MCA Senators owe nation and Malaysians fulsome apologies for turning Senate into a rubbish dump for political rejects and has-beens


In the shortened four-day Senate meeting this week, the only mark MCA Senators have made is their protest and demand that I apologise to the Senate for calling the House “a rubbish dump”.

MCA Senators, Datuk Wong Siong Hwee and Datuk Yip Kim Fook, staged a duet in the Senate last Wednesday in their protest at my remarks, with the former declaring in a floursh: “Lim has insulted us and is unfair to all of us. The Senate is not a market place. He is an irresponsible leader.”

Wong and Yip have only confirmed the lowly place the Senate has sunk 52 years after Merdeka as they insulted themselves by proving that the Senate had indeed become a “political rubbish dump”.

They even tried to drag the first DAP Senator, Tunku Abdul Aziz into the picture in their duet with Wong telling Tunku Aziz: “He has not only called us rubbish, but had also called you garbage”.

What a low and cheap shot which could only emanate from the rubbish dump!

I repeated my remark of the Senate turning into “a political rubbish dump” at a press conference at the Senate on Monday after Tunku Aziz was sworn in as Senator.

I never said Tunku Aziz was “garbage” as what I said at the media conference at the Senate on Monday was reported by the New Straits Times (9.7.09) thus:

Last Monday, Lim, after witnessing Tunku Abdul Aziz take his oath as senator, urged the government to ensure that the senate did not become a political rubbish dump.

“I have always said the founding fathers wanted the senate to be a place for eminent people, not a political rubbish dump,” he said.

Clearly the MCA Senators do not understand simple English, a reflection of the how bad the English standards of Malaysians have gone to the dumps in the past few decades.

I do not owe the Senate any apology as it is the MCA Senators who owe the nation and Malaysians fulsome apologies for turning Senate into a rubbish dump for political rejects and has-beens, totally against the intent of the nation’s Founding Fathers in having a Second Chamber in Parliament comprising Malaysians of distinction or with distinguished public service.

When I was in the Senate for the first time in my life on Monday to witness the historic occasion of the first DAP Senator taking his oath, I heard the announcement by the outgoing Senate President, Tan Sri Dr. Hamid Pawanteh of six Senators who taken their oath in his Chambers on 9th April 2009, as a result of the Cabinet reshuffle of Datuk Seri Najib Razak on his appointment as Prime Minister as that they could be appointed Ministers or Deputy Ministers, including four who were defeated in last year’s general elections, viz: Tan Sri Dr. Koh Tsu Koon, Datuk Dr. Awang Adek Hussin, Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun, Datuk Sri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil.

This was surely never the intention of the nation’s Founding Fathers for political rejects in the general elections defeated in their bid to get into Dewan Rakyat to enter Parliament by the “back door” of the Senate!

In fact, Article 45(2) on the composition of the Senate had been abused by the MCA in the past five decades for it was used as a “garbage dump” for political rejects and has-beens, totally contradictory to the intent of the nation’s Founding Fathers that Senators appointed by the Yang di Pertuan Agong shall be persons who have “rendered distinguished public service or have achieved distinction in the professions, commerce, industry, agriculture, cultural activities or social service or are representative of racial minorities or are capable of representing the interests of the aborigines”.

Can anyone of the current batch of MCA Senators step forward to claim that he or she qualifies to be a Senator for being a Malaysian of distinction or has “distinguished public service” to justify appointment as Senator?

If none, hasn’t the MCA turned the Senate into a political “rubbish dump” for decades?

What did the whole lot of MCA Senators say in the four-day Senate meeting? Did anyone of them raise the burning issues of the day like the RM12.5 billion Port Klang Free Zone scandal; the RM28 million Istana Khir Toyo scandal; the half-baked Cabinet decision on PPSMI which would make millions of Malaysian students “guinea pigs” twice in their 11-year primary and secondary schooling; the need for a new Inspector-General of Police to ensure an efficient, incorruptible and professional world-class police service to turn back the tide of endemic crime to make Malaysians safe in their own country; and total public loss of confidence in the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) which is better known as Malaysian Agency for Cars and Cows?

Of course not, because the MCA Senators regard the Senate as a mere “political rubbish dump” rather than as an important second chamber of Parliament for the deepest hopes and fears, dream and nightmare of Malaysians regardless of race, religion or territory to be articulated, thrashed out and addressed!

The appointment into the Senate of Tunku Aziz, as well as the other four Pakatan Rakyat Senators, is an opportunity for the Senate to return to the original intent of the Founding Fathers to be a respected and honoured second revising chamber of Parliament.

Can Tunku Aziz and Pakatan Rakyat Senators expect any help from the MCA Senators to turn the Senate from a “political rubbish dump” into a respected and honoured second revising chamber of Parliament?

