Speech by DAP Organising Secretary, Mr. Lim Kit Siang, at the establishment of the Damansara elections Sub-Committee held at the Salak South New Village DAP Branch on Friday, 28th Feb. 1969 at 8p.m.
Last Tuesday, at the opening of the Yoke Nam National Type Primary School, the Assistant Minister of Education, Mr. Lee Siok Yew, said that “the national language should not only be used for lessons in schools, but also at home and in conversations wherever people meet.”
I will like to ask Mr. Lee Siok Yew, and his colleagues in the MCA. Including Dr. Lim Swee Aunn, Mr Khaw Khai Boh, Mr. Michael Chen, Mr. Quek Kai Dong, Mr. Siow Loong Hin, Mr. Chua Song Lim and Mr. Chan Chong Wen, whether they use the National Language at home, when they speak to their parents, wives, children and relatives? I will not ask Tun Tan Siew Sin this question as he does now know a word of Chinese.
I will also like to know from Mr. Lee Siok Yew, whether when in conversation with his MCA colleagues, like Mr. Michael Chen, they speak in the National Language?
Mr. Lee Siok Yew, when he called for the use of the National Language in homes, was trying to implement the UMNO policy of ‘one nation, one language’ in Malaysia. The UMNO fanatics will not permit the other languages free growth, and that is why they do not permit the use of Chinese and other languages in the Parliament, State Assemblies, correspondence with government, public notices, and as a media of instruction and examination in schools.
Ultimately, the UMNO fanatics want to see the end of the Chinese and other languages altogether – so that in public places, shops, homes, only the National Language is used.
As a share politician, who knows that it is the UMNO which holds the power to make or unmake MCA politician become Minister, Assistant Minister, or Parliament Secretary, Mr. Lee Siok Yew was only trying to array the favour of UMNO fanatics in advocating the UMNO’s “one nation, one language’ policy”.
These explanations why apart from Tun Tan Siew Sin, Mr. Lee Siok Yew is a favourite of the UMNO politicians. The other MCA politician who may compete with Mr. Lee Siok Yew in the good books of the UMNO is MR. Michael Chen, Parliamentary Secretary to Tun Razak.
The UMNO can always depend on sufficient MCA leaders to do its bidding, regardless of the right or wrong of the UMNO policy. This is because the UMNO can reward those in the MCA who are faithful and loyal, with positions, like Ministership, Assistant Ministership, Parliamentary and Political Secretaryship, awards like Tuns, Tan Sri, Datoships, PJK, AMN, PPM, etc, and even with the allocation of multi-million dollar contracts.
There are too many in MCA who are prepared to sell their soul for name and gain.
This is why we find the MCA giving full support to UMNO policies which are clearly against the interest of the people and nation, like the UMNO politic to close down all Chinese primary and secondary schools, to oppose the Merdeka University, while supporting the National University, to oppose recognition of Nantah and Formosan degrees and qualifications while supporting the recognition of Indonesian degrees.
Early this week, the MCA Youth issued a statement saying that the DAP and the Gerakan, in arriving at an electoral understanding, have jeopardised the interest of the Chinese in Malaysia.
The MCA and the MCA Youth are the last persons to have the right to talk about the interests of the Chinese in Malaysia, because they are the ones who have been most guilty in betraying their legitimate rights and interests for the selfish gain of their leaders.
Who was it who made the Malaysian Chinese second-class citizens of this country – the non-bumiputras of Malaysia? The MCA.
Who was it who aided and abetted in the suppression and destruction of the Chinese language, education and culture in Malaysia? The MCA.
Who have benefitted from the MCA’s work in the last ten years? Only the MCA leaders and officials, who have get titles, awards, contacts, mining leases, land and government positions.
If the MCA Youth really wants to leek after Chinese interest, then it should first of all throw out those who have done the most to betray it, people like Tun Tan Siew Sin, Mr. Khaw Khai Beh, Mr. Lee Siok Yew, Mr. Michael Chen, Mr. Lee San Choon, Mr. Siew Loong Him, Mr. Quek Khai Dong, Mr. Chan Chong Wen, etc.
At the Serdang by-election, the DAP enunciated the 20 Points of Serdang to seek for the people of Malaysia, socialist democracy and cultural democracy. Among the 20 points are the objective to achieve the free use of Chinese, Tamil and English in the country, equality of rights for the diverse races, languages and cultures in the country.
We will continue to fight for these 20 points, because we are convinced that it is only when these 20 Points are implemented that there can be real peace and progress in Malaysia.
During the by-election, 5,928 people voted for the DAP’s 20 points. With the formation of the Damansara Elections sub-committee tonight, it is the committee’s task to explain these 20 Points to the people of Damansara, and ensure that in the general elections, the majority of the voters in both the Serdang State Constituency and Damansara Parliamentary Constituency come out to vote for these 20 Points of Socialist Democracy and Cultural Democracy, which will form the twin bases for a Malaysian Malaysia.