Speech (2) by Lim Kit Siang at the Pakatan Rakyat national rally at Stadium Melawati, Shah Alam on Sunday, 4^th December 2011 at 10.30 pm: 

Challenge to Muhyiddin – substantiate his UMNO General Assembly speech that DAP wants to set up a Republic or apologise for the lie

I challenge Deputy Prime Minister and UMNO Deputy President Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin to substantiate his UMNO General Assembly speech that DAP wants to abolish the system of Malay sultanates and set up a republic or he should apologise for the lie.

In his speech opening UMNO's Wanita, Youth and Puteri wings' annual general assemblies on Tuesday, Muhyiddin appeared to substantiate his allegation of a DAP agenda to form a republic when he followed up with a rhetorical question:

“If not, do they dare suggest the prime minister’s position be selected based solely on elections and without being chosen by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong? What is the meaning of this?

"It means that the democratic parliamentary system and the constitutional monarchy which we have been practising thus far no longer suit their interest to seize power."

But this is a downright lie as no DAP leader had ever made such a statement.

I challenge Muhyiddin to substantiate his speech and declare which DAP leader, who, where and when such a statement wanting “the Prime Minister's position to be selected based solely on elections and without being chosen by the Yang di Pertuan Agong” was made.

If Muhyiddin is unable to substantiate his irresponsible and reckless allegation at the UMNO General Assembly against the DAP for wanting to set up a republic, then he should apologise and retract it or he would be exposed as a liar of the first order.

DAP was made the “whipping boy” at the UMNO General Assembly with UMNO leaders and delegates hurling all sorts of groundless and even seditious allegations and lies against the DAP – that the DAP is anti-Malay, anti-Islam, anti-Malay Rulers and “agents of Christianisation” to bring about a “Christian Malaysia”.

This only shows how desperate UMNO leaders and delegates have become because they know that time is running out for them with the approach of the 13^th General Elections.

The Prime Minister and UMNO President Datuk Seri Najib Razak has often said that UMNO must change or UMNO will be changed. The speeches of UMNO leaders and delegates at the recent UMNO General Assembly have shown that UMNO is incapable of change on its own and that it must be changed by the voters by giving UMNO an opportunity to play the role of a loyal and responsible Opposition in the Federal Parliament after the next general elections.

*Lim Kit Siang, DAP Parliamentary Leader & MP for Ipoh TimorTimor