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Inside

Mahathifs Rallies ...... 2 Penillian - Bahagim Kedua ...... 14 The Pan-El Affair ...... 4 Public Services In Malaysia: Latter: ...... 6 ACitizan'sVicw ...... ‘ ...... 17 The Illegal Immigrant - Mystic Bonds That Unite AV"nctim Tco ...... 11 F’allhs ...... 20 Space-Based Missile Defence ...... 12 Current Comment . 4 ...... ,. 21 Pargerakan Belia: Suatu Thinking Allowed ...... 28

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n 23 January 1986, Prime How can one preach piously about a 'clean~ Minister Datuk Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamad held a efficient and trustworthy government' wh mammoth rally in Serem­ ban. He will hold similar one has no compunctions about bestowing 0rallies all over the country from now till such advantages upon oneself In what Is early April. These rallies serve a two-fold purpose. supposed to be fair and equal contest for The Prime Minister intends to reply to all the criticisms hurled at the government in popular support? connection with its handling of various issues like the BMF scandal, Memali etc. He will also respond to the rumours circu­ lating about him - his alleged wealth, his alleged involvement in corrupt practices. These slanderous rumours, he says, are designed to discredit him so that he would be forced to resign. It is worth not· ing that in the 1983 constitutional crisis too, Mahathir insinuated that there was an attempt to topple him and therefore decided to go direct to the people for their support. The Prime Minister has every right to explain the government's position and to rebut allegations against him. If it is true there is a malicious smear campaign against him, then there is added reason to go direct to the people. However, other individuals and groups must also be given the opportunity to speak to the people in the same way espe· cially since Mahathir has been quite in­ temperate in his accusations against his critics. They too should be allowed to organise rallies so that the people can listen to their side of the story. This is what the right of reply means - a right that is so fundamental to a democracy. It is a right premised upon the assumption that no one has a monopoly of the truth. Neither has anyone the right to monopo­ lise the people's hearts and minds. After all, it was only recently that the Prime M·mster himself pointed out to someone else that "no one has a monopoly of good intentions". He should now apply the same argument to the present situation. It is not JUst in the question of the right of reply that there is an absence of fairness. In the manner in which Dr. Mahathir attacks his critics, there is hard­ ly any trace of ethics. He should under­ stand that if he does not want to be slan­ dered, he should not smear others. Isn't

