[ Laman Ehwal Semasa ReformIS ]
Date: 19 Aug 1999
Time: 04:33:32
Remote User: -
Opposition hopes for a boost from Guan Eng's release
By BRENDAN PEREIRA IN KUALA LUMPUR
MALAYSIA'S loosely formed opposition coalition hopes to get a major lift after Aug 25 -- when a politician who cannot contest the next general election walks through the iron gates of Kajang Prison.
In Mr Lim Guan Eng, the Democratic Action Party (DAP), Parti Keadilan Nasional, Parti Islam (PAS) and Parti Rakyat Malaysia see a unifying symbol that can reach out to the country's voters and convince them that their coalition is truly multi-racial and not a largely-Malay movement.
Already, opposition members on the ground have been touting DAP stalwart Lim Kit Siang's son as a leader who has crossed the racial divide -- a Chinese man jailed for fighting for the rights of a Malay girl.
The younger Lim was sentenced to 18 months' jail in April last year for printing a pamphlet which slammed the government for not pressing statutory-rape charges against former Malacca Chief Minister Tan Sri Rahim Thamby Chik.
He will be freed from jail on Wednesday and a guard-of-honour of DAP and other opposition politicians are planning to welcome him.
After that, he would be whisked off to Malacca -- his home state -- to address a gathering of several thousand people.
A dinner will be held; then, it will be one roadshow after another.
Although he will not be able to contest this election, and possibly the next -- a five-year period of disqualification applies from the date of release -- he is still of value to the coalition.
Dr Chandra Muzaffar, vice-president of Parti Keadilan, wrote a letter to the jailed politician recently.
He said: "As you know, the movement, though multi-ethnic in orientation, is still a largely-Malay movement...greater effort is needed to transform the movement into a powerful political force that transcends ethnic boundaries.
"Our Chinese sisters and brothers in particular have to be persuaded that our movement for change is committed to justice for all.
"Given your image and standing, you are in a position to convey this message..." National Front politicians are well aware of the fillip the opposition will get from his release from jail.
Premier Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad urged grassroots leaders recently to rebut points raised by the opposition politician. The Straits Times understands that the Malaysian Chinese Association -- the DAP's main rival for the Chinese vote -- has been meeting to prepare a strategy against the younger Lim.
The members remain confident that any cooperation between the DAP and PAS Islamic fundamentalists will not be acceptable to the bulk of Chinese voters, even if the popular politician endorses it. For now, though, Mr Lim Kit Siang is leaving others to speculate on the implications of his son's release.
"The family is waiting for him to come home. We have missed him greatly," he said.
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LIM GUAN ENG: Jailed 1-1/2 years
BORN in December 1960 to opposition DAP Secretary-General Lim Kit Siang.
MP for Kota Melaka until stripped of this status in May.
Jailed in April last year for printing a political pamphlet critical of the government's handling of the rape scandal surrounding Tan Sri Rahim Thamby Chik