(Petaling Jaya, Thursday): At the Seri Rambai DAP Branch Support, Sympathy and Solidarity with Lim Guan Eng Ceramah in Bukit Mertajam on Tuesday night, I had said that August 24 is a fateful day for Lim Guan Eng, as on that day, the Federal Court would be making the final appellate decision on his double conviction and sentence under the Sedition Act and the Printing Presses and Publications Act.
If the Federal Court upholds the three-year jail sentence handed down by the Court of Appeal against Guan Eng on 1st April 1998, then Guan Eng would begin his jail sentence in Kajang Prisons on that day itself.
August 24, 1998 therefore will decide whether Guan Eng will end his political life.
I said in Bukit Mertajam two nights ago that there are people both inside and outside the DAP who want to end my political life even earlier before August 24, at the DAP National Congress on August 22/23 during the DAP party elections.
I have however been proved wrong, for the KOKS (Knock-Out Kit Siang) campaign has not only publicly surfaced, but has accelerated its agenda to knock me out of politics even earlier than the Party Congress on August 22/23, by demanding for my instant resignation. The KOKS campaign has made a strategic shift, to focus on me and for the moment not to include DAP National Chairman, Dr. Chen Man Hin and the DAP National Deputy Chairman, Karpal Singh.
The KOKS campaign is living up to its "32 is Enough" slogan, that I should be toppled like Suharto of Indonesia because I have become totally cut off from the aspirations of Malaysians, particularly the young generation of Malaysians, and that I have become an obstacle to the promotion of democracy and human rights in Malaysia.
I have even been accused of having "changed" and betrayed the DAP principles and objectives by being a secret and loyal supporter of the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamad.
I only want to say that if it is true that I have reached a special understanding with Mahathir, I would be appearing on television prime time most of the nights, and not some leading lights of the KOKS campaign, as if the electronic media whether RTM 1, 2 or TV3 have become official sponsors of the KOKS campaign!
The identity of the persons involved in the KOKS campaign, their strategy and motives are becoming clearer with every passing day.
It is clear that for the sake of knocking me out, as well as "finishing off" Lim Guan Eng, the KOKS leaders are prepared to wreck the DAP and destroy the chances and hopes of Malaysians that in the coming general elections, there would be a new political phenomenon in the country where for the first time in Malaysian history, the Barisan Nasional would be denied its two-thirds parliamentary majority to pave the way for full liberalisation and democratisation of nation-building policies.
Party members and the general public can see that the KOKS leaders are serving the MCA agenda by employing classic MCA tactics to attack the credibility, image and integrity of the DAP leadership, as in the baseless questioning and attack on the DAP in connection with the Save Bukit China campaign fund - with MCA leaders at various time and at different places lodging the same polic report sometimes by the same persons against the DAP about 20-30 times over, just to get cheap publicity particularly in the MCA-controlled mass media.
The first use of these MCA tactics by the KOKS leaders yesterday to attack the DAP leadership was given prominent coverage by one MCA-owned English language daily - showing that the KOKS leaders now have special access not only to television but also to MCA assistance and resources - to the extent that a daily national newspaper has virtually become their mouthpiece!
I can understand the outrage of party leaders, members and supporters at the reckless and destructive actions of the KOKS leaders, for no one who claims to love the Party would act in utter disregard of the enormous damage to the party and the future of democracy in Malaysia by serving the agenda of the MCA and the Barisan Nasional as by appearing nightly on television to tell lies and falsehoods about the DAP.
Apart from wanting to "knock" me out and "finishing off" Lim Guan Eng, the KOKS leaders are not bothered one jot whether their baseless and destructive public attacks on the DAP leadership could destroy what so many Party leaders, members and supporters had built up in 32 years with their blood, sweat and tears.
They are not bothered one jot whether their baseless and destructive activities give ammunition to the MCA to attack the DAP in the coming general elections - as if they have come to the conclusion that they would prefer to see the MCA flourish and the DAP decimated in the next general elections rather than the DAP making a historic political breakthrough by helping to bring about the denial of parliamentary two-thirds majority to the Barisan Nasional.
Some KOKS leaders have publicly expressed their supreme confidence of victory at the DAP Congress on August 22/23. I have no such confidence and I concede that I can be defeated at the party elections on August 22/23 or be isolated at the new Central Executive Committee where I would be a mere puppet even if I am re-elected as Secretary-General. If it is the verdict of the DAP delegates that "32 is Enough" for me, I shall accept the verdict.
(13/8/98)