2 other Individuals and groups must also be From the Tunku and Tun Razak epi­ sodes, and given the evidence we have of given the opportunity to speak to the people smear campaigns, it is quite obvious that they are more in vogue with UMNO and this the golden rule of life embodied in is that public rallies have not been allow­ Barisan members than with people out­ the sacred teachings of all the communi­ ed since the 1978 General Election. It is side the establishment. This is primarily ties in our country? If he is incensed by the opposition that has suffered from this because in UMNO in particular there is no what he regards as baseless rumours of ban since the government is able to com­ tradition of open, rational evaluation of him receiving commissions and the like, municate all the while with the masses the top leader's policies and performance how does he think other innocent people through RTM which it treats as its instru­ through the cut and thrust of democratic would feel when he accuses them of being ment of power and propaganda. There is debate. Hence, the propensity to resort to 'stooges of foreigners'? Doesn't he realise nothing to suggest that public rallies underhand tactics, concealed and camou­ that they value their integrity as much as would be restored in the coming election. flaged through the anonymous, poison­ he cherished his? Since our Prime Minis­ A cynic could therefore argue that what pen letter and the vicious whisper passed ter is reputed to be a frank and forth­ Mahathir is doing is that he is holding all on from mouth to mouth. right person, it behoves him to name the the rallies he wants now before he advises There is no point, therefore, on heap­ 'foreigners' and those 'local organisations' His Majesty the Yang Di Pertuan Agung ing all the blame upon critics and dissi­ that act on their behalf. We will then to dissolve the Dewan Rakyat so that dents. Dr. Mahathir is using them as . be able to witness some interesting court once the formal campaigning starts he can scapegoats when he knows that the smear action. For those who are libelled are un­ again impose a ban on public rallies. It campaign is, by and large, a product of likely to keep quiet. They would certain­ would be the height of irony if this is his UMNO politics. The moves to get him to ly have a better case than anyone who intention for the very purpose of organi­ resign, which appear to be hidden from was thinking of taking legal action against sing public rallies is to refurbish his moral the public eye, are more likely to be link­ Tan Sri Ahmad Noordin if he had made image_ And yet the manner in which he ed to groups and individuals within his the BMF Report public in full. has gone about it can only serve to under­ own party. If those outside the establish­ Wh i I e the transgression of ethical mine his moral authority. ment feel that he should quit they would norms in his attacks upon his critics is This is why it is in Mahathir's own in­ make the demand in the open. unfortunate, it would perhaps be even terest to allow public rallies in the coming Instead of getting angry with all the more regrettable if the Prime Minister's General Election. It would at least give slander directed at him and instead of rallies are in fact part of an election the imp ""on to the rakyat that he is a merely denying that he is the richest campaign. There is some indication that this is so. If it is, then he should change He should reveal all the details of his wealth his role immediately. He should go to the people not as Prime Minister but as Chair­ and how and when he had acquired his assets man of the Barisan Nasional and Presi­ dent of UMNO. As Prime Minister he is fair-minded person capable of upholding Prime Minister in the world, Dr. Mahathir entitled to certain privileges of office democratic principles. He shou ld also ex­ should take the bold step of declaring his which he has been harnessing to the hilt tend the campaign period to about four financial assets to the public. He should in his public rallies. He travels to the ralli­ or five weeks. · tell the public how much he had when he es using facilities accorded to him as More than the issue of public rallies, became Prime Minister and how much he Prime Minister; the bureaucracy helps in the way in which the Prime Minister has has now. He should reveal all the details the organisation of his rallies; government misrepresented the critics' articulation of of his wealth and how and when he had departments and other public agencies are various challenges, should be subjected to acquired his assets. The sources of income ordered to mobilise people to attend the analysis. This will be done in a future arti­ of his immediate family and the extent of rallies; the rallies are covered by the cle. For the time being, let us look at the their wealth should also be made public. government media as if they are official so-called smear campaign against the In this way, all the rumours about him­ functions of the Prime Minister. Prime Minister. Smear campaigns, who­ especially those insinuations about his in­ Dr. Mahathir should know that this is ever the target, should be roundly con­ volvement in corruption - would be kill­ not the right thing to do - from a moral demned. No individual or group that sin­ ed immediately. The smear campaign angle. Of course, it is not possible to cerely adheres to democratic norms would cease automatically. His image question his action in a court of law since would indulge in such a diabolical prac· would be restored. His credibility would formal elections have not been called yet. tice. It is the very antithesis of open de­ be redeemed. There is no reason why he But then, Dr. Mahathir, more than any bate and open discussion. F:or that shou ld not do this. After all, the Prime other Prime Minister in the past, has talk­ reason, slandering and innuendos against Minister has always insisted that he has ed incessantly of the moral basis of a particular person or group of persons is nothing to hide. government. There are at least two major without doubt detrimental to a democra­ In fact, not just the Prime Minister but slogans which he has coined to emphasise tic system. the entire cabinet. Deputy Ministers, Par­ the importance of ethics and morality in This is why we had refused to publish liamentary Secretaries, Political Secreta­ the conduct of leaders. How can one justi­ any of the allegations about the Prime ries, Members of Parliament, and at State fy holding rallies in this way when one Minister's wealth or his venality - even level, Mentris Besar, Executive Council­ pontificates about 'leadership by exam­ when such rumours were rife. Not once lors and Assembly members should all be ple'? How can one preach piously about a did we repeat any of these unfounded, required by law to declare their financial 'clean, efficient and trustworthy govern­ unsubstantiated allegat ions in our assets in a register that is easily accessible ment' when one has no compunctions numerous public talks. In the past there to the public. Their entries (which should about bestowing such advantages upon were allegations of a different order of course include information on the oneself in what is supposed to be a fair against leaders like Tunku Abdu l Rahman assets of their families too) should be up­ and equal contest for popular support? and Tun Razak. The rumours that were dated every year. This is an old proposal" For a nation that loves football, this is a spread about Tun Razak in particular a which Aliran and a number of other or­ classic example of 'curi ayam'. few months before he died, were quite ganisations have made on numerous occa­ What makes it even more unforgivable damaging. sions.

