by Parliamentary Opposition Leader, DAP Secretary-General and MP for Tanjung, Lim Kit Siang, in Petaling Jaya on Saturday, January 28, 1995:
Proposal that like the MCA President, Datuk Dr. Ling Liong Sik and Gerakan President, Datuk Dr. Lim Keng Yaik jointly visit Gua Musang on February 5 to draw up Principles supported by DAP, MCA and Gerakan to resolve problem of farmers illegally, occupying state land applicable to all states in Malaysia
The problem of the Tanah Putih, Gua Musang farmers illegally occupying state land is not a ‘party political’ issue, nor an issue which is confined to Gua Musang, but a national issue which concerns social justice, the right to livelihood of Malaysians and how to strike a fairer and just balance between the needs of the landless to have land to farm and state ownership of land.
This is why I had said at the National Conference Against Land Acquisition Abuses and Injustices in Kuala Lumpur on January 8 that land acquisition abuses and injustices are part of a larger problem of land and justice in the country, and that there should be another National Conference for Land Justice involving not only justice for rural and urban settlers on the issue of land, whether for farmers illegally occupying state land or squatters on government or private land in the urban areas.
Advice to MCA and Gerakan to stop playing ‘party politics’ with the issue of land and justice, whether with regard to land acquisition abuses or the question of justice for illegal farmers or urban squatters.
I would advise MCA and Gerakan leaders to stop playing ‘party politics’ with the issue of land and justice, whether with regard to land acquisition abuses and injustices, or the question of justice for illegal farmers or urban squatters.
Instead of giving support to the right for justice for victims of Land Acquisition Abuses and Injustices as well as justice for the illegal farmers and urban squatters, the MCA and Gerakan wanted only to thwart and sabotage the DAP’s National Conference Against Land Acquisition Abuses and Injustices and a national campaign for reforms to the Land Acquisition Act.
The MCA and Gerakan are not interested in justice for all illegal farmers in Malaysia, but only want to use the issue of illegal farmers in Tanah Putih, Gua Musang to sabotage the national campaign against land acquisition abuses and injustices, while closing their eyes to the plight of the illegal farmers in all the other states under Barisan Nasional control.
This is the most irresponsible and unprincipled form of politicking, and I hope that all political parties, particularly MCA and Gerakan, can stop such irresponsible politicking with the coming of a Chinese New Year.
I know there are certain people who want to turn my forthcoming visit to Gua Musang on the following Sunday on February 5 to understand the problems of the Tanah Putih, Gua Musang farmers illegally occupying state land into a purely ‘party political’ affair.
This is not the intention of my visit to Gua Musang on February 5, which is purely to meet and understand the problems of the illegal farmers at Tanah Putih, Gua Musang, and how the illegal farmers should be given justice, whether in Gua Musang in Kelantan or in all other states in Malaysia.
For this reason, I propose that the MCA President, Datuk Dr. Ling Liong Sik and Gerakan President, Datuk Dr. Lim Keng Yaik jointly visit Gua Musang with me on February 5 to meet the Tanah Putih illegal farmers to draw up Principles supported by DAP, MCA and Gerakan to resolve problem of farmers illegally occupying state land applicable to the Tanah Putih, Gua Musang illegal farmers as well as to illegal farmers on state land in all the other states in Malaysia.