Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji should be very guarded during his visit to  Malaysia so that he would not be seen to be involved in Malaysian politics in the tenth general election


Media Statement
by Lim Kit Siang
 

(Petaling Jaya,  Monday): Yesterday, when welcoming the visit of Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji to Malaysia, DAP also urged the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamad to be scrupulously correct as not to compromise national honour or embarrass a foreign dignitary in the midst of an election campaign.

Today, I would like to ask the Chinese premier to be very guarded  during his visit to Malaysia so that he would not be seen to be involved in Malaysian politics in the tenth general election.

Malaysians of all races and political parties would always welcome the visit of the Chinese Premier as well as other leaders of the Chinese government, as Malaysians cherish the relationship between Malaysia and China as an important cornerstone of Malaysian foreign relations.

I had suggested that one way for the Barisan Nasional to avoid all suspicion that it would try  to play the  Chinese card is  for the caretaker government to have invited  and involve all opposition leaders in the programmes of the Chinese premier’s visit. Unfortunately, the caretaker government of Mahathir had turned a deaf ear to this proposal.

I hope that my suggestion that any announcement of the re-establishment of the Bank of China in Malaysia, if agreed upon during Zhu’s visit, would only be announced after polling day on Nov. 29 would be given serious consideration by the leaders of both countries.

DAP wants  Zhu’s visit to Malaysia in the midst of an election campaign to be smooth-sailing and be spared of any controversy whatsoever, without compromising the Malaysian national honour and dignity or embarrassing the foreign dignitary  - resulting in a further maturity of the relations between the peoples of both nations.

(22/11/99)


*Lim Kit Siang - DAP Secretary-General, Parliamentary Candidate for Bukit Bendera and State Assembly candidate for Kebun Bunga