Media Conference Statement by Lim Kit Siang in Parliament on
Wednesday, 3rd December 2008:
Motion to review Deputy Speaker Ronald
Kiandee’s decision under SO 43 in not referring Jamaludin Jarjis to
Committee of Privileges for misleading the House in falsely claiming
that I had said “the Malays treated the Chinese like slaves” when
referring to “ketuanan Melayu”
I will move a motion under Standing Order 43
to challenge and review the ruling of Deputy Speaker Datuk Ronald
Kiandee condoning the gross breach of parliamentary privilege by former
Minister and Barisan Nasional MP for Rompin Datuk Jamaluddin Jarjis in
trying to sabotage my speech during the 2009 Budget debate on the
Ministry of Unity, Culture, Arts and Heritage on Monday in misleading
the House by falsely claiming that I had said “the Malays treated the
Chinese like slaves” when referring to “ketuanan Melayu”.
Jamaluddin was being most mischievous, irresponsible and racist when he
deliberately repeated at least ten times in various variation of the
false accusation that I had said the Malays regard the Chinese as slaves
to try to paint me as racist and anti-Malay – when he was the one who
was demonstrating his worst communal colours.
He even challenged me to apologise and withdraw the allegation when this
is verified in a check with the Hansard the next day.
A check with the Hansard has proven that Jamaluddin was telling a big
lie, which he compounded by repeating it ten times in the House on
Monday, and it is now clearly confirmed that I had never said that the
Malays treated the Chinese as slaves.
This is a gross breach of parliamentary privilege, compounded by his
deliberate repetition of the lie ten times, hoping to turn a lie into a
truth by sheer repetition!
If a Pakatan Rakyat MP had done to a Barisan Nasional Minister what
Jamaluddin did to me in Parliament on Monday, the Pakatan Rakyat MP
would have been stopped within seconds and suspended from the House, let
alone being allowed to repeat the lie ten times, or referred to the
Committee of Privileges for more serious disciplinary action to be meted
out to him.
Why should there be one rule for Pakatan Rakyat MPs and another rule for
Barisan Nasional MPs in the Malaysian Parliament?
I call on all right-thinking and justice-loving MPs, regardless of party
whether from Pakatan Rakyat or Barisan Nasional, to take a common stand
to censure Jamaluddin for his gross breach of parliamentary privilege in
Parliament on Monday.
It is most pertinent that when I repeatedly asked in the House on Monday
whether UMNO MPs would support the concept of “ketuanan rakyat
Malaysia”, there was total silence and strenuous evasion with Jamaluddin
trying to distract the issue by lying that I had accused the Malays of
treating the Chinese as slaves in “ketuanan Melayu” concept.
In actual fact, it is the Umno leaders and Umno-putras who have enslaved
all Malaysians – ordinary Malays, Chinese, Indians, Kadazans and Ibans –
by trotting out the “ketuanan Melayu” concept, which has nothing to do
with the position of Malay Rulers and is not to be found in the Merdeka
Constitution.
Last year, the government spent RM100 million to celebrate 50th Merdeka
anniversary of the nation. Why are the UMNO and Barisan Nasional leaders
not prepared to come forward to state clearly and unequivocally that
they are in full support of “ketuanan rakyat Malaysia”?
In refusing to fully endorse the concept of “ketuanan rakyat Malaysian”,
aren’t the Barisan Nasional government abandoning the Bangsa Malaysia
concept of Vision 2020?
It is sad that Umno leaders are not prepared to endorse the concept of
“ketuanan rakyat Malaysia” - , which show that they are not yet prepared
to become fully Malaysian leaders. They should give serious thought to
the very eloquent and heart-wrenching speech by the DAP MP for Batu
Gajah, Fong Po Kuan, in the debate on Monday who asked on behalf of all
Malaysians why they are not regarded as full Malaysians when their sole
loyalty is to this country and no other!
*
Lim
Kit Siang, DAP
Parliamentary leader & MP for Ipoh Timor
http://dapmalaysia.org