.....a..._ fact• ·-···•• .. 81111 BUYING VOTES A BRIBING VOTERS
n the last one year or so, Prime Dr Mahathir Mohamad is on padi farmers and petty traders Minister Dr. Mahathir Mohamad a buying spree ... and hawkers are all being wooed has gone all ollt to bribe the peo- Buying votes... with subsidies and deductions, easy ple with all sorts of goodies. He With the rakyat's money... credit facilities and generous re began with teachers and civil ser With our money. ' payment terms. vants. They had been grumbling Dr Mahathir is also hot on the for a long while about salaries and pursuit of one of Malaysia's most terms of service. He has aoceded to marginalized communiues. the most of their requests. Since the ftrsl quarter of the Orang Asli. He has mcreased the Then he turned to lhe armed year, he has been trying to win over allowances of theit headmen. Tok forces personnel and to the police. those economic groups• which his Batm. many umes Oi'ei. In some They too had some long-standing type of economic development has instances. the mcrease ts tenfold! grievances connected with their set aside for some years now. In· And yet It IS a fact that the Maha terms of service. He has also taken shore fishermen, rubber and palm thir adminlSlration. now mto its care of that. oil smallholders, FELDA settlers, ninth year, has done so little for
W!-JY PO THESE WE J.JAVE GIVEN 1HEM ALL k I JJJX p fOPL£ PtR)/ST OF TH INGS .. · tN ~UPPoRTING SERVICES) FAct UTIB,. 11-Jf. DPPO~ ITION ? . DEVELOPMENT .... the most indigenous of PeninsullU policies would have given emphasis poveny redressal measures have Malaysia's communities. to their needs and aspirations. worked out in the past. In other But in a situation where the The problems faced by inshore words, there appears to be very competition for votes, especially fishermen, for instance, are not little interest m the plight of the rural Bumiputra votes, has become new. They have been articulated on Orang Asli so intense, the Orang Asli have numerous occasions by non-esta begun to assume a certain degree blishment organizations. Many in EXPLOITING MISERY of political importance. Besides, a shore fishermen do not own their All the allowances and sub large number of them happen to boats or fishing gear. They are sidies and deductions of the last be in certain crucial constituen steeped in debt and have very few months have not changed the cies, like Gua Musang for instance little access to credit institutions realities that confront the poor. - the parliamentary seat of Tengku run by the state. Similarly, the No, not by an iota. For these are Razaleigh Hamzah, the Semangat real wages of plantation workers just palliatives meant to provide 46 leader and Dr Mahathir's arch have been declining over the years. a little bit of temporary relief - political foe. In many plantations, the basic just enough to coax them to vote Indeed, the way the Orang Asli amenities of life, like water and in a certain way on polling day. and some of the other deprived electricity, are far from adequate. Increased allowances or better and disadvantaged groups are being And, if one analysed the govern subsidies do not deal with the courted by some of the ruling ment's attitude to the Orang Asli, underlying causes of their misery. coalition's leading politicians is it is reflected in the way Orang It is only too apparent that it tantamount to an affront to human Asli poverty is treated in the Fifth is because elections are aiound the dignity. There is no genuine con Malaysia Plan. It is cursory. super corner that all these neglected cern for or commitment to the ficial and highly general. There is groups are being pushed to the well.being of these groups. If there no information on the percentage fore. There is a Jot of hypocrisy was, the government's development of Orang Asli who are poor or how in the air. A show of concern which
lfiEY ARt BE7TER WE HAVE SERVED OFfT/JAN EVER. /HEM W~LL _ :fOBS, HON1ES, CARS .... s-o WI-lt ? WHY?I is both hollow and ugly. It is not right to treat human beings this way. People are not there to be manipulated by power· Peraduan Esei crazy politicians for their own selfish ends. People, especially the ntuk mempenng.ati sumbangan ahli-ahli Aliran yang telah poor and the down-trodden, should U meninggal dllnia. Aliran bercadang rnengadakan satu be helped because they deserve peraduan esei bagj rnurid-mund sekolah. to be helped. It is morally re· Adalah diharapkan bahawa esei-esei peserta yang betjaya prehensible to provide assistance akan dlterbitkan samada dalam maJalah Aliran Monthly atau to the weak only because one pun sebagai satu koleksi beraslngan da!am bentuk buku. wants their votes. This is using Syarat: people - at its worst. lt is a form Ada 3 kategori peserta: of exploitation of the poor and powerless in our midst for the KategoriA Kategori 8 Ka1egori C glory and greatness of the high and Umur 12-15 tahun 16-17 tahun 18-21 tahun mighty. Panjangnya 500 800 1000 There is no reason why people Esei perkataan perkataan perkataan should accept all this. They should repay their manipulators in the Hadial1: same coin. They can always pretend Pettama $200 $-250 5300 to support a particular leader. Kedua $100 $150 $200 They can always give the impres Ketiga s 75 $100 SI50 sion that they are completely with (Kcsemua pemenang juga akan dihailiahkan langganan satu the ruling coalition. They can tahun Aliran Monthly). always put up a show of joy and Tariklz Akhir: Sernua esei mestllah sampat ke pe:Jabat Aliran happiness that they have been sebelum 31 Disember 1990. given all the subsidies and Alamat Alinm: Peli Surat 1049. 10830 Pulau Pinang allowances by the government. Untuk Perhatian: Sumbangan karya peserta Lidak akml On polling day however, our dlkembalikan. fishermen, farmers and rubber Topik: Pilih salahsatu daripada berikut: tappers should think for themselves Kmegori A as they have done now and then J. Apakah halangan yang anda hadapi dalam pergaoJan selwi in the last 33 years since Merdeka. barian anda dengan rakan-rakan dari kaum lain? Pada They should vote with their con itkiran anda, bagaimanakah halangan ini dapat diatasi? science. They should vote for the struggle for justice. ln a nutshell, 2. Jika ada orangmengecam dan memboruk-burukkan sesuaru they should vote for their dignity, kaom atau agama lain kepada anda, apakah yang akan anda and in tbe process, repudiate lakukan? all those who have lrampled upon 3. Nyatakan satu peristiwa daJam pengaJaman anda di mana their self-respect, their honour and seorang yang berlainan agamanya daripada anda mebkukan their esteem as human beings. 0 satu perbuatan yang baik. Kategori B dan C 1. Negara kita kini me.nghadapl masalab perkawnao yq apt scrius. Apakah punca·punca masalah ini? berikan ~dapat anda mengenai usaha yang boleh di.lakukan oleh ()rang ramai untuk mengatasi masalah ini. 2. "Perselisihan antara agama tidak seharusnya wujud kenna kesemua agama mendokong nilai-nilai mumi. ·• Bincangkan. 3. Apakab me Slla rujuk kepada muko surar 5 untuk borllllg penyertaan. 4 PERAOUAN ESEI Borang Penyertaan Butir-Butir Peserta Kategori: ...... (lihat alas) Nanta: ...... Alamat: .. .••••.•• ...... No. Kad Pengenalan: ...... Tarikh Lafur: ...... Nama dan alamat sekolah: ...... Sila kepilkan gambar anda bcrsama karya anda. Saya mcngaku bahawa p.:nulisan esei ini adalah karya usli saya. · ...... • .... Tar:ikh: (Tandatangan). 3 New BOoks in the Marketl o Gur:mit Si~h K.S. A 7horn In The Fltsh {Polygraphic Press. PetaliagJaya, 1990). Price Sll.OO (Puinsvlar 'llhlayu) This bOok cfucuJses iNues related to public accountability and ~USUiuable deveJopmo:nl. o Raja AzJZ Addruse Conduct Unl>rt:oming (Walru5, Kuala Lumpur, 1990). Price $12.00 (Penlnsulu' Malaysia). This book ila point by polnl rebuttal of Peter Akleridge Williams' Judicial Misconduct which tried very hard - and rather unauceeSIIfuUy - to justif) the sacking of Tun SaUeh A bas. o Fu Yew Te• Tile Rape of l.aw (Fget Publications, Kuala L11111pur. 1990). Price $8.00 1Peniruular Mally.ia). This boot. deab with the Vijandran capes affair and the role of the Attorney-Gencnl. 5 UNIVERSAL SPIRITUAL VALUES OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH CREATION A contemplative Buddhist perspective ,, By Venerable Tiradhanuno Bhikkhu h. e Buddha's view of Creation giving towards all beings and was primarily psychological. All the Buddha's teachings are society, T While not denying the exis aimed at providing a vast array d) lawful}} earning wealth which is tence of the objective world he of skilful means to lead away then to be used to support and pointedly emphasized the world from or see through the benefit others, (the Buddha gave as we experienced it through illusion of selfishness. And the the simile of a beautiful, clear perception and thought. Thus, in better we are able to practise lake near a village where many Buddhism subject and object are people may drink and receive mutually interrelated. In the con these teachings, the more our suffering will be relieved here benefit). text of the present topic, this e) obtammg a 'right livelihood' means that environmental problems and now. which as beneficial to oneself and spiritual problems are inter and others. and which is con related, and any attempt to solve ducive to spiritual enrichment, one without considering the other (the frve ·wrong livelihoods' is bound to fail. manent abiding ''world (object). A are: the manufacture or sale wise person sees that all things, More specifically, the environ of weapons. intoxicants and mental problem is a cause of a including a sense of self, are rela poisons. and the trade in human spiritual problem because the tive, constantly changing, living beings or antmals for slaughter). despair, frustration and confusion it processes, which in essence cannot f) emphasizing personal initiative is arousing in people is causing be held on to. All the Buddha's and chotce, and assuming per teachings are aimed at providing them to seek a spiritual solution. sonal responsibility for the a vast array of skilful means to The spiritual problem is a cause of results ol our actions, the environmental problem since it lead away from or see through the g) since action is motivated by is due to so many people leading illusion of selfishness. And the intention or volition, the deve· Jnaterialistic lives that the environ better we are able to practise lopment of tranquility and ment has suffered. these teachings, the more our insight meditation is emphasized suffering will be relieved here and The Buddha refused to specu for self-knowing and self· now. late about the nature of the world W>erauon, saying that it was irrelevant to the While primarily concerned with h) the type of government the realization of spiritual liberation. our relationship to the subjective Buddha established for the (psychological) world, as that is Rather, his teachings are concerned monastic Order is a non· where spiritual liberation is realiz with our relationship with the authoritarian, participatory ed, he also gave many guidelines wcrld (Creation). Creation is the democracy where all business for a skilful relationship with the arena for human action which is carried out with all communi objective world. Some basic princi leads either to spiritual liberation or ty members present (or having enslavement, and our relationship ples of this compre4ensive social given proxy) and with unani ethics are as follows: with Creation displays our y.tisdom mous approval, and challenges our ignorance. a) harmlessness and benevolence i) socially, the Buddha condemned In Buddhism, all our troubles towards all living beings, the caste system ('one is noi a and suffeting arise from our attach b) tolerance towards all peoples, noble by birth but by action') ment to the illusion of a permanent religions, ideologies, etc., and fully recognized the spiri abiding self (subject) and its per- c) the practice of generosity and tual equality of women. 0 6 ~------Fear of Allah ______ nce Umar (Radhlallaho This article was submitted by blew (with his mouth) into the anho) was going on his an Aliran Monthly reader with fue to kindle it. Aslam says: O usual round towards the following comment: "I saw the smoke passing Harrah (a suburb of Madmah) "If the lady referred to in threugh his thick beard." the article were to blurt out with his slave Aslam, when he After some time, the pot saw a distant fire in the desert. the same sentiments to our tage was ready. He himself He said : modem day Kalifahs, she served it to the family. When "There seems to be a camp. would have been detained they had eaten to their fill, Perhaps, it is a caravan that under the ISA!" he made over to them the could not enter the town little that was left for their due to night-fall. Let's go next meal. The children were and look after them and very happy after their meal arrange for their protection Umar (Radhiallaho anho) and began to play about during the rught." returned to the town and merrily. The woman felt very When he reached there, he straightway went to Baitul grateful and remarked: found a woman and some Mal to fill a sack with flour, "May Allah reward you for children. The children were dates, fat and clothes, and also your kindness! ln fact, you crying. The woman had a pan drew some money. When the deserve to take the place of of water over the 11re. 'Umar sack was ready. he said to Khalifah instead of Umar.'' Aslam: (Radhlallaho anho) greeted her Umar consoled her and said: with Salaam and, with her "Now put this sack on my "When you come to see the permission, went ncar her. back, Aslam." Khalifah , you will fmd me Umar: "Why are these chil Aslam: "No please, Amir-ul there." dren crying?" Momineen! I shall carry this He sat for a while at a place The woman: ·'Because they are sack." Umar refused to listen to close by and kept on watching hungry." the children. He then returned Aslarn, even on his persistent to Madinah. On his way back, Umar: "What is in the pan?" requests to allow him to carry he said to Aslam : The woman: "Only water to the sack, and remarked: "Do you know why I sat soothe the children, so that "What! Will you carry my they may go to sleep in the load on the Day of Judgement? there, Aslam? 