http://dapmalaysia.org  

Death threat with two bullets sent to DAP Tanjong MP must be condemned in the strongest possible terms and should be powerful reminder that triad politics or "black gold" politics should not be allowed to take root in Malaysia


Media Conference Statement
by Lim Kit Siang

(Penang,  Sunday): The death threat with two bullets sent to DAP MP for Tanjong, Chow Kon Yeow, must be condemned in the strongest possible terms and must be allowed no place in a parliamentary democracy which believes in the rule of law.

I would call on the person who sent the threatening death note with two bullets to Chow to relent and repent, and realize that this is a completely unacceptable conduct in our society. There can be no tolerance in our society for anti-social conduct not only of taking the law into one's own hands, but to kill or maim to frustrate an elected representative from discharging his duties to his electorate and the people to ensure a better quality of life.
The death threat with two bullets sent to Chow must therefore be condemned unreservedly. It should also serve as a powerful reminder that triad politics or "black gold" politics which had recently become the talk of the country should not be allowed to take root in Malaysia.

Is there "black gold" politics in Malaysia - the curse of Taiwan politics arising from the fusion of organized crime with the politics of money to corrupt the political system, the economic order, the rule of law and social justice in the country?

The Deputy Youth and Sports Minister and MCA Youth leader, Datuk Ong Tee Kiat, said yes, that there is the terrible "black gold" politics in MCA and that he has all the evidence to prove it. However, he is not prepared to name names or give the evidence to the MCA leadership as there is "no guarantee of personal safety".

On Friday, Ong said he had submitted evidence of his allegation of "black gold" politics in MCA to the Acting Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

If it is true that Ong had submitted evidence of "black gold" politics in MCA to Abdullah, then the subsequent chain of events called for explanation.

As Acting Prime Minister, Abdullah is neither the investigatory nor law enforcement arm of the government. If he had been provided with evidence of serious crimes in the country - and there could not be more serious crimes than "black gold" politics in any country where triads corrupt the political system, the economic order, the rule of law and social justice in the country - then he should immediately refer them either to the police or the Anti-Corruption Agency for the most thorough investigation and severe action to be taken to clean root them out of the body politic.

But Abdullah has not done this. Instead, his public directive to the MCA President, Datuk Seri Dr. Ling Liong Sik to resolve the MCA crisis immediately has been used by the two MCA factions to justify their respective positions - including to condone and cover-up "black gold" politics.

The DAP is not interested in the various turns and twists of the MCA power struggle between its "A" and "B" factions but all Malaysians must be concerned as to how the serious allegation of "black gold" politics in MCA and Malaysia, which Ong said he could fully substantiate if his personal safety is guaranteed, is handled by the highest authorities - as it will be a test-case of whether high-level corruption would be combated without compromise.

In view of the seriousness of the matter, Abdullah should make a ministerial statement in Parliament tomorrow on "black gold" politics in MCA, especially as there is the question in many Malaysian minds as to whether the Acting Prime Minister is either condoning or involved in a "cover up" of "black gold" politics in Malaysia, despite being given all the proof and evidence by Ong Tee Kiat.

Ong made very serious allegations of grand corruption, grave ethical breaches and abuses of power on Friday, that he did not commit the three offences - selling classified information to foreign businessmen for personal profit, being a permanent resident of a foreign country even before he was appointed deputy minister and having assets worth hundreds of millions of ringgit. (New Straits Times 15.3.03)

Malaysians now know that Ong was referring to MCA Wanita chief Datuk Dr. Ng Yen Yen on the permanent resident allegation. The MCA deputy president Datuk Seri Lim Ah Lek has owned up that Ng had misled the MCA and the government in claiming that she was no more a permanent resident of Australia when she was appointed as Senator in 1993.

As Ah Lek has conceded, the appointment of a Senator who is a PR in a foreign country "brings disrepute to the Senate" and in her particular case, also to the Pahang exco and to the Pahang legislative assembly as her senatorial appointment was from the Pahang quota.

Malaysians want to know how the government and MCA propose to deal with such grave ethical breaches and to give a satisfactory accounting on this episode after its expose.

The next question is: Who are the MCA leaders implicated in the other two allegations: who sell information to foreign businessmen for personal profit and who have assets worth hundreds of millions of ringgit!

Has Abdullah been given information and evidence to substantiate these two other allegations, and if so, is he is condoning them or involved in their "cover-up"?

(16/3/2003)


* Lim Kit Siang, DAP National Chairman