The DAP Organising Secretary, Mr. Lim Kit Siang, today (27.8.68) issued the following statement:
1. The Minister who is always on the run
After inaugurating the 28-member High Education Council at Parliament House yesterday, the Minister of Education, Inche Khir Johari, told the press that he would not take part in two debates which he had been challenged to. (Nanyang Siang Pao and Sin Chew Jit Poh).
The first was to a debate with Professor Syed Hussein Alatas on the Higher Education Planning Committee Report. Inche Khir, who had earlier declared that he would take part in the debate, now claim that he is too busy, and that with the formation of the Higher Education Council, the Council Chairman, Dr. Mahathir bin Mohamed, should debate with Professor Syed Hussein Alatas.
It appears that to Inche Khir Johari, the role of the Chairman of the Higher Education Council is to get Inche Khir out of a difficult situation and be his trouble-shooter, instead of being chairman of a committee to advise the government on higher education planning, projections and problems.
The second debate which Inche Khir Johari has declined is the debate with the DAP for him to prove his charge made at the Central Kedah UMNO annual delegates conference ten days ago that the DAP was “100% communal”.
Inche Khir Johari exactly fits the proverbial description of the “empty vessel that makes the most noise.” He is a loud-mouthed Minister, who spends most of his Ministerial hours going up and down the country making wild charges and statements, and when challenged to substantiate his charges and statements, slinks away and back down.
Inche Khir Johari has spent the last few years on the run – running away from arguments, debates and even problems – as when during the NUT industrial action last year, he immediately scooted to Chile to attend a Family Planning Conference.
The DAP Challenge to DAP remains open. If Inche Khir Johari could not recover from his ‘cold feet’, the DAP is prepared to have any of his Ministerial colleagues deputise for him to prove the allegation that the DAP is ‘100% communal.’
It will be interesting to see whether all Alliance Ministers are like Inche Khir Johari – all running away from arguments.
2. Mercy plea on behalf of the two youths in Perak condemned to die for consorting with Indonesians.
The DAP is surprised to read in press reports today quoting the Mentri Besar of Perak, Dato Haji Ahmad bin Said, as saying that the Perak Pardons Board has not yet received any fresh clemency plea for the two youths in Perak condemned to die for consorting with the Indonesians.
Last Sunday, the Deputy Secretary-General of the DAP, Daing Ibrahim bin Othman, send a cable to the Sultan of Perak urging clemency for the two youths following the reprieve of the 11 youths by the Sultan of Johore.
The cable read: “Your Royal Highness, Sultan of Perak. Entire nation and world appeal to your Highness to exercise mercy and reprieve death penalty of Mohamed Noor bin Login and Mohamed Sidek bin Mohamed Nor. In view of Johore developments, your reprieve will get gratitude of all Malaysians.”
The DAP urge the Sultan of Perak and the Perak Pardons Board to convene an early meeting to pardon the two youths.
Audited on 2021-04-21.