Category: Mother Tongue

Social justice to the 10,000 Malaysian holders of Nantah and Formosan degrees

Speech by DAP Secretary-General and Member of Parliament for Bandar Melaka, Mr. Lim Kit Siang, at a DAP public rally to protest against government refusal to accord recognition to Nantah and Formosan degrees and qualifications held at Seremban on Saturday, 20th January 1973 at 9 p.m.

Call for the formation of a “National Action Committee to Secure Government Recognition of Nantah and Formosan degrees and qualifications” to launch a nation-wide movement to seek redress and social justice to the 10,000 Malaysian holders of these degrees

Every year, at the MCA Annual General Assembly, the MCA pass a resolution urging the Alliance Government to accord recognition to Nantah and Formosan degrees and qualifications. And every year, the Alliance Government, of which the MCA is a partner, will refuse to accord recognition. This has been going on for over a decade and the MCA’s empty gesture and lip-service without sincerity has become a great mockery of the great sacrifices and hardships hundreds of thousands of Malaysians have gone through to allow 10,000 Malaysians youths university education in the Nantah and Formosan universities and colleges.

The people are aware that such sorry states of affairs do not happen when it comes to UMNO General Assembly resolutions. For these resolutions, when passed, are acted on with dispatch and resolution as becomes a member of the ruling party. Continue reading Social justice to the 10,000 Malaysian holders of Nantah and Formosan degrees

Will the government clamp down on the activities of the Merdeka University and its sponsors after polling day?

Speech by Dap Organising Secretary and Parliamentary Candidate for Bandar Melaka, Mr. Lim Kit Siang, at a DAP Public Rally at Bandar Hilir Padang on Monday, 5th May 1969:

Lim Kit Siang wants solemn pledge from Tunku Abdul Rahman, Tun Razak and Tun Tan Siew Sin that after polling day, the government will not clamp down on the activities of the Merdeka University and its sponsors

I have received reports that Alliance and MCA quarters are contemplating taking action after polling day on May 10 to clamp down on the activities of the Merdeka University, and its sponsors, like Mr. Sim Moh Yu and Mr. Lu Ting Yu and others.

I know that Tun Tan Siew Sin and Mr. Khaw Kai Boh, for instance, have privately sworn to destroy the Merdeka University after polling day.

Both Tun Tan and Mr. Khaw have developed a pathological hatred for the Merdeka University, Chinese language, education and culture. But both of them are forced to contain and check their public hatred for the Merdeka University and its sponsors because of the May 10 polling day. Continue reading Will the government clamp down on the activities of the Merdeka University and its sponsors after polling day?

Party Rakyat’s tactics

Speech by DAP Organising Secretary and Parliamentary Candidate for Bandar Melaka, Mr. Lim Kit Siang, at the 10th DAP Public Rally at Wolferstan Road on 3rd May 1969 at 9p.m:

Last Tuesday, some officials of the University of Malaya Students’ Union held a mass rally in Malacca.

Those who attended the rally came away with one common thought: The student rally could well have been a Party Rakyat rally. The things that were said at the student rally were the same things which had been said at previous Party Rakyat rallies.

It is common knowledge that the Party Rakyat helped to organise the student rally. I also know that Inche Hasnul is trying to arrange another student rally in Malacca to help his election campaign.

This is not surprising. The Secretary-General of the Student’s Union, Syed Hamid Ali is known to me. He is the brother of Syed Husin Ali, who is the National Vice Chairman of Party Rakyat. Syed Hamid Ali is himself a member of Party Rakyat, and is in fact Party Rakyat’s chief recruiting officer in the University of Malaya. Continue reading Party Rakyat’s tactics

Merdeka University: Malay-ised ?

Speech by DAP Organising Secretary and Parliamentary Candidate for Bandar Melaka, Mr. Lim Kit Siang, on 30th April 1969

Merdeka University: Can Tun Tan Siew Sin give an assurance that it will not be Malay-ised, as is the recommendation of Mr. Koh Kim Leng’s Abdul Rahman Talib Report, if the government join hands with its sponsors?

Tun Tan Siew Sin’s promised ‘important’ statement on the Merdeka University is a great letdown and disappointment.

