Speech(Part 2) by Parliamentary Opposition Leader, DAP Secretary-General and MP for Tanjong, Lim Kit Siang, at the opening of the Selangor DAP State Convention held at Transport Workers’ Union Hall, Petaling jaya on Sunday, 9th January 1994 at 10 a.m.
There is no single safe seat for the DAP in the next general elections
Forecasts are now very prevalent-fed in particular by the MCA-that the next general elections could the DAP’s worst general elections in DAP history-and that we could and up with only fiveMPs as compared to 20 MPs in the 1990 general elections.
It is not my habit to forecast how many seats the DAP will win or lose in a general elections, and I do not propose to start it now.
It is clear however that with such a worst-scene scenario forecast for the DAP in the next general elections, all DAP leaders, members and supporters must be psychologically and politically prepared for a very up hill battle in the next general elections.
For a start, we must be very clear in our minds that there is no single safe seat for the DAP in the next general elections and we must regard every parliamentary and state assembly constituency currently held by the DAP as capable of being lost in the next general elections.
While I am not in the business of forecasting the number of seats the DAP will win or lose in general elections, it is our duty to set targets for ourselves in the next general elections.
The targets of the DAP in the next general elections must be as follows: That while we must be psychologically and politically prepared for the worst in the next general elections, we must aim to achieve an even greater breakthrough than the 1990 general elections, i.e. when we won 20 Parliamentary and 45 State Assembly seats.
The new Selangor DAP State Committee elected today has already its work cut out for it. It should firstly, study deep and hard whether the DAP can lose the three Parliamentary and six State Assembly seats in Selangor in the next general elections; and secondly, what must be done for the DAP to win more than the present three Parliamentary and six State Assembly seats.
All DAP State Committees should mobilize support for Sdr.Wee Choo Keong and Sdr.Lim Guan Eng who face disqualification as MPs as a result of court convictions and sentences
All DAP State Committees should mobilize support for Sdr.Wee Choo Keong and Sdr.Lim Guan Eng who face disqualification as MP for Bukit Bintang and MP for Kota Melaka respectively as a result of court convictions and sentences.
This is because both of them will be disqualified as Member of Parliament and their seats become vacant if they receive court convictions and sentences involving fines exceeding RM2,000 or one year jail sentence.
Wee Choo Keong has been ordered to pay the first set of costs to MBf amounting to RM54,000 and the Kuala Lumpur High Court had adjourned till January 28 to impose sentence against him, while Lim Guan Eng’s cases have been fixed for March 28, 1994.
I will be at the Kuala Lumpur high Court on January 28 and DAP leaders, members and supporters should also show their support.
The MCA leaders are happiest if Choo Keong and Guan Eng are disqualified as MPs, as they have not been able to win Bukit Bintang and Kota Melaka parliamentary seats in an open contest for votes.
The cases of Choo Keong and Guan Eng facing possibility of disqualification as MPs highlight the sharp contrast and difference between DAP and MCA MPs. MCA leaders compete to become candidates because this is a passport to wealth and position; while DAP leaders who become must be prepared to undergo greater pressure and suffering, such as ISA detentions, court prosecutions and even disqualification as MPs through court conviction and sentences in order to stand up for the rights of the people.
DAP calls for appointment of an Opposition MP to head the Parliamentary Accounts Committee
I congratulate the appointment of Senator Mustapa Mohamed as Deputy Finance Minister and Datuk Affifuddin Omar as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance.
These appointments have been made necessary following the appointment last month of the former Deputy Finance Minister, Datuk Ghani Othman as Minister Youth, Culture and Sports.
In this connection, I call on the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Dr.Mahathir Mohamed, to agree to the appointment of an Opposition Mp to head the Parliamentary Accounts Committee now the Datuk Affifuddin Omar has to resign as PAC Chairman.
The appointment of an Opposition MP as PAC Chairman will not only be in the tradition of parliamentary democracy of having an Opposition MP to head such a watching committee on government finances, but be a clear signal that the Barisan Nasional Government is prepared to embark on a process of democratic reforms and liberalization in Malaysia in preparation for Vision 2020.