(Penang, Saturday):
It is surprising
that the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamad had lost his cool over
the DAP’s “No to 911, No to 929, Yes
to 1957” People’s Awareness Campaign, going into a rampage on his return
from his meeting with the Pope and visit to Switzerland and Luxembourg
lambasting the DAP as an opposition party which had no reason to exist anymore
since it was bankrupt of ideas.
He said the DAP had lost its relevance,
“no longer gets support from anybody “ and asserted: “In fact,
there is no reason for the DAP to exist anymore, just shut it down.”
The closure of the DAP will undoubtedly fulfil
one of the Mahathir’s greatest dreams
after he had exulted over Karpal Singh and my parliamentary defeats in the last
general election.
But if Mahathir is right that the DAP is bankrupt
of ideas, has lost its relevance
and can no longer get support from
anybody, then the DAP is already
facing a natural death and there is
no need for the DAP to shut down as it will
be completely wiped out in the next general election.
There should also be no need for Mahathir to
publicly lose his cool over the DAP and the campaign to “Say No” to his
unilateral, arbitrary and unconstitutional declaration that Malaysia is an Islamic state made at the Gerakan national
assembly on September 29 last year (the “929 Declaration”).
But Mahathir knows that the DAP’s “No to 911, No to 929, Yes to 1957” People’s Awareness
Campaign has
struck a chord of national concern and has the potential to receive popular
support, if Malaysians regardless of race, religion or political beliefs, are
given an opportunity to understand the far-reaching political, economic, social,
legal and nation-building implications of his “929 Declaration” that
Malaysia is an Islamic state.
It is regrettable that Mahathir was so personal
in his lambasting of the DAP yesterday, even asking why I was not resigning from
politics.
Firstly, let me point out that the DAP had held
regular party elections and it never had the occasion to postpone party
elections indefinitely like UMNO. Unlike
Mahathir, who had been the unelected UMNO President for over a decade,
repeatedly banning UMNO Presidential elections under one guise or another, I had
been elected to the DAP national leadership at every regular DAP party
elections. And now, the UMNO
leadership is again preparing to
put off party elections until after the next general election – making a
mockery of internal party democracy.
The DAP also never had to suspend
party elections on the directive of another political party, as is the plight of
the MCA today.
But let me tell Mahathir that with his
unilateral, arbitrary and unconstitutional Declaration that Malaysia is an
Islamic State, flying in the face of the 1957 Merdeka Constitution, the
“social contract” reached by our forefathers from the major communities and
the 1963 Malaysia Agreement that Malaysia is a democratic, secular,
multi-religious, tolerant and progressive nation with Islam as the official
religion but Malaysia is not an Islamic State, whatever thought I might have of
retiring from politics would have to be put aside as the country is
facing the second greatest test in nation-building in 44 years of nationhood.
Mahathir alleged that the DAP’s “No
to 911, No to 929, Yes to 1957” People’s Awareness Campaign was to get
votes. Can
Mahathir deny that his primary
objective in making the declaration that Malaysia is an Islamic State was purely
political, to compete with PAS to
win votes from the Malay heartland?
Or has Malaysian democracy reached a stage,
after 21 years of Mahathir’s Prime Ministership, where only UMNO and Barisan
Nasional can seek to win votes but not the Opposition – where it is
permissible for Mahathir to declare that Malaysia is an Islamic state but
criticism or opposition to such a declaration are not allowed?
However, I must clarify that although the
DAP’s “No to 911, No to 929, Yes to
1957” People’s Awareness Campaign is aimed at influencing Malaysian
voters, regardless of race, religion or political beliefs to vote solidly for
the integrity and sanctity of the
1957 Merdeka Constitution, the “social contract” and the 1963 Malaysia
Agreement, this is an issue which transcends votes and general elections as it
affects future generations of Malaysians in the
battle for the “soul” of Malaysia.
I am surprised that after my arrest by the Ipoh
Police last week, Mahathir did not address the question whether the DAP’s “No
to 911, No to 929, Yes to 1957” People’s
Awareness Campaign is seditious – for I am still waiting for the response from
the highest level of the government leadership as to whether they agree that if
the “No to 929” campaign aimed at defending the 44-year fundamental
constitutional principle and nation-building cornerstone of Islam
as the official religion but Malaysia is not an Islamic state is
seditious, then the “929 Declaration” must be even more seditious in
violating the 1957 Merdeka Constitution, the “social contract” and the 1963
Malaysia Agreement.
Mahathir should be aware that his “929
Declaration” has caused grave concern to thinking and patriotic Malaysians, as reflected by the statement issued by the
Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism,
Christianity, Hinduism and Sikhism (MCCBCHS) on 31st January,
signed by its President, Archbishop of Kuala Lumpur Most Reverend Anthony
Soter Fernandez, reaffirming that Malaysia is a secular state and not an Islamic
state.
It is Mahathir who, for the sake of votes, is
prepared to disregard the 44-year fundamental
constitutional principle and nation- building cornerstone in Malaysia by making
his unilateral, arbitrary and unconstitutional declaration that Malaysia is an
Islamic State.
I challenge Mahathir to a public debate with
live telecast whether his “929 declaration” is in line or contrary to the
1957 Merdeka Constitution, the “social contract” of the major communities
and the 1963 Malaysia Agreement and I await his answer.
(15/6/2002)