1 had seen them belief that food is being I must carry this bag, for it is weeping in distress; I liked to prepared for them. Ah! Allah 1 who would be questioned see them laughing and happy will judge between Umar (in the Hereafter) about this for some time." (Radhiallaho anho) and me, woman." on the Day of Judgement, for Extracted _from: Aslam most reluctantly FAZAlL·E-AMAAL neglecting me in my distress." placed the bag on Umar's (Revired translation) Umar (weeping): "May Allah back who carried it with a by Shalkhul Hadith Maulana have mercy on you! How can swift' pace right to the woman's Mulranrmad Zak 7 "What comes from the lips, reeches the HEART TO HEART car. What cornea ftom the bea-t, reaches the heart ... -ARAB PROVERB CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE ETHNIC KIND remember how a relative of truth. When listeners poked holes in so perplexing. This particular mine used to upset me with these opinions, she'd simply shrug, church happened to have a very I comments about a certain com rather than argue her case. Even· active youth group as weU as a very munity about whom she seemed to tually I realised that she did not involved and COIDIDltted priest, also hold the most incredibly bigoted bother to defend herself because of thjs particular ethnic group. It opinions and impressions. These there was really little or no factual started with her two daughters slanted views of hers must have basis to her warped views. being drawn into the church youth been ingrained from childhood, for The sort of prejudices that this activities, which included Bible stu no amount of argument or per relative of mine had accumulated dJes, picnics and get-togethers. suasion could seem to change regarding thls community were on I remember one of her daugh her mind, the whole shocking and ridiculous. ters telling her mother. after The alarming thmg was that It probably had to do too with the attending a birthday party at the these attitudes of hers towards this fact that she had few friends out. home of one of the church mem particular community were being side of her own community. There bers, how nice the family had been. passed on to her two teenage fore cultural differences were found In fact, she remarked, the host pa daughters. who could be increasing to be strange, di(ficult to accept rents were so hospitable and had ly heard mouthing their mother's or even weird and disgusting. such nice manners. Their home was prejudices. This community, The first serivus challenge to her so cosy and 'nicely decorated with mother and daughters could occa prejudiced notions came in the paintings, rugs and what-not. sionally be heard to claim, did not form of an inter-marriage within 1 think what this impressed usually have clean hair because they the family. Her niece met and teenager meant was that she found used smelly coconut oil on their married a member of this commu her hosts likeable, refined and very scalp. The argument that coconut nity which she found so impossible untypical of what she had been oil could actually be good for the to understand. She was rather brought up to believe. More refined hair is beyond their comprehension. horrified and did not try hard to and likeable than many families Another reason members of the keep her views to herself. Shortly and friends of her own community. community usually smelled, after, the couple had a child who The young and stilJ enthusiastic slle claimed, was because of ''all turned out to be a rather lovable priest (also of "that community") that curry they consume". Yet they ~d intelligent boy. played a vital role m their •·conver did not question how is it that I may be wrong, but her liking sion" . He went out of h1s way to they themselves, being of Nonya for this product or an inter-marri involve lhe newt:omers in the background, have curry almost age may have had something to do church's programmes. He was also every meal but do not smell. with the start of her change. The one of those p.riests who actually The rich and colourful hues child seemed able to reach where visited his parishloners regularly favoured by this community was rational arguments had failed. Her and took tl1e trouble to know them also frowned upon as "gaudy and in views of this other community and their families. poor taste". Dark skins, she pro went through a slight, but notice Their interaction and friendship claimed. did not go well with able change. with this community has definitely bright colours, which as many Then about two years ago, she altered their previous views and people will argue is entirely untrue. had a falling-out with the church attitudes for the better. They have Bright tones on the contrary go which she had been attending since been able to observe and experience very well with tanned skins. a young girl. This resulted in the that simple human attiibutes such These op1mons were often mother and her two daughters as kindness, honesty, concern, uttered in the presence of those of going to another church where courtesy, hospitality (including her own ethnic group very matter there was a sizeable number of this good taste) exist in all community of factly. as if they were established community about whom she found groups. 8 I can't honestly cWrn that these three relattves of mine have com pletely lost their prejudices regarding this ethnic group. All I can safely (and gladly) say is that the racial remarks that I used to hear so frequently are markedl)' less. In their place are compliments and nice words for their new fnends. The prejudicial remarks still slip out occasionally, but are now self-consciOusly checked. 0 - AYW- L FE is fortiFied b~ V\'\aY'~ fne.t"'clsnips . TO LOVE and TO BE LOVEDis f the greatest · .. happ1ness of ex1stevtce . 9 But suddenly, in the lui couple or months, a new term bas been introduced to replace Balwa Mala)'JiL Tlul term mtacks of communalism and uouaea a lot of ant.agonism among many. We have not been told wby there is a LETTERS need to change Bahasa. Malays11 to W. welcome letWa from ...... _ Letten can be either In Englllh or ..._ Bahaa Melayu. What is the rationale behind this move? ~leysla. TheM lenin mey be edited for pur.-. of...,_ 8ftd derlty The Bahua. Malaysia is the lingua franca mey not be 1h-of 1he Ali,.,. Mon1hty. PMudonynw •• ~but w-. of Malaysians. It is the common lan lenin 8ftd ell lflould inclu• ~ writlr'a neme .wr... l.8tWs lflould guage that urutes us. =~ be typewrln.rt Wtth doubfe.epeciftt; if hMd-writtln 1hey lflould But why eommunalise aomethina that unifies us aU? Shouldn't we (eel Letters should be 8ddra all to 1he Editor, AlirM Monthly, P.O. Box 1041, proud that Bahasa Malayria is the lan 10830 ,..._., Mlleyaie. guage or the nauon, that it belongs to aU of us? The term Ba.hasa Melayu divides the people, and emphuues the exch!5ive rights of a particular community. This term emplmsizes the unfortunate fact that we are not a natioa but only a 'AJAIB' GOINGS-ON IN THE Aoo, we hear about serious criminal nation of communities. JUDICIARY offences beifW tried by jury. There is Clearly UMNO poi.Jticiuu must be nothing closer to justice than a man behind this divisi\oe move. But I can't being tried by his peers. But who are understand why MCA., MIC, Gerakan, fter the sackina of the previous these 'peers'? Are they qualified to PBS and the rest ha"e mthing to say Lord President, ALIRAN has act as peers? regarding this matter. Does the Bui· A provided its readers with a lot At least once in our lives, we would san allow these parties to a:uly repre of information on the events leading to be involved with the courts in one WIY sent the views of their tapponers? Or his dlsmWaJ as weD as the bias of the or another. Sometimes we come across are they still in touch with the ~enti t:ribu nal hearing his case and the part people refusing to take up legal action ments of the grassroots" the present LP played in it. or preferring to settle out of court However, sad to say, not much is although they have been wronged or PRO MALA YS!A known about the Judiciary except have done no wrong. And the reason for p,'lllng. that it is (or was) an independent insti· this phenomenon: a fear of mounting tuton in our system of government. costs and the inability to pay their AJthough the responsibility of educat· lawyers (especiaUy if they lose). What ing the people about the judiciary does is being done to eradicate this problem? not lie with ALIRAN, it would be What is being done to ensure that the commendable if ALIRAN could take courts are accessible to all - rich and VOTE TO RESTORE the initiative. poor? Are the existing legal aid provi· DEMOCRACY & JUSTICE Like the Executive and the LegisJ. sions sufficient? Are lawyers charging lature, the Judiciary has its fair share too much? of shortcomjngs. ln the past (before These are questions which we must t is essential to demolish lite myth the 'clean sweep' by the PM) our confront. Otherwise the courts in which that faith and politics Ill- • kept judges were known for their ~par· civil cases are heard will be a battlefield I apart. Jesus never OOmput:JDeDUtiz. tiality and Uteir ability to make fair for the haves and the have·nots (who ed the situations that he encountered judgements. They based their decisions often are forced to abandon their cases into political, 110cial, cuttw:al. eco.,mic on the facts avaibble to them which because of financial constraints). Surdy or rel@ious categories. Bu ~ae to were then applied to existing laws. we would want to avoid this if '~~ 10 The erosion of democratic space in parties working together does not ne words and even threatened us until at a country is often the coruequence of cessarily mean that they 511bscribe to least oJ>e gJrl broke down and cried. the formidable power afforded to the eacb other's ideologies. So, the meeker ones amo~ us withdxew e-xecutive in iu control of more than ow applica,tiom. Those wbo did not 4. IS 1HERE A POSSlBIUTY OF AN two-thirds of Parliament. had to wait for the decision of the ISLAMIC STATE BEING FORMED In the last decade, the Barisa.n Jabatan Pendidbn. Most of us did not Naronal has had a poor track record IF THE OPPOSmON FARES even receive an acknowledgment of oUI as far as democracy and justice are WELL? applications. Just two d2ys ago, we concerned. It is Buisan Nasional's two This is a ploy wed by the BariSin found out from the JabaJan Pendidikan thirds mt,jority in Parliament which has Nasional PAS will not be able to impose that most of ow application forms were allowed it to amend the Constitution its ideology of an Islamic state because not even forwarded to them by the HM on numerous occasions without sufit it is h@:hly unlikely that PAS can con for consideration. cient consultation or consensus. Laws trol more than two-tltints of Parlia Another negative aspect about this have abo been amended to further ment. The DAP, PRM and most of the school is the mediocrity of some of the erode the democratic process. Changes political parties in Sabah and Sarawak teachers. They are narrow-minded, ethni to the Official Secrets Act. the Internal would not agree to Malaysia being turn cally biased and shallow in their know Security Act, the Police Act and the ed into an Islamic state. The Islamic ledge. Printing Presses and Publications Act, state argument of the Barisan Nasional Can you imqine our CP teacher amorwst others, aU act to diminish the is therefore not tenable. told us that Dr. Mahathir is a PhD little democratic apace that remains. Thus voting for PAS, for example, holder and not a medical doctor? Also, in the last decade especially, in the General Elections does not mean The same te:tcher also told us that the views in Aliran Monthly are very there have been a number of m~or that you subscribe to its ideolOgy. scandals implicating Barisan Nuional Rather, given the current political anti11overnment because Aliran is an politicians: BMF, Marninco, the Noith· scenario, it means that you subscribe to 'Organisasi Pembangkang'. South Highway Deal, the Cooperatives the belief that the vast powers or the I hope the authorities concerned Scandai....The sad put about aU these Barisan Nasional in Parliament must be wiU rectify the situation before we scandals is that those responsible for reduced so that democracy and justice students lose faitJ1 in the education them have been able to get away with can be protected from fumer erosion. system and the government of the little or no consequence. With the Sari .Uy. san Nasional controJ1irw more than 5. WU..L THERE BE CHAOS rF TilE two-third$ of the seats in Parliament, RULING PARTY LOSES ITS TW0- FAIRPLAY the opposition has not been able to 111IRDS MAJORJTY? Tarpmg effectively expose these scandals by ThU is yet UM>ther threat used by means of parliamentary processes such the Barisan Nasional We should not as Royal Commissions of Inquiry and allow OtUselves to be intimidated by this seled committees. threat. ln a true democracy, everyone Sheer arrogance of power has also has the right to choose according to resulted in the executive cwbing the his/her own will without any feu of independence of the judiciuy. The PLANNED repa-cuuions. consensus today is that the fundamen ACHIEVEMENTS? tal principle of a pa.rliamentuy demo SOCIETY FOR CIIRJSTIAN cracy - the separation of powers REFLI::CTION n his speech to the Harvard Club of between the executive, the leslslature Kuala Lumpur Malaysia on 22 August, the Prime and the judiciary - no lorwer 5Ub is Minister is reported to h:tve said scribed to in Malaysia. I (NST 24 August):- "The Government To check this situation, we need to will not aUow any radical changes to deny the rulins party its two-thirds talce place that wiU destroy all that it majority in Parliament. has carefuUy planned and achieved.'' 2. IS TIIERE A VIABLE MAHATHIR Does this refer to the University OPPOSITION? graduates who could not find jobs or MOHAMAD, PhD? We accept that opposition candi to the British General Medical Council's dates and parties can sometimes be lack non·recognition of Malaysian medical degrees? Uw in calibre. But then, 80 have been got through my SPM in 1989 and lOme or the candidates put up by the was placed in one of the schools in How planned were these achieve Barilan Nasional Nevertheless, we Ta.iplng by the Jabatan Pendidiltan ments and can we expect more of the I same? belie~~e that a bger opposition is to continue my studies in Lower Six. needed in Parliament to prevent the • Many of us were not ha.ppy with the further eros.:>n of democratic space in sitll.tion there- The ethnic composition A CLARKE tlle cou ntty. or the student population wu extremely J. &zlmt 3. CAN TilE OPPOSITION PARTIES imbalanced. Nearly 90% of the students FOREGO TIIEIR IDEOLOGIES were from one ethnic group. Although AND UNITE? we enroUed in the school in May 1990, no formal tea.ching took place untiJ after For the comin& General Elections, the t'irst term holidays, i.e. 4 June. This sorae opposition parties have formed was because there wu a shortage of BN AS AN OPPOSITlON electoral pacts. Such electoral qnments tea.chers u weD u insuffiCient fwnj. do not mean that the individual parti~ ture. am sick :tnd tired of hearing Barisan no Jorwer subscribe to their respective After the first two weeks in that leaders moclting and ridiculing the ideologies. In fact, in makirw these scboo~ about 30 of us applied for a l opposition. Hardly a day goes by with· pacts, they have aubscdbed to certain transfer for various reasons. As a result, out the Barisan lashing out at the oppo common objectives such as allowing for we were called into the headmaster's sition. greater democncy, fightirw corruption, office where we were given a sheUirw. The Barisan leaders repeatedly teU and reducins poverty. Thus, poUtical This arrogant HM used very insultirw the people that all that the opposition 11 can do is shout, disagree with the go • Tamil Ja.nguage estate schools con vernment, find fault with its policies and tinue to record the ltighest dropout genenlly talk without making seMe. rates in Malaysia. They are inade They tell the people that the opposition quately staffed, poorly equipped and cannot bring them development andean hkve high truancy rates. Few estate not help them in any way. children ever make it to university. AU this suggests that an opposi Various rea..:>ns have been cited - tion can play a role different from child abuse leading to problem kids, tllJit of a watchdog. It suggests for alcoholic parents, e."'l:hausted mothers example that an oppdsition can bring who have no time for their children. development to poor areas, that it can etc. What are the !10lutions? And do all that a government with vast who will implement them - the resources could do. government or the MIC??? If this is possible, then it would be fantastic. Imagine the benefits that It's time the government realized could be derived from this. Everywhere that lndian Malaysians are citizens people would receive double doses of who arc, by and large, committed to goodies - one from the government and this counay. They are also the sons one from the opposition as wen. of this soil now. Let the ne.,;t pOlicy be We should very seriously espouse based on our common humanity rather this possibility of double joy. Since the than on ethnicity, clnss, religion or present opposition does not know how creed. To tl1e MIC. I s:ty please con to provide goodies for the people, let us centrale on education. employment, vote in the opposition to form the bush1ess opportunities. bank loans, cor government. As a roling party, the porate equity and government jobs for opposition will have resources to ensure the community Illther than biclcer over that development will continue without silly caste issues which benefit no one. Lf not, make way for leaders with a hindrance. The people need not fear MIC take note: Indian poverty is that they will lose out any of the goodies sense of lo\·e for the community and that they are presently receiving. for real. who are willing to serve the communi· On the other hand, the people can ty nther than themseh es. look forward to au the goodies that the 13arisan had accused the present opposi The MIC which is the guardian of the SP Indian community, has also failed. It has tion of failing to deliver to the people. Johor Baltru Since only the Ba:risan knows how this been silent in the ruling Coalition. Tite is possible, Jet us reverse the role of the areas of failure can easily be identified: 13aruan and (Jlake It an opposition party. • In 1970, Indian Malay~ consti Ln this way, we