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Urge The People Of Teluk Kemang To Vote For The Alternative Front As A Way To Signal A Change For The Better Part of the speech by Dr Tan Seng Giaw, DAP National Vice-Chairman and MP for Kepong during the Teluk Kemang, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia, by-election campaign (30.4.2000-10.6.2000) in Port Dickson on 4 June 2000. | |||||||
| On Day 6 of the Teluk Kemang by-election, Barisan Nasional, National Front, BN, leaders, the Deputy Prime Minister, Ministers and others flog into the ground, going from house to house, dispensing largese and making promises. They have flogged absolutely to death promises of development and BN unity. Whatever BN's material and media advantage, the voters can make a choice. This is an opportunity to tell the BN Government that the people want a change for the better. One effective way of making BN fulfill its promises is to vote for the Barisan Alternative, Alternative Front, BA. For example, the Public Works Minister Dato' Seri S. Samy Vellu has talked about giving RM5 million to the constituency for improving infrastructure, compensation for the encephalitis victims, the pig farmers, since May 1999, and the Cabinet discussion over the signboards levy of shops in Port Dickson. BN had retained Teluk Kemang for the past 36 years until the death of its last Member of Parliament just before this by-election. What has it been doing all this while? Only now the Government wants to improve the infrastructure. For over a year, thousands of people in the constituency have suffered form the encephalitis epidemic, made worse because of the mishandling of the Government. Over 100 people died from the disease and millions of pigs destroyed. Even if the Government compensates these pig farmers RM250 per head of pig culled, it would not have relieved them of the suffering. Is it RM120 per head that the Government will eventually give? The local government has been planning to raise the levy of the signboards for shops in Port Dickson for some time. Now, Dato' Seri S. Samy Vellu alleges that he has brought this up in the Federal Government Cabinet meeting. A local matter is discussed at the Cabinet? Does he mean that he is doing away with the local council and the | |
state government? If the voters support BA, the Government is more likely to carry out its promises, hoping that it would regain the constituency in the next general elections. On 3 June 2000, the Prime Minister said that the Government would continue with a just administration and the practice of democratic system of government, giving the people freedom of expression and action as long as they did not encroach on the rights of others. "Although the voice of the minority can be heard, the rights of the majority prevail. Basic rights is not for acting violently. Nobody is above the laws," he added. The civil service and the public institutes of higher learning are at a crossroad. Many of the 850,000 civil servants including the police and the army are unhappy with the BN policy and the rot that has set in after 44 years of one-party rule. The negative and fixed mentality of the policy makers makes it difficult to have a just administration, a democratic governance and a truely independent judiciary. In our constitutional struggle, we abhor any form of violence. But, we feel that the Prime Minister has not reflected the true state of the freedom of expression and action as well as human rights. BN has 147 seats out of 193. Teluk Kemang going to BN again would not change anything except perhaps making it more arrogant. If BN wins with a bigger majority, it will crack itself up. On the other hand, a BA victory means it has 43 MPs and one more voice in Parliament, speaking out loud and clear against injustices. The cumulative irregularities of 44 years's continuous rule include money politcs, business politics, corruption, mismanagement, cronyism, nepotism, wastage and bloodymindedness. We urge Teuk Kemang voters to use this opportunity to vote for BA, thus telling BN Government to fulfill its promises and to realize its rhetorics.
Dr Tan Seng Giaw | |||||
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