Category: Parliamentary Speeches

Call for a Commission of Inquiry into the conditions in the prisons and detention camps

Speech by DAP Member of Parliament for Bandar Melaka, Mr. Lim Kit Siang, in the Dewan Rakyat on the Home Affairs Ministry estimates for 1973 on 24th Jan 1973

1. Calls on Government to (a) let the Selangor Chinwoo Association time to set its house in order and (b) advance grant of $500,000 to it to tide over its financial difficulties to preserve Chinese culture in Malaysia

I refer to B.32 (p.275) on Pendaftar Pertubuhan.

On Dec. 26 last year the Registrar of Societies deregistered the Selangor Chinwoo Association. Since them, the court has granted an order directing the Registrar’s deregistration order to be set aside. We understand that the Attorney General has filed a writ in chambers to set aside this High Court order.

I do not intend to go into the legal merits or demerits of these maneuvers as it would be sub judice.

However, I wish to find out why the Registrar of Societies and the Minister concerned could not have given the Selangor Chinwoo Association more time to straighten out its affairs, as reason for deregistration was failure to submit its financial statements to the Registrars.
Continue reading Call for a Commission of Inquiry into the conditions in the prisons and detention camps

DAP calls for pre-university and university education for all Malaysian youths who are academically qualified

Speech by DAP Member of Parliament for Bandar Melaka, Mr. Lim Kit Siang, in the Dewan Rakyat on the Education Ministry Estimate for 1973 on 23 rd January 1973.

On Dec, 20 last year, the Minister of Education announced in this House the government’s refusal to accord recognition to Nantah, Formosan and Indian University degrees and qualifications.

This was a great disappointment to the over 10,000 Malaysians who hold these degrees and qualifications, and to their families and relatives who have suffered and sacrificed to give their children a chance for university education.

For the whole of last year, the country was led to believe that after over a decade of discrimination, the government was at last considering the recognition of these degrees and qualifications.

The House was even told that the Ministry of Education’s Standing Committee on the Evaluation and Assessment of Foreign Degrees and Qualifications was preparing a report to the Ministry and Cabinet. Continue reading DAP calls for pre-university and university education for all Malaysian youths who are academically qualified

DAP calls for a two-pronged policy to reduce the economic burden of defence

Speech by DAP Member of Parliament for Bandar Melaka, Mr. Lim Kit Siang, in the Dewan Rakyat during the Committee Stage debate on Ministry of Defence on 22th January 1973

DAP calls for a two-pronged policy to reduce the economic burden of defence by introducing compulsory national service and giving secondary civilian economic function to the armed forces

Years by years, the expenditures for the Ministry of Defence increase by leaps and bounds.

In 1965, the operating expenses of the Ministry of the Defence was $207 million. For this year, the operating expenses is $580 million, a three-fold increase. Even if we take into account the transfer this year from the development expenditure into the operating expenses, the increase in the recurrent annual expenditure in the last eight years is more than doubled.

This is a very serious state of affairs, as defence is one of the major items of government expenditure. If defence expenditures are allowed to increase yearly unchecked and unrestrained, the proper social, economic and educational development of the people and country are going to be distorted and retarded. Thus, as an example, there was a Ministry of Housing eight years ago, but today, there is hardly and funds allocated to the provision of housing for the millions of homeless in the country. Continue reading DAP calls for a two-pronged policy to reduce the economic burden of defence

Agricultural crisis in Johore – lift government ban immediately

Speech by DAP Member of Parliament for Bandar Melaka, Mr. Lim Kit Siang, in the Dewan Rakyat on the Committee Stage Debate on the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries 17.1.1973

DAP calls on immediate lifting of government ban on the import of chicken droppings or fowl dung manure to end the agricultural crisis in Johore

I have received representations from Johore farmers about the agricultural crisis they are facing as a result of the government ban on the import of ‘ chicken droppings’ or ‘fowl dungs’ manure into West Malaysia from Singapore from 1st of December last month.

The ban on the import of chicken droppings has created a major agricultural crisis and threatened the livelihood and employment of thousands of people in the vegetable and fruit growing areas in Johore, and who comprise both Chinese and Malay farmers.

For the last two decades, the vegetable and fruit farmers in Johore have used the chicken droppings imported from Singapore as the staple or basic manure for their cultivation. The vegetable farmers found from experience that the chicken droppings manure is superior to the chemical fertilizers for two chief reasons: Continue reading Agricultural crisis in Johore – lift government ban immediately

DAP Member of Parliament for Bandar Melaka, Mr. Lim Kit Siang, will ask the following questions when Parliament meets on Monday

DAP Member of Parliament for Bandar Melaka, Mr. Lim Kit Siang, will ask the following questions when Parliament meets on Monday.

1. To ask the Prime Minister to report whether there had been any progress in the last three months towards the normalization of relationship between Malaysia and the People’s Republic of China; and whether the Malaysian Government is considering calling an ASEAN meeting to propose an ASEAN initiative to normalise relationship between the People’s Republic of China and the ASEAN nations in view of Premier Tanaka of Japan’s visit to Peking which has further opened up new possibilities in international relations in the world, and particularly in South East Asia. Continue reading DAP Member of Parliament for Bandar Melaka, Mr. Lim Kit Siang, will ask the following questions when Parliament meets on Monday

Lim Kit Siang submits five adjournment motions for Parliament meeting

Lim Kit Siang submits five adjournment motions for Parliament meeting

DAP Member of Parliament for Bandar Melaka, Mr.Lim Kit Siang, has given notice that he would make five adjournment speeches during the Parliament meeting beginning on Tuesday.

His adjournment speeches concern the 1971 Standard V Assessment Test results, complaint against rudeness by a specialist doctor in Malacca General Hospital, the lowering of examination in M.C.E, the application for the permission to take part in politics by a teacher, Mr. Patto.

The main points which Mr.Lim would touch on in each of his adjournment motions are as follows: Continue reading Lim Kit Siang submits five adjournment motions for Parliament meeting

DAP opposes proposed curb on adjournment speeches in Parliament as being further gag on opposition MPs

Statement by DAP Secretary-General, Mr. Lim Kit Siang, at a press conference in Ipoh on Monday, 27th March 1972 at 11 a.m.

DAP opposes proposed curb on adjournment speeches in Parliament as being further gag on opposition MPs

The Government ‘s proposal to ban adjournment speeches in Parliament during the budget meeting and the meeting for the debate on the Royal Address is a further step by the government to curb and gag Opposition MPs from raising the grievances of the people in Parliament. Continue reading DAP opposes proposed curb on adjournment speeches in Parliament as being further gag on opposition MPs

Democratisation of Malaysian life

From the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s Royal Address, we are confirmed in our belief that the government has not come to grips with the basic political, economic, social, cultural and educational problems in the country, which is today the burning issue for the people of Malaysia.

We continue blindly, in our political, economic, social, cultural and educational policies to drift towards national perdition.

There is no vision of a great Malaysia tomorrow. There is only pretty pre-occupation with the tools of power today. Continue reading Democratisation of Malaysian life

Why local government should be elected

On 1st March 1965, the then Prime Minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman, made a Ministerial Statement in the Dewan Rakyat announcing that the government had exercised Emergency powers to suspend local council elections which was to be held in May or June the same year, on the ground of Indonesian Confrontation.

The then Prime Minister made a solemn pledge to this House and nation, and I quote from the Hansards of 1.3.1965: Continue reading Why local government should be elected

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