Author: Curator

Why has the Ministry of Health hushed up the 1973 Malacca Hospital mass blood poisoning deaths

Speech by Ketua Pembangkang and DAP Member of Parliament for Kota Melaka, Lim Kit Siang, when introducing a motion to cut $10 from the Development Estimates for the Ministry of Health for 1976 on: 30th July1976

Why has the Ministry of Health hushed up the 1973 Malacca Hospital mass blood poisoning deaths without either a full public inquiry or disclosure of the negligence causing so many unnecessary deaths?

In the previous session of Parliament, I had on 14th January 1974 during the Committee Stage of the 1974 Budget, moved a $10 cut of the Ministry of Health’s salary over the first mass deaths in the Malacca Hospital in July/August 1973. Continue reading Why has the Ministry of Health hushed up the 1973 Malacca Hospital mass blood poisoning deaths

Failure of the Third Malaysia Plan to stop downdrift of the share market an ominous start to the TMP

The Federal Development Expenditure Estimates for 1976 amounting to $3,137 million is 50 % bigger than the estimated expenditure of $2,020 million in 1975.

It marks the first-year implementation of the Third Malaysia Plan which the Dewan Rakyat has just debated and passed.

One would normally expect that such an important occasion like the announcement and adoption of the Third Malaysia Plan, the most ambitious economic blueprint for the next five years which envisages a total investment target of $26.8 billion and public sector expenditure of $18.6 billion would be a great boost to public confidence and to the share market in particular. Continue reading Failure of the Third Malaysia Plan to stop downdrift of the share market an ominous start to the TMP

The Third Malaysia Plan and the time-bombs in Malaysia

The Prime Minister, Dato Hussein Onn, in his foreword to the Third Malaysia Plan, said: “A major assault on poverty, a vigorous and continuous effort in the task of restructuring society as well as the strengthening of our national security., are the triple thrusts of the Third Malaysia Plan

This is probably the most significant and revealing statement in the whole 430-page Third Malaysia Plan.

The Second Malaysia Plan 1971-1975 incorporated a two-pronged New Economic Policy for development. The first prong was to reduce and eventually eradicate poverty, by raising income levels and increasing employment opportunities for all Malaysians, irrespective of race. The second prong aimed at accelerating the process of restructuring Malaysian society to correct economic imbalance, so as to reduce and eventually eliminate the identification of race with economic function. Continue reading The Third Malaysia Plan and the time-bombs in Malaysia

Conscience of the Malaysian Constitution

Parliament is now being asked to approve another batch of amendments to the Federal Constitution, this time, a 19-page Constitution (Amendment) Bill running into 48 clauses.

The Malaysian Constitution has probably the distinction of being the most amended Constitution in the world. From a rough count, the Federal-Constitution must have amended close to 1,000 times since Independence in 1957. The present batch of amendments, for instance, involve over 60 amendments. Continue reading Conscience of the Malaysian Constitution

Job security for workers

I rise under Standing Orders 49 to move a motion to seek leave of the House to introduce a private member’s bill named Employment (Unfair Dismissal) Bill 1976.

The purpose of this Bill is to guarantee to the worker the security of tenure in his job by conferring upon him the right not to be abruptly or unfairly dismissed, and the right to reinstatement or compensation for such unfair dismissals.

At present, a worker has no job security as his services can be properly terminated provided the employer complies with the requisite minimum notice stipulated by Section 12(3) of the Employment Ordinance 1955. Continue reading Job security for workers

The 1976 Employment (Amendment) Bill – management’s delight and worker’s curse

The 1976 Employment (Amendment) Bill is a typical example of what is wrong with the Malaysian nation today, and why Malaysia is today faced with a crisis of identity and survival, marked by stepped-up communist guerrilla activities in both the towns and jungles, while social, economic and political unrest grow apace in the country.

There is no end to governmental profession of concern for the poor and the weaker sections of the population, who represent the majority of Malaysian, but governmental actions often belie the sincerity of these declarations. Hence, the rich grows richer while the poor becomes poorer year after year of government development efforts. Continue reading The 1976 Employment (Amendment) Bill – management’s delight and worker’s curse

The Verdict of People of Sabah

The Verdict of People of Sabah

The people of Sabah have spoken loud and clear. They have voted decisively against Tun Mustapha and his years of misrule in Sabah, which denied the people the fundamental liberties of free speech, belief, association.

The decisive defeat of Tun Mustapha and USNO candidates should be a timely to all ruling parties that the people may be silenced, and surface harmony, unity and happiness manufactured, but the hearts and minds of the people cannot be won this way, and given the chance, the people would re-assert themselves. Continue reading The Verdict of People of Sabah