Tun Tan said that ‘education is too vital a subject to be the plaything of opportunist politicians.’

Tun Tan is right, but he does not know he is condemning himself. The Merdeka University is a genuine educational institution, launched by educationists who have the welfare of the educational needs of our children at heart. It is the MCA which is guilty of trying to make ‘education a political plaything’ when it tried to counter the Merdeka University with a Tunku Abdul Rahman College. Continue reading Merdeka University: Malay-ised ?

The education issue on May 10

Speech by DAP Organising Secretary and Parliamentary Candidate for Bandar Melaka, Mr. Lim Kit Siang, at a DAP Public Rally at Ayer Salak, Bukit Rambai, on 30th April 1969:

On May 10, when the voters go to cast their votes, they will also decide whether they endorse the ‘one nation, one language’ education policy of the exponents of a Malay Malaysia, and Indonesia Malaysia or the education policy of the advocates of Malaysian Malaysia.

The Alliance, through Mr. Koh Kim Leng’s Abdul Rahman Talib Education Report of 1960, has declared unequivocally that the Alliance want to close down all Chinese, Tamil and English schools, both at primary and secondary levels, and convert them into purely Malay schools.

The Party Rakyat’s education policy is exactly the same as the Alliance’s ‘one nation, one language’ education policy. The Party Rakyat in fact fully supports Mr. Koh Kim Leng’s Abdul Rahman Talib Education Report.

In its 1969 General Elections Manifesto, the Party Rakyat declared that they want “an education system with Malay as the main medium, use Malay as a medium for as many subjects as possible, abolish the teaching of English as a subject at primary level, encourage the learning of languages of the people, provide other international and scientific languages like French, Russian, German and Chinese as subjects at secondary level.” Continue reading The education issue on May 10

If the people are united to set up Merdeka University, the government must bow down to people’s wishes

Speech by DAP Organising Secretary and Parliamentary Candidate for Bandar Melaka, Mr. Lim Kit Siang, at a DAP Public Rally at Serdang Bahru new village on Saturday, 26th a rill 1969 at 9p.m.:

At the Serdang Bahru by-election last year, we in the DAP stressed that our country is at the crossroads of a Malaysian Malaysia or Malay Malaysia.

Since the Serdang by-election, more and more evidence have come to light to prove the UMNO’s determination to realize a Malay Malaysia, leading to the elimination of other languages, cultures and way of life.

In January this year, Dato Chua Song Lim, MCA National Vice President, ridiculed Nanyang University degrees by saying that its academic standards were too low to deserve government recognition.

What did the Serdang State Assemblyman, Mr. Thuan Phaik Phk, himself a Nanyang University graduate, say to this insult to his own degrees and those of his follow graduates from Nantah? Continue reading If the people are united to set up Merdeka University, the government must bow down to people’s wishes

Merdeka University Six Questions for Tun Tan Siew Sin

Press Statement by DAP Organising Secretary and Parliamentary Candidate for Bandar Melaka, Mr. Lim Kit Siang, on 19th April 1969.

Today, the MCA Elections Committee issued a statement declaring that the MCA and Tun Tan Siew Sin do not oppose the Merdeka University, and that they do not oppose any affect by the people to set up a University.

Then I want Tun Tan Siew Sin to answer the following six question:

1. Why did Tun Tan Siew Sin warn all MCA members and officials last December that they will be expelled from the MCA if they help in the Merdeka University project.
2. Why did Tun Tan Siew Sin refuse to support the registration of the Merdeka University by the government.
3. Why did Tun Tan Siew Sin instruct his Political Secretary, Mr. Bernard Lu, to announce in Sarawak last month that the Alliance government will never permit the registration of the Merdeka University.
4. Why did Tun Tan Siew Sin instruct the Malacca State Authorities to ban hawkers from launching donation sales campaign in aid of Merdeka University?
5. Why did Tun Tan Siew Sin show so much contempt for the efforts of hawkers, fishermen, teachers, workers, hair-dressers, trishaw riders, without his support and other millionaires like him, the Merdeka University will fail in the next 10 years.
6. Why did Tun Tan Siew Sin say a few days ago that establishing the Merdeka University is like expecting ‘an iron tree to produce flowers’ betraying his disapproval and contempt for the project.

