DAP Parliamentary Candidate for Petaling, Lim Kit Siang, this morning visited the SEA Park market and shops to meet electors in the area.
Sdr.Lim asked the voters to continue to support the DAP to represent the people and defend their rights and interests. He said the undemocratic and unfair general elections tactics of the Barisan Nasional, like the ban on public rallies, has made the campaign a very difficult one for the DAP, for it has no means of reaching the people with its message and ideas.
Sdr.Lim said that in previous general elections, the SAP took the initiative and went on the offensive to expose the failures and misdeeds of the Barisan Nasional Government. However, in the 1978 general elections, with the ban on rallies, the initiative is now in the hands of the people.
Sdr.Lim said:” This is not because in the 1978 general elections, there are no great issues which disturb the people. In fact, when compared to the two previous general elections, in 1974 and 1969, the issue today are even more complicated and serious like the education future of our children, whether they can get university places, the establishment of Merdeka University, the emigration of doctors and professionals abroad because they have no faith in the future for their children (and even the Deputy Education Minister Chan Siang Sum’s own doctor-brother has emigrated to Australia; and the 1974 Gerakan candidate for Petaling Jaya, Dr. Chan, had also emigrated ), the economic hardships hawkers, squatters, unemployed; corruption; government inefficiency and incompetence, and a log list of others.
“The Barisan Nasional has monopolised the mass media, like television, radio and the press, and every day they attack the DAP without giving the DAP an equal opportunity to answer.
“The DAP is literally fighting this general elections with our hands tied behind our backs, our mouths sealed, and being punched all over the body by brave Barisan Nasional leaders.
“I also know that the Barisan Nasional, the UMNO and MCA leaders are now determined to defeat me in Petaling – not so much to win Petaling Parliamentary seat, as to remove me from Parliament, for in the last 9 years I have been the ‘thorn in the flesh’ of the Government. Whenever I stand up in Parliament, the Barisan Nasional become tense, because they do not know which Minister will now become the target of the DAP expose.
“The MCA claims that the DAP had made a wrong calculation in putting me up in Petaling and that I will be defeated. I am not afraid of being defeated, for in politics, what is most important is to continue the political struggle. I leave it to the people of Petaling to decide whether I will be their Member of Parliament, or whether I will end mu Parliamentary career. Even If I should be no more in Parliament, my other colleagues in the DAP will be able to continue the fight of the DAP for a democratic socialist, genuinely multi-racial Malaysian Malaysia. I am but one of the many in the DAP inside Parliament.
“the Bariasan, MCA and UMNO can use all their money and dirty tricks in Petaling. The people will be the final judge.”