(Petaling Jaya, Wednesday): At the DAP CEC meeting last night on 20 September 2005, Professor P. Ramasamy was appointed as the party’s International Secretary. Professor P. Ramasamy is a distinguished academic from UKM who was unfairly terminated for his outspoken views on justice, democracy and human rights. He is also widely known internationally as a peace-maker who played a significant role towards peace in Sri Lanka and Acheh.

Professor P. Ramasamy’s elevation was made possible by the withdrawal of International Secretary Ronnie Liu and CEC member Sdr S. Sivanesan s/o Achialingam. As our 30-member CEC is already full, DAP CEC has also fully recorded its appreciation to Ronnie Liu and Sivanesan for their willingness to give way to make way for a distinguished academic like Professor Ramasamy to contribute towards playing an important role in the party and national development in Malaysia.

Ronnie Liu will remain a CEC member and head of DAP NGO Affair bureau whilst Sivanesan who is no longer a CEC member will continue in a non-executive capacity and head our DAP National Labour Bureau.

Professor Ramasamy’s endorsement of Malaysian Malaysia reinforces DAP’s commitment to fight for a New Malaysian Agenda with a national identity centered not on race or religion but a shared common values for democracy, justice, equal opportunity, freedom, peace and fighting corruption. In his famous words, he had said he identified more with Parliamentary Opposition Leader Lim Kit Siang than with MIC President Datuk S. Samy Vellu.

The willingness of Ronnie Liu and Sivanesan to pay way for Ramasamy shows that DAP practices multi-racial politics and values talented assets. The term `bangsa, agama dan negara’ should not connote one race or one religion but many races and many religions. There should be a celebration of unity in diversity in recognition that Malaysia is a secular country that is both multi-cultural and multi-religious. We should not be identified firstly as Malay, Chinese, Indians, Kadazans, Ibans or Orang Asli but simply Malaysians first and last.

Such common values should be accepted by every one in our multi-racial setting. DAP believes that national unity can be achieved with common values of democracy, justice, freedom, peace, ethics and fighting corruption. Economic progress can only be attained on the basis of competition, merit and equal opportunities that create wealth and ensure equitable distribution.

Professor Ramasamy’s shares in DAP’s vision of a New Malaysian Agenda that benefit and unite all regardless of race and religion to build a harmonious society and seek social justice for all Malaysians whether poor bumis, poor Malays, poor Chinese, poor Kadazans, poor Ibans and poor orang Aslis.