can also benefit from tuted 10% of the MalaySian popula the new opposition which seems to have tion. Today, tltey make up only 8% a definite idea of its role in our par of the total population. Why was this liamentary democracy. The people won't imbalance unchecked? lose anything by reversing the role of the • Nothing much has been done to rec Barisan but on the contrary will have tify the income disparities among the everything to gain from thU. working class (70%), middle class The present Barisan with its 13 (20%) and the professionals and the partners, huge membership and limitless entrepreneurs (10%). resources, will provide an excellent • Poverty remains high at lO'k. More example of how an opposition should over government statistics are highly function. unreUable because the poverty line The present opposition does not have of S350 was worked out from the this advantage to play the role that it total earnings of the husband, wife is expected to. Let us, therefore, k~ck and, sometimes, children (especially them out of their present role and bnng in the estates). in the Barlsan as the new opposition for • The new collective agreement for tbe sake of unity, harmony, progress plantation workers awarded by the and 13 .ill ·"'-- ~ dictator, Ferdinand Marcos. The PM i) ~ I a sizuble number of the Buistn Na)jou afnud of his own "shadows". ln addi· al members of parliament? lf that is the lion to f~htening the people with the case, then. it is better that we do not consequences of May 13-type "manu· vote for mcb a party at all. f.actured" riots, be lw even stooped to We are a1liO told that a strong govern· comparing the 110~aUcd "plot" to that ment is needed to bring about economic used by the Filipioos. development. To say that a government The PM, as an international f8ure, needs a two-thirds majority to bri~ should be aware of the nearly twenty about development is mdeed ridiculous. years of dictatorial rule under the If Dr. Mabathir's "economjcs" argumut bte Ferdinand Marcos. The PM should has any merit. then it would not be realize that the Filipinos used every wrong to conclude that economic deve democratic means to stop Marcos from lopment in countries governed by par clinging o n to power. ties without a two-thirds majority has For the PM to think that the un come to a standstill. It is a b@ wonder thinlcable could happen here is prepos. that the Thai economy managed by a terous because one, MaJaysians are government wuhout 1 two-thirds majori peaceful and law-abiding citizens and ty has rtgisteJed reasonable growth and two, they would be the victims again u seems to be in a better shape than the in J 969. Mabysian economy managed by a The PM's motive in frighteninJ the government with more than a two people is simple and stra~hrforwa.Jd - third) majority. Again how much econo he wants to cling on to power at all mic development did RajJV Ghandi's com. As a loyal citizen, I wge the PM two-thirds majority government bring to caU off the general election until the about? Despite their total monopoly of "feu" in him has vanished. After aU, he power over the last forty years, we are has until 1991 to complete his term. Parliament house: Two-thirds majority to undermine democracy? being told that the economies of Eastern The people should take oote of Furope are in shambles. So, can we still Datuk Musa's statement in HoJW KoJW accept Dr. Mahathir's "ecooomic'' argu· to fore8n journalists. He said, "If ment for a two-tturds majority'! Mahathir loses the election, r.Jahattur TWO-THIRDS MAJORITY The crucial question h. "ls a govern will create an incident and declare an emergency." ment only strong when it has a two verytime a general election is thirds majority?" In other words, is a around the corner, Barisan government with a simple majority ISMAIL HASHIM E Nasional leaders travel the length reaUy so weak? If this is the case, then Penang and breadth of the country u!Jing and many countries in the ~orld have ~eak nowadays, nay, even demandifW, that governments. The cru' of the maner is they be returned with a 'IWO-llURDS that numbers alone do not account fo.r MAJORJTY. In the past, successive streJWtb or weakness. "'llat strcngt h is Alliance and Barisan Nasional govern there to bout about in a two·thuds ments were returned with twO·third majority government in ~ltich the ml!jorities without the leaders having to backbenchers are mere brainleu yes bribe (with promises of development) men without a conscience. A govern DR. CHANDRA OJ demandiJW that they be returned to ment that sincerely and truly imple MUZAFFAR,MP? power with a two-thirds majority. So, ments policies that benefit the majo why oow? rity of the nltyat cannot be considered The reuon is quite simple. A lot of weak. The recent unanimous passage hat moulds a nation? A people have had enough of what the into law of the National Welfare BiU strong opposition. Con· two-thirds m,jority has made of demo by the Thai Parliament JS a case in W structive criticisms are a cracy and democratic institutions. The point. mliSt in any system of government. Dr. last ten years han shown how the The BarU&n Nasional's or, more Chandra Muzaffar and Aliran have made Barisan Nasional has urogated to itself correctly, Dr. Mahath.ir's obseuion with stroJW and positive criticims over the oot only a monopoly of JX>Wer but al110 a a two-thirds m,jority is not reaDy diffi years out of love for the people and the claim to a monopoly of good intentions. cult to understand. Thirty·tbree years of country. Only a politician with an Their leaders, particularly Dr. Mahathir, AIJiancc and Barisan NasionaJ rule have lDliDilUJe mind will miSCOnstrue these go around the country putting every clearly proved l10w the two- thirds cnticisms. Aliran Monthly has even body e))c down. Are we to betieve that majority has aU aloJW been uJCd to giYen prominence to constructive crih· except for Mahathir and hiS cronie$, the buJJdo,e through parliament a number cisms made by variOus political groups re:5t of the people in tl)i ~ country are out of constitutional amendmenll which so that these criticisms can be taken up to destroy the nation? I think Barisan have at the ~>a me time seriously under· by the ruling Barisan Nasional so Utat leaders should stop insulting the intel mined democracy and democratic instl· they can serve the public better. ligence of the Mahys.ian electorate! tutions in the country. Laws restrictin& Dr. Chandra has become an inter· A two-thirds majority, we are told, freedom of speech, U51mlbly, press, national f~e. Malaysians should place would ensure the formation of a stro~ publication, etc have mcrea.Jed tremen such a dedicated and true-spirited man, government. If present trends are any dously over the yearl>- The intention who is ever ready to serve mankind, in i:ndicaton, then "stro~W" is definitely and, quite logicaDy, the result is a l'arhament where he ~htfuDy belongs. not the right word. According to the climate of fear. The few who dare and Yes, it's time to replace our h@h and Prime Minister, a government without a do speak up are ultimately detained m@hty MPs with dynamic and respon two-thirds majority could easily be without rrial for havi'll lmn'IP'essed sible people with an 'inner feeling' for brought down by racial extremists, the rules of democracy a!o BarlSan. It the poor and the oppressed. allurq MPs to defect or by mtroducing is indeed ironical that rlteJ more than ll(HX)ofidence motions if their demands thirty years of parliamentary demo KARf.JPPA.V were not met. From this, are we to con cracy we ate not movuw towards more Johor Bahru clude that ncial extremists constitute democracy and openness but are sadly 14 r.o-cbirds .._,orlly hu *" and wiD aB the people m the country - to participate in the whole electoral cont ..ue to be ulil!d to centralise power irrespective of race •.nd r~~· process, we pledge to 111alte every m the band$ of the =eeutive. The We wiD tako: iuto COn>identiOn h11 effort to come out to cast our votes Malaysan people certainly do not need personal integrity and the vision he on Polling Day. a go\-ernment with a two-thirds maJOrity, h:ls fOI this nation 3S renected by 10. We caU upon everyone involved in especiaUy when Its M"Ps two-thirds of his positive and realistl.: programmes the Election - be they political whom spend two-thirds of their time for the nation. leaders candidates or fellow-citizens m the canteen and ue not present in 1. We wiU not allow ourselves to be - to ~nduct themselves and their Parlument where a quorum IS needed. frightened into voting for any candi activities in an honest and peaceful Lutly let U5 aU pny that tlte elec date or party through tlueats of manner to elect a government that torate will not give in to the demands of future violence and disorder. We will administer our country with an intoAieated individual come polling refuse to vote for any eaodid2te fairness and justice for an. day. through blind loyalty to any leader or party. Jurrice & Peace Cummtaion COA'CERNf.D ~ OTI:."R 8. We realise the need for a healthy D1ocest of Penang A lor Setar Opposition in a democratic system Malaysia of Government. However, we want THE CITIZENS' ELECTION DECLARATION E, the Citizens of Malaysia, realising the importance of W the coming General Elec· uon, hereby make this Declaration: 1. Malaysia is a constitutional monarchy wtth a Parliamentary system of ISA DETAINEES: RELEASE government elected by us. the citi zens of this country, in a clean, THEM free and honest election. 2. Tile elected government must realise n June 20, 1990 three of your that it receives its mandate to ad ISA DETAINEES SUFFERED citizens, Oarnit Undi.kai, Albi· minister the affairs of the nation ABUSE O nus Yudah and Benedict Topin from us. the citizens, through this were arrested in Kota Kinabalu and electoral process and hence it must taken to Kuala Lumpur. After nineteen t has come to our attention that be sensitive to our feelings and days they were allowed a twenty· aspirations. three men, BENEDICT TOPIN, minute visit with thetr families, and at ALBINUS YUDAH and OAMIT 3. We must be ever watchful of the I this time these men showed signs of UNDIXAI were anested in May 1990 activitie-s of our eJected represen recent physical and emo\ional abuse. in Kota Kinabalu, Malay$la, under the Jt is my understanding thal they tatives. We reserve the r~ht to criti· Internal Security Act. As far as we cise them should the need arise, have not yet been brought to trial. know, they ue still in detention. but it should not be construed that Would you please ensure that these According to statements made by three individuals be allowed access to by doing 10, we are against the the families of Albinus Yudatt and government or the opposition. legaJ counsel, medical care, if necessary, Benedict Topin, the detentions ~e and visits from their families. Please 4. The General Election provides an unjustifiable and the prisoners Topm look into the aUegations that these men opportunity for us to usess the and Yudah seem to have suffered abuse have been mistreated while in custody. achievements and the failures of ow from proon authorities in Ku~ Also, if' there are not legitimate legal elected representatives, with a view Lumpur. The wives of Benedict Topm charges against thent, would you please and Albinus Yudah have stated, "AI· press for their immediate release. to decide as to whether they should though supposedly enacted for pre· ln my opinion. it is the ~ of a be given a fresh mandate through the ventive purposes, it is obvious that mature, responsible nation to aiJow .a elec:tocal process to continue their the lSA {internal Secunty Act) IS being variety of political, rel~ious and cthmc work or be replaced by new repn:· used for punitive purposes as well.., viewpoints. and that those people who senutives. According to standards o_f bum~n do not commit violence should be S. As voter&, we will not allow Our· rights, Albinus Yudah. Bened1ct Topm protected under the law no matter setves to be swayed by the various and Oamit Undikai should e1ther be how deviant their beliefs seem from the party manifestoes. We wiU assess charged with recognizable crimes and established political order. each party by the extent it hu ful promptly brought to trial, or s~~ld be filed the promises it made in the released imml!diarerl· and uncondJtllmal· NAJVCY THOMAS MJCKLF previous election, the marmer it ly. USA has conducted its activities thus far and its efforts to foster national PALl A 1/ARMAf\/JJ (A smulorh• worded lerrer hos a/10 bun unity. uphoki moral values. legislate !.,SA sent to tire ln!ipector CeiiUal ofPolice ) fair laws. protect hwoan r8hts and promote economic prosperity for aU. 15 NATIONAL ECONOMIC CONSULTATIVE COUNCIL NECC FARCE Five members quit ~ reproduces below a copy of a letter to the C . 1w99t0fo ll o~g insulting remarks by the PM on th~r!:~getary by five fil:e~bers of the NECC who was m Bahasa Malaysia. s work. The ongmalletter dated Aug 28, \ With due respect, please be informed that we wish to withdraw as NECC members with immediate effect. This decision has been taken \ as a result of the Prime Minister's speech on the night of 22 August I 1990 and its coverage in the mass media. The speech is an embarassing insult to all NECC members and also shows that the Government has not been sincere to the NECC. In late 1988, soon after the formation of the NECC was announced, in a speech in Singapore, tbe Prime Minister said that the NECC would fail and the Government itself would prepare the national economic policy after 1990. \ Although several NECC members had withdrawn by the end of 1989, the Prime Minister has only chosen to use this as an excuse for rejecting NECC proposals almost a year later. \ In fact, this excuse is unacceptable since the National Consultative Council, which formulated the Rukunegara, also dtd not represent aU the political parties in Malaysia after the l3 May 1969 incident. In fact, the Prime Mi nister himself has said that such non-participation ( will not be an obstacle for the National Education Consultative Council. The NECC report has not yet been presented to the government. Nevertheless, without even prior consultation with the cabinet the Prime Minister has already prepared an excuse for rejecting it. lt is clear t hat the Government, especially the Prime Minister, is ~ insincere and undemocratic, and regards us as mere performers in the NECC farce. This hoax has wasted much public funds, O\!f efforts and time, including that of government officers who have had to work hard servicing the NECC. Finally, we wish to thank other NECC members, Secretariat officials I and expert consultants for all their cooperation. We also wish to apologise for any mistakes we may have committed. Thank you. Sincerely, Signed by: Tan Sri Ahmad Noordin Zakarla Chandra Muzaffar Chooi Mun Sou Sanusi Osman Jomo K. S. 16 THE NATIONAL ECONOMIC consultation 3fl10ng diverse ethnic groups. I have always believed that CONSULTATIVE COUNCIL any mecharlism - whateYer its shortcomings - which seeks to (NECC) enhance dialogue and discussion deserves some support. Besides, one Chandra Muzaffar: should ftrst give a genuine try to 3fl idea or endeavour before con· demning it as worthless and useless. Why I Quit" CONSENSUS Towards the end of 1989, Dr have a d.uty to explam to the tion will give (ah) results we are not MahatWr disappointed us again. Malaysian public why I quit very sure about." When the DAP, representatives of I the Nattonal Economic Con. It may not be widely known Chinese education groups and a sultatJVe Council (NECC) on 28 that the NECC was not Mahathir's Chinese individual member with· August 1990. idea. He was not keen on it. He drew from the NECC, he pro· When the NECC was fonned in went along with the idea because claimed loudly that there was going January 1989, the public placed some of UMNO's partners in the to be no consensus on the final a lot of faitll in the body, partly Barisan Nasional, notably the MCA, NECC report. What he meant was because non-establishment indivi were of the view that all communi· that without the support of the duals like me arld others, chose to ties should be given the opportu· DAP and the others, the NECC participate. There was a feeling that nity to discuss arld deliberate upon report would not have the legiti· 'other ideas, alternative ideals' the next economic policy. The macy of a document accepted by would find their way into the MCA and a couple of the other non· all communities. NECC's recommendations to the Bumiputra parties in the Barisan Though the DAP terminated its government. There was an air of did not want a completely 'Malay' membership in November 1989, the quiet optimism that the NECC's pollcy to succeed the New Econo ideas associated with the party, flnal report would open up a new mic Policy (NEP) when it expires at especially on ethnic issues, conti· vista of hope for all Malaysrans. the end of this year. nued to be articulated with vigour Though l became aware of Or and vehemence by many other INSlNCERE ATTITUDE Mahathir's real attitude to the Chinese and Indiarl Malaysians in the NECC. This is because the After 20 months of active parti· NECC some time in March or April DAP's position on ethnic quotas, cipation I decided to withdraw 1989, l did not resign immediately needs, merit, and other such from the Council for two reasons. from the Council. The CounciJ had One, Pnme Minister Dato Seri Dr just been established. It represented matters is, in a sense, no different Mahathir Moharnad's negative at· a channel for communication arld from the MCA's or MIC's or Gera tltude towards the NECC arld kan's. lf the consensus the NECC two, the concerted attempt by was aiming for was a consensus on some indivrduals in the Council to ideas, and not a consensus among destroy the consensus whtch had groups and individuals, the DAP's been achieved within the NECC's withdrawal in no way impeded the steering comrmttee Council's quest for agreement on The Prime Minister's negative - indeed insincere - attitude towards the NECC was revealed even before the body was formally establtshed. ~~ At the end of 1988, he remarked in Singapore, when asked about the N~CC~ NECC. "They will participate in ~~ shaping of our economtc policy after the New Economic Policy ... ~~v..J.