Author: Curator

Reconsider and withdraw approval for price increases for petrol, diesel and fuel oil

Ketua Pembangkang and DAP Secretary-General, Mr. Lim Kit Siang, today issued the following statements (22.12.1973):

Call on the Government to reconsider and withdraw its approval for price increases for petrol, diesel and fuel oil by corresponding reduction of government duty

The government approval of price increases for petrol, diesel and fuel oil will fan further the flames of inflation. Premium grade petrol goes up 34 cents a gallon, regular petrol 24 cents a gallon; gas oil and diesel 11 cents a gallon and fuel oil, 5 cents a gallon.

These are pretty hefty increases, and will lead to increases in transport costs for goods and persons, whether motorists or non-motorists.

This will also be another excuse for another round of increase of prices of locally manufactured goods.

The assurance that has been given by the Primary Industries Minister, Datuk Taib Mahmud, that the increases should not contribute to higher prices for manufactured products and that the government would deal severely with any attempt of profiteering will as usual be meaningless and without effect, just like all other government assurance inside and outside Parliament these past years. Continue reading Reconsider and withdraw approval for price increases for petrol, diesel and fuel oil

The plight of fishermen and padi farmers in Malaysia

Speech by Lim kit Siang in the Dewan Rakyat on the 1974 Estimates for the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries on December 21, 1973

Call on the Malaysian government to have urgent discussions with Indonesian authorities to demarcate the international waters in the Straits of Malacca and to make arrangements to enable Malacca and other Malaysian fishermen to pursue their livelihood in the spirit of ASEAN fraternity and solidarity

Since August this year, the 600 Malacca fishermen of all races have faced great hardships, without governmental assistance or concern.

In August this year, 22 Malacca fishing boats in the high seas in the Straits of Malacca were captured by some Indonesian authorities, and held to ransom.

To secure the release of a boat, the relatives of the detained fishermen were required to pay a ransom of $3,000 per boat.

In the past, the ransom money per boat had only been a few hundred dollars. Then it began to rise, and recently, in keeping with world-wide inflation, it is shot up from $1,000 to $3,000. This means that over $60,000 were paid to secure the release of the 22 Malaysian fishing boats and about 50 men. Continue reading The plight of fishermen and padi farmers in Malaysia

Death in custody

Press Statement by Ketua Pembangkang & DAP Secretary-General, Mr. Lim Kit Siang on 18.12.1973

Death of 16 year-old student at Henry Gurney Home, Phua Swee Leng – A Public Inquiry necessary to ascertain the cause of death

I have seen the Minister for Home Affairs, Tan Sri Ghazalie Shafie, on the death of a student at the Henry Gurney School at Telok Mas, Malacca on 3rd December 1973 at 1.50 a.m. – namely Phua Swee Leng of Kampong Sembilan, Tranquerah, Malacca.

The Minister showed concern and suggested that a police report be lodged to initiate public investigations and actions by his Ministry.

I am taking the mother of the deceased, Madam Lim Kar Lan, to make a formal report.

There must be no attempt on anyone’s part to hush up the matter. There must be a public inquiry into the causes of Phua Swee Leng’s death, as the circumstances of his death give rise to substantial suspicions in the public mind. Continue reading Death in custody

1974 Budget – a disappointment and shame it is not an anti-inflation budget

Twice in his budget speech last Wednesday for 1974, the Finance Minister Tun Tan Siew Sin, described inflation as “our No. 1 economic problem.”

This was in stark contrast to the Tun Tan Siew Sin of June 1971, who gave an assurance that there was no danger of inflation in the country in a big way, when inflation was already in full gallop.

He said, (Straits Times, 14 June 1971): “In fact, I have every confidence that we can maintain price stability as easily in the future as we have done in the past.” Now, he has every confidence to tell of the country that what he has promised to do ‘easily’ has become the No. 1 economic problem! Continue reading 1974 Budget – a disappointment and shame it is not an anti-inflation budget

DAP calls for repeal of Internal Security Act and closure of Taiping detention camp

Speech by Ketua Pembangkang and DAP Secretary-General, Mr. Lim Kit Siang, at a Taiping DAP Solidarity Dinner organized by the Taiping DAP Branch at Kwongtung Association, Temple Street, Taiping, on Saturday, 8th December 1973 at 7p.m.

DAP calls for repeal of Internal Security Act and closure of Taiping detention camp

Taiping, which means Great Peace, is now acquiring new identification which I am sure the people of Taiping do not relish.

This is Taiping becoming the headquarters of political detention in West Malaysia, with the closure of the Batu Gajah and Muar detention camps.

The Internal Security Act, which permits detention without trial for indefinite duration, is an Act which offends the rule of law and natural justice.

We have seen so many people detained indefinitely without good reason under the Internal Security Act that this measure can only be seen as a highly oppressive instrument to stamp out dissent and opposition.

