by DAP Secretary-General, Parliamentary Candidate for Tanjong, State Assembly Candidate for Kampong Kolam, in Petaling Jaya on Tuesday, July 29, 1986:
Dr.Mahathir is behaving like another Harris Salleh in threatening voters with discrimination in development if they vote Opposition
Barisan Nasional leaders do not seem to learn from their past mistakes, and they continue to think they could intimidate and bully the voters from freely exercising their vote.
Yesterday in Johore, Datuk Seri Dr.Mahathir Mohamed, threatened voters that they would be discriminated against in development if they return Opposition-held constituencies.
This was what Harris Salleh did in Sabah, and he was booted out office by Sabah by his high-handed, undemocratic and arrogant ways. At the time, Datuk Harris Salleh was given full support by Dr.Mahathir Mohamed, who even announced that he would ‘sink or swim’ with Harris Salleh in the April 1985 Sabah State General Elections.
Datuk Harris Salleh sank, but Dr.Mahathir is till trying to swim. But Dr.Mahathir seemed to have decided to follow the Harris way by threatening the people of Malaysia that they would be treated as another Tambunan in 1984, which was abrogated its district status and denied development funds for voting Joseph Pairin Kitingan.
I want to remind Dr.Mahathir that he might go the way of Harris Salleh if he continues to threaten the voters, either with discrimination of development funds, or even with May 13.
Dr.Mahathir should realise that he is now so unpopular in Sabah that his photograph posters are not being used in Sabah. If Dr.Mahathir visits Kota Kinabalu, Sandakan or Tawau during the general elections campaign, this will be a gurantee that the Barisan Nasional candidate would receive a thumping defeat. This is why Dr.Mahathir is staying away from Sabah!
Dr.Mahathir should behave like a ‘gentleman’ Prime Minister, who will respect the democratic rights of the people to choose the candidate and party of their preference. Why should Dr.Mahathir go round the country threatening the voters with discrimination of development funds: if they vote for Opposition? Are government monies the property of Dr.Mahathir to be misused and abused in any way he likes?
Dr.Mahathir and the Barisan Nasional government have so used to misuse and abuse of power that they have ceased to know the difference between what is right or wrong.
Dr.Mahathir said that if the Opposition is brought to power, the stock market would collapse. But surely, Dr.Mahathir should realise that the stock market had already collapse with him in power! Anwar Ibrahim said elsewhere that if the Opposition comes into power, the country will go bankrupt. Again, he should know that Malaysia is now virtually bankrupt under the Barisan Nasional leadership, piling up a $40 billion external debt, a capital flight of over $30 billion in the last ten years, and a host of multi-billion and multi-million scandal draining the people’s monies.
During the election campaign itself, Dr.Mahathir is showing his arrogance of power, contempt for parliamentary decency and public opinion. What would be the position if Dr.Mahathir gets two-third majority in the general elections? Malaysians must unite, and tell Dr.Mahathir, ‘Enough is Enough’ and deny Barisan Nasional two-third majority.