Speech (Part 2) by Parliamentary Opposition Leader, DAP Secretary-General and MP for Tanjung, Lim Kit Siang, at the Penang DAPSY Ceramah held at Batu Lanchang Balai Rakyat on Saturday, 11th August 1990 at 8 pm.
Gerakan will be even quicker than MCA to co-operate with PAS if directed by UMNO to do so.
Gerakan is now full steam in its second round of attack on the DAP using the Islamic State issue, accusing the DAP of wanting to establish an Islamic State by co-operating with PAS.
However, the Gerakan’s second round of ‘’slamic State’ attack on the DAP has not been able
to make much impact as compared to its first round of attack on the DAP on the Islamic State
issue in April this year. There are many reasons for this.
Firstly, the second round of Gerakan attack on the DAP on the Islamic State issue is headed
by the Gerakan Director of Publicity Bureau, Dr. Kang Chin Seng, while the first round of
Gerakan attack was led by none other than the Gerakan President, Datuk Dr. Lim Keng Yaik
himself.
Dr. Kang’s political credibility is among the lowest of all Barisan Nasional operatives, about
the same level as Hoo Keping of the Lee Kim Sai faction of MCA! Just as nobody gives
serious attention to the statements of Hoo Keping, similarly, nobody takes Dr. Kang seriously
– especially after the fiasco of the DAP-PAS Jakarta secret talks.
The lie about the secret DAP-PAS Jakarta talks, which was the basis for the first round of
Gerakan attack on the DAP on the Islamic State issue, is the second reason why the Gerakan
has failed to get public response, concern or interest in its second round of attacks on the
Islamic State issue.
After this second round of attack on the DAP on the Islamic State issue has failed and fizzled
out the Gerakan would try to mount a third, fourth and fifth round of attack on the DAP on the
same issue, but the Gerakan should not expect the national attention and response as when
Dr. Lim Keng Yaik first told his lie about the DAP-PAS secret Jakarta talks in April this year.
At that time, Malaysians believed that Keng Yaik must have some basis or evidence for such a
public expose about a DAP-PAS secret meeting in Jakarta. However, when he was forced to
produce proof for his allegation, Keng Yaik could not come out with any evidence, earn¬ing
him the public reputation of a public liar when he refused to withdraw the lie.
DAP is the only political party in Malaysia which can be relied on to take a clear and
uncompromising stand against Islamic State.
A third reason why the Gerakan’s second round of ‘Islamic State’ attack on the DAP is
fizzling out is because the people have now realised that the only political party in Malaysia
which can be depended upon to take a clear and uncompromising stand against the Islamic
State is none other than the DAP.
DAP leaders had gone to jail and lost their freedom for their political beliefs, including their
opposition to an Islamic State in Malaysia. What had the Gerakan leaders done, except to
compete with MCA for UMNO’s favours in the distribution of spoils of office in government?
This is why the Gerakan regarded the appointment of a Gerakan Senator as Deputy President
of the Senate as a great political achievement.
It may be a great achievement in terms of the Gerakan-MCA competition for favours from
UMNO, but it is utterly meaningless to the people at large with regard to their political,
economic, educa¬tional, cultural and citizenship rights!
Gerakan is a most opportunistic political party with no firm political principles and objectives.
The fourth and most important reason why Gerakan’s second ‘Islamic State’ attack on the
DAP is unable to take-off from the ground is because the people have now realised that the
Gerakan is a most opportunistic political party, as it has no firm political prin¬ciples and
objectives.
The only rationale for the Gerakan’s existence is to win UMNO’s favours and displace the
MCA in the Barisan Nasional. For this reason, the Gerakan could be even more dangerous
than the MCA. Given a chance, Gerakan would be quicker to co-operate with PAS than MCA
if instructed by UMNO to do so.
After all, Gerakan had a record of co-operating with PAS for over five years in the Barisan
Nasional, while the DAP had never co-operated with PAS.
Even now, UMNO Baru Ministers had been publicly inviting PAS to co-operate with UMNO
and return to the Barisan Nasional. PAS is now not inside the Barisan Nasional not because
of the opposition of Gerakan or MCA, or the rejection by the UMNO Baru, but because of the
refusal by PAS.
If tomorrow, PAS decides to accept UMNO Baru’s offer to return to the Barisan Nasional,
will Gerakan dare to oppose PAS return to Barisan Nasional. What Gerakan will do will be
to welcome PAS return to Barisan Nasional even before MCA had done so!
This is why Gerakan leaders had no objections when UMNO Baru leaders, and in particular
the Education Minister, Anwar Ibrahim, had repeatedly in his speeches invited PAS to
co-operate with UMNO for the interest of Islam.
If the Gerakan leaders are so opposed to PAS, when didn’t they warn Anwar Ibrahim to stop
his overtures to PAS to co-operate with UMNO, or Gerakan would leave the Barisan Nasional?
Gerakan President, Datuk Dr. Lim Keng Yaik, dare not accept my standing invitation to
him to a public debate on the Islamic State issue because they cannot answer these questions.
If there is such a public debate, the DAP will be able to convince the people that from its
past record, the Gerakan is the political party they should worry most if they do not want
an Islamic State – especially if it is brought about through the process of Islamisation!