>, But I rather suspect that they are not gomg to achJeve 3flything ~ ~0 \)'(A.VVW\~ because they are going to fight ~~tb~ each other and all they can tell us would be that we cannot conclude anything and I think they will }ball~ eventually probably ask us to do it for them (laughter). But participa· ~~ 17 fundamentals. Indeed, the actual mitments, to help produce a report NECC for its approval in early efforts to dr3w together divergent which I believed then, would mean August. viewpoints from the time of the something for future generations of l shc.uld not, howe\'ei, create the DAP's quitting to the end of July Malaysians. 1 remember there was erroneous impression that the 1990, proved beyond the shadow an exceptionaUy busy period, for Steering Committee's frnal draft of a doubt, that the ideas of the three months or so, when I had to was a superb piece of work. On the party and other non-Bumiputera travel to Kuala Lumpur on no less contrary, it had many short groups, were given serious consi than 32 occasions to attend NECC comings. Some of its Oaws were deration. meetings. Apart from bemg actively monumental. Its evaluation of 20 There was yet another Oaw in involved in the drafting of the years of NEP, for instance, was the Prime Minister's argument ' Re-structuring of Society' and 'Na quite superficial, to say the least. It about the DAP and consensus. A tional Unity' reports which were failed to come to grips with the major document - second in integrated, by and large, into the adverse effects upon the economy, importance to the Malaysian Con frnal draft, I was also a member of of certain vested interests. Even stitution - accepted by all commu the Steering Committee. lt was the some of its recommendations for nities as the nation's Charter was Steering Committee which guided the future were contradictory formulated and promulgated in the work of the NECC and which Nonetheless, the Steering Com 1970, without the DAP's partici helped to formulate and scrutinize mittee's fmal draft was a document pation. This ts the Rukunegara, a the final report. I was deeply in which many of us could live with. product of discussions and deli volved in its deliberations right Some of its strengths have already berations among leaders of a whole from the outset. been outlined. There was, besides, cross-section of society. No one, in If there was any satisfaction an attempt in the draft to provide his right senses, would say today from my NECC work, it was some guidelines foi the growth of a that the Rukunegara lacks the knowing that some of the ideas more rational and equitable eco authoritative stamp of national which my friends and I had nomy and a more humane and just consensus simply because the DAP espoused were incorporated into society, guided by the princ1ples or the Parti Rakyat refused in 1969 the frnal draft of the Steering of the Constitution and the values to join the National Consultative Committee's report. Seeking out a of the Rukunegara - prmciples and Council which produce<.! the docu moderate, balanced approach to values which have sometimes been ment. Today, both the DAP and the economy which would do jus 1gnored in the course of the last Pani Rakyat accept the Rukune tice to all communities; reducmg twenty years. gara as the National Charter. the emphasis upon ethnicity while Since there wasn't any sub increasing the emphasis upon socio THE SPEECH stance in the Prime Minister's economic needs; recognising the Seen against this background, it argument about consensus, some of underlying causes of poverty and is not difficult to understand why my friends and 1, though disap deprivation while acknowledgrng the Prime Mintster's speech to the pointed, chose not to attach much the importance of excellence and Harvard Club on 22 August 1990, significance to it. More important, accomplishment in society; focus disenchanted me so much that I the Prime Minister himself, in all sing upon regiqnal, sectoral and decided to quit the NECC. In that fairness to him, was not explicit intra-ethnic, apart from inter speech, after admonislung the DAP at that point about the government ethnic, imbalances; taking cogni and Chinese educauorusts for going ahead and formulating the sance of Malaysia's economic deve opting out of the NECC, he went next economic policy because there lopment in the light of regional and on to say, "Since the NECC cannot was no consensus in the NECC. international developments; giving achieve a consensus, the govern Neither did he say that the govern priority to the comprehensive deve ment is not bound to accept all its ment would be forced to review the lopment of human resources, evolv recommendations. We are back Council's role, in view of the DAP's ing a concept of sustainable deve almost to square one where the withdrawaL Besides, that was also lopment which preserves and pro government has to formulaLe and the time - November - December tects tl1e environment; enhancrng devise the economic polic) after 1989 - when some of us were busy tlfe mechanisms for accountability; 1990 almost by itself." finalizing the reports of certain adopting new approaches tQ the By linking the inab1hty of the sub-committees, which would pro eradication of corruption; esta NECC to achieve consensus to the vide inputs for the preparation of blishing a new channel for inter withdrawal of the DAP and the the fmal draft. ethnic communication; and, rein Chinese educationists which rn fact forcing the spiritual and moral basis took place more than rune months ENERGY AND IDEAS of society through education - ago, it was obvicus that the Prime It should be mentioned, at this these were some of the plus points Minister was JUst lookmg for an juncture, that I expended a lot of in the final draft of the report excuse to set aside some of the my time and energy on NECC adopted by the Steering Committee recommendations of the Council. work. 1 set aside family life, Aliran at the end of July I 990. It was this Moreover, the DAP and consensus activities and my international com- report which was presented to the argument, as I have already shown, 18 is totally flawed. To trot out that THE MOTIVE Council for discussion and debate. argument in August 1990 to Justify And, some of the suggested amend his negative attitude to the NECC's Why has the Prime Minister ments might well help to improve adopted such a negative, insincere report was really quite unethical. the quality of the final report. attitude to the NECC? What is the What made it even more unethi What was distressmg, however, motive behind his stance against cal was the fact that the Prime was the manner in which some the Council? It seems to me that Minister's 22 August speech was UMNO Baru representatives, and there are certain important propo delivered, after the Steering Com individuals linked to them, attacked sals in the Steering Committee's mittee had achieved consensus on a the delicate balance of ethnic ftnal draft which are at variance fmal draft of the report. I have no interests which runs right through with Dr Mahathir's thinking. Given doubt the Prime Minister was aware the draft. ln a multi-ethnic society his political attitude and orienta like ours, it is often very difficult of this. True, once the report was tion, amply demonstrated in the presented to the full Council there last nine years of his leadership of to achieve a measure of consensus were attempts to amend various the nation, would Dr Mahathir, on contentious ethnic issues. When parts of it by a small but vocal for instance, accept the idea of an it has been attained, there should at group of individuals associated independent Commission, (that is, a least be a willingness on everyone's with, and inclined towards, UMNO Commission which is free ofExecu part to try to understand the spirit Baru. The Steering Committee bent of give-and-take which informs such uve control) overseeing the imple over backwards trying to accommo a process. mentation of the next economic date theu proposals. There was no policy?-Simdarly, wilJ he agree to If, let us say, one side does not appreciation on the part of the want any mention of the NEP in have an independent Anti-Corrup Prune Minister of the tremendous the next economic policy and the tion Agency? Will he acquiesce with efforts made by the Steering Com other SJde, wants the NEP to be strict rules and regulations per mittee not only to achieve but also continued in substance, some com taining to privatisation, especially to sustain a just consensus accep promise has to be worked out. An the privatisation of essential public table to all groups and communities. acknowledgement of the impor services? On the question of na Indeed , the Prime Minister has tance of trying to achieve the tional unity which was the over been nothing but a 'wet blanket', aspirations of the NEP - without riding goal of the NEP, will the whose 22 August remarks demo spelling out the specific objectives rali7ed the Steering Committee and Prime Minister endorse the esta of the NEP - may be a way out. an many members of the Council. It is blishment of independent Sin1ilarly, if a segment of one terrible for the head of the govern· National Unity Consultative Coun ethnic group ·demands that ethnic ment which had set up the NECC cil which will serve as a channel quotas be eliminated altogetJ1er and tn the fust instance to declare for continuous dialogue among the a section of another ethnic group openly that .. we arc back almost to various communities on issues in demands that the employment pat square one where the government ethnic relations? Doesn't it make tern and equity ownership in the has to formulate and devise the sense, if one is not happy with next policy should relfect the economic policy after 1990 almost certain recommendations, to use ethnic composition of the country, by itself," when he was fully aware the DAP's withdrawal and the then some middle·of-the road solu that the NECC was debating the so-called 'lack of consensus' as an tion has to be found. Perhaps, an SteeringCommittee's ftnal draft. 1t excuse, to set aside large parts of acceptable formula would be along tantamounts to a blatant repudia the NECC's report? these lines: we should aspire for a tion of the slog and sweat of so situation in employment and equity many dedicated, committed NECC DELICATE BALANCE which harmonize~ with the realities members. This brings me to the second of a multi-ethnic society. There is Besides, how can the Prime reason fut IllY quitting the NECC. no commitment to specific quotas Mmister take the position that he In a way, the attitude of some of in such a formulation; neither does will accept some of the recommen the members of the NECC who it ignore the ethnic realities of the dations and presumably reject were opposed to the Steering Com· Malaysian situation. others when he has not seen the mittee's final draft seemed to serve It was apparent to me that some final report m 1ts entirety? It is the Prime Minister's interest - UMNO Baru representatives and only after he, h1s Cabinet colleagues though one suspects that the root others of the same ilk, were not and senior civil servants have of their opposition was something interested in a moderate, middle-of studied the entire report that they else. the-road position. Their commit can decide what to accept and what It is worth clarifying, at this ment was to a narrow, sectarian to reject. This, m itself, reveals an point, that no one is questioning ethnic objective. They were eager arbitrary attitude. It also shows the right of NECC members to to emphasise ethnicity because it that Dr Mahathir is high-handed propose changes to the Steering provided the ideological justifica and authoritarian when it comes Committee's fmal draft. This was tion for the perpetuation of their to the formulation of public after all the very purpose of sub own selfish group interests. policies. mitting the document to the full Since it will be imposSJble to 19 ON THE TOP RUNG GETTING SOMEWHERE? accominodate the self-serving ethnic demands of this group, it is quite conceivable that the NECC and its Steering Committee may never be able to produce a report which is acceptable to all commu 0 nities. The deliberations may go on and on for months on end and nothing will be accomplished. The Prime Minister will then announce that the NECC has failed in its mission and he will formally inau grate the nation's economic policy for the nineties. He will be a very happy man. Everything would have worked according to plan. THE FINAL DRAFT? But what of the Steering Com mittee's fmaJ dtaft? What happens to some of the worthwhile ideas embodied in that draft? From my 20 months experience in the NECC I know there are individuaJs in the various component parties of the Barisan Nasional, including UMNO Baru, who will want to ensure that some of those ideas are incorpo rated into the next economic policy. Even if that does not happen, there is nothing to stop some of the opposition parties from adopting various recommendations from the Steering Committee's final draft. It would serve their interests • to make these proposals part of their election manifestos. If for some reason both the Barisan and the Opposition ignore the NECC's work, then tbe general public, through various social action groups, should campaign for the inclusion of some of the Steering Committee's ideas on the eradica tion of poverty, the rectification of imbalances, human power deve lopment, public accountability, the environment and national unity in any future economic policy. Unscrupulous politicians and their cohorts may have rendered the NECC impotent but the Malay sian public can ensure that at least some of its ideas remain potent. 