3 Aliran Monthly February/March 1986 ••• his Integrity Is Business beyond reproach, his honesty beyond question.

There is nothing extraordinary about this idea. Requiring holders of public office to declare their financial assets to the people is done in certain other places. Sweden, Norway, Holland and even the United States have laws to this effect. In­ deed, history tells us that illustrious Mus­ lim Caliphs admired for their honesty and integrity used to make known to their subjects the extent of their assets. Some of them were so strict on this matter that they even revealed how many clothes they possessed and what sort of food they ate! This is why the real solution to the present situation is simple and straight­ forward. The challenge to Mahathir's moral authority cannot be overcome by holding gigantic rallies or by whipping up mass emotions or by castigating local cri­ tics or by condemning foreign commenta­ tors. There is no need for the Prime Mini­ he Black Thursday of 5th Following the Wall Street crash, the ster to unleash his fury upon the land. It December 1985 which saw the Pecora t nvestigation was set up by the would be far better if he can convince a crash of the Singapore and American Senate Banking and Currency sceptical society· that his integrity is be· Malaysian Stock Market Committee to inquire into Wall Street yond reproach, his honesty beyond brought into focus the role of wheeling and dealing. question. Dr. Mahathir Mohamad must TTan Koon Swan as the central figure and And what did it discover? Almost all prove to the world that his deeds have alleged manipulator in the web of deals the important names in the great never betrayed his words e concocted by him in the whole Pan­ American financial community were~ Electric affair. But what is sad is the found to be involved in practices which Chandra Muzafftr fact that the ultimate losers in the crisis were highly unethical to say the least. would be millions of ordinary Malaysians The belief that those in control of who are put at risk by major institutional the corporate life in America were investors in the market such as the EPF motivated by honesty and ideals of for billions have been wiped off from honourable conduct was completely market capitalization because of the shattered by their wheelings and dealings. crash. There is no doubt at all the whole Is it any much different in our country affair will have severe implications for in relation to the security industries in the banking sector, the stock market and particular? Not really. Many may have for the economy as a whole. escaped detection and prosecution for When the American market crashed various criminal activities simply because on 29th October 1939 the question was of poor supervision in the securities asked whether America could have industry itself. A few were caught and survived the stock market crash. they include Cho Jock Kim, the former It was argued that, after all, only a managing director of Far Eastern Hotels few bankers, brokers and the greedy Development Ltd. Gopal Chandra speculators were affected. The average Choudhury of Ben & Co., Amos William American still had his job, his home. Dawe of the Mosbert Group and Richard and his car. In other words the economic Tarling of Haw Par Brothers Inter­ activities would go on as usual. national. These foursome were considered But it turned out that the great unlucky by the business community in American nation could not survive the that their reckless acts allowed the prose­ massive credit crunch that the crash cution in Singapore to establish a prima created. As prices plunged, shares bought facie case against them. on margin automatically were put on the Tan Koon Swan who was until block, glutting the market and further recently the darling of Malaysian in­ fuelling the plunge into economic vestors and of the Chinese business com­ oblivion. munity in particular reminds one of God forbid, the same scenario could Slater-Walter, the most glamorous be repeated in Malaysia and Singapore business success in England during. the for the rules of the game are the same, mid sixties and which lasted for a decade except that the players are different. into the mid seventies.

