Press Statement By DAP Secretary-General And MP For Bagan Lim Guan Eng In Kuala Lumpur On 13.2.2017.
The unexpected resignation of Kota Melaka MP Sim Tong Him, Duyong assemblyperson Goh Leong San, Bachang assemblyperson Lim Jak Wong and Kesidang assemblyperson Chin Choong Seong from the DAP has given BN a gift in the next general elections despite BN being mired in massive corruption scandals from 1MDB RM52 billion scandals and USD1 billion donation scandals to FELDA’s RM4.3 billion missing funds scandal. The resignation of the four elected representatives were unexpected because Sim who had been personally handpicked by DAP leader Lim Kit Siang to stand in the 1986 general elections, and again saved by Kit Siang from expulsion from the DAP after Sim stood as an independent in the 2013 general election against the DAP candidate in the Kota Laksamana state seat.
DAP could have taken disciplinary action then against such open defiance against the party, but we believed that Sim whilst misguided, was still loyal to the party and the people. Sim had repeatedly pledged his undying loyalty to the DAP. Even during his betrayal of the party in the 2013 general elections, Sim had famously said that “he lived as DAP and would die as a DAP man, this fact is immutable”. Clearly Sim has broken his pledge not just to the party but to the people who supported the DAP.
I admit my mistake in trusting that Sim Tong Him and his faction leaders, will remain loyal to DAP and DAP’s campaign to save Malaysia, despite their differences with the DAP Central Executive Committee(CEC). I am saddened to hear Sim saying that he leaves the party he joined for nearly 35 years without any heartache.
With the benefit of hindsight, it is clear that Sim and his faction, could not accept their rejection by DAP Melaka members which led to their defeat in the 2015 DAP Melaka State Ordinary Convention. Goh Leong San was replaced by Banda Hilir ADUN Tey Kok Tiew as DAP Melaka State Chairman.
The party did not change but remained the same. Sim and his faction changed after their defeat, focusing their attacks on the party rather than on BN’s corruption scandals or the excesses of the Melaka Chief Minister. Instead of working to win back the confidence of DAP Melaka members, they turned against DAP for spurning them, leading to a one year suspension by the party.
Any party member that genuinely loves their party would communicate policy differences with the party leadership. None of the four had conveyed to me, Acting National Chairman Tan Kok Wai or National Organising Secretary Anthony Loke on the so-called deep policy differences with the party. They appear confused as to what policy differences they are unhappy about. They also seem confused about the rationale for resigning, which appears more to be an act of personal retaliation for their defeat in the Melaka state party elections and subsequent suspension for one year.
DAP has adhered to our struggle for a Malaysian Malaysia and will continue to fight corruption and defend the Federal Constitution from being manipulated and perverted by BN. The four’s adoption of the MCA’s dishonest line that DAP’s support for PAS in the 13th General Elections accelerated Malaysia’s Islamisation, ignores the fact that it is UMNO that is supporting PAS in implementing hudud-like laws whilst DAP broke up with the PAS President for collaborating with UMNO.
DAP members and leaders must pick ourselves up from this betrayal. No individual leader is bigger than the party. I shall be going down to Melaka to hold a meeting with DAP Melaka party leaders and members accompanied by several CEC leaders on Tuesday 8pm. Let us explain to the people that throwing tantrums to satisfy personal grievances has no room in the larger battle to save Malaysians from the economic horrors of corruption, GST, declining incomes and value of the ringgit as well as higher cost of living.
LIM GUAN ENG
民主行动党秘书长兼峇眼国会议员林冠英于2017年2月13日在吉隆坡发表的文告。
我承认我错在相信沈同钦与其派系领袖即便与中委会意见相左，仍会对民主行动党忠诚，并与党一起推动拯救马来西亚的运动。
马六甲市国会议员沈同钦、鲁容州议员吴良山、峇章州议员林敬贤及葛西浪州议员陈仲祥出乎意料地退出行动党，等同为国阵在下一届大选前送上一份大礼，却无视于国阵涉及多项巨大的贪污丑闻包括520亿令吉的1MDB丑闻、10亿令吉的捐献丑闻及联邦土地发展局43亿令吉凭空消失的丑闻。这四位民选议士退党实属意料之外，因为沈同钦是于1986年被行动党领袖林吉祥钦点为大选候选人，2013年沈同钦执意以独立人士身份上阵哥打拉沙马那州议席对垒行动党候选人，当时，也是林吉祥力保沈同钦免于被行动党开除。
行动党本可以采取纪律行动对付公开违抗及对抗党者，但我们相信沈同钦当时是一时迷失，其心底仍是忠于党与人民。沈同钦曾多次宣誓对行动党的忠诚至死不渝，即便他在2013年大选背叛行动党的时候，沈同钦仍曾公开作出著名的誓言称“他生是行动党人，死是行动党鬼，这是无法改变的事实”。 显然，沈同钦现在不仅违背他对行动党的誓言，更违背了支持行动党的人民。
我承认我错在相信沈同钦与其派系领袖即便与中委会意见相左，仍会对民主行动党忠诚，并与党一起推动拯救马来西亚的运动。。当我听闻沈同钦毫无一丝痛心地执意要离开已经加入35年之久的行动党，我感到难过。
很显然，沈同钦及其派系无法接受他们受到马六甲行动党党员的拒绝，让他们在2015年马六甲行动党大会党选中落败。其中，吴良山被怡力区州议员郑国球取代成为马六甲行动党州主席。
行动党始终如一并没有变质，但沈同钦及其派系却在党选落败后变质，他们只专注在攻击党自身多过抨击国阵的贪污丑闻或马六甲首席部长的过失。他们本应该致力赢回马六甲行动党党员对他们的信心，但他们选择将枪口对内，火力全开攻击行动党，这让他们遭到冻结党籍1年。
任何真心爱党者，一旦持有异见必会向党领袖积极沟通，只是，不论是我、行动党全国代主席陈国伟或组织秘书陆兆福，都未曾接到四人反映他们“对党政策有很深的歧见”。他们的辞职显然师出无名，背后似乎只是在为他们从马六甲党选中落败以及被冻结党籍一事，做出报复。
民主行动党始终在为“马来西亚人的马来西亚”坚持奋斗，我们未来会继续对抗贪污腐败，也会捍卫联邦宪法，拒绝让国阵操弄我们的宪法。这四人采纳了马华的同一论调，对我们做出不实地指责，即民主行动党在第13届全国大选中对伊党的支持，才会造就今天马来西亚被快速地伊斯兰化。事实上，他们选择不看见巫统如何与伊党暗渡陈仓，意图让伊斯兰刑事法得以通过，另一边厢，火箭因伊党与巫统的合作，已和伊党主席决裂。
民主行动党的党员与领袖应该要借鉴这次的背叛事件。没有任何个人领袖是大于党的。我会与中央领袖们于星期二晚上8时，到马六甲召开会议，与当地党领袖详谈。我们认为，此时为了一己之利而发泄兼发难，并无助于解救国家于水深火热之中，我们的经济已被贪污腐败侵蚀，人民被消费税、收入减少、马币贬值、生活成本提高压得死死，更需要被拯救。
林冠英