  1. #1 by frankyapp on Saturday, 11 July 2009 - 2:15 pm

    There’s no insult and no unfairly comment on these two MCA senators by YB Lim.Since when,our Senate ever has not been a market place ? I hardly could recall a single time,the Senate ever rejected what sent to them from Parliament.After all,what so great about being a Malaysian Senator ! Most if not all Umno/Bn Senators are rejects of the voters.I know of several Umno/Bn appointed Senators who hold several dozens of AP,hold many used cars dealerships,making pretty good money only for themselves and their families.None I know hardly help anybody.Some when approached for help,openly admitted they have no power and instantly direct the seekers to see the elected MPs.I am pretty sure,guys that you must have heard this common comment on our Umno/Bn Senators….” seeking help from them is no better than talking to a dead tree trunk”.Oh yeah another pretty famous comment on these Senators is ” uesless sitting ducks “. Other than as a consolation for rejects,what else,you guys tell me,these fellows are for ?.Hey,guys please tell me how much one of these senators cost the tax payers to pay ,say monthly.

  2. #2 by k1980 on Saturday, 11 July 2009 - 2:34 pm

    Pakatan Rakyat should make the election of senators a priority in the 13GE because this will attract numerous votes from Malaysians eager to get rid of the garbage dump for failed and unelected politicians such as Wong Siong Hwee, Yip Kim Fook, Chew Mei Fun, Sharizat and of course, Koh TK.

  3. #3 by Joshua on Saturday, 11 July 2009 - 2:55 pm

    It is not only a confirmed dumping ground of rejects and possible bootlickers, it is also a window dressing to feel good with the latest three senators from the PR of a single group in an era of socalled 1Malaysia. An irony indeed.

    pw: safest offi-

  4. #4 by yhsiew on Saturday, 11 July 2009 - 4:08 pm

    It is unwise for Najib to simply appoint mediocrities as Senators because people on the street will inevitably think how much ‘coffee money’ these mediocrities have paid UMNO in order to secure their positions as Senators.

  5. #5 by Joshua on Saturday, 11 July 2009 - 4:10 pm

    what is this – a good boy of 6th PM?

    Senate sitting shortened by two day
    News Headlines 2009-07-09 12:44
    KUALA LUMPUR: The Dewan Negara sitting, scheduled to end on July 14, was shortened by two days in view that the business of the House has been completed.

    Dewan Negara President Datuk Wong Foon Meng said he had received a message from Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak to make the announcement and adjourn the sitting today as all the bills had been dealt with.

    The current session started on July 6 and was scheduled to end on July 14. The Dewan Negara does not sit on Fridays. (Bernama)

    pw: horse-trade heedless

  6. #6 by raven77 on Saturday, 11 July 2009 - 4:41 pm

    I would like a General Election right now so that BN can be voted out once and for all for switching to BM….we cannot continue producing morons who turn up in parliment asking for English lessons….

  7. #7 by undergrad2 on Saturday, 11 July 2009 - 8:49 pm

    ” ….. MCA turned the Senate into a political “rubbish dump” for decades?” limkitsiang

    Are you equating the country’s senators to ‘use and throw’ made in China rubbers??

  8. #8 by limkamput on Saturday, 11 July 2009 - 11:40 pm

    You mean rubbers as erasers?

  9. #9 by Sony boy on Sunday, 12 July 2009 - 3:11 am

    Uncle Kit,

    I read a blog which also share your concern about the standards of Senators:

    http://bananachinese.wordpress.com/2009/07/09/thats-why-im-not-paying-you-a-cent-more-my-dear-senator/

    Is it true Senators also need to spend money on kawasan? Do they have a kawasan like MP or ADUN?

  10. #10 by k1980 on Sunday, 12 July 2009 - 11:26 am

    What a certain person did before being appointed a senator

    http://kampungbuahpala.blogspot.com/2009/07/kronologichronology.html

  11. #11 by frankyapp on Sunday, 12 July 2009 - 2:19 pm

    Sonyboy,Senator does not represent any voters or people.He/she represents only the party who appointed him/her. Hence he/she has no “kawasan “. The senator job is just a “yes tuan” ,like a rubberstamp and it’s up to you the user to stamp it as and when you wish,It’s a dumb thing.And our senator is exactly as bumb as your rubberstamp. I hope you now get it.

  12. #12 by HJ Angus on Sunday, 12 July 2009 - 8:59 pm

    PR has a lot of work to do if it wants to get power in the next GE.
    Instead of allowing issues to blow up in the press, the 3 components need to work put all the the main policies that they agree on and put aside all the differences that still cause major hiccups.
    I suggest there would be perhaps 20 desirable objectives that each party promotes and after proper discussions behind closed doors, they should probably come up with maybe 5 or 6 core beliefs,
    10 desirable objectives and the rest will be issues they disagree on but are willing to seek consensus to work together in administering the government.
    While we are about voting in senators, we should also introduce a system of vetting judges like a hearing before a law committee.

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