Speech by Penang Opposition Leader, DAP Secretary-General and Assemblyman for Padang Kota, Lim Kit Siang, in the Penang State Assembly during the committee stage of the Members of the Administration and the Legislative Assembly {Remuneration} Amendment Enactment 1993
Dr. Koh Tsu Koon has broken five of the Ten Golden Rules in his reply yesterday
I support the amendment to the Members of the Administration and the Legislative Assembly (Remuneration) Amendment Enactment 1993 proposed by the DAP Assemblyman for Paya Terubong, Sdr. Teoh Teik Huat., requiring the allowances and. privileges of the Chief Minister and the State Executive Councillors to be tabled in the State Assembly, as in the case of allowances and privileges of State Assemblymen.
The Chief Minister, Dr. Koh Tsu Koon, would, not have made public the increased allowances and privileges which he and the State Executive Councillors would have been entitled to if Sdr. Teoh Teik Huat had not given notice last week that he intended to move this amendment during the committee stage of this Bill.
This amendment is necessary to uphold the principle of accountability and transparency, especially as the present State Government had been acting against these two important principles of accountability and transparency.
During the debate on the Bill, I had given the Chief Minister Ten Golden Rules on how to earn respect in the State Assembly as Chief Minister with credibility, weight, authority and leadership, namely:
1. Show the highest respect to the State Assembly and not subordinate it to his personal or Gerakan party interests;
2. Do not turn and twist and resort to abuses when he couldnot answer the DAP in the State Assembly.
3. Show greater confidence in himself.
4. Show greater originality,
5. Be Honest, in the State Assembly.
6. Show greater command of State Assembly proceedings.
7. Show greater respect for the office of Chief Minister and avoid, conduct which belittle the office.
8. Serious in his undertakings and commitments.
9. Do not be too obsessed with press manipulation or image.
10. Exercise full control of the Penang State Government.
Sdr. Teoh Teik Huat had pointed out yesterday that Dr. Koh Tsu Koon had broken two of the Ten Golden Rules in his speech presenting this bill.
In his reply in winding up the debate on this Bill, Dr. Koh again broke five of the Ten Golden Rules.
He broke Golden Rule Four on Originality and again behaved as a second class copycat, when he tried to advise me how to be respected Opposition Leader. I do not want to be rude and say that he was trying ‘to teach his grandmother how to such eggs’. As far as I am concerned, I am content, so far as I am respected by the people of all races as the Opposition Leader – as I never intended to be the Barisan Nasional’s type of “Opposition Leader”. If I want to be Barisan Nasional’s type of Opposition Leader, I might as well be a Barisan Nasional leader myself!
Dr. Koh Tsu Koon also broke Golden Rule Three that the Chief Minister must show greater confidence in himself in the State Assembly. Dr. Koh Tsu Koon knew I had stood up to seek clarification during his speech, but he pretended not to see me, quickly finished what he said and sat down to deny me the chance to rebut his speech.
He also broke Golden Rule Two, not to turn and twist, in the State Assembly. In response to my allegation that he was too obsessed with the manipulation of the press, not only on how reports are written in the newspapers but what headings” are given by sub-editors, Dr. Koh Tsu Koon twisted what I said and alleged that it was I “who was guilty of press manipulation. As proof, he pointed to the many press statements which I had issued. This is not only turning and twisting, but deliberate distortion of the meaning of ‘press manipulation’ for issuing many press statements is completely different from manipulating reporters on how to write reports and sub-editors what headings to give for page leads or story leads.
Tsu Koon was too petty-minded to violate confidence and repeat private conversations in the State Assembly
The fourth Golden Rule which he broke in his reply is Golden Rule Seven that he show greater respect for the office of Chief Minister. Instead, he belittled the office of Chief Minister by violating confidence in revealing private conversation in the State Assembly.
In consequence, everyone is quite wary of having ‘small talk’ with the Chief Minister, even during encounters in the toilet, because he is so small-minded that he might repeat them inside the State Assembly. Clearly, Dr. Koh Tsu Koon does not understand the meaning of a ‘gentleman’!
The fifth Golden Rule which Dr. Koh Tsu Koon broke yesterday was Golden Rule Eight, that he must be serious in his undertakings and commitments.
Dr. Koh declared on June 23 that he was prepared to have the present State Assembly meet for 20 or even 25 days in response to the DAP allegation that he was afraid to meet DAP Assemblymen in the State Assembly and that was why he violated the six-month rule in the Penang State Constitution and the Penang State Assembly Standing Orders requiring the State: Assembly to meet at least once in every six months.
But yesterday, he used the Assemblyman for Prai, V. Muthu-samy to be his ‘ninja assassin’ to propose the ‘guillotine’ to cut short the debate on this Bill. This is another proof that Dr. Koh was not serious when he gave an undertaking that the State Government was prepared to let the State Assembly meet, for 20 or 25 days – as the present State Assembly has only entered its 11th day.
In view of the difficulty which the Chief Minister is finding to be guided by the Ten Golden Rules, the DAP proposes that the Ten Golden Rules should be formally tabled in this House as an Assembly document to be the guide for future conduct by the Chief Minister.