by Parliamentary Opposition Leader, DAP Secretary-General and MP for Tanjung, Lim Kit Siang, in Petaling Jaya on Friday, 30th September 1994:
DAP to issue a Declaration on ‘Big Liberalisation’, the Charter on Chinese Education and other policy statement during the ‘Tanjong 3’ Marathon Thousand-People Dinners on Penang Island from Oct. 3 to 7 and on Penang Mainland from Oct. 20-24
DAP will issue a Declaration on ‘Big Liberalisation’, the Charter on Chinese Education and other policy statement during the ‘Tanjong 3’ Marathon Thousand-People Dinners on Penang Island from October 3 to 7 and on Penang Mainland from October 20-24.
DAP has announced that ‘Big Liberalisation’ has been chosen as the party’s main election theme in the next general elections and Penang the ‘engin-head’ in the nationwide moement to transform he ‘Little Liberalisations’ of the past three years into a full and comprehensive ‘Big Liberalisation’.
Recently, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Information, Datuk Fauzi Abdul Rahman said that “if the Government’s present free, moderate and liberal policies still cannot secure the acceptance and support of the Chinese community, UMNO will review such policies”.
The threat to Chinese voters that unless they support the MCA and Gerakan candidates, UMNO will withdraw the ‘Little Liberalisation’ of the past three years, must be condemned.
However, it highlights the fact that the ‘Little Liberalisations’ of the past three years have nothing to do whatsoever with the MCA and Gerakan, as otherwise, it should be MCA and Gerakan which should be doing the ‘reviewing’ and not UMNO!
What is also very significant is that not a single MCA or Gerakan Minister had dared to criticise Fauzi for his statement and warning – as what Fauzi said is exactly what MCA and Gerakan leaders want, so that the Chinese voters would support the MCA and the Gerakan in the next general elections.
I will not be surprised if Fauzi had in fact by requested by MCA and Gerakan leaders to issue such a threat, which would explain why up to now, not a single MCA or Gerakan Minister had responded to this statement.
Why MCA and Gerakan national leaders totally quiet about Langkawi district council ban on sale or beer, stout and shandy in coffee and sundry shops
The double-standards of MCA and Gerakan are well known. For instance, why have the MCA and Gerakan national leaders been totally quite about the Langkawi district council banon the sale of beer, stout and shandy in coffee and sundry shops?
MCA and Gerakan condemns the PAS Kelantan State Government when there is any restriction on the sale of beer, stout and shandy in the coffee and sundry shops in Kalantan, but tolerates similar action by the Barisan Nasional in other states, as in the case of Langkawi district council ban.
This is most dishonest and unprincipled. DAP will always be consistent, and just as we have criticized and opposed the PAS administration in Kelantan for measures like the ban on the sale of beer, stout and shandy in coffee and sundry shops in Kelantan, the DAP will be similarly even-handed in criticizing and opposing the Langkawi District Council ban when this is done by the Barisan Nasional, whether in Langkawi or other states apart from Kelantan.