Three important issues: Call on the Prime Minister to schedule two-day
special parliamentary debates on the 2-4-3 formula, water talks breakdown
and the threat of terrorism
Media Statement
by Kerk Kim Hock
(Petaling Jaya, Friday): The
present session of parliament meetings, which has begun on 9.9.2002, is
scheduled to end next Tuesday.
I hereby wish to call on the Prime Minister, who is the Leader of the House,
to extend the meeting by at least two days so as to allow Members of
Parliament to debate three important issues: firstly the 2-4-3 formula for
teaching English, mathematics and science in Chinese primary schools,
secondly, the Malaysia -Singapore water talks breakdown and thirdly, the
setting up of regional anti terrorism center in Malaysia.
Although the Barisan Nasional Supreme Council has adopted the 2-4-3 formula,
the government ha snot been able to convince Malaysians that it has, as
promised, listened to all views and approached the issues solely from
educational point of views.
If the government is serious in wanting to listen to all views from all
quarters, it must be prepared to allow MPs from both the government and
Opposition to debate the 2-4-3 formula. DAP MPs will put forward our case
and convince Parliament that our proposed 1-2 -3 formula is a practical,
better and educationally sound formula that h should be adopted.
Although the Foreign Minster Datuk Syed Hamid Albar has declared his
readiness to reveal to the Parliament all about the water talks breakdown
between Malaysia and Singapore, not a single MP seems to know whether he
will appear in Parliament next week to give Malaysia's side of the story.
Syed Hamid 's briefing to the Parliament is most necessary and indeed
inevitable, after his Singapore counterpart has last week briefed Singapore
Parliament and pinned the blame for the talks breakdown on Malaysia.
The possibility of Malaysia breaching or breaking the water agreements
unilaterally has worried Malaysians who believe that any such action will
harm our bilateral relations.
The government must therefore be prepared to reveal the reasons and factors
that have resulted in the talks ending in serious deadlocks.
With Republican's victory's in the America's mid term elections, there is
now worry that President George Bush will adopt a tougher approach towards
combating the terrorism threats, rather than seeking to resolve the roots of
terrorism
Malaysian Members of Parliament must therefore ensure that the government's
decision to set up the US proposed regional anti terrorism center in
Malaysia will mean that Malaysians' interest are better served and not
harmed.
It is unacceptable that MPs, who are lawmakers in the highest political
forum in the country, often have to find out the latest news and development
on the international terrorism threats to Malaysia from foreign reports.
The government must be prepared to be open about the threats of
international terrorism and local militancy and the first step that must be
done is to fully account to the Parliament by allowing special debates on
this issue.
Failure of the Malaysian Parliament to address and deliberate these three
important issues will only give the impression that Parliament is not
playing its meaningful, effective and relevant role.
(8/11/2002)
* Kerk Kim Hock, DAP Secretary General
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