Continue reading Merdeka University Six Questions for Tun Tan Siew Sin

Two questions for Mr Lew Sip Hon

Speech by DAP Organising Secretary and Parliamentary Candidate for Bandar Malacca, Mr. Lim Kit Siang, at a DAP public rally Rodgers Street, Kuala Lumpur on 19-4-69:

While posing as the new MCA champion of the Chinese language and Education in Malaysia, the Alliance candidate, Mr. Lew Sip Hon, has studiously evaded foundamental issues and question concerning Chinese Languages and Education.
Mr. Lew had boasted that the Maju Ward had the brain power to match the brains in the DAP, but when he is asked to an open confrontation of ideas, he has always run away – like his mentor Inche Khir Johari. If Mr. Lew Sip Hon continues to run away from foundamental issues he should change the name of the MCA Maju Ward to MCA Malu Ward.

Tonight I want to ask Mr. Lew Sip Hon two questions, one on the Abdul Rahman Talib Education report, and the other on Merdeka University. I hope this time, he does not run away from the issues again.

1. Abdul Rahman Talib Report

I want to know whether Mr. Lew Sip Hon accept and support Mr. Koh Kim Leng’s Abdul Rahman Talib Education report, which is the Alliance Master Plan to destroy Chinese, English and Tamil Education in Malaysia.
Continue reading Two questions for Mr Lew Sip Hon

The Merdeka University- “to expect iron tree to produce flowers” ?

Speech by DAP Organising Secretary and Parliamentary Candidate for Bandar Melaka at the fourth Malacca DAP elections rally at Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock on 16th April 1969 at 8.30p.m.

Lim Kit Siang challenge Tun Tan Siew Sin to put it to a best whether Merdeka University is trying to get iron trees to produce flowers, or it is a case where with the united will of the people, even water can be squeezed out of stones, by registering the Merdeka University.

Tun Tan Siew Sin and the MCA’s opposition to the Merdeka University is best summed up by Tun Tan Siew Sin’s latest wrote on the subject, when he said:

“ The Merdeka University is a useless dream, and to expect the Merdeka University to succeed in the present circumstances of the nation is tantamount to expecting a iron tree to produce flowers.”

It has become clear that Tun Tan Siew Sin has been selected by the UMNO racialists to be the destroyer of the Merdeka University. Continue reading The Merdeka University- “to expect iron tree to produce flowers” ?

Koh Kim Leng is one of the architects to suppress and destroy Chinese language and education in Malaysia

Speech by DAP Organising Secretary and Parliamentary Candidate for Bandar Melaka, Mr. Lim Kit Siang, at the third DAP General Elections Public Rally in Malacca at Long Chan Bros. (Pengkalan Rama Pantai) Malacca on Sunday, 13th April 1969 at 9p.m.

At the first Malacca DAP Public Rally at Bandar Hilir Padang on 8th April 1969, I asked the Alliance Parliamentary Candidate for Bandar Melaka, Mr. Koh Kim Leng, ten questions so that the people and voters will have an opportunity to hear his views on ten important issues concerning our country, our future and our children’s future.

But till today, five days later, he has not answered these questions. Mr. Koh Kim Leng has not answered these questions because he supports wholeheartedly the Alliance policy of dividing Malaysians into bumiputras and non-bumiputras, the classification of Malaysians of non-Malay origin, including his own children, as second-class citizens, the elimination of Chinese language, education and culture, and the whole range of Alliance racial policies in every sphere.

In fact, tonight I ACCUSE MR. KOH KIM LENG AS ONE OF THE ARCHITECTS OF THE ALLIANCE POLICY TO SUPPRESS AND DESTROY CHINESE LANGUAGE AND EDUCATION IN MALAYSIA.

In 1960, Mr. Koh Kim Leng co-authored with Abdul Rahman Talib to produce notorious and obnoxious Abdul Rahman Talib Education Report, which is today’s the Alliance blueprint to destroy Chinese Language and education in Malaysia. Continue reading Koh Kim Leng is one of the architects to suppress and destroy Chinese language and education in Malaysia