Speech by the Parliamentary Opposition Leader, DAP Secretary General and MP for Tanjong, Lim Kit Siang at the Seremban DAP Dinner in Seremban on Tuesday. 20th December 1994 at 7.30 pm
Kit Siang denies MCA and Gerakan propaganda attack that he had said in Ipoh recently that “if the DAP fails in the next general elections, it is prepared to disappear from the Malaysian political scene”
For the past one week, MCA and Gerakan leaders have accused me of political blackmail in my speech when launching the DIP Perak Full Liberalisation campaign in Ipoh on Sunday, 10th December 1994.
They accused me of saying that “if the DAP fails in the next general elections it is prepared to disappear from the Malaysian political scene.
I have not said these words. A check with the tape recording of my speech in Ipoh that night will prove that what I said was as follows:-
“A lot of people say that in the next general elections the DAP is doomed especially in Perak where it is surely finished DAP is prepared to be doomed in Perak and in Malaysia if this is the decision of the people.
“We are prepared to disappear from the Malaysian political scene if this is the decision of the people. However, the people must make a wise choice as to whether they want DAP to be wiped out in Perak and in Malaysia in the next general elections.”
It is very clear from the above extract that the attacks mounted by the MCA and Gerakan leaders in the past week against me were based on a fictitious and non-existing speech.
This shows not only the irresponsibility of the MCA and Gerakan leaders who are prepared to ‘make a mountain out of a molehill’ but also their grave internal contradiction on their prospects in the next general elections.
On the one hand, the MCA and Gerakan leaders are getting more and more arrogant because they are convinced that the next general elections is so favourable to them that they simply cannot lose and need only to wait for the ‘durians to fall’, and that they stand a good chance of ‘crushing’ the DAP.
On the other hand, they know in their ‘heart of hearts’ that the more favourable electoral conditions for the Barisan Nasional are not due to their contributions which make them highly panicky about their electoral prospects.
This is why they are so afraid when the DAP brings out into the open their secret thoughts and desires to ‘crush’ the DAP in the next general elections and asked the people to think carefully and wisely whether they would want to see a scenario after the next general elections where the DAP is wiped out from the Malaysian political scene.
MCA and Gerakan becoming more arrogant and heedless of people’s problems because of their confidence that they can ‘crush’ the DAP in the next general elections.
What Malaysians must be very concerned is that the prospect of an overwhelming victory for the MCA and Gerakan leaders and the ‘crushing of the DAP’ in the next general elect ions has ‘gone into the head’ of MCA and Gerakan leaders.
This accounts for the increasing arrogance of the statements, speeches and actions of MCA and GeraKan leaders when dealing with the problems and grievances of the people.
This is best highlighted by the recent land acquisition controversies whether the Seremban II land acquisition in Rasah, Mambau and Labu in Negri Sembilan, the Johore-Singapore Second Link and second Johore Bharu township in Gelang Patah and Tanjong Kupang in, Johore, or Paya Mengkuang in Malacca.
In early 1991, where the MCA and the Gerakan were, very worried about their future electoral prospects, they’ were more sensitive and responsive to the needs and aspirations of the people. This was why at that time the MCA and Gerakan expressed reservations about the Land Acquisition Amendment Bill 1991 which would give the state governments the new and frightening powers to acquire land for development by private companies without adequate safeguards to protect the property rights of the smallholders.
At that time, the MCA even demanded that before land is acquired for development by private companies, there should be an open tender to get the best offer.
The Gerakan set up a special committee, comprising party lawyers headed by Gerakan Secretary General Datuk Chan Choong Tat, to monitor and fight land acquisition abuses and injustices.
Such care, concern and solicitude expressed by MCA and Gerakan leaders in early 1991 over land acquisition have now all disappeared, as the MCA and Gerakan are now confident that nothing can make them lose in the next general elections.
This is why the MCA leaders have abandoned the small-holders affected by the Seremban II, Second Johore-Singapore Link and second Johore Bharu township and the Paya Mengkuang pig rearing centre land acquisition issues.