0 20 ELECTION WATCH VOLUNTEERS FOR DEMOCRACY WANTED Watching the general election lection Watch would like to suffice. However, if there are any prefer If the reports are type make cleat that at is in no irregularities to be reported, volun written. Reports of volunteers E pomion to embatk on com teers should uy to furnish as much should reach the Election Watch prehensive monitorinJ of the forth· of the details IS possible - for office within seven cbys of the comins Genenl Elections. Our example, time, place, names of conclusion of the GeJle[al resources aze too limited and witn~s etc. Each volunteer Elections. volunteers too few. We will not be would, in most cues, make his/her Election Watch expres.ses its able to look at the conteits of observations in relation to tbe deepest patitude to its volunteers each and ~ery conuituency. constituency(les) that he/she is for their Uemendous support. Your NeitheJ wiD we be able to investi most familiar with. Comments on responst is a measure of your gate every electoral pievance. Abo, access to the media, however, are commrtment to fair and honest unfortunately, we have not been likely to relate to the national elections. given any recognition from the situation as a whole. authorities md hence will not be Each report should be around Tun Mohd Suffwn able to witness the counting of 1,000 words and should not exceed Chairman ballots on polling day. 1,500 words. Election Watch would ElutiOn Watch. Nonetheless, Election Watch 4 Septl9i10. intencb to produce a report on the next ~neral Elections. The format of the report will be much the same IS that of our recent report on electioru in Sabah, Kijal and Kuala Linggi. The intended report will contain genf:l'al obtenations supported by accounts of specific incidents. Ob~~erva tions of our volunteers, journalists and other independent commentators will ELECTION WATCH constitute the material of ti\U report. Thus, it 1\'0Uld be appreciated REPORT AVAILABLE if volunteers could prepare com men\1 on the conduct of the elections with pazllculat regard to: report on the Sabah team to appreciate that a) U.e of the media reports take some time to b) Method or campa4nin& A State Election and c) Registration of voters the Kwzliz Linggi and Kijal prepare unlike o[ftlle-cuff d) Actual voting By-Elections by Election remarks which do not re e) Counting of votes Watch u now available from quire any analysis or Election Watch does not expect the Election Watch Secre reflection! its volunteers to prepare lengthy tariat at $1.00 per copy. comments on each or the topics. 1J1e Depu ry Prime Minis You may obtain your Brief comments Ill the Conn of impreas10ns of the vohmteer on ter, YB Ghafar Baba, and copy from: how various candlda~s cam others like him who were The Election Watch palgned, how the campaign was rery anxious to know what Secretariat, financed, how vote-canvassers and Election Watch had to say voters behaved on polling day, will 7th Floor, Bangunan Ming, following the BariSiln s vic Jalan Bukit Nanas, tories may want tc> purchase 50250 Kuala Lwnpur. a copy to satis/)1 their (Tel: 03-2309523) curiosity. They may even 21 GULF CRISIS A NEW SECURITY ORDER? OR BACK TO THE CRUSADES? In discussing the Gulf Crisis, ABDUL RAHIM KARIM traces the statehood of Kuwait and poses the question: Is it possible to separate the question of Israel from the Gulf Crisis? ergers and takeovers- two methods of making M changes to national fron tiers that characterise the historical events taking place in 1990. One, the re-unification of Germany, essentially under-written by West German finance, brought to a close the era of the Cold War dominated by the two super powers, the US and the USSR. The other occurred on August 2, 1990, when Iraqi President Saddarn Hussein sent. his troops into Kuwait and expelled the Emir Sheikh Ahmad Jaber AJ. Sabah, ushering the world into the beginning of a new post-Cold War period. In one, the Germans paid for the USSR troops to The Economist view: leave while in the other the Emir By George! and Saudi Arabia paid for the it's back to the Crusades. United States to build up, mili tarily, in the Persian Gulf region. So, what is one to make out of taking place in Europe. The imme ing threats and counter-threats this bag of contradictions? diate causes are to be found in the over a range of topics - from As war clouds loom over the disputes that occurred between Iraq Kuwaits's fmancial " loans" to Middle East, a result of the bor and Kuwait in the days prior to Iraq during the Iran-Iraq War der changes, one must take a the Iraqi invasion. From the evi (1980-1988), to Kuwait's over closer look at the events because dence available, it appears that selling oil below OPEC prices, to they have a bearing on the changes both Iraq and Kuw:ut were issu- the problem of determining their 22 common borders. only when Abdel Karem Kassem the deployment, the American ln the heat of the arguments was overthrown m n bloody coup case becomes curiouser and across the negotiating table at d'etat (in which the US had a curiouser. One begins to wonder Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, each side hand) in 1963 that Kuwait was whether the satellite photographs thought the other was bluffmg in admitted into those regional and showing Iraqi troops purportedly carrying out the threats. As it international bo 23 Mecca, Hussain - the great-grand The US takeover of Britain's shouldn't they be made to pay for father of Jordan's present Kmg Gulf legacies began when President Its security? Aml with the fman· Hussem - was given a pledge by Nixon moved mto the White House cial contributions of the Gulf Britain that all Palestine, plus Iraq, late 1969. In his memoirs former Sheikhs the new secunty order Transjordan and most of Syria Secretary of State, Henry Kissinger would be bu11t on a mercenary role would be free and independent. recalled the first meeting between for American troops - if the At the same time, behind the backs the Emir of Kuwatt and President American public could be sold the of the Arabs, Britain and France elect Nixon. "The Emir was not idea. secretly agreed to carve up Syria, mterested in the Arab-Israel con Apart from oil, what else would Lebanon and Iraq and parcel out clict and asked Nixon what were a new regional security order try these territories between themselves America's intentions if, for exam to achieve? ll will try to ensure as virtual colonies. Palestine was to ple, Iraq attacked Kuwait. Nixon the total security of lsrael. ln the be governed by some unspecified replied that he would have to study last few years it has become increa international regime while Kuwait the matter." Kissinger added that singly obvious to US policy-makers was marked out for separation from the Emir "seemed content with that Muslims in the Soviet republic territories comprising Iraq and this Delphic utterance." of Azerbaijan , throughout the Arabia. One of Kissinger's favourite borders of Iran-Iraq, to the river The Treaty of Sevres in 1920 ploys was to threaten the Arabs Jordan and the occupied territo was imposed on a defeated Turkey, with invasion or destruction if they ries, are showing signs of remarka· under which the Ottoman Empire moved against the US. A 1975 ble 'Anti-Israel' unity. Saddam was broken up and reduced to a statement can easily be recalled in Hussein hiniself has emerged as a small state. But the Turks never which Kissinger had proposed the major force against Israel. He is ratified the Treaty of Sevres and taking over of the Arab oil fields the only one in that region who has under Mustafa KemaJ fought under certain circumstances,a state· the military wherewithal to con against the Greeks and re-negotiat· ment echoed by hawk-like politi· front Israel. It is for this reason ed the Treaty of Lausanne in 1923 dans in the US for many years. that President Bush has said that which superceded the Treaty of The plan called for the occupatton there can be no end to the current Sevres. The borders of Kuwait of the eastern part of Saudi Arabia crisis until Sadam Hu55ein is over were carved out at the Uqair "con where a recalcitrant popul.atlon thrown and Iraq's military machi· ference" in November 1922 and would have to be expelled or exter· nery destroyed or dismantled. His were not written into the 1923 minated if they did not cooperate terms, however, go beyond the Treaty of Lausanne. The Uqair with the occupymg army. restoration of the status quo meetmg was not an international Such ideas on occupying the ante. Panama and Grenada would conference but a meeting between Gulf reg~on had come from Moshe be "chicken feed"' operations com· the British High Commissioner, Arens, for many years the Head pared to this one. backed by military might, and two of the Committee on Security Bow would Europe see the new grateful Sheikhs of the desert, and Foreign Affairs in the Israeli American regional security order one, espousing the Wahbi cause Parliament, who was also a close for the Middle East? Most Euro against Turkey's modernisation, the friend of Henry Kissinger. Israeli pean governments, after tnitially other a Turkish appointed provin· officials had fostered the view in supporting the military intervention cial governor. So, it looks as if the US that Arabs have no morals and UN embargo on Iraq have been Kuwait had an ·illegitimate inter or principles and can easily be faced with domestic debates on national status from its very incep brought around to cooperate w1th how far the Americans intend to tion mto statehood. the invaders. "One day," Moshe go. France and Germany provided The present legitimacy only Arens used to say, "the US would the lynchpin for the current re· came with membership of the Arab see the wisdom of this policy of appraisal of Nato's future and League and the UN desptte chums invading the Persian Gulf, if only Middle East policies. French Pre· to the contrary by some Kuwaiti they could bring Egypt around to sident Mitterand, picking up a trend historians who refer to a vague accepting it." left by the late General De Gaulle, entity existing in the eighteenth did not want to see the increase century under Ottoman suzerainty. ANEW ORDERING of American influence at the Like that 1948 enuty, Israel, So, what is one to make of the expense of Europe while his advi modern Kuwait was a creation of new Middle East security order sers felt that support for US the British, pure and simple. that Secretary of State James military action would reduce the However, to erase such creations Baker touted before US Congress room for diplomatic manouvre. and accept the Iraqi intervention members on 4 September 1990? Chancellor Helmut Kohl agreed to and annexatton on ant1-colonial There seems to be some sort of support only those actions endors grounds could pose serious border odd logic tn the argument that ed by the UN Security Council. problems for Asia and Africa the Gulf provtdes Japan with about The Persian Gulf, it was argued, although the Middle East cases may 80% of its oil needs and around was outside Nato's theatre of be exceptions. 65% of Europe's needs, so why operations. The cnsis showed the 24 importance Germany placed on her political trends. Now, .it is pro· into a new crusade while other relations with France and the imperialistic and fascistic. Mena- publications described Saddam Soviet Union. It is interesting to chem Begin used to be villified as Hussein as the new Salahudin note the discordance in the Nato "a leader of the Stem gang" but (Saladin), the Islamic general who system on the Gulf crisis. not anymore. ln the Soviet Union ousted the crusaders from Jeru.sa And what about the Soviet and Eastern Europe, on the other lem in 1187 and established the Union? Can the Soviet Union be hand, the rise of anti-semitism is Ayubi Dynasty in Cairo. Salahudin, persuaded to support the proposed quite evident. in fact, was a Kurd, but the histo security order? The hastily arranged The religious point of view sees rical analogies should make both Bush-Gorbachev Summit at Hel events in the Middle East as part Turkey and Iran reflect deeply on sinki on 9 September 1990 provides of the inevitable clash be~een th~ their full implications. some answers. Moscow was not Wamic World and Zionism and By design, or otherwise, the keen to see a military solution to that Christianity would have to religious debates have linked the the Gulf crisis while the Ameri· choose sides - either to be friends Gulf crisis to the question of cans wanted to rule out a diploma of Zionism and defend Israel or Israel. It is the question of Israel tic one in which the Soviets might be friends with Islam and work which justifies President Saddarn be the key. At their press confe towards reconciling their histo Hussein's call for a comprehenSive rence double-talk was the order rical differences. Part of the crisis solution to the problems of the of the day and each perceived in Christianity (and in the Roman Middle East. It is on the question the summit as "a victory" for his Catholic Church in particular) is of Israel and Palestine that Chris side. The International Herald Tri related, in a sense, to the differ tianity as a whole will face its new bune reported (10 September ing solutions being offered to this epoch or its ultimate drama. It 1990): "The two leaders obtained great question of our times. is on the question of Israel that the an impression of solidarity partly In this connection, it is worth new security order for the Middle by insisting that the summit talks noting that the Economist of East will flounder. Is it possible had focused on broad political London (19th August 1990) show then to separate the question of convergences, without many con ed President George Bush dressed Israel from the Gulf crisis? 0 crete new commitments." Gorba up as King Richard "the Lion cbev "rejected any suggestion that heart" leading an array of leaders Moscow's alignment with US policy was exposing its geopolitical weak ness or had been bought by dollars. But Mr Bush publicly linked his shift in favour of more economic aid for the Soviet Union to Moscow's cooperation against Iraq." Horse-trading was obviously conducted at Helsinki. At whose expense? RELIGIOUS DEBATE Was it at the expense of the Arabs and Muslims, or more spe cifically, was it at the expense of a just solution to the Arab-Israel conflict? It is on the question of Israel that the political and reli gious debates converge. Public opinion in the US and Britain has shifted significantly towards conservative right-wingism over the He did not aslr. last two or three decades. People if the horses were hun. like Goldwater, Nixon and Reagan who used to be seen as right-wing extremists had moved towards mainstream over the years while President Bush has "out-Gold watered" them all In the case of Jewish opinion, it used to favour, on balance, the liberal western 25 FINANCE CONGLOMERATISATION VIA POLITICAL POWER RENONG & UMNO similarity to his attempt to help he reverse taklover of Fleet The Renong takeover to Datuk Lee. However, in the Renong Group Sdn Bhd and Hatibudi conglomerate all of Umno's case, his vehicle was a publicly T Nominees Sdn Bhd by listed company over which he had Renong Bhd in late April 1990 main assets under one control. This enabled him to use received much publicity. But press umbrella does not augur well the share-swapping method and, analysis has been mainly on its for Malaysian Capitalism more importantly, to raise public corporate significance, rather than because of the political ties funds through its subscription to the political ramifications although involved says EDMUND the new Renoog shares issued. the two companies were invest TERENCE GOMEZ. Thus, Dr Chan appears to have ment arms of the ruling United been more successful in helping Malays National Organisation Fleet Holdings (and UMNO),and the {UMNO). However, the political shares, in UMNO's most prized disposal of his interest in Renong business ties involved have received asset, United Engineers (M) Bhd was only to be expected. It is more critical analysis from the (UEM) appears to be missing. likely that his shares in Renong regional press, which has paid Since the reverse takeover of were sold to UMNO's proxies. greater attention to the manner in UMNO's corporate holdings by Renong was primarily viewed as an which UMNO proxies engineered Missing UEM shares one of Malaysia's largest corporate attempt to solve the fmancial manoeuvers by using ailing, woes of the party's main debt The more contentious issue publicly-listed Renong for the re ridden holding company, Fleet involves the 25 million "missing" verse takeover. Holdings, Dr Chan was portrayed as U EM shares. These shares, together Thus, when the approval was a trouble-shooter for the problem. with $37.5 million UEM conver recently given by Malaysia's regula This role was not new for Dr Chan tible unsecured loan stock (CULS), tory bodies for Renong's takeover who bad once before attempted t~ were originally held by Hatibudi of Fleet Group from its holding aid another politician-cum Sdn Bhd, then openly acknow company, Fleet