Three MCA MPs, Chua Jui Meng, Ting Chew Peh and Loke Yuen Yow, who had voted for Article 121(1A) amendment in 1988 should declare whether they intended to create injustices like the Rayappan and Moorthy cases and if not, what they are doing to rectify them

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Media Statement (2)
by Lim Kit Siang  
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(Parliament, Wednesday) : Yesterday, I called on two Ministers, Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu and Datuk Seri Dr. Lim Keng Yaik who were in the 1988 Cabinet and who voted for the 1988 Constitution Amendment Bill in Parliament on 18th March 1988, to speak up in Cabinet today to put the record straight � that the enactment of Article 121(1A) in the 1988 Constitution Amendment Bill was never intended to create injustices and family griefs like the Rayappan and Moorthy cases when they voted 18 years ago to amend the Federal Constitution and enact Article 121(1A) and to ask the Cabinet to rectify such injustices.

I do not know what transpired in the Cabinet this morning, although I have been informed that the Rayappan case was discussed at the Cabinet today.

I want now to call on three current MCA MPs, Chua Jui Meng, Dr. Ting Chew Peh and Loke Yuen Yow, who had voted for Article 121(1A) amendment in 1988 to declare whether they had intended their vote and support in Parliament 18 years ago to create injustices like the Rayappan and Moorthy cases and if not, what they are doing to rectify them.

In fact, all the MCA, Gerakan and MIC MPs in 1988 who voted in support of the 1988 Constitution Amendment Bill on 18th March 1988, resulting in a vote of 142 for and 18 in the second-reading voting, should declare their stand on the Rayappan and Moorthy injustices.

The 18 MPs who voted against the Constitution Amendment Bill 1988 and the Article 121(1A) amendment were 17 DAP MPs and one PAS MP. Seven other DAP MPs at the time, namely Karpal Singh, Dr. Tan Seng Giaw, Lim Guan Eng, Lau Dak Kee, the late P. Patto, the late V. David and I did not vote as we were detained under the Internal Security Act under the infamous Operation Lalang at Kamunting Detention Centre.

Among the MCA, Gerakan and MIC MPs who had voted in support of the 1988 Constitution Amendment Bill 18 years ago, apart from Chua Jui Meng, Dr. Ting Chew Peh and Loke Yuen Yow, were:

MCA

Dr. Ling Liong Sik Lee Kim Sai Ng Cheng Kiat Oo Gin Sun Kok Wee Kiat Woon See Chin Teng Gaik Kwan Chew Kam Hoy Law Lai Heng Dr. Lim Ann Koon

Gerakan

Goh Cheng Teik

MIC

S.S. Subramaniam

Although the 12 former MCA, Gerakan and MIC MPs are no more MPs, they must still be held responsible for what they voted for when they were Minister or MPs in the past, and this is why they must now stand out to declare whether they had intended to create the injustices and family griefs like the Rayappan and Moorthy cases, and whether they would support amendment to Article 121(1A) to remove such unintended consequences of their support for the 1988 Constitution Amendment Bill 18 years ago.

(6/12/2006)