DAP, which has been in Malaysian politics for 34 years, will be the first to endorse the call by the Deputy Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Badawi for politics to be free of hooliganism, gangsterism and all forms of violence, but we unreservedly condemn such a wild allegation by the Prime Minister.
DAP, and I am sure all parties in the Barisan Alternative, will give their full co-operation with the Barisan Nasional and the Police to ensure a Malaysian politics free of hooliganism, gangsterism and all forms of violence. In fact, we want to go one step further - a Malaysian politics which is also free of hooliganism, gangsterism and all forms of violence perpetrated by organs of the state at the behest of the ruling parties.
As his political position is now secure with his uncontested nomination as UMNO President for another term, Mahathir should rise above petty party politics to try to heal the unprecedentedly deep divisions in the country in what he himself described would be his fifth and last term as Prime Minister.
I call on Mahathir to lead the country to return to political sanity instead of trying to booby-trap the Opposition into provocative situations by arbitrary denial of the fundamental right to peaceful assembly and wild allegations.
There was no good and acceptable reason in a democracy for the police to disallow a political party to celebrate its anniversary, as happened to Parti Keadilan Nasional in Malacca and Kuala Lumpur in the past two days.
Similarly, so long as the Opposition parties and leaders can give a firm and serious pledge to the police that their public meetings and commemorative events would be held peacefully, the Police should be mindful of their duty to further the Rukunegara objective to uphold "a democratic way of life" in Malaysia and not create unnecessary obstacles to the holding of such peaceful and legitimate political activities.
(10/4/2000)