I got into Petaling Jaya at about 3 am this morning after the phenomenon of “ocean of black” both from the capacity and roaring crowd at the thank-voters DAP Ipoh ceramah at Chin Woo Hall and the equally-matched crowd, both in numbers and commitment to vision for a new Malaysia, outside Chin Woo last night.
But I woke up after a few hours of sleep to the shock of my life, as I was told that I have been the target of attacks on the social media, particularly facebook, for betraying the people, DAP and Pakatan Rakyat in wanting to form a coalition government with Barisan Nasional.
Because of prolonged lack of sleep, both during the 15-day 13GE election campaign as well as the four hectic days after Sunday’s Polling Day, it took me awhile to fully grasp what was happening – as I had done nothing in the past four days since outcome of the 13GE results to justify any notion that I had betrayed the people, DAP and PR in wanting to form a coalition government with Barisan Nasional.
This morning, hard-core DAP loyalists were first the target of attacks because of newspaper headlines quoting me as saying as if I had agreed with the idea of forming a coalition government with BN – of wanting to replace MCA in BN! As one DAP loyalists described his experience on fb, viz:
早上到巴剎,
一片罵聲,而且句句對準行動黨,
林吉祥更是慘被”PKHKC”,
嚇到,發生什麼事?後來轉到小報攤,
看到星洲斗大的標題”林吉祥:可與國陣組聯合政府”,
驚嚇度爆燈,給人家玩到醬大?
不是吧!?不是吧!!
隔壁小食攤也是炮聲隆隆,
行動黨在這批老人家的心目中極速貶值,
一個看來是老林的支持者,
顯然剛剛才被修理,氣勢很弱的在講”亂寫的啦!”
回到家,
家裡兩老一見我就拿著報紙開炮,
好不容易重建形象的行動黨,
再次在我家淪陷.
我的諸位行動黨朋友,
這次你們不趕快拆掂它,真的會很夠力很夠力,
不信的話,去外面轉一圈收下風啦.
This is completely untrue, as whether at the press conference at DAP Hqrs yesterday afternoon or at the DAP ceramah in Ipoh last night, I totally rejected the idea of DAP joining the Barisan Nasional to replace MCA – as I made it very clear that the DAP never intended to replace MCA in Barisan Nasional as our objectives since our formation 47 years ago has always been to fight for the rights and interests of all Malaysians, whether Malays, Chinese, Indians, Kadazans or Ibans and never just for the Chinese.
DAP leaders have sacrificed in the past 47 years, dragged to court, detained under the Internal Security Act, gone to jail not just for the Chinese but for the rights and interests of all Malaysians – and it is just unthinkable for anyone to think that all this record of half-a-century championing the rights of all Malaysians regardless of race is to be completely wiped out, with the DAP fighting only to replace MCA in the BN!
I notice the response on fb expressing surprise that there could be such misperceptions, quoting what I had said at the Ipoh ceramah last night, dismissing in toto any idea of DAP joining BN to replace MCA!
There was the second suggestion of Pakatan Rakyat forming a coalition government with Barisan Nasional – where I said that the response will have to come from the Pakatan Rakyat leadership council.
But my personal view is that it is only when Barisan Nasional is prepared to endorse the Pakatan Rakyat Common Policy Framework and the PR 13GE manifesto, to eradicate corruption, abuses of power, all forms of injustices and exploitation, that there is basis for consideration of such a proposition of a BN-PR coalition government.
At the Ipoh rally, I specifically asked the crowd whether they would agree with my approach, and the answer was a thunderous “yes”.
I have a video recording of my speech in Ipoh. It has been uploaded on my blog and fb.
How then could there be the widespread misperception on the social media that I support the DAP joining BN coalition government to replace MCA?
Apparently, the fault lies in the newspaper headlines in the Chinese press, mixing the two separate issues: firstly, whether DAP will join BN to replace MCA; and secondly, the separate proposal of a BN-PR coalition government.
The Sin Chew front page headline for instance gives readers who read the first headline and not even the secondary headline or the news report the impression that I support the idea of DAP joining BN to replace MCA.
The first Sin Chew headline reads: “Lim Kit Siang: Can have coalition government with BN”.
The secondary headline reads: “Condition: Accept PR’s election manifesto”.
This should be a precious lesson to Sin Chew and all headline sub-editors that they have to be very careful to ensure that their primary headline do not give rise to false conclusions and misperceptions as they cannot assume that readers will read the contents or even the secondary headline.
In this particular instance, to avoid misunderstanding, both headlines should be primary headlines and not separated into primary headline (in red) and secondary headline (in black).
If DAP were to join BN, it will be a great betrayal to the voters who voted them. DAP is a multiracial party, joining BN to represent the Chinese will defeat the purpose. I fully trust that DAP with highly intelligence leaders would make a wise decision on this issue. God Bless DAP.
no, I am sure LKS cannot replace CSL because LKS was never recorded in movie.
Perish the thought. We never voted to back PR, in general, and DAP, specifically, to form a coalition with BN whether or not they accept your manifesto. If that ever happens, it only proves that DAP is just as power crazy and unscrupulous and I can bet you that all my friends who supported you in GE13 will not think twice to reject you at the next polls.
Perish the thought. DAP must come out now to categorically deny that this will ever happen. We never voted to back PR and DAP, specifically, to form any coalition with BN/umno whether or not they accept your manifesto. If it ever happens, it will prove what mca has said about you being power crazy and this act of betrayal will lose you ALL the supporters and we WILL vote against you at the next polls.
