Speech (Part 2) by Parliamentary Opposition Leader, DAP Secretary-General and MP for Tanjung, Lim Kit Siang, at the Penang DAP State Convention in Penang on Sunday, September 4, 1994 at 10 am.
‘Tanjong 3’ the ‘engine head’ of the great battle for ‘Big Liberalisation’ in Malaysia so that all Malaysians are truly ‘All In One Family’.
Penang and the DAP’s “Battle of Tanjong 3” will the focus of the next general elections.
Tanjong 3 will decide, among other things, the following:
* whether DAP can capture Penang state government to make it into a model state government and the ‘engine head’ of the great battle for ‘Big Liberalisation’;
* whether the DAP can create new history in getting significant support from the Malay voters in Penang;
* whether the next general elections is the beginning of the end of Gerakan, not only in Penang but nationally as well; and
* whether the people of Penang will continue to reject the MCA by refusing to give it a single Parliamentary or State Assembly seat.
In the 1990 general elections, the voters of Penang did Malaysians a great service by declaring that the MCA does not deserve any support whatsoever and rejected all MCA Parliamentary and State Assembly candidates in the state.
In the past three years, the decision of the people of Penang have been proved right again and again, as for instance in the nation-wide disgust of all Malaysians at the incompetence of MCA Ministers, particularly the MCA President, Datuk Seri Dr. Ling Liong Sik who is determined to keep breaking the ‘world record’ which he holds in having the most International Airport fires and disasters under the tenure of any Transport Minister.
In the past month, Penang UMNO has also been rattled by the DAP’s ‘inroads’ into the Malay areas and the UMNO ‘big guns’ from the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamed, downwards are now taking turns to come to Penang not only in the ‘Save Koh Tsu Koon Operation’, but to shore up Malay support for Penang UMNO.
The Penang DAP welcomes such attention by the UMNO national leaders, because this means that for the first time, UMNO leaders are worried about the impact the DAP is making among the Malay voters.
The DAP had always been consistent in our championing the rights of the downtrodden of all Malaysians regardless of race.
This is why the Penang DAP Malay Coordinating Committee had launched a campaign to save Tanah Wakaf in Penang and why the DAP had championed the rights of the Malay kampong folks at Pantai Kundor and Tanah Merah in Malacca, when nobody else – including UMNO when the overwhelming majority of the villagers are UMNO members would come to their help:
But let us keep this competition for the support of the Malays a healthy and rational one, and UMNO leaders should not resort to communal and chauvinistic tactics to continue to paint, the DAP as a party which is anti-Malay and anti-Islam.
As Chief Minister, Tsu Koon cannot occupy the master bedroom or even guestroom, but must be content with the kitchen.
One reason why ‘Tanjong 3’ is not only important for the people of Penang but also for all Malaysians is that it is the ‘engine head’ of the great battle for ‘Big Liberalisation’ in Malaysia so that all Malaysians are truly ‘All In One Family’.
The Deputy Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, has made ‘We Are In One Family’ his favourite phrase when he appeared before Chinese audiences.
So long as the Barisan Nasional Government is not prepared to accept the DAP’s call to translate the ‘Little Liberalisations’ of the past three years into a ‘Full and Big Liberalisation’, Anwar’s favourite phrase that ‘We Are In One Family’ are mere words.
Before the 1990 general elections, the UMNO Wanita Chairman, Datuk Paduka Rafidah Aziz, also expressed similar sentiments about ‘We Are In One Family’, although in a different context.
At one Barisan Nasional wanita gathering to prepare for the impending 1990 general elections, Rafidah said that “the national interest of Barisan Nasional must override all local conflicts, or the common enemy will take advantage”.
In a very colourful and unforgettable language, Rafidah said: “We are all living in one house, we should not mind who has the master bedroom, who the guestroom and who the kitchen. This house allows us to keep out the rain. We must prevent the outside enemy from coming, in or Lim Kit Siang could take over the house, and we will all be outside, under wind and rain”
We know who in the Barisan Nasional has the master bedroom, who have to settle for the guest room, kitchen or even the toilet.
In the Penang State, for instance, we have the Penang Chief Minister who is not occupying the master bedroom or the guest room, but who has to be content to be in the kitchen!
This is clearly not the ‘All In One Family’ concept which is acceptable to Malaysians in general or Penangites in particular.
The Tanjong 3 Battle, therefore, is to ensure that “We Are All In One Family” has real meaning, and the Penang Chief Minister should be occupying the master bedroom and not be sent to the kitchen, with Dr. Ibrahim Saad in the master bedrrom and Tan Gim Hwa in the guestroom.