by Parliamentary Opposition Leader, DAP Secretary-General and MP for Tanjung, Lim Kit Siang, in Penang on Tuesday, 8th February 1994:
Keng Yaik should not ‘go into hiding’ and should publicly declare whether he is going to admit that he had said over RTM English television news on Jan. 29 that I had a ‘guilty conscience’ over the allegations that opposition politicians had been bribed by Australian spies
My lawyer, Sdr. Karpal Singh, yesterday wrote to the Gerakan President and Minister for Primary Industries, Datuk Seri Dr. Lim Keng Yaik asking him to confirm that he had said over RTM Television news on January 29 that I had a ‘guilty conscience’ over the allegations that opposition politicians had been bribed by Australian spies.
I call on Keng Yaik not to ‘go into hiding’ and de clare publicly whether he is going to admit having made such a statement, which is clearly defamatory of my character, reputation and integrity, as he virtually accused me as having been bribed by Australian spies.
Keng Yaik should not get frightened just because I am going to sue him
Since my announcement three days ago that I am going to sue Keng Yaik for defamation for making the statement over RTM Television English news on January 29, and that I am only waiting for his confirmation that he had made the statement, Keng Yaik had made himself ‘scarce’ from the public view.
Unless he is going to deny having made the statement, or blame the RTM of distorting what he had said, Keng Yaik should have the honesty and courage as a senior Cabinet Minister and veteran political leader to admit what he had said – and not to get frightened just because I am going to take legal action against him.
Let me advise Keng Yaik that he cannot go into hiding for ever as in the next few days, he must re-surface publicly and not only I, but the Malaysian public, wants to know whether he would, act with honour and high political standards by admit¬ting publicly that he had said I had a ‘guilty conscience’ in the allegations about opposition politicians being bribed by Austra¬lian spies – which had defamed my character, reputation and integrity.
The issue involved here is not just as question of law. It is also a question political honour, morality and ethics.
As a senior Cabinet Minister and veteran political leader in the country, Keng Yaik must be prepared to stand by what he had said.
He has three choices:
Firstly, to deny that he had ever said that I had a ‘guity conscience’ and blame RTM for misreporting;
Secondly, to confirm and defend his allegation that I had ‘guilty conscience’; and
Thirdly, to confirm and apologise for his allega¬tion .
Keng Yaik would be acting in a very shameful and dishonourable manner if he chooses to keep ‘mum’ on the issue which means that he is not prepared as a political leader to act ethically by accepting responsibility for what he had said, and is instead trying to wriggle out of a situation of his own creation
If this is the case, the new year of the dog cannot be a happy Chinese New Year for Keng Yaik.