(Ipoh, Saturday): The two-day DAP National Leadership Conference in Port Dickson last weekend, reviewing the political developments in the 12 months after the last general election, was very concerned about the worsening political situation in the country, particularly the various attempts by extremist forces to escalate ethnic tensions in the country over the 83 Suqiu Appeals and the failure and refusal of the Barisan Nasional government to carry out political, economic, social and educational reforms to resolve the multiple crisis of confidence afflicting the country.
The DAP was right to be concerned, as the national situation is worsening by the week, and one indicator was the plunge of the stock market yesterday below the psychological 700-point threshold to close at a 14-month low. Three months ago, the Deputy Finance Minister predicted that the Kuala Lumpur stock exchange would bounce back and that the Kuala Lumpur Composite Index (KLCI) would hit the 1,000-mark. With only two trading days left before the year ends, the question is whether the KLCI could hold on to the 700-mark!
Investor confidence, both national and foreign, are at an all-time low. Foreigners withdrew a net RM7.2 billion from Malaysia's stock market in the six months to September compared with RM1.4 billion a year ago.
Recent corporate shenanigans such as those involving UEM and Renong, where the interests of minority shareholders were simply trampled upon, and the government’s RM1.792 billion "buyback bailout" of 29.09 per cent stake in Malaysia Airlines (MAS) at RM8 per share from Tan Sri Tajudin Ramli when the market price was only RM3.68 per share are proof that corporate reforms, transparency and good governance rank very low in the order of priorities in the country.
In the past 12 months, instead of responding to the people’s desires for political, economic, social and educational reforms, the Barisan Nasional government had become even more undemocratic and arbitrary in its disregard for the rule of law and human rights in the country, as evidenced by the continued persecution of the former Deputy Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim; the clampdown on freedom of speech, assembly and association; the contempt for public opinion as on the Vision School plan and the wild and reckless attacks on Suqiu.
With this political backdrop, the DAP National Leadership Conference reaffirmed its role in the Barisan Alternative to restore justice, freedom , democracy and good governance in the country as the goals for which the opposition parties had banded together have still to be achieved.
DAP is committed to do our utmost to achieve the Barisan Alternative common goals of justice, freedom, democracy and good governance while promoting greater openness and tolerance for multi-racial, multi-religious, multi-lingual and multi-cultural Malaysia - to create a New Malaysia in the 21st century.
The component parties in the Barisan Alternative have different political objectives and policies, but we had come together before the 1999 general elections to break the uninterrupted political hegemony of the Barisan Nasional government for almost five decades to realise the aspirations of Malaysians for justice, democracy and good governance.
DAP disagrees with PAS on the issue of Islamic State, as we are unswervingly committed to the establishment of a secular democratic Malaysia. DAP’s co-operation with PAS is not to create an Islamic State, but to restore justice, freedom, democracy and good governance.
Similarly, DAP disagrees with Parti Keadilan Malaysia on the division of Malaysians into bumiputras and non-bumiputras, which was highlighted by the recent controversy over the 83 Suqiu Appeals.
DAP fully supports the Suqiu appeal for the end of the distinction of Malaysians into bumiputeras and non-bumiputeras, which not only does not challenge the constitutionally-entrenched sensitive issues like Malay special rights, but is in conformity with Vision 2020 and Bangsa Malaysia.
However, DAP and Keadilan agree that Suqiu has the right to present the appeals - unlike UMNO leaders and even the MCA President, Datuk Seri Dr. Ling Liong Sik, who deny Suqiu the right to present its appeals and want it to withdraw the "objectionable" appeals!
DAP has an important role in the Barisan Alternative to promote
greater openness and tolerance for multi-racial, multi-religious,
multi-lingual and multi-cultural Malaysia, not only to promote inter-religious
and inter-civilisational dialogues so that non-Muslims understand that
Islam is not an extremist, intolerant and fanatical religion but also to
ensure that PAS understand why non-Muslims cannot accept an Islamic
state as well as to ensure that all Malaysian leaders, both Malay
and non-Malay, can understand why Malaysian Chinese and Malaysian
Indians, especially those born in Malaysia after Independent nationhood,
find it a great injustice that they are not recognised as sons and daughters
of the soil in a land of their full and undivided loyalty.
(23/12/2000)