Speech by DAP Secretary-General and Parliamentary Candidate Kota Melaka, Lim Kit Siang, at a DAP General Rally in Muar on Tuesday, 20th August 1974 at 7 p.m.
Lim Kit Siang predicts that the MCA will be torn apart by bigger power struggle after the August 24 general elections
Over the years, the MCA has continued to be a party for the rich man to enable to rich man in Malaysia to become richer, at the expense of the poor and those from low income.
This is why there is constant party power struggle, not over political principles and national issues, like opposing constitutional amendments which abrogate the fundamental rights of the people or government measures which are detrimental to the legitimate hopes and wishes of the people, but invariably over allocation of parliamentary or state seats, or for power positions to be near the corridor of power.
After the August 24 general elections, the MCA will be torn apart by a big power struggle, where the date of Lee San Choon as MCA leader will be decided. Again, this power struggle will not be over issues or the people’s interest or rights, nut over personalities and power.
Although after 18 years of Alliance and now National Front rule, the people suffer under great economic, educational, social, cultural and political frustrations, the MCA are not only not bothered about the people’s grievances, in fact, they are full party to the formulation and implementation of these very policies which have brought so much hardships and heart-pains to the people.
Lee San Choon has claimed that the people should vote for the MCA so that the Chinese can get more Cabinet posts for Malaysian Chinese. This is a spurious argument.
Can Lee San Choon explain why no MCA leader was named to replace Tun Tan Siew Sin as Finance Minister? The post of Finance Minister has been traditionally held by the MCA President, but we have the present MCA leader holding the most junior and insignificant Cabinet post, that of Minister for New Villagers, without power or funds to help the 900,000 new villagers.
In fact, Lee San Choon should thank the DAP for this Ministerial appointment, because it was thanks to the DAP and not due to any effort of the MCA, that the Prime Minister created a new Ministry of new villages after the nation-wide campaign launched by the DAP inside and outside the Parliament and State Assemblies demanding a new government deal for the 900,000 new villagers who had for decades been excluded from the mainstream of development and starved of development funds.
This is proof that although the DAP is in the opposition, we can get things done. Unfortunately, Lee San Choon, instead of building up on the efforts of DAP and secure enough funds and power for the Ministry of New Villages, was content only in being a Minister without real power.
Lee San Choon has lost the Finance Ministry post for the MCA. He has no real power in the MCA, and cannot decide who are to be the MCA parliamentary candidates. Thus, the MCA Parliamentary candidate for Batu Berendam, Tan Sri Chan Hong Nyan, was picked by Tun Razak and not by Lee San Choon, although he is the nominal MCA leader. Tan Sri Chen Hong Nyan also won’t be a Finance Minister, but merely a Deputy Finance Minister.