-K. Sila Dass, September 25, 2018.

Tun Hannif Omar should have verified before making the statement that Lim Kit Siang was pushing for the division of Peninsula Malaysia.

At the time when Singapore was expelled from Malaysia there were numerous allegations against the late Lee Kuan Yew, the former prime minister of Singapore, and one among them was that he had been working towards Singapore and the Borneo States forming  a new state. How much truth there was in this allegation was never explored and it was never raised again after the heat arising from the expulsion of Singapore had lessened. At that time, there were forces in UMNO which objected to the expulsion of Singapore for they were under the impression strong arm tactics could have produced the result they wanted. i.e. keep Singapore within Malaysia. Therefore to say that Lim Kit Siang was pushing for the division of Peninsula was indeed extending the imagination too far.

The reason for rejecting   Haniff’s version (or is it a concoction?) is very clear.  At that time  Kit Siang was the Organising Secretary of DAP and he could not have acted alone as Haniff claims, pushed for the division of Peninsula Malaysia. Apart from that it was a time when the forces that had opposed the formation of Malaysia had quietened down. And DAP was continuing with its battle cry Malaysia for Malaysians.

And if at all what Haniff claims is true, then Kit Siang could have been charged for treason.  And knowing UMNO led Alliance’s swiftness in dealing any act against the State ruthlessly,  it is shocking that no action was taken against Kit Siang. And strangely there was not even a  murmur Kit Siang  was plotting (pushing) for the division of Peninsula.

So where does this lead us to over Haniff’s allegation?

I believe that Haniff has made a very damaging remark against a veteran politician and the false impression created by Haniff needs to be cleared and the truth made public. This is a matter of historical concern and it is essential that those who have been thriving upon fabricated facts should be exposed and all their lies removed from history.