Holdings Sdn Bhd, businessman facing debt problems. ledged as an UMNO company and of Hatibudi Nominees from In late 1986, when the then controlled through proxies, Halim UMNO proxies, it was not surpris recently appointed Deputy Agri Saad and Anuar Othman. When ing that the local press gave it scant culture Minister, Datuk Alex Lee, UMNO was de-registered by the attention. All that remains for the was being pursued by Singaporean High Court in February 1988, consummation of the deal is the banks for outstanding loans control of Hatibudi and its inte approval of Renong's shareholders amounting to US$32 million rests in UEM were taken over by which, in all probability, will be (around M$89 million at that the Official Assignee's Office, under overwhelmingly given during the time), Dr Chan agreed to buy the jurisdiction of Prime Minister company's Extraordinary General Datuk Lee's entire 64.1 per cent Datuk Seri Dr Mahathlr Mollllmad Meeting due to be held on 12 Sep stake, or 86.96 million shares in in his capacity as Minister of Home tember 1990. Roxy Electric Industries (M) Bhd Affairs. As was also expected, Dr Chan for a massive $240 million cash. Dr Mahathir then quickly form Chin Cheung, Renong's executive Apparently Dr Chan intended to ed UMNO Baru, and later, Hati chairman, who is seen as being res use his wholly-owned S2 paid budi's UEM shares and $37.5 ponsible for the takeover exercise, up capital nominee company, Bukit million of CULS were sold off by divested his stake of 1.9 million Tunku Nominees Sdn Bhd, to the Official Assignee to Hatibudi shares in the company on 24 purchase the shares in Roxy and Nominees, whose directors were July. It is uncertain who has ac later divest his interest in the also Halim Saad and Anuar quired Dr Chan's equity in the company. Othman. The $37.5 million CULS company. However, this is not The bid, however, failed when were later bought by T1me Engi the only shareholding issue sur Dr Chan was unable to raise the neering Bhd from Hatibudi Nomi rounding the Renong takeover exer bank loans necessary for the nees in a reverse takeover. The cise that remains unanswered. A 20 takeover. Dr Chan's role in the 25 million UEM shares were pre per cent stake, involving 25 million Renong takeover bears a marked sumably left under Hatibudi 26 Nominees' control. However, when vert Fleet Holdings and UEM into listed companies in its fold, the Renong takeover of Hatibudi major conglomerates. In the pro controlled through an intricate web Nominees was announced, there cess, however, the means used of cross-holdings. It is possible was no mention of these UEM towards this end have been subject that Renong is eyeing the Halimtan shares, though the Kuala Lumpur to much criticism, especially with Aokam Tin conglomerate as its Stock Exchange listing regulations regard to Fleet Holdings. Alle next takeover target in its bid to clearly stipulate that the move. gations were rife that in Fleet ensure even greater centralisation ment of such a substantial number Holdings' attempt to develop con of UMNO's corporate assets. of shares must be reported. glomerate status, many of the Though UEM attempted, but failed, The value of these highly lucra assets acquired were from to acquire Aokam Tin at the end tive missing UEM shares has led to companies related to Daim. An of 1987, this does not preclude increasing speculation that they example was the acquisitiOf! by the possibility of a similar take may have been sold to raise funds Fleet Group of the hotel and over attempt by Renong. for UMNO for the upcoming property group, Faber Merlin Bhd, general elections. Such speculation from Daim's companies. Loyal proxies was encouraged recently when The Renong takeover has helped There are other reasons for Finance Minister Datuk Paduka to solve what has probably been such centralisation. One is that it Daim Zainuddin personally urged a major problem for the Finance would reduce the need to obtain investors not to sell their shares Minister and UMNO Treasurer. the services of able, well-qualified in the stock market which had Dairn has not only been derided for and experienced proxies who can plunged rapidly following the erup Fleet Holdings' massive debts by manage UMNO's assets and whose tion of the Gulf crisis. With former UMNO leaders now in loyalty to the party leaders is rumours rife that General Elec the newly formed opposition party, unquestioned. Most prominent tions will be held in mid-Sep Semangat 46, but has also been among such proxies are Halim Saad tember, a sliding stock market criticised within UMNO by fac and Anuar Othman, both of whom was hardly considered conducive to tions envious of his close rapport worked for Daim during their raising funds for UMNO's coffers, with Maruithir and his support tenure at the government's UDA especially when UEM shares, which for the meteorically rising Educa owned Peremba Bhd, of which had a value of around $16 each in tion Minister and UMNO Vice Dairn was chairman from 1979 early 1990, fetched a price of President, Anwar Ibrahim. to 1984. Halim Saad, for example. only around $10 per share at the These allegations, however, do has held directorships in Halimtan end of August. not apply to Hatibudi Nominees and Hatibudi Nominees, and was The forthcoming general elec and UEM. Since UMNO gained appointed to the board of Fleet tions, actually only due by Octo control of UEM in 1985, it has Holdings just before the Renong ber 1991 , will probably see the changed from an ailing, beleaguer takeover. He has since been ruling UMNO-led Barisan Nasional ed company to becoming one of appointed to the board of the New coalition face its most serious Malaysia's major publicly-listed Straits Times Press (M) Bhd, now challenge ever. With the emergence companies well on its way to blue controlled through Renong, and of effective co-operation among the chip status. This growth, as critics Faber Merlin (M) Bhd, believed to opposition political parties, it is point out, has been largely due be still under the control of Fleet widely expected that the Barisan to government patronage, through Holdings. Nasional will mount a very ex the award of lucrative projects, A second reason is that through pensive campaign to try to retain particularly the privatised m~ti the use of such loyal proxies, legal its two-thirds majority in billion ringgit North-South High· links to UMNO can be totally parliament. way project. This has, in tum, severed with confidence. This helped Hatibudi Nominees ~d would help UMNO dissociate itself Huge conglomerates UEM to acquire other comparues from criticisms of there being From a more long term pers involved in the construction indus too much political Interference in pective, the Renong takeover can try, apparently in the interests of the Malaysian corporate sector, be viewed as an exercise to cen further integration in this poten which could adversely affect tralise all the party's main assets tially profitable sector. foreign investor sentiment. Though under one umbrella. It also These efforts at conglomeratisa UMNO's use of proxies is not reflects a growing emphasis by the tion have not been limited to Fleet new, UMNO's national leaders may UMNO Leadership on creating huge Holdings and UEM. UMNO's other soon be able to claim that the party conglomerates and in ensuring holding company, Halimtan Sdn is not directly involved in business. that UMNO's corporate assets have Bhd - lately renamed Waspavest The use of such proxies is also legally no direct links to the party. - has been systematically building useful in the event the party Since the early 1980s, after up another conglomerate through leadership should lose power, either Daim Zainuddin was appointed to its main listed vehicle , Aokam Tin within UMNO or at the national oversee UMNO's assets, there have Bhd. At the latest count, Aokam level, though the latter is highly been concerted attempts to con- Tin had at least eight important 27 improbable. Since no legal links increasingly involved actively in sector. On the other hand, those prevail between the party and its business, particularly in the crea who choose to make some invest· corporate assets, the present leader tion of monopolies. Besides cor ments will go out of their way to ship can still maintain control nering the market, the fact that preserve the status quo to protect over the companies. An attempt to political changes, particularly in their own business interests. Such even disband the corporate group the UMNO leadership, can have a situation could lead to increasing ing by a new leadership may prove a disruptive effect on the corpo foreign interference to preserve the difficult in view of its size and, if rate environment would make political status quo in Malays1a implemented, may result in the foreign investors fearful of involv· even against the interests and disruption of the corporate sector. ing themselves too deeply in such desires of the Malaysian people a politically sensitive corporate themselves. 0 Bumi Corporate Control This conglomeratisation trend is probably also related to Prime Minister Mahathir's desire for the society c~lls development of Burniputera businessmen with s{gnificant con me a oe.aqar trol over Malaysia's corporate sector. Despite the implementation, a parlilsrte since 1971, of the New Economic Policy (NEP) towards this end, and an eyesore. these efforts had , until Mahathir but wnar do came to power in the early 1980s, met with limited success. If UMNO you call a leaders had once only expected their proxies to hold and oversee society which UMNO's corporate portfolios, it is evident that the current leader hCAS reduced ship has actively assisted its proxies this in ensuring the rapid and profita me to ble growth of the party's sttAte? corporate assets. In this respect, .. 100._,...... it is clear that conglomeratisa ...... tion has taken on greater intensity in the late 1980s. Much of this trend has, in fact, involved Bumi putera businessmen. Apart from Daim, some of the prominent personalities involved include Tan Sri Azrnan Hashlrn and, more recently, Wan Azmi Wan Hamzah and Tan Sri Basir Ismail. These men are believed to be closely linked with the UMNO leadership; Wan Azmi, for example, is said to have had a long standing associa· tion with Daim. While Mahatlur's desire for Bumiputera capitalist development may have inspired this trend, Daim has shown the way. The Finance Minister had become a corporate player of some repute before his ministerial appointment, and many conglomeratisation exercises in the 1980s, especially those involving UMNO assets, seem to bear his mark. Conglomeratisation does not augur well for Malaysian capitalism ...... ,_._. , __ _ since UMNO's business proxies are l_ 28 Statement Made By Social Organisations On The We have carefully studied The project will also lead Penang Hill Project the proposals for the project to the loss of valuable public and have found that it is too recreational lands of the State large in scale, will be built too to private interests. For everal public-interest fast and will adversely change Penangites and visitors who groups and individuals the present natural cbaracteJi.s. have treated the Penang Hill S have decided to get to tics of the hills. and the Youth parl< as prime gether under a network called In our opinion, the propos recreation areas and sources of "Friends of Penang Hill" in ed project will cause serious rest, exerdse and tranquility, order to ensure that Penang adverse envirorunental effects. the project will destroy the Hill remains undisturbed in its As the projects are located in precious and rare natural cha natural and tranquil state. a critical zone in the hills, racter of the areas. "Friends of Penang Hill" will they will cause disturbance of The Waterworld project in initiate a campaign to "Save many critical water catchment the Youth Park, planned to Penang Hill" as a natural areas in the island. The impact take up more then I 0 hectares, heritage for our children. of the activities, including tree will also deprive families and The organisations that have cutting, land-clearance, trans present users of a large part initially sponsored the fonna port and construction works, of the Park. tion of "Friends of Penang will have extensive adverse The many state-owned Hill" are the Consumers' Asso effects on the soil, vegetation bungalows in the hill, now ciation of Penang, the Malayan and water of the hills and u~ by state and municipal Nature Society and Sahabat catchment areas. employees, will also be pri AJam Malaysia. Other groups There is a danger that the vatised. We also fear that the which are supporting " Friends reservoirs which collect most present train fares up the hill of Penang Hill" include the of Penang's drinking water may increase with privat~ Malaysian Muslim Youth Move would be affected by siltation tion. ment (ABIM ), the Environ and less water intake thus The present jeep track from mental Protection Society increasing- the possibility of Botanical Gardens entrance to Malaysia (EPSM), the Penang water scarcity. Penang Bill will also be con Y oath Council, Aliran and The soil erosion and sedi stantly used by lorries for at Association of Academic and mentation of the streams and least I 0 years when the pro Administrative Staff, USM. existing drainage channels will ject starts, thus depriving Many individuals have also also lead to more flooding hikers and walkers of Penang's indicated their support for this in the lower regions especially most popular hiking facility. initiative and will contribute or in areas where the Sungai Thus we fear that there will participate in their individual Pinang flows. be much less access of the capacity. The project wouJd also lead public (especia.lly those who These groups expressed con to changes in the micro-climate are not well-to-do) to Penang cern over the announcement and local rainfall in the hill, Hill nod the Youth Park and by the State Government to which is a cause for concern the jeep track once the project carry out a mammoth hill especially in the dry seasons starts. project in the upper parts of when rainfalJ is most needed. The groups also expressed the Penang Hill involving seve Thus the project couJd disappointment that the State ral hundred units of condomi contribute to water scarcity on Government did not seek the niums, hotels, houses, Large one hand and flooding on the views of the public before buildings and even a golf other hand for the people of approving the project. course. Penang. Such a project which is 29 bound to drastically change the nature of Penang Hill and Penang itself should have been open to the public for discus sion during the proposal and planning stage. Yet the project seems to have been shrouded in secrecy and rushed through in extreme baste. In fact the State Government did not dis close anything about the project until the signing of the Memorandum of Understand ing between the State Govern ment and the developer on 1 September 1990. We agree that services and facilities in Penang Hill can be further improved. However any development in Penang Hill must be done in a controlled way and at a pace that will not disrupt the hill's natural state and tranquility, or the environ ment. In view of the above we appeal to the State Govern ment to reconsider the Penang --;r-- r 1\D\l~anM Hill project and not to proceed - P~ with its implementation in its C3llle Car present form. We would also = &islng Road ~ Proposed like to request the State Penonq Hill Govermnent not to alienate Ptq<>d Site • - • HiHla...ay any lands concerned for the project unless and until the PROPOSED PENANG HILL PROJECT AND PENANG'S CATCHMENT AREA pllblic is satisfied that there will not be adverse environ- This map shows how the project area is located in a critical area of the hill. Friends of Penang mental and social conse- Hillaze concerned that the project will affect rivers and catchment ar12x, especially Air I tam Side Stream, Sungai Pinang West, WaterfaU, Tat's Str12m and Tiger Bill. qllences. Thank you. SM Mohd. ldris, JP President CONSUMERS' ASSOCIATION OF PENANG (CAP) Dr. Leong Yueh Kwong Consumers' Association of Association ofAcademic & Chaim1an Penang (CAP) Administrative Staff. USM MALAYAN NATURE Malayan Nature Society SOCIETY (Penang Branch) Sahabat A/am Malaysia (SAM) For further infonnation please Malaysian