The disenfranchisement of 680,000 new voters, the snap eight-day general election campaign period and the two-day blitzkrieg of "fear and scare" Barisan Nasional advertisements about riots, violence and anarchy are just the opening shots of the Barisan Nasional campaign to make the 10th general election the dirtiest in the nation’s history to ensure that the Barisan Nasional could retain its two-thirds parliamentary majority.
The Barisan Nasional four "trump cards" to confuse, mislead and stampede voters to support Barisan Nasional in the Nov. 29 election by making them believe that the general election is about an Islamic State, May 13, no economic recovery and development and to save Mahathir from being toppled as Prime Minister are the other main elements of the Barisan Nasional’s masterplan to make the present general election the dirtiest in the nation’s history.
Of these four Barisan Nasional "trump cards", the two most potent are the May 13 and Islamic State trump cards.
I will focus of the Barisan Nasional’s Islamic State "trump card" tonight.
Three days ago, the Gerakan President Datuk Seri Dr. Lim Keng Yaik challenged me to state my stand on the private member’s bill, "Control and Restriction of Propagation of Non-Muslim Religions (Federal Territories) 1999", proposed by the PAS Deputy President and the then MP for Marang Abdul Hadi Awang.
I am surprised that Keng Yaik is so misinformed for I had declared publicly that the DAP will vote against Hadi’s private member’s bill if it comes up for a vote in Parliament.
In actual fact, the issue at stake is not what is the DAP’s stand on any "Control and Restriction of Propagation of Non-Muslim Religions" legislation, but what is Keng Yaik and Gerakan’s stand on such an enactment.
I dare say here tonight that Keng Yaik and Gerakan are not really opposed to any "Control and Restriction of Propagation of Non-Muslim Religions" legislation, but only to its being proposed by a PAS leader.
If the same legislative proposal had been made by UMNO, Keng Yaik and
Gerakan would have no objection whatsoever!
This means that Keng Yaik and Gerakan are not really opposed to Hadi’s
bill to restrict the propagation of non-Muslim religions, but only that
such a bill had been moved by a PAS leader,
Gerakan will support Hadi’s bill to restrict the propagation of non-Muslim religions if it had been moved by UMNO.
I challenge Keng Yaik to a joint media conference on 25th November at a place and time of his choice on whether Gerakan really opposed Hadi’s private member’s bill on "Control and Restriction of Propagation of Non-Muslim Religions (Federal Territory)", or whether it was just because Hadi had moved it and Gerakan would have supported such a legislation if it had been moved by UMNO.
This is the difference between the DAP and Gerakan. DAP takes
a stand on principle, whether on the freedom of religion or a secular democratic
state, and we will defend these principles and oppose any proposal or bill
which contravenes them, whether they are made by UMNO or PAS. This
is
why DAP had made it very clear that if Hadi’s private member’s bill
had come up for debate in Parliament, DAP MPs would have voted against
it. This applies to the last Parliament and also to the new Parliament
to be elected on Nov. 29.
The Gerakan under Keng Yaik however does not take any stand on principle but is guided by sheer political opportunism. It will oppose any measure put forth by PAS and support any measure presented by UMNO.
I challenge Keng Yaik to deny this statement and appear at a joint media conference with me on Nov. 25 at a place and time of his choice.
(22/11/99)