Lim Kit Siang calls on Malaysian students in Australia to have national and political consciousness to protect the right and interest of Malaysians
Malaysian Parliamentary Opposition Leaders, Mr. Lim Kit Siang, has called on Malaysian students in Australia to have a national and political consciousness so as to be able to protect the right and interest of all Malaysian.
Mr. Lim was speaking to another capacity crowd of Malaysian students in Australia, this time at the University of new South Wales in Sydney, in the course of Mr. Lim’s tour of Australia to find out about the problems and needs of Malaysian students and to update them on development at home.
Mr. Lim told the Malaysian students that they are a fortunate group to be able receive educational opportunities in Australia. They should make the best use of their opportunity to acquire the best education or trained skill available, and return to build a new Malaysia.
It is important however that Malaysian students develop national and political consciousness so that they know and could protect the right and interest of all Malaysian.
Mr. Lim said he was not suggesting that Malaysian students in Australia should take part in party politics – but they must keep abreast of national and political development.
Malaysian students in Australia should make a commitment to dedicate their lives to serve humankind. They must be committed to play an active political role on completion of their studies and return to Malaysia.
In his speech, Mr. Lim also spoke of the new dangers to Malaysia from new unsettling development at the Thai-Kampuchea border. He stressed that all Malaysian, regardless of race, must come forward to help in the defence of Malaysia, in the event of any external threat or pressure.
Mr. Lim said that in view of these regional and international development, the government should grapple with the problem of national unity and promote areas where Malaysian of all races feel common interest rather than conflicting interests.
During question time, Mr. Lim said that the DAP fully accepted Malay as the sole official language and national language, and want all Malaysians, in particular the post-Merdeka generation, to be proficient in Bahasa Malaysia so that there is a common tongue for all Malaysian.
But the acceptance of Bahasa Malaysia as a common language for all Malaysian must not and cannot mean the dimunition of the role of other languages like Chinese and Tamil in the country.
Mr. Lim said that every human being must have roots if he or she is not to become a de-rooted person. Mother-tongue knowledge will help ensure that every person has roots.
He said that while Malaysian do not have a common past, their salvation lies in the creation and sharing of a common future. This cannot be achieved through the nurturing of a rootless generation of Malaysians.