By Parliamentary opposition Leader, DAP Secretary-General and MP for Tanjung, Lim Kit Siang, in Petaling Jaya on Saturday August 28, 1993:
Why is Liong Sik afraid to enter into an agreement to pay RM500, 000 compensation to educational or charitable purposes for causing delay in bringing up my defamation case to full hearing in three months or at the earliest possible date
MCA President, Datuk Seri Dr. Ling Liong Sik, claimed that my defamation suit was a diversion from the DAP Save Bukit China Fund.
The more Ling Liong Sik opens his mouth, the more puerile he has shown himself. If I am seeking a diversion from the DAP Save Bukit China Fund, then I would not have challenged Liong Sik to enter into an agreement with my lawyers that the side which caused delay in bringing up my defamation suit against him to full hearing in three months or at the earliest possible date pay RM500, 000 compensation to educational or charitable purposes.
It is Liong Sik who must explain why he is afraid to accept my challenge to enter into an agreement that whoever caused delay in bringing up defamation case to full hearing in three months or at the earliest possible date should pay RM500, 000 compensation to educational or charitable purposes.
I had expected that when I issued this challenge, Liong Sik’s cow-dung counselors’ would question where I got RM500, 000. Of course, they would never question as to whether Liong Sik has got RM500, 000 which is only a small fraction of his total wealth and property.
My expectation was proved right when one of Liong Sik’s cow-dung counselors’ appeared in the local press today asking how I got RM500, 000 which in three months’ time. This is a classic case of the using the small man’s heart to measure the noble’s stomach.
MCA will pay many times RM500, 000 if they could be sure to secure many bankruptcy and disqualification as MP and Assemblyman
I have no hesitation and I fell no shame in admitting publicly that I do not have RM500, 000 whether now or in three month’s time. However, I am prepared to enter into such a solemn undertaking and pay the consequences of such an undertaking: to pay the RM500, 000 or fave bankruptcy proceedings.
If I am declared bankrupt because I do not have the money to honor the agreement to pay RM500, 000 for charitable or educational purposes because I have caused delay to prevent my defamation suit from coming for hearing in three months’ time or at the earliest possible date, I would be also he disqualified as a MP and Assemblyman. If fact, I would not be able to stand for elective office so long as I remain a bankrupt.
I am sure this is an outcome that would be beyond the wildest dream of the MCA President and his cow-dung counselors’, and the MCA would be prepared to pay many times RM500, 000 if they could be sure of achieving this objective.
It is of course not unusual for MCA leaders to be declared bankrupt, and there are many former leaders, like former leaders, like former MCA President, former MCA Youth National leader, former MCA Deputy Minister and former MCA MPs who had been declared bankrupts after being jailed for white-collar crimes.
What is unusual is for the DAP leaders to be declared bankrupt. However, I am prepared to face the risk of being declared a bankrupt and be disqualified as MP and Assemblyman.
I do not believe I face any risk, as I have no intention whatsoever in causing any delay in bringing my defamation suit against Liong Sik to a full hearing within three months or at the earliest possible date. In fact, I would want my defamation suit to go for a full hearing in the Kuala Lumpur High Court this month itself if Liong Sik is prepared to agree.
The very fact that Liong Sik dare not accept my challenge to agree to pay RM500, 000 compensation shows that it is Liong Sik who will be causing all the delays to prevent my defamation suit from coming up for early hearing.
Time is running out for Liong Sik to accept the first of my ten challenges – to declare his family assets by Tuesday
I must remind Liong Sik that this is one of my ten challenges for him to accept within a week, and that he has four days to accept this challenge.
However, time is running out for Liong Sik for my first challenge to him to declare his family assets by next Tuesday – for he has only two days lest to accept this challenge.
If Liong Sik cannot accept a single one of my ten challenges, then he is not fit to be MCA President and he should resign to allow someone with greater character personality and dynamism to replace him.
Eleventh Challenge to Liong Sik: Declare his stand on ACA’s clearing of Samy Vellu in the MAIKA Telekom shares hijacking scandal.
I have today an eleventh challenge for Liong Sik to accept within a week – to declare his stand on the Anti-Corruption Agency’s clearing of the MIC President, Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu in the MAIKA Telekom shares hijacking scandal.
Let Liong Sik declare whether he fully agrees with the ACA Director-General, Tan Sri Zulkifli Mahmood that the ACA has done a food investigation and is right in concluding that “no criminal offence has been disclosed” and to close the case.
Or does Liong Sik agree with me that the ACA has done a ‘cover-up’ and in clearing Samy Vellu, has shattered the confidence of Malaysians in the independence and integrity of ACA.
ACA Director-General, Tan Sri Zulkifli Mahmood, found that the 10 million Telekom shares were allocated by the Government to the MIC for the Indian community.
If this is the case, let Liong Sik declare how may million Telekom shares were allotted by the Government to the MCA for the Chinese community, and where these allocations have gone to.
If Liong Sik claims that the Government had not allotted any Telekom shares for MCA for the Chinese community, then he should explain why one MIC Minister is more effective and influential in the Cabinet than four MCA Ministers.