By Parliamentary Opposition Leader , DAP Secretary-General and MP for Tanjong, Lim Kit Siang, in Petaling Jaya on Friday, October 6, 1995:
Liong Sik commended for undertaking to bring up the ban on the Justice Bao television series at next Cabinet meeting
I commend the MCA President, Datuk Seri Dr. Ling Liong Sik for undertaking to bring up the ban on the Justice Pao television series at the next Cabinet meeting.
Liong Sik said that MCA leaders will meet officials from the Information Ministry on the ban on Justice Pao before the issue is brought up in next Wednesday’s Cabinet meeting.
Although the MCA Ministers should have brought up the Justice Pao’s ban at the Cabinet meeting two days ago, it is better “late than never”.
Malaysians hope that at the next Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, the MCA Ministers would be able to get. the Cabinet to lift the ban on the Justice Pao series and revoke the ridiculous guideline banning foreign costume dramas over local television stations – not only because it is not being observed, but because it makes no sense.
In Kota Tinggi yesterday, Liong Sik said that the Justice Pao television series emphasise good core Asian values such as justice, fairness, sharing, caring, looking after the downtrodden and disadvantage – as are to be found in Islamic and Confucian civilisations.
Liong Sik should inform the Cabinet that the Justice Pao series is an excellent educational and inspirational material for Malaysians of all races and ages in the war against corrup¬tion and abuses of power in all forms.
In this connection, the MCA Ministers should seek a clear-cut Cabinet ruling on the role of the Information Ministry in nation-building, particularly in direct reference to the statement by the Information Ministry Secretary-General., Datuk Zazawi Mahmuddin that his Ministry does not want Malaysians to learn from the lessons of history to achieve Vision 2020.
Such anti-history notions go against the stand which had been taken by all Education Ministers since Merdeka on the importance of history – including the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister when they were Education Ministers.
Only last Saturday, for instance, the Education Minister, Datuk Najib Tun Razak, said that history must be made interesting as it is an important subject not only as a source of knowledge but also as a way to nation-building.
I hope that there are Cabinet Ministers next Wednesday who have the courage to propose and decide that all top govern¬ment servants should undergo an intensive re-orientation course so as to broaden their mental horizons as not make “anti-history” statements like the one made by Zawawi.
Call on all political leaders to show their political maturity and Malaysianness in not regarding the Justice Pao issue in any ethnic term, but solely on its intrinsic merit and values
I also call on all political leaders to show their political maturity and Malaysianness in not regarding the Justice Pao issue in any ethnis term, but solely on its intrinsic merit and values.
For five years, Malaysians have been talking about Vision 2020 and Bangsa Malaysia. Malaysia has been independent for 38 years. Let all political leader show that they are capable to have a new mindset which encompasses a Malaysian perspective and not give every issue an ethnic twist or angle.
Let the Justice Pao ban issue be a test that political leaders from all parties and Malaysian opinion-makers, whether in mass media or in other spheres, eschew any ethnic interpretation or approach, and evaluate the television series solely on its merit and Values.