Press Statement by Parliamentary Opposition Leader, DAP Secretary-General and MP for Kota Melaka, Lim Kit Siang, in Petaling Jaya on Monday January 21, 1985:
Chinese Mandarin oranges Bungle of Oo Gin Sun
The Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Oo Gin Sun, must take full
responsibility for the Chinese Mandarin oranges Bungles. Last weekend,
Oo Gin Sun gave a public assurance that there will be adequate
supply of mandarin oranges at reasonable prices for the Chinese New Year
This is an empty assurance, for from all indications and reports, it is clear
that the biggest victims of the Chinese Mandarin oranges Bungle of
Oo Gin Sun will be the consumers, who will have to buy expensive Mandarin oranges.
As one of the two Deputy Ministers in the Trade and Industry Ministry,
Oo Gin Sun had been given full responsibility on China Trade. Either Oo Gin Sun
is led by the nose by his Ministry and Pernas officials, resulting in the Chinese
Mandarin oranges Bungle, or he single-handedly created the Chinese Mandarin
oranges scandal, showing his utter incompetence and inefficiency,
Over the weekend, Oo Gin Sun said his Ministry was still going through
over 20 applications for APs to import Chinese Mandarin oranges from China,
Traditional importers have already said publicly that their applications had been
rejected informally. But taking Oo Gin Sun at his word, is the Deputy Trade and
Industry Minister going to have the AP applications approved on the Eve of Chinese
New Year?
In the Chinese Mandarin oranges bungle, Oo Gin Sun owe the people
an explanation to the following questions:
l. Why is the Ministry of Trade and Industry replacing traditional
import of Chinese Mandarin oranges with a monopoly by SATRIA UTARA,
which was given AP to import 410,000 crates of Mandarin oranges from
China, which is over 95% of the 430,000 crates for which APs had been
issued, and which also represents 82 per cent of the expected
consumption figure of 500,000 crates for the coming Chinese New Year.
Now much profit is SATRIA UTARA expected to make from this orange monopoly?
2. Is it not true that SATRIA UTARA do not have experience whatsoever
in the Chinese Mandarin oranges trade, and in fact, have no funds to
import the Chinese Mandarin oranges. Why is he afraid to name the real
operators of SATRIA UTARA?
3. Can the Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry prove that SATRIA UTARA
was in fact involved in direct China Trade, and not bringing in
the Chinese Mandarin oranges through a third country, this time Hong Kong,
and if so, isn’t this a gross deception of the people of Malaysia by
the Deputy Minister, Oo Gin Sun? In fact, the contract was not even
concluded in China!
4. Why didn’t the Ministry of Trade and Industry give all traditional
importers ample notice that they will only be allowed to import
Chinese Mandarin oranges through direct China trades. And if
this is the policy, why did the Ministry and Pernas continue to
restrict the free travel of businessmen to China to enable them to
conclude China trade deals and compete with traders from third countries?
As this Chinese New Year is going to end up with very expensive
Mandarin oranges because of the Oo Gin Sun bungle, the people have the right not
to be made victims by staying away from Chinese Mandarin oranges this year, although
it has special meaning for the Chinese New Year. I for one would probably
not touch a single Chinese Mandarin orange this Chinese New Year as a protest against
the Oo Gin Sun bungle of Chinese Mandarin oranges.
DAP calls on Government to reconsider again its decision to allow Asian Rare
Earth Sdn Bhd to continue operation
The Perak Mentri Besar, Datuk Seri Ramli Ngah Talib, said yesterday
that the radioactive waste dump in Papan would be moved to an area about 4.8 km
away, but that the Asian Rare Earth Sdn Bhd, would remain at its present site
at Jalan Lahat.
The people of Papan had won a great victory to get the government to
respect their rights to a clean environment and freedom from radioactive
threat to future generations, but the battle has not ended completely.
This is because the people of Bukit Merah, Lahat, Menglembu and
Taman Badri Shah are rightly worried that the production of the radioactive
waste product so close to their environment would pose a serious threat to their
life, health and surroundings.
The DAP calls on the Government to reconsider again its decision to
allow Asian Rare Earth Sdn Bhd to continue operation at its Jalan Lahat site,
around which would come up more residential areas.
I commend the government for its preparedness to respect public opinion
in the matter of the Papan radioactive waste dump, but it should also be
more responsive to the legitimate fears and demands of the people of Bukit Merah,
Lahat, Menglembu and Taman Badri Shah that a factory producing radioactive waste
should not be allowed to operate in their midst.