By Parliamentary opposition Leader, DAP Secretary-General and MP for Tanjung, Lim Kit Siang, in Petaling Jaya on Monday, 24th September 1990:
Kim Sai should keep the dinner date at Shangrila Hotel on Wednesday and not be a ‘political fugitive’ for the fourth time
MCA Deputy President, Datuk Lee Kim Sai, is right to take seriously my statement that ‘of all the MCA Presidents, Datuk Dr. Ling Liong Sik is the best president for the DAP’ and my invitation to him to dinner at Shangrila Hotel on Wednesday night at 8.00 p. m. for me to show him the proof for my statement.
Kim Sai said yesterday that by saying that Liong Sik is the best MCA President for the DAP, I was meaning that Liong Sik is the worst MCA President.
I confirm that Kim Sai’s interpretation is absolutely correct, that when I said that Liong Sik is the best MCA President for DAP, it means that he is the worst MCA President in MCA history.
However, Kim Sai was being less than honest when he said he did not understand why I wanted to invite him to dinner to give him the proof to substantiate my statement. This is because it was Kim Sai who, on 14 th September, 1990, asked me to produce proof to substantiate my statement in an interview with Nanyang Siang Pao that Liong Sik is the best MCA president for the DAP.
In inviting KimSai to dinner at Shangrila Hotel on Wednesday, I am only responding to Kim Sai’s call for proof.
I welcome Kim Sai’s preparedness to accept my dinner invitation to give him proof of my statement that Liong Sik is the best MCA President for the DAP, although he said that he must have permission from the MCA Presidential Council on Tuesday.
Liong Sik or the MCA Presidential Council would not prohibit Kim Sai from keeping dinner date with me
I do not believe that Liong Sik or his faction, which dominated and controlled the MCA presidential Council would pass a resolution or issue a directive prohibiting Kim Sai from keeping the Shangrila Hotel dinner date with me on Wednesday. This will put Liong Sik and his supporters in the MCA Presidential Council in the worst possible and distrustful of the loyalty and integrity of their own Deputy President, but are very frightened as to the proof that I could produce at the Shangrila Hotel dinner.
I am sure Liong Sik and the Liong Sik – controlled MCA Presidential Council would not prohibit Kim Sai from keeping the dinner date with me on Wednesday. In fact, I believe they would not take any position, and leave it to Kim Sai himself to decide whether to keep the dinner date or not.
In the circumstances, I hope Kim Sai would keep the Shangrila Hotel dinner date on Wednesday, and that he will not be ‘political fugitive’ for a fourth time.
The previous three occasions when Kim Sai became a ‘political fugitive’ have become part of the Malaysian political folklore. The first time was in October 1987, when he ran away to Australia to escape detention under the Internal Security Act during the Operation Lalang.
The second time was when Kim Sai backed down from his challenge to the DAP Deputy Secretary-General, Sdr. Lee Lam Thye, in May 1989 for both to resign form their parliamentary seats and have a by-election contest in Seputeh. Malaysians can still remember that Kim Sai sent in his letter of resignation as MP for Hulu Langat to the MCA Secreatry-General whereas Lee Lam Thye submitted his letter of resignation to the Dewan Rakyat Speaker, Tan Sri Zahir Ismail. Eventually, it was the Prime Minister who gave Kim Sai the excuse to be a ‘political fugitive’.
The third time Kim Sai became a ‘political fugitive’ was when he backed down after declaring that he would fight Liong Sik for the MCA President’s post in July this year – after the famous July 17 diner at Shangrila Hotel!
I hope therefore that Kim Sai would not be a ‘political fugitive’ for a fourth time on Wednesday, and back down from the diner date at Shangrila Hotel on Wednesday. I will wait for Kim Sai at the lobby of the Shangrila Hotel on Wednesday at 8p.m. sharp for the dinner appointment.
No need for Chua Yen Yen to meet my political secretary
Kim Sai said yesterday that he would ask his political secretary Dr. Chua Yen Yen to liaise with my political aide for more details about the dinner.
No further parliamentary meetings between our respective aides are needed, for the purpose of the dinner is very clearly spelt out in my invitation o Kim Sai last Saturday – to respond to his demand for proof to substantiate my statement in the Nanyang Siang Pao interview that Liong Sik is the best MCA president for the DAP.
If I am to give the proof to Kim Sai’s political secretary, then there is no need for me to invite Kim Sai to dinner at all!