Speech by Parliamentary Opposition Leader, DAP Secretary-General and MP for Kota Melaka, Lim Kit Siang, at the official opening of Jalan Peel DAP Branch, Kuala Lumpur, on Sunday, 14th Nov. 1982 at 4.30 pm
Call on Chairman of National Unity Board, Datuk Lee Kim Sai, to commission a public inquiry to ascertain how the Kuala Lumpur Master Plan could affect or undermine national unity
The Kuala Lumpur Draft Structure Plan has created great forebodings and apprehensions among the people about future imbalances in the development of the Federal capital, which could affect seriously national unity in the country.
The Kuala Lumpur Draft Structure Plan should not stunt or retard the growth and development of any area, but must enable balanced development to all areas and for all the people in the Federal Territory.
Unless the Kuala Lumpur Draft Structure Plan can satisfy the people that there would be no planned ‘imbalances’ in development in the Kuala Lumpur of tomorrow, then national unity in the country would be seriously undermined.
I call on the new Chairman of the National Unity Board, Datuk Lee Kim Sai, to commission on a public inquiry to ascertain how the Kuala Lumpur Master Plan could affect or undermine national unity, hear the views of the public and the various organisations interested, and present recommendations to the government.
The National Unity Board, if it is to be worthy of its name, must be prepared to deal bravely with all issues and matters which have a bearing on national unity, or which could cause national disunity. Otherwise, the National Unity Board might as well be shut down, if its work is to be confined to the printing of calendars and car-stickers as in the past.
The government should provide ample time for the public to consider, study and debate the Kuala Lumpur Draft Structure Plan because of its far-reaching implications. In view of the length of time which the government had taken to prepare the Draft Structure Plan, the government should be prepared to set aside even as long as six months for all aspects of the plan to be examined and debated. During this period, there should be forums and public debates on the various aspects of the plan, not only to improve on the plan and to highlight the undesirable areas, but also to educate the people of Kuala Lumpur about a plan which would determine their lives for the next twenty years.
The Draft Structure Plan is important, not only to the people in Kuala Lumpur, but for all Malaysians, for it could provide the model for the future development and growth of all other towns in the country. This is why there must be ample time for the fullest debate and discussion on the DSP by all Malaysians throughout the country.