by Parliamentary Opposition Leader, DAP Secretary- General and MP for Tanjong, Li. Kit Siang, in Petaling Jaya on Wednesday, December 14, 1994:
Advice to Negri Sembilan Mentri Besar not to allow the Negri Sembilan MCA to mislead him and ‘drag him by the nose’ but should honour the 1991 pledge given by Ghafar Baba as Deputy Prime Minister and allow the affected Seremban II smallholders the option to take part in the development of their land
I advise the Negri Sembilan Mentri Besar Tan Sri Haji Mohamed Isa not to allow the Negri Sembilan MCI to mislead him and ‘drag him by the nose’ but should honour the 1991 pledge by Ghafar Baba as Deputy Prime Minister and allow the affected Seremban II smallholders the option to take part in the development of their land.
Mohamed Isa put up a most unsatisfactory performance in the recent Negri Sembilan State Assembly where he refused to meet the affected smallholders who gathered outside the state assembly on Monday for a whole day to hand him their petition, showing his arrogance, indifference and uncaring attitude.
Mohamed Isa claimed at the state assembly yesterday that I had turned the Seremban II land acquisition issue into a ‘movie’ and that I am the ‘director and script-writer’ of the ‘movie’.
Mohamed Isa has clearly picked these descriptions from the Negri Sembilan MCA leaders and is proof of my statement that the Negri Sembilan Mentri Besar is now being ‘led by the nose’ and misinformed by the MCA.
For instance, Mohamed Isa said that because I wanted to put a motion in the Dewan Rakyat to adjourn the House to discuss the Seremban II land acquisition injustice, I influenced the smallholders to stage a demonstration outside his office at the state secretary building on November 3.
This is utter nonsense. It was because of the demonstration of the Seremban II smallholders outside Mohamed Isa’s office on 23rd November that I decided that the matter was serious enough to move a motion of definite public importance in the Dewan Rakyat the following day. Mohamed Isa has got the fact wrong in putting the cart before the horse.
I would urge Mohamed Isa to be more responsible and approachable and honour the 1991 pledge given by the then Deputy Prime Minister Ghafar Baba that smallholders affected by land acquisition for development would be given the opportunity to participate in the development of their land.
In failing to honour this pledge, Mohamed Isa has violated a solemn promise made by the Barisan Nasional government, both at federal and state levels.
If such a solemn Barisan Nasional promise to ensure that there are no land acquisition abuses and injustices can be broken so easily, then who can trust and believe Barisan Nasional promises in future?