Meanwhile, Gerakan President, Datuk Seri Dr. Lim Keng Yaik is doing
his utmost to help his MCA counterpart to "water down" the Hua Tuan Election
Appeals into a political irrelevance by declaring that it is not an election
demand but "a list of aspirations and appeals with no time frame for them
to be realised or implemented".
Both Liong Sik and Keng Yaik should stop their political con-game on
Hua Tuan Election Appeals and address the issue with dignity, seriousness
and sincerity, as befitting leaders of two national political parties in
the ruling coalition.
They should not think that the people and the over 2,000 Chinese organisations
which have endorsed the Election Appeals are simpletones who cannot see
through their political con-game, which is to express support in principle
for the Hua Tuan Election Appeals but refusing to lift a finger to implement
any one of the 82 concrete proposals in the 17-Point Appeals.
For a start, the MCA and Gerakan Presidents should stop their deliberate ploy to misread and misinterpret Hua Tuan Election Appeals as a "list of aspirations and appeals with no time frame for them to be realised or implemented" and completely unrelated to the forthcoming 10th national general election.
Both Liong Sik and Keng Yaik should read the Preamble of the Hua Tuan Election Appeals and they will see that it is a specific "call upon all political parties and candidates in the coming general elections to declare their support and endorsement of our appeals, and we urge all Malaysian to jointly work together towards the realisation of these appeals".
In fact, the following first three paragraphs from the very start of the Preamble makes it very clear and specific that the Hua Tuan Election Appeals is meant to be addressed by all the political parties and candidates in the coming election:
"The coming general elections will elect the Government and peoples’ representatives who will lead the country into the next millennium. Forty-two years after Independence, Malaysia has evolved into a dynamic multi-ethnic nation with progress in all sectors, thanks to the efforts made by Malaysians of all ethnic communities. However, certain national policies, especially those related to equality between ethnic communities, democracy, human rights and judicial autonomy, still leave much room for improvement.
"The economic crisis of the last two years and the Nipah virus epidemic are two recent disasters which have caused the Chinese organisations to take serious stock of the future of this country. The lack of an integrated plan to develop our small and medium-scale industries and New Villages after more than fifty years after their establishment is cause for concern. While the government endeavours to carry out mega projects, our schools still faced lack of funding, classrooms and teachers. We hardly need to point out the depressed sectors among our indigenous peoples, estate workers, urban settlers and small farmers.
"Besides, we are very concerned about corruption, deviations in the implementation of government policies, lack of accountability and transparency, bias of the media, all of which have aroused public concern."
Both Liong Sik and Keng Yaik are therefore being most irresponsible in trying to reduce the Election Appeals into a political irrelevance for the coming general election.
Apart from getting the Barisan Nasional to declare its position, MCA and Gerakan must take their individual and separate stand on the 82 proposals in the 17-poing Hua Tuan Election Appeals on national unity, democracy, human rights, justice, corruption, fair and equitable economic policy, privatisation, education, labour, housing, environment, etc.
Liong Sik and Keng Yaik are guilty of the height of irresponsibility in trying to avoid their party taking a stand on the Election Appeals by treating it as "football" to be kicked to the NECC II - which in any event is not contesting in the next general election and whose deliberations have no binding influence on the Government or Cabinet.
(13/10/99)