without abuses, deviations and neglect of the poor on wakaf land?
The country lost RM30 billion when Bank Negara speculated in the international money market. If Bank Negara had not committed this RM30 billion foreign exchange losses scandal, there would be RM30 billion which could be devoted to development, including the development of tanah wakaf.
I understand the UMNO leaders in Penang have stepped up their campaign of lies and fear to foil DAP’s Tanjong 3 project. Apart from accusing the DAP of being anti-Malay and anti-Islam, UMNO leaders are warning the Penang Malays that they will suffer if the DAP captures the Penang State Government and that the Malays will be reduced to a position where they will have to ‘cari makan dalam tong sampah!’
This is a most irresponsible line of political mischief. Is it really possible and credible that is the DAP captures the Penang State Government in the next elections, the Malays in Penang will have to ‘cari makan dalam tong sampah,?
A moment’s thought will be enough to expose such lies as completely unthinkable and impossible, for three main reasons:
Firstly, the DAP is not an anti-Malay party and will be consistent with out political beliefs and philosophy to defend the rights of the unfortunate and the backward, regardless of race;
Secondly, fully aware of UMNO’s long-standing propaganda that DAP is anti-Malay, a Penang DAP State Government will have the additional responsibility to show the people of Penang and Malaysia that the DAP is not only not anti-Malay, but is capable to looking after the interests of the Malays in the state.
Thirdly, if the Tanjong 3 succeeds in establishing a DAP State Government in Penang, DAP does not want to be a one-term Penang State Government but be able to get Malay support to be re-elected in the subsequent general elections.
If the Malays in Penang are forced to ‘cari makan dalam tong sampah’ under a Penang State Government, the DAP Penang State Government will not only be toppled in the subswquent general elections, the DAP will also be rejected throughout the country!
Already, I am being accused of being an anti-Chinese by Gerakan because the DAP has been able to be more responsive to the needs and aspirations of the Penang Malays.
I am not anti-Chinese, anti-Malay or anti-Indian, but pro-Malaysia, and will continue to fight for the legitimate rights of all Malaysians regardless of race.