Category: National Security

The 200-mile Exclusive Economic Zone

Speech by Parliament Opposition Leader, DAP Secretary-General and MP for Kota Melaka, Lim Kit Siang in Dewan Rakyat on the debate on the Exclusive Economic Zone Bill 1984 on October 9, 1984

On 25th April 1980, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, proclaimed a 200-nautical mile Exclusive Economic Zone from the baselines of Malaysia’s territorial waters, with

(a) Sovereign rights, for the purpose of exploring and exploiting, conserving and managing the natural resources, whether living or non-living, of the sea-bed and subsoil and the suprajacent waters, and with regard to other activities for the economic exploitation and exploration of the zone, such as the production of energy from the water currents and winds;
(b) Jurisdiction with regard to:
(i) The establishment and use of artificial islands, installations and structures;
(ii) Marine scientific research;
(iii) The preservation of the marine environment. Continue reading The 200-mile Exclusive Economic Zone

Abdication of parliamentary responsibility

(Speech by the Parliamentary Leader, DAP Secretary-General and Member of Parliament for Petaling, Lim Kit Siang, in the Dewan Rakyat when winding up on the motion calling for the annulment of the Four Proclamation of Emergency of 1964, 1966, 1969 and 1977 on June 29, 1979)

Yesterday, when moving the motion that Parliament annul the Four Proclamations of Emergency now still in force, namely the 1964 Proclamation of Indonesian Confrontation, the 1966 Proclamation aimed at toppling Stephen Kalong Ningkan as Chief Minister of Sarawak, the 1969 Proclamation of May 13 riots, and the 1977 Proclamation to oust PAS from its traditional rule over Kelantan State, I said that the four sets of conditions of the Four Proclamations have long ceased to exist.

Unfortunately, during yesterday’s debate, Barisan and UMN0 back-benchers said a lot, but nobody really explained why for instance the 1964 Emergency Proclamation should continue when Indonesian Confrontation had ended or why the 1966 Emergency Proclamation-should continue when Stephen Kalong Ningkan had been toppled as Sarawak Chief Minister and three general elections had been held in Sarawak since then, or why the 1977 Emergency Proclamation should continue when UMNO is safely in control of the Kelantan State Government. Even for the 1969 Proclamation of Emergency, not a single Government MP dealt cogently, rationally ; soberly with my argument that as it was promulgated to deal with a grave emergency, namely May 13 riots, the Proclamation should be terminated with the end of that emergency situation Continue reading Abdication of parliamentary responsibility

The four Proclamation of Emergency

(Speech by the Parliamentary Leader, DAP Secretary-General and Member of Parliament for Petaling, Lim Kit Siang, in the Dewan Rakyat when moving a motion to annul the Four Proclamations of Emergency in Malaysia on June 28, 1979)

Firstly, let me place on record my thanks to the Prime Minister, Datuk Hussein Onn, for agreeing to allocate time for debate on this motion on the annulment of Proclamations of Emergency, although the promised three day debate has been reduced to two; and although it would be at the expense of my other motion on the establishment of an all-party Speaker’s Conference on Parliamentary Reforms, which I hope and request the Prime Minister to consider granting parliamentary time at the very beginning of the next meeting of Parliament.

Mr. Speaker Sir, the motion that I am moving, with slight amendments, now reads: Continue reading The four Proclamation of Emergency

NOC rule in Kelantan

I rise with a heavy heart, for what Parliament is about to do by invoking Article 150 of the Federal Constitution to suspend the Kelantan State Constitution and impose NOC-type of rule in the State is a subversion of the democratic basis of the Malaysian Constitution.

If parliamentary democracy and the Federal-State system is to survive, it is paramount that those in power realise and understand that whatever the political differences or however intense the party rivalries, democratic principles and the fundamental safeguards in the Constitution for a democratic society should not be sacrificed in the furtherance of partisan political interests. Continue reading NOC rule in Kelantan