Examples that easily come to mind are Hamid Tuah, the peasant champion, who was put behind bars for two years for his courage and conscience for championing the cause of the landless in Malaysia. Another example is the PSRM State Assemblyman from Pahang, Dzulkifli bin Ismail, whose reason for detention is equally flimsy and untenable. Continue reading DAP calls for repeal of Internal Security Act and closure of Taiping detention camp

The Objectives of the Second Malaysia Plan

Speech by DAP Secretary-General and Ketua Pembangkang, Mr. Lim Kit Siang, at a forum on “The Objectives of the Second Malaysia Plan” organised by the Universiti Sains Malaysia Students’ Union on Friday, 7th December 1973 at 8 p.m.

The Objectives of the Second Malaysia Plan

The Second Malaysia Plan declares that the overriding objective of the New Economic Policy is the promotion of national unity through the two-pronged strategy of:

(a) eradicating poverty by raising income levels and increasing employment opportunities for all Malaysians, regardless of race;

(b) 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.

Let us make an appraisal of both these objectives and the progress achieved so far. Continue reading The Objectives of the Second Malaysia Plan

1974 Budget – A widespread disappointment

Press Statement by DAP Secretary-General & Member of Parliament for Bandar Melaka, Mr. Lim Kit Siang on 6th December 1973

1974 Budget – A widespread disappointment

It is a matter of widespread disappointment that the Finance Minister, Tun Tan Siew Sin, did not have the political will or courage to abolish the Sales Tax and surtax on imports as the main government weapons to fight inflation in the country.

The Sales Tax and the surtax must take the blame for the galloping inflation in Malaysia, which in 1973, see prices skyrocketing by 10% according to government estimates. This is a conservative government figure, and the reality must be very much higher.

So long as the Sales Tax and surtax on imports are allowed to remain intact, it is unlikely that the government would be able to effectively bring down the prices of all items. This is why the announcement yesterday in the Budget presentation of the abolition of import duty of 33 food and non-food items will not appreciably bring down prices to make cheap food and reasonable cost of living a reality for Malaysians in 1974. Continue reading 1974 Budget – A widespread disappointment

Mid-term Review: Second Malaysia Plan

We have been given a glowing review of the Mid-Term performance of the Second Malaysia Plan.

According to the Mid-Term Review, the GNP expanded by 11% annually at current prices during 1971-73. This was brought about by the fortuitous high prices for Malay sia’s export commodities such as rubber, timber, oil, which caused the high growth rate of 20 4% in 1973, in contrast to the moderate expansion in 1971 and 1972 when the GNP gew by 56% and 7.5% respectively.

The Mid-Term Review computes the output in real terms as 6.9% per year, on the basis of an average of 4.1% price increase per year, as compared to the Plan target of 6.8%. Continue reading Mid-term Review: Second Malaysia Plan

Questions for Oral and Written Answers during the coming Dewan Rakyat session

Press Statement by DAP Secretary-General and Member of Parliament for Bandar Melaka, Mr. Lim Kit Siang on 24th November 1973

The following questions for Oral and Written Answers during the coming Dewan Rakyat session beginning on 26.11.1973, have been submitted by the Opposition Leader and DAP Member of Parliament for Bandar Melaka, Mr. Lim Kit Siang

QUESTIONS FOR ORAL ANSWERS

1. To ask the Prime Minister to state the causes for the second rice shortage and high prices crisis this year, which started in September; why the LPN failed to anticipate and prevent the recurrences of the second rice crisis; and what action Government has taken to ensure that there will not be another rice crisis in the next few months.

2. To ask the Finance Minister to state what action his Ministry has taken or proposes to take to prevent importers from making a 100% or even higher profits which he has admitted is one of the major causes of inflation. Continue reading Questions for Oral and Written Answers during the coming Dewan Rakyat session

The future of the Chinese in Malaysia

Speech by DAP Secretary-General and Member of Parliament for Bandar Melaka, Mr. Lim Kit Siang, when officially opening the Salak N. V. DAP Branch in Sungei Siput, Perak, on Sunday, 18th November 1973 at 5 p.m.

The future of the Chinese in Malaysia

Last week, a Malaysian student from an overseas university home on vacation came to see me and said he was making a study of the future of the Chinese in Malaysia.

He said he had seen the officials of various political parties, including those who had been expelled from the MCA, and they were all very pessimistic about the future of the Chinese in Malaysia.

He asked for my views. I told him that the future of the Chinese in Malaysia depended on two factors:

1. The attitude of the Malaysian Chinese – their preparedness to fully indentify themselves with the Malaysian nation and soil, to be ready to die in the defence of Malaysia and to struggle an make sacrifices to build up the type of Malaysia we aspire for ourselves and our children where we could all be proud citizens of this country. Continue reading The future of the Chinese in Malaysia