Author: Curator

DAP calls for special department to look after the fate of 500000 estate workers and their dependents retrenched by estates

Adjournment Speech by Member of Parliament for Bandar Melaka, Mr. Lim Kit Siang in the Dewan Ra’ayat on Thursday, 3rd February 1972

DAP calls for special department to look after the fate of 500000 estate workers and their dependents retrenched by estates

In the last ten years, about 100000 workers were retrenched from the rubber estates, constituting nearly 30 per cent of the total account, about 500000 are involved.

The yearly retrenchment of 10000 rubber estate workers is a very grave problem in Malaysia, as the majority of them will not be able to find alternative means of employment with the already very high rate of unemployment in the country. Continue reading DAP calls for special department to look after the fate of 500000 estate workers and their dependents retrenched by estates

DAP on Health Services and Environment

Speech by DAP Member of Parliament for Bandar Melaka, Mr. Lim Kit Siang, in the Dewan Ra’ayat during the Committee of Supply 1972 on the Ministry of Health on 1st February 1972

DAP calls for
(i) a more human, sympathetic and efficient health service;
(ii) inquiry into water pollution in Klang

I refer to B. 26 Pechahan-kepala Kod 1100 (3) where $68.5 million is set aside for patient care services.

Mr. Chairman, Sir, one of the most unsatisfactory aspects of the public hospital service in Malaysia is the attitude of the hospital staff to patients, the sick and the members of the public. Continue reading DAP on Health Services and Environment

Deteriorating standards of education

The general standard and quality of education in Malaysia is a cause for grave concern to parents and Malaysians. It is obvious to many that the standard of education has deteriorated gravely in recent years.

In almost every town, we find Form III students who cannot even make a proper sentence, whether in English or in Bahasa Malaysia. This is all the more shocking when it is remembered that these students have had nine years of schooling. Continue reading Deteriorating standards of education

Death Falls at Malacca General Hospital

Adjournment Speech by DAP Member of Parliament for Bandar Melaka, Mr. Lim Kit Siang, in the Dewan Ra’ayat on Wednesday, 19th January, 1972.

Death Falls at Malacca General Hospital

At the beginning of December, within 24 hours, two patients fall to their deaths from a high-rise ward at the Malacca General Hospital.

I then called for immediate action by the Hospital Authorities to prevent a recurrence of such death falls. I knew it is not possible to completely prevent such incidents, but when two death falls take place of each other within 24 hours, then it behooves the authorities to take pre-emptive action.

I regret that no action was taken. Two weeks after, another death fall occurred. Continue reading Death Falls at Malacca General Hospital

Just and sympathetic solution of the hawker problem in Kuala Lumpur

Adjournment Speech by DAP Member of Parliament for Bandar Melaka, Mr. Lim Kit Siang, in the Dewan Ra’ayat on Tuesday, 18th January 1972

Just and sympathetic solution of the hawker problem in Kuala Lumpur

For the last three years, the hawkers and petty traders in the Kuala Lumpur Municipality have been harassed and hounded by the Municipal authorities, in particular the green-uniformed Enforcement Squad.

Recently, these anti-hawker activities were intensified, presumably because of the forthcoming PATA Conference, so that the PATA delegates will get the impression that in Kuala Lumpur everyone is well-to-do and gainful employed. Continue reading Just and sympathetic solution of the hawker problem in Kuala Lumpur

Call on government to disallow any price increase of sugar

Message by DAP Secretary-General and Member of Parliament for Bandar Melaka, Mr. Lim Kit Siang, on the occasion of the official opening of the DAP Kuchai Branch by Party Chairman, Dr. Chen Man Hin, on Sunday, 16th January 1972 at 12 p.m.

Call on government to disallow any price increase of sugar

The root cause of the present sugar crisis in Malaysia, causing widespread confusion, frustration, hardship and suffering to the poor in the kampongs, new villages and towns, is the hoarding by sugar manufacturers and wholesalers in expectation of price increases in sugar. They hope that they would be able to make a neat fortune from their hoardings when the price goes up.

There is no doubt that a thorough investigation into the origins of the sugar crisis will show up the role of sugar factories in this crisis, which had refused to supply sugar both to wholesalers and retailers for a few days early this month. Continue reading Call on government to disallow any price increase of sugar

Use of school building for Alliance meetings

Adjournment Speech by DAP Member of Parliament for Bandar Melaka, Mr. Lim Kit Siang, in the Dewan Ra’ayat on Friday, 14th January 1972

Use of school building for Alliance meetings

On 12th December 1971, the Sungai Way direct Alliance membership Party held a political meeting at the Sungai Way National-type (Chinese) primary school.

According to the press reports after the meeting, among those who were invited and attended were Alliance politicians such as Senator Tan Sr. T.H.Tan, Raja Nong Chik, the Sungai Way MCA Branch Chairman, the Chairman of the Board of Management of the school, and even the school’s headmaster himself. Continue reading Use of school building for Alliance meetings

Police intimidation of Malaysians intending to join the DAP

Adjournment Speech by DAP Member of Parliament for Bandar Melaka, Mr. Lim Kit Siang, in the Dewan Ra’ayat on Thursday, 13th January 1972

Police intimidation of Malaysians intending to join the DAP

Yesterday on adjournment, I spoke of police interference with opposition parties holding political discussions in the privacy of their own premises.

Today, I address myself to another aspect of police interference with democratic right of the people to participate in the political process.

When DAP organizers go out into the towns and villages to organize branches, they are invariably tailed by special branch men who are presumably required to find out who are the local people who are heading the local branch. Continue reading Police intimidation of Malaysians intending to join the DAP

Police ban in political discussions by DAP Malacca

Adjournment Speech by DAP Member of Parliament for Bandar Melaka, Mr. Lim Kit Siang, in the Dewan Ra’ayat on Wednesday, 12th January 1971

Police ban in political discussions by DAP Malacca

At the end of last year, DAP Malacca organised political discussions in our premises at Jalan Munshi Abdullah in Malacca town for members and supporters to heighten their political consciousness and allow an exchange of views on the political, economic and social problems in the country.

The Malacca Police however frustrated the holding of these political discussions on the ground that as these political discussions are open to non-party members of the public, we will need a police permit and the police will have the right to attend these political discussions and tape-record the proceedings. Continue reading Police ban in political discussions by DAP Malacca

The 1972 Budget: sales tax and gaming tax

The 1972 Budget is the most painful budget for many years. It is also in the true tradition of our Finance Minister’s past budgets – for its bias in favour of the haves and the rich, and the burdens he imposes on have-nots and the labouring class.

The 1972 budget will be particularly painful for the poor, and comparatively painless for the rich. In fact, the Finance Minister went out of his way in his budget speech to assure the rich and the wealthy that there will be no income tax changes to get the rich to make a greater contribution to national revenue. He is particularly tender to his own kind. Continue reading The 1972 Budget: sales tax and gaming tax