MEDIA STATEMENT BY DAP MP FOR ISKANDAR PUTERI LIM KIT SIANG ON “MY YEARS IN MALACCA” ISSUED ON 14TH NOVEMBER 2021
Call on Malacca voters to spearhead a long-term Malaysian First campaign lasting 20 to 30 years to make Malaysia a world-class great nation
I visited Gadek constituency yesterday morning where we are fielding G. Saminathan, who was falsely accused as a Tamil Tiger terrorist and wrongly detained until his release just before the Sheraton Move conspiracy in February 2020.
Fortunately, Saminathan was released before the Sheraton Move conspiracy toppled the democratically-elected Pakatan Harapan Government after 22 months or he and others similarly detained under the bogus charges of being linked to Sri Lankan Tamil Tigers terrorists would be in incarceration for quite some time.
My visit to Pulau Sebang (which is in Gadek) reminds me of the DAP ‘s Protest Walk from Pulau Sebang to Bukit China in Malacca in the Save Bukit China campaign in 1984 when the police discriminately and unfairly prohibited the “Save Bukit China cycle relay” from Kuala Lumpur to Bukit China and impounded the bicycles used in the DAPSY event.
In protest, I led a protest Walk from Pulau Sebang to Bukit China in Malacca, and although my two feet were “demolished” at the end of the long walk, with blisters all over with soles, it was an example of “fury with injustice”.
This morning I visited Bukit China with the DAP candidate for Bandar Hilir, Leng Chau Yeng and DAP MP for Kota Melaka, Khoo Poay Tiong.
It is recorded on the information section of the Sam Poh Temple on Bukit China that there were Malay and Portuguese graves on the 400-year cemetery hill. This was potent proof that the “Save Bukit China” campaign in 1984/5 was a campaign to save a Malaysian heritage hill for all communities, and not for any one racial group. This was why the “Save Bukit China” which was launched in 1984 was able to turn into a national campaign and win the support of all racial and religious groups when the UMNO-led Malacca State Government wanted to demolish a Malaysian the cemetery hill for commercial development and greedy profits.
Just as Malaccans and Malaysians had succeeded in the “Save Bukit China” campaign for future generations, I call on Malacca voters to produce another Malaysian achievement in the Malacca General Election on November 20 – to spearhead a long-term Malaysian First campaign in the whole of Malaysia lasting 20 to 30 years to make Malaysia a world-class great nation.
Malaysia is at the confluence of four great human civilisations – Malay/Islamic, Chinese, Indian and Western – and there is reason why Malaysia cannot become a world-class great nation if we are open-minded and can leverage on the values and virtues of these four great human civilisations.
There is no reason why Malaysia cannot become a world-class great nation but it will take time and we must have the stamina, perseverance and commitment to make Malaysia a world-class great nation for we have been straggling behind one nation after another in the last half a century.
Yesterday, I also visited Bemban constituency where the DAP Malacca State Chairman, Tey Kok Kiew is contesting, moving from a comparatively safe seat of Bandar Hilir to the dicey Bemban constituency.
What Kok Kiew has done is in the best DAP tradition.
I had no hesitation when I left Malacca after 17 years to lead the Penang DAP’s “front-line state” campaign in 1986, just as I had no hesitation when I contested in Ipoh Timur parliamentary constituency in 2004 to restore the DAP’s influence in the Kinta Valley or when I contested in Gelang Patah in 2013 to make Johore the new front-line state to make Malaysia a more just and equal nation.
Kok Kew deserves full support from the voters of Bemban in the new DAP campaign to make Malaysia a world-class great nation by 2050.
I am 80 years old but I am young enough to dream of Malaysia becoming a world0-class great nation by 2050.
This is my Malaysian Dream!
