Speech by DAP Secretary-General and Member of Parliament for Bandar Melaka, Mr. Lim Kit Siang, at a DAP Public Rally during the Kajang by-election at Kajang town on Thursday, Nov. 1, 1973
Call on the people of Kajang to vote against Tun Tan Siew Sin and his policies on Nov. 3
The MCA President, Tun Tan Siew Sin, said in Ipoh yesterday that the Chinese themselves were to blame for their troubles because of their political indifference.
He does not blame himself or his MCA colleagues for their substantial contribution in the last 20 years for the present troubles faced by the Chinese.
After all, it is the MCA Ministers in Cabinet and MCA MPs in Parliament who supported and enacted a whole series of laws which have emasculated the political, economics, educational and cultural rights of the Malaysian Chinese and other races in the country.
Who supported the amendment to the Malaysian Constitution in February 1971 to curtail the political rights of the people?
Who supported the legislative provision in January 1972 to abolish the Boards of Managements of Chinese schools?
Who supported the further amendment to the Malaysian Constitution to disenfranchise the voting rights of close to a million people in Kuala Lumpur, by the abolition of the nine Selangor State Assembly seats?
Who introduced and supported the whole series of oppressive taxes which multiplied the hardships of the poor, like the Sales Tax?
Who allowed prices of foodstuffs and all commodities to rise unchecked, while MCA tycoons and leaders make fortunes?
Tun Tan Siew Sin chided the Chinese for their political indifference. But Tun Tan Siew Sin does not really want the Chinese to assert their political rights. He only wants more sycophants, political hangers-on, in other words, more little Siew Sins, San Choons and Siok Yews.
Malaysian Chinese who dare to stand up for their fundamental rights are persecuted by people like Tun Tan Siew Sin.
The History of Malaysian politics is full of such examples. Tun Tan Siew Sin will be in the forefront to condemn them as communists or chauvinists.
Tun Tan Siew Sin and the MCA must bear great part of the blame for the troubles of the Malaysian Chinese. Two months ago, Tan Sri Lee Siok Yew was reported in the press as saying that the Chinese in Malaysia have a psychological feeling that they are second class citizens. Who is responsible for this psychological feeling of the Malaysian Chinese?
Let the people of Kajang take the opportunity on Nov. 3 to vote solidly against the policies of Tun Tan Siew Sin and the MCA, to show their utter repudiation of such unprincipled politics.