Muslim Youth contact: Ms. Chee Yoke Ling Movement ( ABIM) Hon. Secretary Friends ofPenang Hill Environmental Protection SAHABAT ALAM cfo Consumers' Association of Society Malaysia (EPSM) MALAYSIA (SAM) Penang Penang Youth Council (repre 87, Cantonment Road, on behalf of Friends of Penang sents 21 youth organisations) I 0250 Penang. Hill including the following: A/iran Tel: 373511 30 JUSTICE ECO IC L FO THE INETIES: A TH VIEW We carry below excerpts number of secondary school stu from a public document dents have to stop their education resulting in a sense of resentment produced by PAS on its among the different races as they concept of a post-1990 realise there are injustices done economic policy. Since views to them by the government. This of this sort are seldom will threaten national unity. Our published in our English country will then be lacking in dailies, we hope that our highly educated manpower. Our readers will acquire a better country will also face cultural understanding of the thinking conflicts and attitudinal problems of various groups on economic as the graduates from overseas do not receive the same education as and social ~es. is required by our national educa· -Editor ideology and attitude as well as tion philosophy. practice, laws and an organizational To ensure rapid national deve structure. In terrns of ideology and lopment in future, we need much attitude, Islam advocates that highly educated manpower. For ·• For PAS, justice cannot be justice cannot be achieved as this purpose, the government equated with the cut-throat long as man denies that all property should increase as many as possible competition of capitalism is actually God's property and is the number of institutions of because this perpetuates a situation entrusted to men by God. Hence, it higher learning. By increasing the wherein the rich get richer and the shall be used in a manner accept· number of institutions of higher poor remain poor. More important able to Him. The weak and the learning, the question of quota ly, basic capitalist philosophy poor have rights to it and - the on the intake of students will no which states that the property of fulfilment of these rights are given longer be a controversial issue. an individual is obtained purely priority over its lavish use for Moreover, the governn1ent would through the result of that in personal luxury." also be able to maintain the quality dividual's efforts, is rejected and the form of education imparted by PAS. This is because such a to the people." philosophy rejects the role of " y oday, our country only has God in determining a person's five polytechnics, 28 tea economic standing (rezeki). chers' training colleges, two col "As long as material and The ideology of a classless leges and seven universities. racial interests remain as society, advocated by socialism and Obviously, this number cannot the main objectives in the national communism, and the quota ideo meet the needs of 1.5 million economic policy, we will never logy advocated by the commu secondary school students through succeed in soJving our social pro nalists, are . also rejected by PAS. out the whole country. Due to blems. Therefore, our main objec These are both confused ideologies limited places, a lot of negative tive for national planning must be based on superficial philosophies implications have risen. One of the in terms of humanity, brotherhood, and a definition of justice which is implications is the outflow of pure values and universal happiness narrow and hypocritical. currency to other countries as regardless of race, origin or religion. PAS supports the defmihon parents who can afford it have For this purpose, the Al-Quran and of justice advocated by Islam. sent their children to further Al-Hadis teachings are able to lead This definition of justice includes their studies overseas. A large us to the targeted objectives." e 31 DEVELOPMENT Crazy But True recent news item in the square. He yells above the din: did not report the involvement of a newspapers reminded me of "Now you shall have a bridge in single medical school department or A crazy happenings m some the town!" medical research institute in unra other countnes where I happened The noise dies down then a voice velling the mystery. Medical to work before coming to MaJaysia. from the back of the crowd asks: students were not taken to Teluk Let me recount. "But Senor Candidate, why do lntan to conduct epidemeological The first was a South American we need a bridge? We haven't got a studies. An extremely valuable country in severe economic stress. river." learning experience was lost for The crazy thing was this budget There was only a moment's ever. And yet no one knows for announcement - 1V licences $200. pause. sure the fmdings of the investiga I had been there for two years. "I will bring you a river too!" tions carried out. Thus far, it has There was no TV. Nor were there he shouts back. The cheers of the been classified an official secret. any plans to put up a TV broad crowd again fill the square. Then What a shame! God forbid that we casting station. On enquiry I found the noise fades away and a com· do not have a second episode of out that an entrepreneur had set up menta tor's voice explains: "mysterious" food poisoning in a satellite dish and was pirating 1V "This was a scene from Guate children. If it does occur, the signals beamed from North Ameri mala's election circus." children in Teluk lntan will have ca. To prevent people from pirating That, believe it or not, was a ra died in vain. We have not learnt his broadcasting, he scrambled his dio commercial. Thirty seconds of from history. We will have to live transmission and sold descramblers disconcerting irony sandwiched be 1t again! to his customers The Government tween a Coca-Cola advertisement Malaysian medical doctors seem watched this for one year and then and a football commentary. Its to have very strange research priori announced a levy on all 1V re aims, according to 1ts originator ties. Children dying of suspected ceiving sets - never mind pirating! Julia Esquivel, was "to stop people food pOisoning or under-nutrition The Hrst lady in the second accepting messages without of segments of infants and young country, Haiti (also an tmpove thinking, to make them analyse children do not interest them. rished country) worked as a secre what was happening around them". Invitro fertilization (IVF) is much tary in New York before she got What I saw in the Malaysian more glamorous. It brings in a lot married to the then d1ctator, newspaper on August 1990 of money too! But are the women "Baby" Doc Duvalier As a secre appeared to me to be a cross concerned told of the consequences tary she had watched with envy between Haiti and Guatemala! A of such research? This is what the nch North American ladies temperate park in trop1cal Malaysia. World Health Organization says: parading in fur coats. Some of her The Government will brmg snow to "Babies produced by invitro fer· first purchases after she got married 1ts people. And why? To research tilization (IVF) cost probably more were mink coats. But back in Haiti, into the SUitability of certain tem than US$50,000 each to have, and the temperature was higher than in perate crops! You cannot sell this the procedure presents serious risks Malaysia. The ftrst lady was not crap to school children in other to both the babies and women who daunted. A section of the presiden Asian countries. Malaysia needs undergo it." The report on IVF tial palace was converted to cold several Julia Esquivels to shake released in May, 1989 raised ques rooms. There in frozen splendor the them up from their stupor - to tions on the benefits of IVF first lady entertained her bosom stop them accepfing messages from compared with its cost and recom pals all dressed in exotic fur coats. wherever they come without mends its funding be taken from The third country experienoe thinking but analyse what is hap research budgets, not national was somewhat different. Listen. pening around them . health budgets." IVF bas also ...The crowd cheers as the candi Speaking about research, here is resulted in larger numbers of multi date mounts the platform. Slowly another area of Malaysian life ple pregnancies, more spontaneous the noise subsides. Choking with which I fmd quite mixed-up. About abortions and more stillbirths than emotion he starts his speech. two years ago, young school chil average. The use of fertility drugs "I have seen with my own eyes: dren in Teluk Intan were dying one to induce superovulation is one of the hungry, the sick, the poor. I after another. What followed was a the serious risks. Side~ffects of the promise as your candidate to bring panic response. Scientists were drugs might include prolonged you everything you need!" brought m ftrst from Singapore and Applause and shouts fill the then Atlanta in the US. Newspapers contirwed on page 39 S2 ARE YOU A WARE OF THE ISSUES AFFECTING OUR FUTURE? Do you want to know wh2t is rcaUy happening? JOIN US lN THE STRUGGLE FOR Get a grasp of the tssues and events that affect us as JUSTICE, FREEDOM AND Malaysians whatev~ our ethnic or religious SOLIDARITY! background. Aliran does not get any foreign finanaal help. We READ ALlRAN MONTHLY depend entirely on Malaysians for support. The We have tackled aU 80TCS of nationaJ and global Aliran Monlhly whose editonal team works on a subjects. Poverty. corruption, democracy and voluntary basis. is one oft hese mean.~ of inoome. national unity in Malaysia, apartheid. Third World fhat is ~ hy your support IS so vital. lnvtte your development and human rights. Our approach to friend$ to &ubscribe to these issues is non-communal, non-sectarian and truly multi-ncial. But don't take our ~rd for it. Fill in this form and find out for yourself. Our quest is for a just and humane society. NA~E: .....••..•.•...... •...... ADDRESS: (Please print MR/ MRS/ MlSS/ MS) ...... •.•.•.•. • ... .PROFESSION: ...... ••.•..•.•..• 0 I year's subscriplion (S I 0.50)* 0 2 year's subscription (S20.SO)* b~o'ginning Vol...... No...... *Includes 50.50 for outsration cllcqul!s. I enclose money order/ postal order/ cheque No...... dated ...... lor the sum ol S...... Send this order and payment to AU RAN DISTRIBUTION BUREAU P 0 BOX 1049 J 0830 PENANG , MALAYSIA 33 ''All things are interconnected •.. Whatever befalls the earth befalls the people of earth. Man did not weave the web of life; he Is merely a strand In it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself". CHIEF SEATTLE • • • • Aspiring to make every Malaysian an informed, thinking, effective strand e REFLECTIONS ON THE MALAYSIAN e LIMA PERSOALAN - $3.70 0 CONSTITUTION - $12.20 0 Apakah Asia Tanggara Selamat7 Mengapa Terdapet - A compilation of papers presented at a Conference on Kemiskinan Dalam Maayarakat Kita? Apakah Dia Kabuda " Reflection: on the Malaysian Constitution: 30 Years After yaan Nasional? Mengapa Adanya Kekurangan Rumah? Merdeka." The topics addrassecl include the Historical Mengape Wujudnya Polarisesi K8um7 Dapatkan jawapannya Background, the Role of the Monarchy, the Role of the dalam buku ini. Judiciary, the Role of the Parli.ament, the Role of the Exec:utive, Stete md Federal Relations, the Rule of Law, e I.S.A. DAN KESELAMATAN NEGARA - $5.20 0 Fundamental Liberties, the Ethnic Dimension and Islam in Buku ini membicarakan undang-undang ISA. l1 memapar the Constitution. kan tentang ketidakadilannya, tentang kezalirnannya. Ia cuba mamberi gambaran tentang apa sebenarnya yang e DIALOGUE ON DEMOCRACY - $3.20 0 berlaku pada bulan Oktober 1987 bila lebih 100 orang Collection of speech• made by leaders of various political ditangkap di bawah ISA. parti• and public interest societi• in connection with the Third Dialogue of Concern on Parliamentary Oemocracy. e CABARAN.CABARAN SEMASA - $7.20 0 Suatu k.ajian yang mendalam tentang cabaran-abaran yang e CORRUPTION - $4.20 0 kita h1dapi dalam bidang demokrui, ekonomi, ke1118111yara An -ily r•dllble, informative and analytical collection of katan, pendidikan, kemanusiaan, hak asasi manusia d8n papers on Vllriow 11pects of this social scourge presented hal-ehwal antarabangsa. by Aliran officials and guest speakers at an Aliran semin•r on Corruption. Indicate number ordered in box next to title. e NATION ODI TRIAL - $12.00 0 Name: Mr/Mrs/Ms ...... - ...... Th- lest five y•rs have ~n tumultous ones for Malaysia Addr8SI: ...... in many r11pects. In many spheres of national life, the country ap~rs to be slipping. Thit is manifested in the -kening of democratic foundations and the rise of authoritarianism in government, corruption and financial I enclose money order/ ~tal order/ cheque no ...... IC8ndlls, lack of accountability and an ablence of integrity ...... dated ...... for the sum of among people at tha helm of the nation's affairs, violation of human rights, a declining economy and increasing unemployment. In the midlt of all this, AI iran continues to • PleBe include 50 sen for bank commiaion for demand a saner political and economic system. outstation chequ•. • For local orders, priCII quoted 1re inclusive of postage. • For ov- orders, prices quoted in US$. Add 20% of total order for •urface mail and,tlO% of 14 total order for airmail. BANTAHAN TOL CHERAS LAPURAN BANTAHAN TOL CHERAS RUSUHAN TOL: Penunjuk Peran• perasaan cangan elak kerajaan kekerasan Seorang penunjuk perasaan di Tol untuk Cheras sedang diusung oleh pihak polis. burukkan eberapa orang penduduk "Tak tabu," kata seorang gadis B tempatan yang ditemui Cina apabila ditanya siapakah yang ·pem• berkata mereka berusaba sedaya memulakan tindakan membaling opaya untuk mengelak kekerasan batu. kerana mereka sebenamya ber "Kita tak mahu tol bukan bangkang tujuan mengadakan bantahan secara mahu lawan," tegasnya sambil am an. berlalu. alaupun tunjuk perasaan "lni baling batu punya hal Kesemua mereka enggan mem rakyat membantah to! di lecehlah abang, saya ingat mesti beritahu nama masing-masing. W Cheras disertai sama oleh ada orang provoke ni, jadi bila Pemberita Harakah mengalami penyokong-penyokong DAP, tidak seorang sudah mula, yang lain kesukaran untuk mendapat ulasan mustahil bahawa rusuhan yang ikutlah," kata seorang pemuda dari mereka kerana terdapat terlalu berlaku dirancang begitu rapi oleh Melayu. ramai anggota polis cawangan khas anasir penyokong Barisan Nasional Manakala seorang lelaki Cina yang menyamar. yang bertujuan memburuk-buruk berkata beliau melihat beberapa Ketika masuk ke tengah-tengah kan pembangkang. orang pemuda penunggaug moto kumpulan penunjuk perasaan, Secara k.ebetulan ramai yang sikal yang mcmulakan tindakan pemberita Harakah mendengar menyertai tunjuk perasaan dl Plaz.a membaling batu. sendiri penunjuk-penunjuk perasaan Tol Cheras itu penduduk Cina dari "Samseng ka, siapa ka, saya mengingatkan antara satu sama kawasan berdekatan. Penduduk tak tahu, tapi itu orang la mula lain supayajangan membaling batu. Melayu yang juga terpaksa memi mula baling batu," beritahu beliau. Tetapi tidak dapat dlnaflkan kul sarna beban tol itu tidak turut "Siapa nak gaduh, kami nak mereka mengeluarkan kata-kata dalam bantahan terbuka tersebut. lawan tol, bukan lawan polis," yang mengecam kerajaan. Dengan demikian ada percubaan kata seorang lela.ki India. Mereka melaungkan slogan ''Ba dari kalangan tertentu untuk men Tetapl beliau tidak menafikan risan bodoh, Barisan bodoh". 0 bahawa penunjuk perasaan jadikan ia satu kegiatan perkauman melawan polis dengan berbagai Dipetik daripada akhbar PAS, bagi dipertanggungjawabkan kepada bagai cara apablla polis menyerbu Harakalz, keluaran 14 September DAP secara langsung dan pem mereka. 