Press Conference Statement (2) by Parliamentary Opposition Leader, DAP Secret ary-General and MP for Tanjong, Lim Kit Siang, in Penang on Friday, October 7, 1994 at 11.30 a.m.
Mahathir must decide within the next ten whether to call general elections this year
There is renewed speculation of general elections next month because of resolution’ of the Rahim Tamby Cik scandals
The theory is that Tan Sri Rahim Tamby Cik has become the greatest liability’ to the Barisan Nasional in the next general elections, and that the ‘resolution’ of the Rahim Tamby Cik scandals with Rahim tendering his resignation from all government and party, posts have cleared the desk’ for general elections to be held.
Those who advocate general elections to be held now argue that with the resignation of Rahim Tamby Cik, the Barisan Nasional could turn a ‘liability’ into an ‘asset’ in the next general elections, claiming for removing Rahim Tamby Cik from the political scene.
Strangely enough, the proponents of this theory and the strongest advocates for general elections come from the MCA and Gerakan, who seem to worry that it would be more unfavourable to them if general elections are held next year.The Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr. Mahathir Moharned, would have to decide in in the next ten days whether to call general elections next month
Parliament has beer called to meet from October 17 to December 20 for the 1995 Budget meeting.
I still believe that October 17 will be the last date for Mahathir to Parliament if he. wants general elections to be held this year – for I will be very Mahathir is prepared to go down in history as the only Prime Minister in Malaysia who is so frivolous and irresponsible as to dissolve Parliament after meeting two or three weeks-causing an unprecedented waste of public funds as well as the time of Ministers and MPs as all theparliamentary business transacted would have lapsed and have no effect.
The possibility of Parliament being dissolved in the next 10 days must be
seriously, and the DAP has been on ‘full alert’ since I sounded this warning last month.
Malaysians wants all other Rahim Tamby Ciks -whether Federal Minister, Mentri Besar or Chief
Minister – who had acquired unusual and extraordinary wealth completely disproportionate to their known sources of income to step down from their government and party posts
Whether general elections are held next month or next year, Rahim Tamby Cik will remain an issue unless the Anti-Corruption Agency is given the ‘green-light’ to prosecute him for his unusual and extraordinary wealth which he had accumulated in his tenure as Malacca Chief Minister which are completely disproportionate to his known sources of income.
Malaysians know that if not for the DAP’s expose of the unusual and extraordinary wealth of Rahim Tamby Cik- and DAPSY National Chairman and MP for Melaka, Lim Guan Eng, had lodged. ter police reports on corruption against Rahim with the Anti-Corruption Agency’ – Rahim would today be unchallenged as UMNO Youth Leader are Malacca Chief Minister waiting to rise up higher on the national political ladder.
The MCA and Gerakan have been exposed as thoroughly unprincipled” in the Rahim Tamby Cik scandals, where they had been fully prepared to accept Rahim Tamby Cik (?) Malacca Chief Minister and the head of the Barisan Nasional youth movements despire (?) corruption and other scandals.
Rahim Tamby Cik will continue to be a central issue in the next general elections for two reasons:
Malaysians want to know whether Rahim has gained immunity from prosecution in exchange for his resigning from all government and party posts; and
Malaysians not only want Rahim Tamby Cik to step down from all government and party posts, but all other Rahim Tamby Ciks – whether Federal Minister, Mernti Besar or Chief Minister – who had acquired unusual and extraordinary wealth ‘completely disproportionate to their known sources of income to step down as well!
If general elections are held next month, then these two issues will immediately become national issues – and the Barisan Nasional will lose even more credibility unless they can give satisfactory answers to these two issues.
Will the 1,296 Chinese primary schools get RM125 million out of the RM800 million school ‘mainte¬nance funds’ for this year in the spirit of Anwar Ibrahim’s ‘We Are All One Family’ philosophy?
I am glad that Deputy Education Minister, Dr. Fong Chan Onn, has confirmed my revelation on Wednesday that the total stun which the Finance Ministry had allocated to the Education Ministry for ‘schools maintenance funds’ this year is RM800 million.
I of course do not expect him to admit that this RM800 million allocation is all part of the general elections ‘goodies’ package amounting to RM2 billion to use public funds to buy votes for the coming general elections.
MCA should maintain some standards of political debate and discussion and stop telling lies – for the DAP not only does not oppose the government allocation of schools ‘maintenance funds’ to Chinese primary schools, we want a fair and equal allocation as compared to national primary schools.
Let Fong Chan Onn answer the following questions:
Can the Chinese prima schools expect an allocation of RM125 million from this RM800 million ‘school maintenance funds’ this year, in the spirit of Anwar Ibrahmi’s ‘We Are All One Family’ philosophy?
The allocation of RM125 million to Chinese primary schools is worked out on the basis that Chinese primary school students comprise 25 per cent of total primary school population and should therefore be entitled to 25 per cent of total maimtenanse fund allocation to all primary schools?
If the Education Ministry is not prepared to be fair and allocate RM125 million from the schools maintenance fund for Chinese primary schools, then Anwar Ibrahim’s “We Are All One Family” declaration has no real meaning yet at government policy or implementation level.
Can the Government announce that this allocation to Chinese primary schools, especially partially-assisted Chinese primary schools, is not meant for this year alone because of the forthcoming general elections, but represent a new Chinese education policy change of the Barisan Nasional Government – and that henceforth the. Government would bear all financial responsibility for maintenance, development and building of new classrooms, school premises and even the construction of new Chinese primary schools, whether fully or partially assisted?
If Fong Chan Orin cannot give satisfactory answer to these two questions, how can the Chinese community be blamed if A regards the latest allocation as an ‘general election gimmick’ although it still nonetheless welcome the allocation?