Author: Curator

Death sentence on school boards of management

Death sentence on school boards of management to be passed next Monday

Yesterday, the government introduced in the Dewan Ra’ayat for first reading the Education (Amendment) Bill, 1972 which will empower the Minister of Education to determine the date and way for abolishing school boards of management.

The Education (Amendment) Bill will be rushed through all stages of reading on a certificate of urgency next Monday, 10th January. This means that by Monday, in three days’ time, the death sentence will be passed on school boards of management.

The abolition of school boards of management is of special concern to Chinese schools, for the school boards of management had been the life-blood of Chinese education in Malaysia. Continue reading Death sentence on school boards of management

Tourism in Malaysia

Speech by DAP Member of Parliament for Bandar Melaka, Mr. Lim Kit Siang, in the Dewan Ra’ayat on the Tourist Development Corporation of Malaysia Bill on Friday, 7th January 1972

Tourism in Malaysia

Tourism has become very big business in the world today. In Europe, for instance, it has become a heavy industry, on the scale of steel or cars, and a much bigger earner of foreign currency. For Spain, Italy or Greece, it is the largest source of foreign exchange.

The tourist industry in Malaysia has great potential to become a leading earner of foreign currency. However, until now, it has lacked a dynamic and imaginative government policy to fully exploit the tourist resources and potential in Malaysia. Continue reading Tourism in Malaysia

1972 Budget – a black day for the poor

1972 Budget – a black day for the poor

Today is a black day for poor Malaysians of all races. It is the most painful budget for many years. What is to be noted is that it is particularly painful for the poor, and comparatively painless for the rich. In fact, the Finance Minister, Tun Tan Siew Sin, went out of this way to assure the rich that there will be no income tax changes to get to rich to make a greater contribution to national revenue. Continue reading 1972 Budget – a black day for the poor

A letter to the editor of Malay Mail – Criticism on Trade Union

Lim Kit Siang, Member of Parliament for Bandar Melaka,
96-I, Jalan Haji Basir,
Batu Pahat, Johore.
23. 12.1971

Editor,
Malay Mail,
31 Jalan Riong,
KUALA LUMPUR.

Sir,

My attention has just been drawn to your report on 21.12.1971 on “DAP criticism of MTUC to split image of unions” where MTUC President, Mr. Yeoh Teck Chye, was purported to have replied to me at a National Union of Banking Employees forum where I analysed the three causes of the weakness of trade union movement in Malaysia: namely, an anti-labour government with its host of anti-labour legislation; an ineffective trade union leadership; and the multiplicity of peanut trade unions. Continue reading A letter to the editor of Malay Mail – Criticism on Trade Union

DAP call for repeal of Sedition (Amendment) Act 1970

Speech by DAP Secretary-General and Member of Parliament for Bandar of Melaka, Mr. Lim Kit Siang, at the fifth anniversary dinner of Penang DAP held at Halomon Restaurant on Friday, December 17 1971 at 7.30 p.m.

DAP call for repeal of Sedition (Amendment) Act 1970

Penang DAP’s anniversary dinner a year ago made political and legal history and was the subject of the first sedition trial in Malaysia.
The government’s sedition laws are aimed at muzzling and silencing opposition parties, the press and the public. The government hopes that with the sedition laws, it could stifle popular dissent and entrench itself in power.

No democrat and defender of the people’s rights and interests can support such an oppressive measure. It is therefore a matter of public shock that the sedition laws had the support, not only of ruling parties like the UMNO and the MCA, but also of other opposition parties in Parliament, such as Gerakan Ra’ayat Malaysia, Parti Kemas, SNAP, Parti Islam and the SUPP. Continue reading DAP call for repeal of Sedition (Amendment) Act 1970

Call for Special Scheme to help kampong people and tappers hit by collapsing rubber price

Speech by DAP Member of Parliament for Bandar Melaka, Mr. Lim Kit Siang, in the Dewan Ra’ayat in the Committee stage debate on the Ministry of Commerce and Industry allocations under the 1972 Development Estimates on 16th December 1971

Call for Special Scheme to help kampong people and tappers hit by collapsing rubber price

The price of rubber has been hitting the rock bottom for the most part of this year, creating great hardships to the kampong people, new villagers, tappers, workers, hawkers and the people all round.

The fate of the kampong people and the new villagers is even worse off than the prices quoted on the market. Continue reading Call for Special Scheme to help kampong people and tappers hit by collapsing rubber price

The Role of Workers in the Second Malaysia Plan

Speech by DAP Member of Parliament for Bandar Melaka, Mr. Lim Kit Siang, at a forum organized by the Kuala Lumpur Branch of the National Union of Bank Employees held at NUBE Headquarters at Jalan Ampang on Wednesday, 15th December 1971 at 7.30 p.m.

The Role of Workers in the Second Malaysia Plan

Before we discuss the role of workers in the Second Malaysia Plan, we should first find out what is the government’s attitude as to the role of workers in the Second Malaysia Plan.

It is always wise to judge a person or government by his action rather than by his words. Continue reading The Role of Workers in the Second Malaysia Plan

Doctors and dentists still subject to National Service since Confrontation

Adjournment Speech by DAP Member of Parliament for Bandar Melaka, Mr. Lim Kit Siang, in the Dewan Ra’ayat on 14th December 1971

Doctors and dentists still subject to National Service since Confrontation

During the Indonesian Confrontation, Malaysians born between 18.11.1934 and 18.11.1942, i. e. those now between 29 and 37 years of age, were required to register for National Service.

Indonesian Confrontation has ended six years ago, but those in this age group are still technically subject to call-up. For all practical purposes, this provision is just irksome, as all those registered in this age group must apply for a exit permit before leaving the country. Continue reading Doctors and dentists still subject to National Service since Confrontation

Twenty -Year neglect of the 750,000 new villages

The House is asked to approve $1,334 million for next year’s development expenditure. We are told that the development allocations are well balanced and realistic and will contribute to the implementation of the Second Five-Year Plan.

However, to one great group of Malaysians, all these propaganda do not make any impression. In fact, for them, the last one year’s ceaseless propaganda and publicity avalanche by the Government through the press, radio and television about the Second Five-Year Plan, how it would change the economy of the country, abolish poverty, create jobs, and give a new hope and better life to the poor and downtrodden, had failed to make any impact whatsoever. These are the 750,000 new villagers in Malaysia. For the last twenty years, after their compulsory resettlement by the British colonialists, they have seen economic development and progress passed them by. For two decades, the new villagers have been excluded from the mainstream of economic development and progress. Continue reading Twenty -Year neglect of the 750,000 new villages

Campaign to instill courtesy in government servants when dealing with the public

Adjournment Speech by DAP Member of Parliament for Bandar Melaka, Mr. Lim Kit Siang, at the Dewan Ra’ayat on 13th December 1971

Campaign to instill courtesy in government servants when dealing with the public

My fellow parliamentarians in the DAP and I, in the course of our meeting with the public, have received recurrent complaints from members of the public, particularly from the laboring class and the illiterate, that government employees had been very rude and discourteous when dealing with them.

We read in the press from the letters to the editor’s column, of similar complaints. These incidents happen to the educated. We can well imagine what treatment the illiterate, the old women, and the laboring class receive at the hand of the rude and discourteous government servants. Continue reading Campaign to instill courtesy in government servants when dealing with the public