1990. bangkang lainnya secara tidak lang sung. Encik Lee Lam Thye, Penolong 35 parti parti pcmbangkang lain Bukan mustahil rancangan khusumya Semangat 46 dari men. menguatkuasakan tol menjelang capai kemenangan. pilihanraya dLlakukan untuk men TV dan akhbar sudah ten tu cabar orang ramat khususnya pem· membesarkan kejadian buruk dari bangkang berbuat sesuatu bagi rusuhan llu. Akibatnya pengundi· menghalang kuatkuasa tol itu. pengundi Melayu yang hendak Memang to! seringgit sekali lalu menyokong pembangkang mungkin bagi filOtokar dan d ua nnggit bag~ membatalkan niatnya kerana Iori membebankan rakyat. takutkan huru·hara kaJau pem Rakyat memang bersungut dan bangkang memerintah. memang, ada rakyat yang bangkit Polis Unit Simpanan Persekutuan Perdana Mented telah pun mem membantah. Bila rakyat bantah, IFRU) cuba menahan orang awam peralatkan isu 1tu. Katanya, kalau agensi·agensi keraja:l1l yang di yang didakwa terbabit dengan macam iniJah cara pembangkang peralatkan oleh UMNO mengam rusuhan berhampiran Plaza Tol bertindak maka huru-haraJah negara bil peluang untuk melumpuhkan Cher•. Jtka mereka memerintah. pem bangkang. Oleh itu banyak pihak merasa· Kerajaan sudah tentu akan Setiausaha Agung DAP mengatakan kan bahawa Encik Lim Kit Stang. bertindak atas nama menJaga kea tunjuk perasaan beberapa kali itu pemimpin utama DAP yang tee manan apabila ada bantahan orang bukan rancangan DAP. DAP kenai mahir berpolitik itu tidak ramaL Bantahan berststem seperti menyedari masalah yang akan di· akan membenarkan partinya mem mengemukakan memorandum, hadapi kiranya mengadak.an demon· buat tindak.an yang boleh merugi ra} uan dan lain·lain tidak diped uli strasi tanpa permit menjelang pili· kan. kan. Bila rakyat memilih cara Ada juga pihak merasakan hanraya umum. demokrasi yang membenarkan Justeru itu jika parti itu berhajat bahawa apa yang berlaku adalab demonstrasL kerajaan bertinda.k usaha Barisan untuk memerangkap untuk mengadakan tunjuk perasa· kerana Akta Polis tidak membenar· DAP dan pembangk.ang. an, mak.a ia akan memohon permit lean demonstrasi. 0 polis. Penunjuk·penunjuk perasaan dt· laporkan membaling batu terhadap. kenderaan yang lalu.Jalang. Mereka dikatakan menggunakan kayu, batu, tong drum dan lam·latn BN MENGAPIKAN untuk menyekat motokar meng gunakan plaza tol. Mereka mem· ISU PERKAUMAN benarkan muka mereka diambil gam bar oleh kamera TV. etua Perhubungan Semangat Para pemerhati tidak begHu K 46 Selangor, Dato' Haji yakln DAP boleh merancang Harun ldris berkata, 1su perkauman sesuatu yang boleh memberi sen akan sengaja ditimbulkan oleh jata kepada parti kerajaan dan Barisan Nasional setiap kah pilihan polis untuk menyulitkan parti itu raya hendak diadakan. mendapat sokongan pengundi "Bantahan yang dikemukakan dalam piliharuaya akan datang. oleh barisan pembangkang ialah Walaupun DAP mudaJ1 menge. atas kescdaran membela nllSlb pen· kalkan pengaruh dan kerusinya, duduk terbabit. atau boleh juga mendapat tamba· " lanya bukan sahaja membabit· han kerusi dari kejadtan itu, tctapi kan kaum Cina sahaja, malah DAP juga bcrhasrat mellhat Bari· kawasan·kawasan seperti di Batu san jatuh atau setidak·tidaknya Sembilan Cheras, Kajang, Kampung Barisan hUang majonti dua per· Midah, Banting dan Beranang tiga. majoriti penduduknya Melayu. Oleh itu DAP berminat juga "Jika penduduk Melayu menga melihat partl·paru pembangkang dakan demonstrasi di pla~a tol lain memenangi sebanyak-sebanyak Cheras, saya pasti Perdana Men kerusi yang bole h. ten akan tetap menyatakan ia Menyedari keadaan itu sudah bercorak perkaurnan," jelasnya. tentu DAP tidal< sedia memb13C· SoaJ beliau jika bantahan pen Dato' Haji Harun ldris: hu kan dlrinya digunakan olch duduk kawasan Batu terhadap perkauman akan sengaja Barisan NasionaJ untuk menghaJang cadangan mewujudkan to! di Kam· ditimbulkan oleh Barisan Nasional ... 36 Dato' Harun juga melal1irkan kebimbangannya bal1awa kemung kman terdapat dalang-dalang d1 sebalik demonstrasi d1 plaza to! Cheras yang menghangatkan suasa na ketika itu hingga timbul kejadian baling batu, memecahkan kende raan awam dan sebagainya. Beliau turut mengecam dakwaan Dr. Mahathrr b:~hawa penduduk Cheras tidak menggunakan saluran yang betul untuk menyuarakm bantohan mereka. Polis memburu para perusuh hingg1 ke dalam kedai makan berdekatan. Dakwaan Hu, menurut DatO· Harun, adalah tidak munasabah pung Batu suatu ketika dahulu mimpin kerajaan yang ada seka kerana isu bantahan tol di Cheras boleh dilayani walaupun ratusan rang barangkali tidak merasa telah mula disebu t dan dibincang ribu ringgit telah dibelanjakan kesusahan, kerana itu mereka tidak ka n sejal sebulan yang lalu. Malah mengapa bantahan penduduk mal1u mengambtl tahu kesusahan Ianya telah beberapa kali disiarkarr Cberas tidak dilayani. rakyat. ''Malah, saya yakin paru oleh akhbar-akhbar tempatan. '·Yang peliknya mcngapa isu parti komponen utama Bansan "Barangkali Dr. Mahathir sen perkauman tidak dibangkitkan oleh Nasional seperti UMNO, MCA, MIC din yang tak mahu ambil ta11u, Perdana Memeri ketika itu? Seolah· dan Gerakan akan turut memban ataupun dia mempunyai tafsiran olah ada sesuatu dJ sebalik isu tah langkal1 kerajaan mengenakan 'proper charmel' yang tersend1ri. to! Cheras mi." kata Dato· Harun. to! pada kadar yang begitu tmggi Dan tJdak munglan penduduk "Kanu juga mendesak, jika betul Chcras datang menyembah baru Tan1bahnya, kerajaan seharus to! di Cheras akan dilaksanakan beliau nak dengar. In& tak boleh," nya memikirkan bahawa ramai pada jangka panjang, sebuah jalan kata Dato' Harun. 0 yang terlibat bukanlah di kalangan alternatif yang ada sekarang dibaiki mereka yang berpendapatan tinggi. untuk kegunaan penduduk ter Dipetik daripada akhbar PAS, Hara " Me reka yang kaya seperti pe- babit," ujar Dato' Harun. kah ke/uaran 14 September 1990. lngatan kepada Perdana Menteri JANGAN APIKAN PERKAUMAN etua Dewan Pemuda PAS adalah isu perkauman, mengapa .. Klta memandang berat tuntu K Pusat, Ustaz Haji Abu Bakar waktu itu tidak ada yang pembesar tm mereka dan kita amat simpat1 Chik, mengingatkan kerajam negara yang bercakap tentang isu dengan mereka yang mengalami supaya Jangan memperalatkan isu perkauman , tetapi bila rakyat yang kcsusahon ketiko berdcmonstrasi. bantahan rakyat terhadap pemaksa kebetulan kebanyakan orang-orang ''Memang kita bersimpati, an toJ di Plaza To! Jalan Cheras Cma berhlmpun membantah kerana mereka terpaksa menunjuk untuk kepen tingan poHtik Barisan pemaksaan tol, ada pula suara sum perasaan bagi menyedarkan seluruh Nasion a!. bang yang hendak me mainkan isu ncgara tentang bebanan yang di Beliau mcnyeru rakyat meng perkauman," kata beliau. paksakan ke atas mereka," tegas mgati semula bagaimana UMNO Beliau menyifatkan kenyataan beliau. dan MCA menggunakan ISu per Perdana Menteri yang mengaitkan Beliau seterusnya berkata apa kauman menJelang Operas1 Lallang isu tersebut dengan isu perkauman yang berlaku itu memang sudah dahuJu bagi menghalalkan penang sebagai percubaan untuk mcngalih diduga sejak timbulnya isu UEM kapan beramai-ramai di bawal1 ISA. kan perhatian dari isu sebenar. yang mendapat kontrak penswasta "Bantahan ra.kyat terhadap Beliau menegaskan, Dewan an Lebuhraya Utara Selatan. 0 pemaksaan to! adalah isu masyara PemudaPAS Pusat menyokong tun Dipetik daripada akhbar PAS, kat. bukan 1su perkauman. Sedang tutan yang d1buat oleh rakyat Harakah, keluaran 14 September kan, perhtmpunan anjuran Pemuda mengenaJ pemaksaan kutipan to! 1990. UMNO di Padang TPCA da11ulu itu. 37 PRINTING PERMIT CURRENT CONCERNS -A RIGHT! t is aad that Deputy Prime Minister, Encik Abdul Gha(ar I Baba, regards the printing permit issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs, as a 'privilege' and 'not a right'. He is reported to have said that "these newspapers forget that if not for the tolerance of the Prime Minister, they would not be holding publishing permits, but would also be unable to freely sell their anti Government publicatione." (NST 7/9/90) It pains us 1.0 remind Encik Ghafar that the right to publish is a fundamental human right. It is a fundamental right because the freedom of expression is a funda mental human right. We do not owe this right to anyone. It is a right that inheres in us, as human beings. Indeed, viewed from a spiritual perspective, it can be argued that the freedom of expression is a God-given right. It is a right that every human being posaesses so that he or she can, as God's trustee, "uphold what is just and forbid what is unJust". Of course, this right has to be exercised with responsibility. In the publishing world, our ultimate responsibility must be to the truth, as we understand it. Non establishment newspapers and magazines may have erred from time to time, in their endeavour to uphold the truth. But erring now and then is not as bad as suppressing the truth - Cheras Toll protest: ISA arrests to 'intimidate' the urban electorate? which is an outstanding trait of some of the pro-establishment dailies in the country. And yet, THE ISA & THE CHERAS peaceful, leg1timate protest against the Deputy Prime Minister appl.!ars TOLL PROTEST excessive toll charges, suddenly to be quite happy with newspapers turned unruly. which lie, distort and concoct, ALIRAN suspects that there in order to ingratiate themselves to nce again, the Internal Secu may be a political motive behind the powers-that-be. rity Act (ISA) has been the use of the ISA against the abused. There is no jus~ifi Cberas toll protestors. The aim The Executive Committee O all may well be to intimidate the 12 1990 cation at to use the ISA aaamst September individuals involved in the Cheras voters in that area, and indeed, the toll protest on 7 September 1990. urban electorate, as a whole. It A toll protest, even if it had may be a way of coercing the turned unruly, can never be a threat voters to support the Barisan to the security of the nation. Nasional in the coming general National security has become a elections. ln this connection, Dr convenient excuse for U£ing the Mahathir Mohamad's statement THE CHERAS TOLL ISSUE ISA against all and sundry. that "if they (the Cheras residents) - UNSCRUPULOUS If it is true that some of the do not vote for the government, POLITICS! protestors bad resorted to vio there is no pO&Sibility at all of lence, they should be charged reducing the toll rate" is most under Section 148 of the penal revealing. It is a clear example of he way the Cheras toll issue code. Police personnel who had intimidation of the voters which i.s is developing is an indication fired teargas indiscriminately at the an offence under the Election T of how unscrupulous the prote&tors, should also be investi Offences Act. politics of the ruling elite is. gated. Indeed, there should be a When peaceful demonstrations proper inquiry, conducted by an Chandra Muzaffar by Cheras residents against the toU independent panel, on bow a 9 September 1990 President charees rJISt began, the Barisan 38 It is easy to predict what will by asking people not to tum it happen next. The government will into an ethnic issue. come out with a solution. The toll The ease and eagerness with charges will be reduced and alterna which security personnel and poli tive routes will be established. The tical leaders transform non-ethnic government-controlled media will issues into ethnic issues is frighten· create the impression that all this ing. By so doing, they prevent is due to the sincerity of the MCA socio-economic or other types of and perhaps the Gerakan. The issues from taking their own course. voters in Cheras and in other They prevent a non-ethnic con places in urban Malaysia will be sciousness from developing at grass told that it is on!y the Baii&an roots level. parties that can solve their griev In contras~ to Tan Sri Abdul vances, that can 1ook after their Rahim and the Prime Minister, interests. In this way, the BN hopes PAS and some Semangat 46 leaders to regain control of some urban were quick to point out that the constituencies in the coming elec issue had nothing to do with tions. ethnicity. They argued boldly that It shows how Machiavellian the issue should be viewed in its Barisan politics have become. Let socio-economic perspective. us hope that the electorate will ALIRAN feels that on the Cheras reject Machiavellian politics of this issue they have been much more sort which is the bane of our responsible than certain UMNO society. Baru and Barisan leaders. ALIRAN hopes that leaders in Cheras arrest: MCA leaders to the Chandra Muzaffar positions of responsibility will rescue as they loudly propound 12 September 1990 President desist from playing ethnic politics. solutions in the aftermath. Those who stoke the communal fire will in the end be consumed Nasional (BN) leadership was un by it. happy that the residents bad chosen The Executive Committee to tum to DAP Members of Pai· liament within the Federal Terri 18 September 1990 tory, li.l~e Tan Kok Wai, MP for TURNING THE CHERAS Sungei Besi and Lee Lam Thye, TOLL ISSUE INTO AN MP for Bukit Rintang. Given that ETHNIC ISSUE CRAZY BUT TRUE general elections are just around continued from page 32 the corner, the BN leaders were caught in a bind. If they responded y suspending the toll to the request of the residents for charges at the Cheras toll menstrual irregularities, premature a reduction in toll chaiges, the B Plaza, the government has menopause and ovarian cancer. credit would go to the Opposi found a tempOraiy solution to the For the cost of one live IVF tion. If, on the other band, they problem. A more permanent solu did not respond, there was a tion which does justice to the baby, 100 women could be pre strong possibility that they would Cheras residents will have to be vented from ever becoming infer be punished by the voters. worked out as soon as possible. tile in the first place, through The BN leaders then decided While ALIRAN is concerned progran1mcs that help prevent that the best course of action with the problem as such, we are sexually transmitted diseases,'' the available to them was to 'hijack' even more disturbed by the manner the issue. The incident on Friday in which it was turned into an report says. (The Australian, Aus night - 7 September - provided ethnic issue. The Cheras toll issue tralia, May 16, 1989). them with the opportunity. Using was from the outset a community ln view of this mix up in the unruly behaviour, the violence issue - an issue confronting the research priorities in the country. of some of the demonstrators as Cheras community. The Cheras the excuse, the authorities ar.rested community is largely Chinese, perhaps what Malaysia needs is a MP Tan Kok Wai, the Chairman of though there are Malays anu "Rt:search Watch" composed of the Charas Anti·tolls Committee Indians living in that area. It is socially conscious, knowledgeable and one other person under the important to note that Malays and and internationally respected acade ISA. A number of other demon Indians also joined their Chinese micians. Such a Research Watch strators were also arrested for co-community dwellers in the rioting, but under the penal code. demonstrations. would have saved the lax payer Demonstrations have now been pro For the Chinese and the others nine million ringgit. If not formed hibited. To all intents and purposes, in Cheras, it was the socio even now, Malaysia will very soon the toll protest by Cheras residents economic root of the issue which lose one of its national assets - has been crushed. mattered. This is why they focussed the Penang Hill. Future generations Having crushed the protest BN their attention on tolls and nothing parties like the MCA and' the else. They do not take up any other will blame not th developers and Gerakan have quickly got into issue. others who were responsible for the the act. It is important to note It was the Deputy Inspector slaughter but those who were quite that before this, these parties were General of Police, Tan Sri Abdul aware of the consequences but not actively involved in the Cheras Rahim bin Mohd Noor, who first protest. Now MCA leaders aie introduced an ethnic dimension failed to stop it. loudly propounding various solu into the issue. The Prime Minister Friend ofMalaysia. tions to the toll issue. reinforced the ethnic dimensiOn (An A/iran Re11der) 39 n a report on page two I of the NST on 9 Sep tember 1990, Dr Mabathir ·dismissed any suggestion ... NO APPEAL that the demonstrations yesterday were an act of last resort saying that he FROM ANY did not receive (sic) any appeal from any group. • GROUP On the very same page of the NST was another report which presented Dr Ling Uong Sik's views: •The Govemmen t. he (Dr. Ling) said, had receiv ed •'many" memorandums calling for a review of the Jalan Cheras toll charges. Residents have proposed that the Government bear the cost of the interchange and regard it as a normal MA~ development project. Resi memorandoms dents have also urged the $1 levy be reduced to SO Who are we to believe - Dr M or Dr Ling? They are dearly contradicting each other. Did the resi dents of Cheras resort to demonstrations only after exlmusting aU avenues of appeal? Readers should study the two statements above again, and then form their own co11clu-