May Day & V David

Today is the May Day!

One personality whom I know as a First Class Politician while growing up is V David, and I am glad that Raja Petra Kamarudin (RPK) writes about him in Malaysia Today, May Day 2008, the day I start this blog!

I admire V David for three reasons:

1. He has a humble beginning but serves the nation proudly
2. He is instrumental in developing the multi-racial politics in the earlier part of Malaysia especially in parties namely Gerakan and Pekemas
3. He speaks a simple language the men in the street particularly the workers understand!

Below is an extract from RPK's column "No Holds Barred" entitled V. David, the man who made ‘May Day’ possible, Thursday, 01 May 2008. This extract was written by K George in Aliran Monthly Vol 25 (2005): Issue 6, a magazine that I have been subscribing and I could even now remember reading it back in 2005! If you wish to read the whole article, click here.

Please read on:


Youngest MP at 26

In the 1959 General Election, David, already a member of the Labour Party, which formed a coalition with other opposition parties known as the Socialist Front, contested and won, becoming a Member of Parliament for Bangsar as well as Selangor State Assembly member. At 26, he was the youngest Member of Parliament – bold, vigorous and committed.

By mid 1960s, the registration of the Labour Party was cancelled. Its leaders like Dr Tan Chee Khoon, Veerappan, Tan Pock Kin, David and others decided to seek the registration of another party. I was then the General Secretary of the Federation of Armed Forces Civilian Staff Union as well as Vice-President of the MTUC and of CUEPACS. Like David, I too believed that trade unions had to involve themselves in politics. It was not an unusual phenomenon but a fact that was visible all over the world.

I was invited by the group to join and help with the formation of Gerakan. It was during this period that I grew closer to David. I am proud to claim that both of us knew what poverty was and that our commitment to struggle for the welfare of workers became a passion. David stood on a Gerakan ticket in the General Elections in 1969 and was elected to Parliament as MP for Datuk Keramat in Penang. However, being a civil servant and father of three young children, I decided to carry on with my job and union activity.

Gerakan became a very popular party and received multiracial support. In the May 1969 General Election, the party captured the state of Penang and formed the government with Dr Lim Chong Eu as Chief Minister. But within two years, it was embroiled in a leadership crisis, resulting in Dr Lim taking full control of Gerakan. Professor Alatas, Dr Tan Chee Khoon, David and other leaders left Gerakan and formed Pekemas, which contested in the 1974 General Election. Out of over 90 candidates, only Dr Tan Chee Khoon retained his seat as the MP for Kepong constituency. Pekemas did not last long. Subsequently, David joined the DAP.

He was elected to parliament on the DAP ticket in 1978 for Damansara and was successfully returned in 1986 and 1990 for Puchong. But in 1995, David did not contest because of health reasons.