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don't regret taking the risk, says Kit Siang
By Lee Keng Fatt PENANG, Tues. - In the aftermath of the DAP's decimation in Penang, party secretary-general Lim Kit Siang, who lost his parliamentary and State bids, reiterated that he had no regrets in taking the political risk of moving from Tanjung to Bukit Bendera. "My only regret is that I failed to convince the (voters) to bring a paradigm shift to Malaysian politics in the new millennium," he told a news conference at the State DAP headquarters here. Lim, however, gave no indication that he would retire from politics following his disastrous defeats, not just in Bukit Bendera but also in the Tanjung Bunga State seat. Also present was state DAP chairman Karpal Singh, who lost both the Jelutong parliamentary seat which he had held for five terms and the Datuk Keramat State seat. "We are still trying to analyse, study and absorb the results' implications," said Lim who would announce his plans in the next few days. Lim lost by just 104 votes to BN's Chia Kwang Chye in Bukit Bendera but was soundly thrashed by 3,409 votes in Kebun Bunga by BN's Dr Teng Hock Nan. Lim berated voters for having lost an opportunity of denying the Barisan Nasional its two-thirds parliamentary majority. He claimed Malaysians had set the nation on a "very uncertain and perilous future with the marginalisation of DAP in Parliament and Malaysian politics." On why he took the risks, Lim said they were nothing compared to the political risks the DAP took in co-operating with Pas, Parti Keadilan Nasional and PRM to form the Opposition Front. "I have been asked whether my leaving Tanjung was a mistake," he said. "From my personal point of view, I would probably still be a Member of Parliament if I had remained in Tanjung and not moved to Bukit Bendera. "We took these political risks ... to restore justice and freedom, democracy and good governance. My personal defeat is a secondary issue. "What is of greater concern is the far-reaching political repercussions of yesterday's general election result," he said. In a near mirror image of the 1995 general election, the DAP lost 16 bids in State elections but salvaged Batu Lanchang, its traditional stronghold. But while the top guns lost, the minnows did well, winning four out of the seven parliamentary seats they contested in Tanjung, Bagan, Bukit Mertajam and, surprisingly, Nibong Tebal, a traditional BN domain. Lim conceded that the next Opposition Leader in the Dewan Rakyat would have to come from Pas for the first time in 30 years. |
