by Parliamentary Opposition Leader, DAP Secretary-General and MP for Tanjong, Lim Kit Siang, in Petaling Jaya on Thursday, 5th October 1995:
Call on MCA and Gerakan Ministers to inform the Information Minister and the Cabinet that the Justice Pao television series is the best educational material in the world to inculcate the values to fight corruption and abuses of power
The silence of the Cabinet on the Information Ministry ban on the Justice Pao television series is most, disappointing, as it means that the MCA and Gerakan Ministers have failed to raise the issue in the Cabinet, yesterday to get the ban removed.
I call on the MCA and Gerakan Ministers to inform and convince the Information Minister, Datuk Mohamad Rahmat and the Cabinet that the Justice Pao television series is the best educa¬tional material in the world to inculcate the values to tight corruption and abuses of power.
Malaysians are waiting to know as to when the MCA and Gerakan Ministers are going to raise the issue of the ban on the Justice Pao television series in the Cabinet – next Wednesday or the next general election.
The Cabinet should be given a special, viewing of the Justice Pao television series so that Cabinet Ministers will understand the good and uplifting values in them. But may be, before the Cabinet, is given a viewing, the MCA and Gerakan Min¬isters must undergo a viewing of the Justice Bao series first.
So long as the Justice Pao television series is banned by the Information Ministry for the local television stations, the government cannot be regarded as serious in its efforts to wipe out corruption and abuses of power in high political places.
How can Zawawi say that “ we do not want to see Ali baba and all that” when TV3 had actually screened three Ali Baba movies this year alone?
Yesterday, both the Minister of Information, Datuk Mohamad Rahmat and the Information Ministry Secretary-General, Datuk Zawawi Mahmuddin could not be contacted to give further clarification on the ban on Justice Pao television series.
They have good reason to make themselves scarce. For instance, how can Zawawi say that “we do not want to see Ali Baba and all that” when TV3 had actually screened three Ali Baba movies this year alone, namely: All Baba And The Forty Thieves on June 7 Son of Ali Baba on June 8 and The Sword of Ali Baba on September 16.
Furthermore, TV 3 had ah HO screened other Middle East¬ern costume dramas this year alone like The Golden Voyage of Sinbad on June 6, The Arabian Nights on June 17, Veils of Bagh¬dad on June 24, and Western costume dramas like Antony and Cleopatra on April 1, The King And 1 on April 8, the Last. Days of Pompeii on April 15, Adventures of Robin Hood on July ’22, Knights of the Round Table on August. 12 , and Hercules Unchained on Sept. 23.
The Information Ministry will continue to become the laughing-stock of the country , and Malaysia the laughing-stock of the world, if the ban on the Justice Pao television series is not lifted- as there could be no good reason for its ban.
Although the Cabinet yesterday failed to address this issue, I hope the Cabinet next week will not avoid it again.