(Malacca, Friday): The natural response and immediate support of Malaysians of all races this morning to the mass signature campaign launched by the Council for Justice, Freedom, Democracy and Good Governance to appeal to the Yang di Pertuan Agong to pardon Lim Guan Eng so that he would not be disqualified as Member of Parliament and can continue his good work to serve the people and nation show the large reservoir of popular support for Guan Eng.
Guan Eng will feel comforted by the warmth of the people although he is languishing in jail, sleeping on the cement floor where the cold of the cement is getting into his bones.
Guan Eng is still Member of Parliament for Kota Melaka until Sept. 8, and if there is a petition for pardon, his position as MP for Kota Melaka will remain until the disposition of the petition for pardon.
Although there is a great national reservoir of support for the signature campaign launched by the Council for Justice, Freedom, Democracy and Good Governance to appeal to the Yang di Pertuan Agong for pardon, there is a race against time as it will not be easy to get a presentable number of signatures by the two-week dealine on Sept. 8 for the submission of a petition for pardon. This is because it would take about a week for the mechanics of the nation-wide signature campaign to be set up and get on track - which is virtually the end of the first deadline one Sept. 6 for the collection of the signatures.
Is it possible to get a presentable number of signatures in a matter of ten days, without the mechanics and the system of the signature campaign being properly set up throughout the country?
This is why the traditional mass signature campaign of getting individual signatures cannot be depended upon. A new modus operandi is needed, not just to collect signatures from individuals, but for individuals themselves to take upon themselves the task of collecting hundreds of signatures appealing to the Yang di Pertuan Agong to pardon Lim Guan Eng.
There should be two types of signatures in this campaign - one type for Malaysians in their individual capacities and another type for civic organisations, societies and non-government organisations.
This is the time for the people to step forward to speak out loud and clear for justice in the country.
(28/8/98)