Author: Curator

Operation ‘Voters Check’

Speech by DAP Organising Secretary, Mr. Lim Kit Siang, to the Sentul DAP Branch on Wednesday, October 30, 1968 at 8 p.m.

The DAP Headquarters has instructed all its branches in the country to carry out a house-to-house campaign in their respective areas to check that voters who had voted in the 1959 and 1964 general elections are still on the electoral register.

We found that in the recent Segamat Utara Parliamentary by-election, at one polling centre alone, there were several hundred voters who have lost their right to vote because their names had been struck off from the electoral register, although they had voted in previous elections and had not moved to new addresses. Continue reading Operation ‘Voters Check’

Government ban of Dr. H.A.L. Fisher’s A History of Europe, Vol. 1, published in 1935

The DAP Organising Secretary, Mr. Lim Kit Siang, today (29.10.68) issued the following statement:

The Alliance government, in banning Dr. H.A.L. Fisher’s A History of Europe, Vol. 1, said parts of the book were ‘prejudicial to public order’ as they offend Islam.

The banning of this book must be opposed, as it is completely unjustifiable. If unchallenged, this action will set a dangerous precedent whereby the government can ban any book on the ground of ‘prejudicial to public order’, which can mean anything or nothing.

If there are passages which are offensive to Islam, the government can disallow the book to be used as an official history text book. But to state that Dr. Fisher’s book is a threat to public security and order is arrant nonsense!

Dr. Fisher’s book was not written one or two years ago, but 33 years ago in 1935. Moreover, it had been standard history text-book in Malaysia for at least 20 years. Continue reading Government ban of Dr. H.A.L. Fisher’s A History of Europe, Vol. 1, published in 1935

Government special committee to cut down waste; DAP proposes all-party financial watchdog committee to control government waste and expenditure

The DAP Organising Secretary, Mr. Lim Kit Siang, today issued the following statement (29.10.68):

The Chairman of the Government Special Committee to cut down wasteful expenditure, Inche Abdullah bin Ayub, has given details as to how the government proposes to slash unnecessary expenditure, like the strict control of official transport, official air travel by economy class except for ‘very top VIPs’, reduction of overtime, etc.

One would have been more impressed if one had not heard all these proposals umpteenth times before.

If one goes through the old files and Hansards, we will find that these are exactly what the Finance Minister, Tun Tan Siew Sin, had been saying for the last ten years.

The very fact that Tun Tan and his officials had to continue to repeat this government intention to cut down waste for ten years is proof that the Alliance government had failed to do this for ten years. What guarantee is there that the Finance Ministry will succeed this time, where it had failed for ten years? Continue reading Government special committee to cut down waste; DAP proposes all-party financial watchdog committee to control government waste and expenditure

( i ) Professor Ungku Aziz’s plan to establish University of Malaya into a research centre on Malaysian affairs hailed; ( ii ) University of Malaya urged to commission study on the problem of race in Malaysia

Speech by DAP Organising Secretary, Mr. Lim Kit Siang, to the Selangor DAP State Committee at Kuala Lumpur DAP Branch, 63-D Jalan Sultan, Kuala Lumpur on Sunday, October 27, 1968 at 10 a.m.

The announcement by the Vice Chancellor of the University of Malaya, Professor Ungku Aziz, two days ago to establish the University of Malaya as a centre of information and research on Malaysian affairs is welcomed and applauded by all thinking Malaysians.

Equally to be hailed is Professor Ungku Aziz’s confidence that the University could contribute to the increase of communal understanding by research and study on underlying problems and by avoiding communalistically-orientated behavior.

Under Professor Ungku Aziz’s guidance and leadership, we hope the University of Malaya will emerge out of its ivory tower and closely relate itself to the problems, struggles and aspirations of the people and country.

We have more than once called for a high-level commission of inquiry to look into the entire problem of race in Malaysia, to consider the social, educational, economic, cultural and political aspects of the problem, so as to understand and solve the race problem. Continue reading ( i ) Professor Ungku Aziz’s plan to establish University of Malaya into a research centre on Malaysian affairs hailed; ( ii ) University of Malaya urged to commission study on the problem of race in Malaysia

The Federal Fish Marketing Scheme of FAMA

The DAP Organising Secretary, Mr. Lim Kit Siang, today (27.10.68) issued the following statement:

The Federal Fish Marketing Scheme of FAMA has caused grave concern and disquiet among fish traders and fishermen.