In the case of the Seremban II land acquisition, the MCA leaders have even misled the affected, smallholders, claiming that the MCA Ministers have taken up their issue in the Cabinet when this is clearly untrue.
This is also why the Gerakan, despite having a high-powered committee to monitor and fight land acquisition abuses and injustices, has not said a single word about all these land acquisition controversies.
What is worse, the Gerakan President and Minister for Primary Industries Datuk Dr. Lim Keng Yaik has even publicly praised the Johore state government for its handling of the Gelang Patah land acquisition issue.
The mobilisation of 200 police personnel in Seremban on Sunday to arrest four DAP Negri Sembilan state leaders a classic warning of ‘Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely’
Last Sunday, the Seremban Police mobilised 200 police and FRU personnel and arrested four Negri Sembilan DAP state leaders for the unheard-of offence of distributing Party pamphlets without permit.
Such a massive mobilisation shows a totally misguided sense of priorities on the part of the Seremban Police and their insensitivities to the people’s demand for greater democratisation and more respect for human rights.
I understand that the police had mobilised the 200 personnel, since 6 am at the Seremban Central Market for some four hours because they received information that the smallholder affected by the Seremban II land acquisition project would be distributing pamphlets to explain their case to the public.
Even if this was the case, there was no justification for the Police to mobilise in such a massive manner as if facing grave threat to national order and security.
Is Malaysia so insecure, unstable and fragile that it could not allow smallholders whose land have been unfairly acquired for private development to distribute pamphlets to explain their grounds for opposition and to appeal for public support in their battle for justice?
This is a classic warning of ‘Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely’ and should be an eye-opener of what could happen if there are no checks and balances, whether on the Police or on the government, should the DAP be ‘crushed in the next general elections.
The victory of the people of Kuala Sungai Baru in Malacca to preserve their hundred-year old cemetery from government land acquisition is another lesson that justice could only be achieved through the unity of the people.
In 1991, when faced with wide-spread opposition to the proposed new Land Acquisition Amendment powers, the then Deputy Prime Minister Ghafar Baba said that there were two kinds of judges in Malaysia – first, the judges in court and second, the people –
The courts have failed to give justice to smallholders affected by unfair and inequitable land acquisition because they are confined to deal with appeals about quantum of compensation and cannot adjudicate on questions about the justice and suitability of the private development project as well as whether the other rights of the affected smallholders apart from fair compensation have been upheld.
As a result, land acquisition abuses and injustices can only be resolved by appealing to the highest court in the land, which is the court of the people of Malaysia.
The ordinary folks have won victories in their fight against unfair and inequitable land acquisition for development by private companies. Among the most outstanding cases are the cases of Pantai Kundur and Pantai Tanah Merah in Malacca, and the Jerai International Park in Kedah.
Recently, the people have won another victory in their battle for justice against arbitrary and inequitable land acquisition.
In Kuala Sungai Baru in Malacca, the state government had disregarded the sensitivities of the people in acquiring land including a hundred-year old cemetery for the area.
The Malacca MCA and state government completely disregarded the objections of the people of Kuala Sungai Baru to the acquisition of their hundred-year old cemetery.
However, when the DAP stepped in, with visits by DAP national and state leaders, and the people of Kuala Sungai Baru united as one voice in their opposition to the acquisition, the Malacca state government relented and agreed to abandon its acquisition plan.
The victory of the people of Kuala Sungai Baru in Malacca to preserve their hundred-year old cemetery from government land acquisition is another lesson that justice could only be achieved through the unity of the people.
If the smallholders fighting for justice and fair play in the Seremban II, Johore-Singapore Second Link and second Johore Bharu township, Paya Mengkuang and other land acquisition controversies are to succeed, they must be prepared to take a firm stand to appeal to the highest court in the country – the people of Malaysia.
They must also assert their right to put their case to the people of Malaysia and this is why their human rights and democratic freedoms to freedom of speech, expression, assembly, association and information are so vital and important to their cause.