DAP maintains its founding principles
Speech
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DAP 13 th National Conference
by Kerk Kim Hock
(Kuala Lumpur,
Sunday):
Sixteen months ago on 18and 19 of August 2001, we had gathered here to
deliberate on the question of the DAP’s membership in the Barisan
Alternative (BA) due to the Islamic State controversy between DAP and Pas. A
mandate was given by the Congress for the new Central Executive Committee to
take all necessary final decisions without having to refer back to the
Congress.
DAP was willing to take all political risks to help form a coalition which
would be a political vehicle to bring about political change in Malaysia.
Despite having suffered our second consecutive electoral debacle in the 1999
general election due to the Islamic state factor, we remained committed to
the BA----- a political attempt to rally all Malaysians regardless of race
and religions to fight for the common cause of justice, freedom, democracy
and good governance.
However, when it was no longer tenable for the DAP to stay on, the Central
Executive Committee made the decision to quit the BA on 22.9.2001.
This shows we are a party of principles. We did not quit because of fear of
losing votes, but because we must maintain our principles. We must not
betray our supporters.
As we meet here today, let us reiterate that the DAP cannot and will not
compromise our founding principles that Malaysia shall remain a secular and
democratic nation.
Although the question of the DAP returning to the BA does not arise anymore,
we pledge our preparedness to carry out seat negotiations with all
Opposition parties to ensure that the Opposition will be able to take on the
BN in one to one fights in the next general election.
Factors influencing the date of next general election
After announcing his retirement date, it is only logical that the Prime
Minister’s successor Datuk Abdullah Badawi be given the chance to lead the
next general election so as to provide him with the opportunity to seek the
necessary mandate for himself and his new policies.
However, there is now increasing speculation that the Prime Minister may do
the illogical and dissolve the Parliament before October 31, this year.
With the increasing inter and intra BN component parties disputes becoming
more intensified, there is now strong expectation within the BN circle for
the Prime Minster to personally lead the next electoral battle before he
retires so as to enhance the BN’s chances of a landslide win.
The other factor, which may influence the Prime Minister to dissolve the
Parliament either in May or July this year, is to seek a mandate for the
continuation of his twilight policies, which he has laid the foundations.
Since announcing the date of his retirement, the Prime Minister has been
trying to implement or rectify policies, in a period of 16 months, which
have failed or which he has not carried out for the last 20 over years. He
has been pushing through his twilight policies or set the foundations of
such policies.
The three trump cards of the BN
In the coming general election, there are three trump cards that the BN will
definitely exploit.
The September 11 incident has changed many things in the world. In Malaysia,
the impacts on the voters are two aspects:
It has created a general sense of uncertainty where there is the general
sense of fear about what could happen tomorrow e.g. will there be another
bombing incident?
It has created a general sense of fear where the people fear anything they
perceive, whether real or unreal, as extreme, violent or militant.
The past election tactic of BN in appealing for voters to vote for
stability, certainty and strength will now come in the form of terror.
Seizing the voters mood of fearing what they feel or perceive as militant
and extreme, BN will exploit the religious card by calling on the voters to
vote for the moderate BN coalition and its moderate Islam In fact, MCA
President who has s supported the BN ‘s Islamic state declaration and coined
the oxymoron that that Malaysia is a secular Islamic state, has described
Pas as the Taliban of Malaysia.
The third card, which perhaps will be the most powerful, is the gratitude
card where BN leaders will call on the people to support the BN as a way of
showing their gratitude to the Prime Minister fro his contribution to the
nation.
What is the DAP’s trump card. We believe the people possess the sense of
justice. We believe the people want development and appreciate development,
but they also want fairness. We believe they have values, principles and
souls. We are going to fight on values, principles and souls.
Gearing up for the battle
Undoubtedly, the next general election is going to be the toughest electoral
battle in the DAP’s history. It will also be the dirtiest in the nation’s
electoral history. We must therefore immediately gear up for the election,
which can be held even as early as May or July this year.
In preparing for the election, we need to learn from past lessons. Every
lesson must be learned.
Past weaknesses must be improved. Mistakes must be rectified. Internal party
disputes and problems must be solved or their impact reduced.
In the face of the toughest general election, all leaders and members must
put Party interest above everything and display the highest degree of party
unity and discipline.
Party Reform – the process continues
Despite the fact that the BN leaders think that they are born to rule, there
is no divine right for any political party to rule. Likewise, there is no
divine right for any political party to exist. This includes the DAP.
All parties must always keep with the times and modernise to be relevant to
the new era and the changed political landscape.
Political deaths can come in many forms. The DAP can die of old age if our
old supporters become older and older while the young people are not
supporting us at the rate their parents did.
We can also die if our struggle is not relevant to the era and the people.
Parties of irrelevance can survive with lofty ideals but they cannot win
elections.
Hence, the DAP must continue its Reform process to remain young and
relevant. No matter how difficult the reform is or no mater how long the
process will take, we must be determined to continue the process.
Change has its doubt and enemies. Change has its resistance to and change is
not without pain. Change can have failures and delays too. But what is
important is to know that we cannot rely on the past to fight the future
battle.
As someone once said, if you dislike new ideas, you have grown old. But if
you curse new ideas, you are finished. We can remain young if we have more
dreams than memories. We can remain young if we modernise. We can remain
young if we change.
We must always propel the Party forward to make it a vibrant, dynamic,
relevant and forever young Party.
I am glad that the Central Executive Committee has adopted my term limit
proposal for the office of the secretary general. This is not to change for
popularity or media reporting. Neither is it a change aimed at any
individual but it is a change which will act as a catalyst for more changes
which are necessary for DAP’s survival and development.
We have carried out some changes and completed our rethinking of policies.
But there are more to be done. We should move in the direction of more
changes, some of which are —the direct election of key officials, the
opening up of the Party Congress, the creation of a transparent branch
candidate preselection system, the introduction of the Friends of the DAP
Clubs nationwide, the set up of DAP Clubs in overseas universities, the
efforts to make branches as local centers of influence,
We are as determined as before
We are gathered here today knowing fully conscious of the fact that it was
about eight months ago when the Prime Minister announced that the Opposition
would suffer humiliating defeat in the next general election.
We admit that there are worrying signs for the Opposition. We know that the
BN is set to wipe out the DAP.
The BN has tried to wipe us out for the last here decades but they have
failed. In the face of such formidable challenge, we are not retreating but
we are going to immediately gear up for the next general election to face
the toughest electoral battle in our Party’s history.
In fact, despite all the unfavorable signs and worries and all the odds we
know we are going to face, we are as determined as before . This is simply
because, we love Malaysia, and we want to make this a better and fairer
nation for al. We want to save Malaysia.
We have fought eight elections and we have had our successes and failures,
joys and sorrows. One thing that is constant is our determination to fight
against all odds to realise our vision of a secular, democratic, united,
progressive and tolerant Malaysia where justice, fairness and equality will
prevail.
We were not wiped out but we successfully halted the BN ‘s assimilation
policy. Today, we are determined to fight another major battle. Nothing is
more important in the next general election than for the DAP and the voters
to send a clear message to the BN government that Malaysia must remain a
secular and democratic Malaysia.
DAP must therefore not only win, we must win big, and emerge as the largest
parliamentary Opposition party so as to send the clear message..
I call on Party leaders and members, young and old, and Party veterans to
participate in this historic battle and make the DAP again the natural hope
and automatic choice of the voters.
(12/1/2003)
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Kerk Kim Hock, DAP Secretary General
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