It appeared that the scheme was drawn up by some arm-chair academician in the FAMA who has no idea of the mechanics and reality of the fish trade, and the dislocation the scheme would cause to the industry. Continue reading The Federal Fish Marketing Scheme of FAMA

The Segamat Utara Parliamentary by-election: A Review and Appraisal

Talk by DAP Organising Secretary, Mr. Lim Kit Siang, to the Klang DAP Branch on Saturday, October 26, 1968 at 8 p.m.

The Democratic Action Party did creditably well in the Segamat Utara Parliamentary by-election. Although we did not win, we have given the Alliance a shock in their Segamat stronghold, and laid a strong basis for victory in the next general elections.

Before the Nomination Day, we had no local organisation in Segamat, as our branch had not been officially set up, and we had only a few members in Segamat. Continue reading The Segamat Utara Parliamentary by-election: A Review and Appraisal

DAP calls for the establishment of a Human Rights Commission in Malaysia to review how far we have implemented the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and to make recommendations for the full implementation

Speech by DAP Organising Secretary, Mr. Lim Kit Siang, to the Pudu DAP Branch on Wednesday, October 23, 1968 at 8 p.m.:

Tomorrow is United Nations Day. This year, the United Nations Day is more significant than in previous years, because 1968 has been proclaimed as the International Year for Human Rights to commemorate the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights twenty years ago.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is a unique document, spelling out the fundamental rights of individuals, which should be ‘a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations.’

Twenty years have passed since the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the proclamation of 1968 by the United Nations as the International Year for Human Rights is for peoples and nations throughout the world to take stock of the progress that has been made to implement the Declaration.

It is regrettable that apart from paying lip-service, Malaysia, a member of the United Nations, is not observing the International Year for Human Rights and implementing some of the recommendations of the Assembly for Human Rights for this year. Continue reading DAP calls for the establishment of a Human Rights Commission in Malaysia to review how far we have implemented the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and to make recommendations for the full implementation

Polling day for Segamat Utara Parliamentary by-election

Speech by DAP Organising Secretary, Mr. Lim Kit Siang, at the final DAP Segamat Utara Parliamentary by-election rally at Gemas Bahru on Friday, October 18, 1968 at 8 p.m.

Tomorrow is polling day for Segamat Utara Parliamentary by-election. We urge the voters of Segamat Utara to come out and vote for the Rocket and the DAP Candidate, Lee Ah Meng, and reject the Alliance, both for the Alliance record in Segamat and the nation.

The late Alliance Member of Parliament for Segamat Utara never said a single word in Parliament in the last ten years, either to voice the hardships and problems of the people, like the development tax and the 10-cents telephone levy, nor did he take part in any of the parliamentary debates about the future of the country. Continue reading Polling day for Segamat Utara Parliamentary by-election

Segamat Utara voters will go to the polls

Speech by DAP Organising Secretary, Mr. Lim Kit Siang, at a DAP Segamat Utara Parliamentary by-election rally at Kampong Abdullah, Segamat, on Thursday, October 17, 1968 at 8 p.m.

In two days time, the voters of Segamat Utara will go to the polls to decide who should be their next Member of Parliament.

They have before them, two candidates, two parties and two policies.

The Alliance stands for dividing Malaysians into bumiputras and non-bumiputras. This division is not based on place of birth, citizenship or loyalty, but on colour of the skin. Continue reading Segamat Utara voters will go to the polls

The Alliance government is an inefficient, incompetent and corrupt government

Speech by DAP Organising Secretary, Mr. Lim Kit Siang, at the DAP Segamat Utara Parliamentary by-election rally at Batu Anam on Wednesday, October 16, 1968 at 8 p.m.

During the recent Johore Bahru Town Council Commission of Inquiry hearings, the people learn of the shocking way in which the Alliance ran the affairs of Johore Bahru.

The Alliance-controlled council paid $85,000 for a wall which costs $1,500. There were $80,429 of expenditure which had no receipts. Continue reading The Alliance government is an inefficient, incompetent and corrupt government