Thanks for the clarification and strong denial.
DO NOT EVEN THINK ABOUT JOINING BN.
LET THEM WORK WITH YOU, NOT YOU WITH THEM.
Tell Najib to forget it. Be categorical, giving no room for doubts, twist and turns by BN mouth pieces.
Please do not betray us. You have suffered much for us, we know, and we appreciate. But please stay stay the course. ROCKET is the only hope for Malaysia 2.0
i voted dap under the impression that pakatan are able to curb the corruption and the insensible waste of rakyat money. and to see justice on those “you know who”. due to this belief, i voted in this GE not because of the candidate capabilities but of the party itself. I don’t see how siding with BN can make this happen, you will definitely lose my vote in the next GE as my area MCA can be a much better candidate then the DAP.
Meanwhile BN and umno monkey on and continue to horse around the nation.
伟大的林领袖：
继续保持理性， 清者自清，如果联合政府能让这国家变得更好， 也不是一件坏事，我们尊敬的是您一颗有仁爱的心。
越能平静看待挑战，合理做出判断的领导，才是越能让人民敬爱的领导。
放心吧，在给一点时间， 人民有足够的智慧来判断您的为人。
感恩您牺牲了这样多岁月来为人民， 为大马创造政治奇迹。
Sabah BN MPs getting RM20-30m per MP JUST for STAYING WITH BN..DAP MP surely worth at least RM50-60m?? 35X50=RM1.75BILLION..
Wah!!
WTF? They even want to buy DAP and PR?!!! BN/UMNO suckers always think that money can buy everything as they have been doing. After all, those monies are tax payers’ monies, dude!!!
Perhaps, this is one way to smear the DAP and PR. By all means, they just want to regain their losing/ cheating faces by cooking up all sorts of stories!
You were not the only one who was shocked.
Najib got a shock too this morning when he read Sin Chew. He almost choked on a banana. For a moment he thought you and the DAP will save him. But alas, his joy was short-lived.
Dear Kit,
I have known you for more than twenty years and I know you will NEVER betray the trust we have placed in you.
In this instance I do not blame those who vilified you after reading the Chinese papers.
Emotions are running high on the ground and there is deep, naked hatred towards BN. That is why they donated millions of ringgit to the DAP at your ceramahs. Considering the sentiments on the ground you should have just told the press in one simple sentence. “We will NEVER EVER join BN”. Full stop.
Surely, being such an intelligent man you know how the Malaysian press skewers and distort Opposition leaders statements.
Why the need to say “DAP will weigh coalition rule …..”.
Emotional people do not take kindly to any kind of overtures towards BN.
for me the nation needs to get down to some serious business of real reforms and both sides should realise that nothing will happen unless there is better cooperation.
So will the PM accept PR’s agenda in order to stay in office?
Here are some issues to work out:
1. Proper guidelines for open tenders.
2. Bring back local elections
3. Reform the Elections Commission that should be under a PSC and not the PMO.
4. Resolve the SYABAS issue
5. Reduce/limit the civil service numbers by 10% each year via attrition and vso.
A two-party system means that either of them has to govern with razor-thin majority so that they will consider different points of view. The voters do not vote representatives to share power themselves, just like BN is doing now. Pakatan Rakyat should not form coalition government with BN no matter how BN accept PK ideals. Voters want to judge who governs better given that both wants the country to be strong. Please allow voters the opportunity to choose by remaining as opposition, or take over entirely from BN.
Serves you right, Kit. You folks never learn when handling the press. Just like Khoo Kay Kim who now claims he was misquoted by Utusan.
Saudara Kit Siang, anything you say, do, or think, will be taken down and used in evidence in propaganda proceedings through Utusan and Mainstream Broadcasting.
This is the Kickapoo/Miranda-Orange warning to all people of goodwill including you, beloved Saudara.
LKS is D stalwart of DAP, hence his personal opinion/comment has to take this into consideration. Now, it was a rough and brutal campaign having to face Bumno/bn jungernaut, “government” machinery in full force. Hence, proper rest you may need lest mistake might be easily commited in speech, act, etc. later – leading to complacency now !. Remmember dealing with Bumno there are pitfalls all over awaiting, hence BEWARE – never, never forget or off-guard.
Now, think having said once for Abdul Ghani is enough, more will be ” out of line “. Hello ! is their party affairs so stay out of it would be better, lest someone will come telling what or not about DAP. WAKE UP now !!! Get focus or take a good rest,,,
Further LKS should always remember the moment when tears were shed because DAP might have to use PAS logo to contest then. That should be the BEST (latest) lesson LKS to Recall before and when dealing with Bumno/bn. That could jolt LKS back to reality , his senses.
I am not worry about DAP joining BN because I did read the sub heading on the condition, there fore it will never happened any way.
but now what i was most disappointed was the fight among PKR on the choice who will be MB of Selangor.
It was very sad in need when this problem surface after PR win big on Selangor.
It is very important for PR to shown good example on ruling Selangor other wise what else to talk if PR can talk over Putra Jaya. If the problem continue the trust of Selangor voters pu on PR will be shaken. Please remember by the time GE13 closed it is the start of GE14. If PR shown that immaturity, then I doubt why I should Vote PR any more.
That is what two parties system is all about.
I am least worry about DAP but more on PKR. Now we have problem on who should be MB of Selangor?
If PKR’s pro long the issue the voters especially those from Selangor will lost faith on PR because of PKR failure to shown a unity front.