http://dapmalaysia.org
|
DAP and Parti Keadilan Rakyat Malaysia should co-operate and even explore the possibility of a merger on the triple objectives of restoring meaningful democracy, establishing good governance of a clean, incorruptible, efficient and trustworthy government and to defend and uphold the 46-year Merdeka “social contract” of Malaysia as a secular democracy with Islam as official religion but not an Islamic State Media Conference Statement (2) by Lim Kit Siang (Petaling Jaya, Wednesday): The 2004 general election results has been interpreted by some opposition leaders and analysts as creating the unhealthy situation of a Malay government and Chinese opposition, contending that such a combustible combination is dangerous for Malaysia’s plural society. This is utter bunkum. The DAP is and had never been a Chinese opposition as we have always been a Malaysian Opposition, speaking up for the welfare and rights of all races and communities – as illustrated by the sacrifice by Lim Guan Eng, who was jailed, disqualified as an MP and disenfranchised of his civil and political liberties to stand for elections for championing the human rights and defending the dignity of a 14-year-old Malay girl from oppression by powerful political personalities. How can the DAP be a Chinese opposition when out of the present batch of 12 MPs, two are Indians, namely Deputy National Chairman Karpal Singh (Bukit Glugor) and Deputy Secretary-General M. Kulasegaran (Ipoh Barat), and two out of 12 MPs is 16.6 per cent of our parliamentary representation, very much higher than MIC in Barisan Nasional or the Indian population ratio in the country. As a result of the outcome of the 2004 general election, Malaysians can look to a breather from Islamic politics which was the national obsession in the past five years. Let us not plunge back into racial politics. In our history, DAP had Chinese, Indian and Malay MPs and State Assemblymen – which no other political party apart from the Barisan Nasional in the past four decades could claim. I hope therefore that these opposition leaders and analysts will come down from their high horses and drop their “holier than thou” attitudes, which can make no contribution whatsoever to the defence and promotion of a democratic system in our plural society. It is such negative attitudes that caused one parliamentary seat and two state assembly seats in Perak to be lost to the Opposition, for DAP would have won the Parliametnary seat of Taiping and the Bercham and Simpang Pulai state assembly seats if Keadilan had not been the spoiler, as its candidates not only denied the DAP from winning these three seats but lost their deposits. Be that as it may, DAP is prepared to work closely and fully with Keadilan to preserve and promote the 46-year Merdeka “social contract” of Malaysia as a secular democracy with Islam as the official religion but not an Islamic State, if it is prepared to leave the Barisan Alternative, which is compromised by PAS’ Islamic State Document. In fact, if Keadilan is prepared to break free from PAS and its subservience to PAS’ Islamic State objective, DAP and Keadilan should explore the possibility of a merger for the triple objectives of restoring meaningful democracy, establishing good governance of a clean, incorruptible, just, efficient and trustworthy government and to defend and uphold the 46-year Merdeka “social contract” of Malaysia as a secular democracy with Islam as official religion but not an Islamic State. * Lim Kit Siang, DAP National Chairman |