Speech by Parliamentary Opposition Leader, DAP Secretary-General, MP for Tanjong and Assemblyman for Kampong Kolam, Lim Kit Siang, at the DAP thank-the-voter ceramah held at Chinese Recreation Club Hall in Seremban on Tuesday, 26.8.1986 at 9 p.m.
DAP calls on Prime Minister, Dr. Mahathir Mohamed, to respect the votes of one million Malaysians who voted for DAP and incorporate their aspirations into the mainstream of national policies
Although the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamed, claimed that the Barisan Nasional had won a landslide victory, winning 148 out of 177 Parliamentary seats, the fact remains that only 55 per cent of the voters supported the Barisan Nasional.
The DAP secured one million votes, winning 24 Parliamentary and 37 State Assembly seats. I call on the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamed, to respect the votes of one million Malaysians who want a more equal, just and fairer place under the Malaysians sun.
As a leader of a democratic system, the Prime Minister must respect the aspirations of those who have made their voice heard during the general elections, and these aspirations must be incorporated into the mainstream of national policies.
If the aspirations of the one million voters are excluded, then the net result is a divided and polarised Malaysia – which all responsible national leaders from all political parties should work to prevent.
This is why the DAP had started its preparedness, after the general elections had been held on August 3, to work with Dr. Mahathir, UMNO, MCA, Gerakan, MIC or PAS or other opposition groups, provided that this is to the interests of the people and country.
Last Wednesday, at the thanks-the-voters ceramah in Malacca, I proposed that the DAP, MCA and Gerakan establish a Council to present to the Cabinet a report why Urban Malaysia rejected the Barisan Nasional in the 1986 general elections, to impress on UMNO leaders that the whole spectrum of political, economic, educational, cultural and religious policies of the Barisan Nasional should be reviewed and modified.
But up till now, no MCA or Gerakan leader dared to accept this hand of co-operation from the DAP, for fear that they would be put in the ‘bad books’ by the UMNO leaders. This is most pathetic.
MCA and Gerakan leaders had over the years called on DAP to work with them for the common interest of the people, in particular the five million Malaysians Chinese, but when the DAP comes out with a concrete proposal for such a co-operation, they run for cover.
This offer of a DAP-MCA-Gerakan Council to finalise and present a report to Cabinet on the meaning of the 1986 general elections remains open however without deadline, so that MCA and Gerakan leaders and their Central Executive Committees have all the time in the world to think about it.
DAP reiterates its opposition to an Islamic State
I am surprised that a few Chinese Civic Rights Committee officials like Lim Fong Seng are blaming the DAP for highlighting our opposition to an Islamic State during the general elections. In actual fact, I feel that we had not highlighted enough, for we hardly had any time for the question of an Islamic State during the nine-day campaign.
The ABIM seminar on Islamic laws after the general elections is proof that unless a strong stand is taken now against an Islamic State, Malaysians will find it is too late to mobilise popular opinion against it.
Let us never forget that it is not just PAS, but even UMNO, who might want Malaysia to embark on the path of an Islamic State. The DAP does not apologies for our clear-cut stand against an Islamic State in Malaysia, which we regard it as important to inform Malaysians now, and not 20 or 30 years later, and we will continue to speak out without compromise, whether in the next five years, or in the next general elections, against an Islamic State in Malaysia.