DAP CEC will receive a report from  party lawyers next week on whether criminal and civil proceedings should be instituted against Keng Yaik for trying to distort the DAP’s “No to 911, No to 929, Yes to 1957” People’s Awareness Campaign as anti-Malay and anti-Islam

(Penang,  Saturday): Party lawyers have been instructed to study in depth the speech by Gerakan President, Datuk Dr. Lim Keng Yaik, when opening the Penang state Gerakan delegates conference the previous Sunday (23^rd June 2002) alleging that the DAP’s “No to 929” campaign was aimed at pitting Muslims against non-Muslim.   

This is a most  irresponsible, baseless and mischievous allegation unworthy of a Cabinet Minister for two decades, setting the worst possible example of the type of irresponsible and unethical political conduct no political leader should indulge in Malaysia’s plural society and politics.

The DAP CEC will meet next week to receive and consider  a report from  party lawyers on whether criminal and civil proceedings should be instituted against Keng Yaik for the mischief of trying  to distort the DAP’s “No to 911, No to 929, Yes to 1957” People’s Awareness Campaign as anti-Malay and anti-Islam when it is pro-all races and pro-all religions in the country.  

In launching the second phase of the “No to 911, No to 929, Yes to 1957” campaign, DAP reiterates that the  campaign to defend and uphold the 1957 Merdeka Constitution, the “social contract” and the 1963 Malaysia Agreement is not anti-Malay or anti-Islam but a reaffirmation that Malaysia is a democratic, secular, multi-religious, tolerant and progressive nation with  Islam as the official religion but Malaysia is not an Islamic state – whether of the UMNO or PAS model. 

The stand that Islam is the official religion but Malaysia is not an Islamic state was the official stand of the  first three Prime Ministers, Tunku Abdul Rahman, Tun Razak and Tun Hussein Onn  and the early years of the fourth Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamad.  

Let me remind Keng Yaik of the clear and unequivocal statements by Tunku Abdul Rahman and Tun Hussein Onn on the issue in the month of February 1983.

On 8^th February 1983,  when celebrating his 80^th birthday, Tunku Abdul Rahman said Malaysia should not be turned into an Islamic state because the country had a multi-racial population with various beliefs. 

Tunku Abdul Rahman  said the nation was set up as a secular State with Islam as the official religion and that this was enshrined in the Constitution.

Five days later, after receiving a MCA delegation, led by MCA President Datuk Lee San Choon, to wish him a happy 61^st birthday, Tun Hussein Onn told reporters that he supported Tunku Abdul Rahman’s view that Malaysia should not be turned into an Islamic state. (Star 13/2/83). 

Tun Hussein said any move of this kind was neither wise nor practical. 

He said: “The nation can still be functional as a secular state with Islam as its official religion.” 

In the same week, the then Deputy Prime Minister, Datuk Musa Hitam was asked at a Foreign Correspondents Association Club luncheon in Singapore whether the 2M (Mahathir and Musa) Government agreed with Tunku’s statement that Malaysia cannot be an Islamic state. 

This was Musa’s reply: “The Tunku was reminding the Government. He is an elder statesman.  We respect his judgment. 

“Absorption of Islamic principles that are positive towards development would not allow the country to be as Islamic as people expect it to be. Libya, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bangladesh and Pakistan have their own style of Islamisation. 

“Malaysian leaders are realistic enough to know that it cannot be done the same style here.  There are certain things which are not practical and cannot be imposed.” 

In 1983, Keng Yaik was in full agreement with Tunku, Hussein Onn and Musa Hitam that Islam is the official religion but  Malaysia should not be turned into an Islamic State. He should explain why he has changed his mind 20 years later, giving full and unthinking support to the “929 Declaration” by Mahathir at the Gerakan national assembly on Sept. 29 last year that Malaysia is an Islamic State.

One of the objectives of the second phase of the “No to 911,No to 929, Yes to 1957” People’s Awareness Campaign is to help political leaders like Keng Yaik to regain their “political memory”, and this is why apart from a “No to 929” booklet, we are launching a new poster featuring Tunku Abdul Rahman in his own words, “Don’t turn Malaysia into an Islamic State”.

(6/7/2002)