4 Slater-Walker's subsequent collapse was not the result of bad luck or bad judgement - rather it was inherent in the system of the business itself. Slater-Walker in reality represents the manipulation of the value of shares. It is as simple as that. It has been proved that Salter-Walker's interest was always in the short term gain -never in the long hauL It was basically a machine for --=---UH SHAREHOLDERS generating stock market profits around the world Banks &-..... tockbrokers An analyst has described Slater-Walker as a 'soothing pyramid of escalating paper'. He observed the dangers of a system where Slater-Walker's dealing in shares dominated by Slater-Walker pro­ duced a major part of its profits, while at the same time, the price of some of the shares, inevitably influenced by the dealings, also helped to boost the company's profits. In a series of articles the London Sunday Times raised a number of ques­ tions concerning the complexity and interdependence of Slater-Walker com­ panies, and the lack of information on which to make a firm judgement It concluded · "There must be serious doubts over the true earnings of assets of Slater-Walker." In the case of Tan Koon Swan it was observed that he is fond of building a pyramid of multiple quoted subsidiaries under one holding company thereby hoping to max1m1ze stock. market capitalilation of various assets. The rapid expansion of Tan's Supreme Corporation has resulted in its paid-up capital rising from $8.7 million in 1977 to $242 million. The bulk of the increase has come mainly from the exchange of shares for ei ther the entire issued capital or controlling interest In plantation companies and finance companies. It was Tan Koon Swan also who directed the corporate expansion of the MCA-backed Multi Purpose Holding Berhad (MPHB) since its launching in 1977. Under Tan Koon Swan's directorship MPH8 v~·~c: involved in a prolonged series PAN-EL··. of acquisitions, .~ostly for cash and at ...... the end of 1982 the Muiii Purpose Group ~· · · · ·. __ found itself with a 'stretched b.;!~!'lCe sheet' and no less than thirteen directly­ J :=:=n-!ard Contracts+Loans./ owned subsidiaries and associates. ----~-~ '------MPHB has a huge capital base and it currently commands a market capital­ ization in excess of $1 billion but the and Pan Electric were involved in for­ the so-called corporate wizards who are return on capital has been poor and ward purchase contracts, a method backed by the brokers and bankers who below the expectations of the many small used to raise cash by using the shares stand to benefit from their wheelings and shareholders who acquired MPHB shares as collateral. It is the method used mainly dealings. It is all part of a fraudulent at more than $4.00 soon after its listing by speculators. game which some individuals have on 11th January 1982. It is now being Faced with the massive problems, the mastered with great astuteness until the traded at around 69 cents only. authorities must now admit publicly Pan Electric affair that is • After the Pan Electric fiasco the what has in fact been true for a long question has been asked - what went time - that the K L Stock Exchange and Reproduced by court•y of the lnform~~tlon wrong? It has now been revealed for the Singapore Stock Exchange are subject Bur81u Pertl Sc*ells Rekyet Meleysia , the first time that Tan Koon Swan to manipulations by the big timers and Negeri Johor.

5 Aliren Monthly February/Mwch 1988 Letters We welcome letters from reeders. Letters can be either in English or Bahasa Malaysia. Thesa letters may be edited for purposes of space and clarity. The views expressed rnay not be those of the Aliran Monthly. Pseudonyms are accepted but all letters should include the writer's name and address. Letters should preferably be typewritten with -*i -. ~ t.!~~ double~cing; if hand-written should be legible. - --fO'Id reafaty. Llltters should be addressed to the Editor, Aliran Monthly, P.O. Box 1049, Penang, ~ ~ tine their pride of Malaysia. place but adtwwm c! rwfigions should Are We Really Better Off? v) Usul mengenai larangan Pekerja­ ~ co 1»1.., •• odlws • •thens and pekerja Menjadi Ahli Kesatuan Sekerja infidels. ,,_., tbe:r ~ commot them· When refuting the suggestion from certain selves to the v. p-ma.,_ of their faith. quarters that the recent incident at Baling by Kerajaan diseru supaya rnembenarkan setiap orang pekerja menikrnati hak asasi untuk Some month& 190 I ~ «= -t• with "criminals" could have been due to the ext· certain members of .....,._,., Wm- of reme poverty prevalent there, Or. Mahathir menjadi ahli Kesatuan Sekerja tanpe se­ barang larangan atau syarat. (Akta Kesatuan lpoh. They tried co ~ 11M that Jehowh steted that the poor had existed during the Sekerja, 1959 kini melarang pekerja-pekerja alone is the true supreme God. AD their argu­ British rule and that there were poor in other ments fliled to convince nw.. Howwwr, before countries like Indonesia, India, etc. yang bercorak 'Sulit dan Keselarnetan' dan berada di bawah 'Kumpulan Pengurusan they left they handed me a booitlet- "From Why must our leaders always compare Kurukshetra to Arm.geddon - And your Malaysia with less affluent countries to drive dan lkhtisas' daripada menjadi Ahll Ke­ setuan Sekerja). Survi¥81'' home a point in their favour? If that was the vii Usul mengenai Penubuhan Reading through this little booklet I came only criteria, then there would be no need for Persekutuan kesatuan Sekerja dalam acros m~ny inltanc:a ..._. ceruin contents our Malaysia Plans because despite the BMF Badan-badan Berkanun of the Hindu script- 'Veda and the Gita' etc., we would always be better off than Me.xicol Kerajaan diseru supeya membenarkan den haft ~ defiberwttliy nanipulated end certain It is indeed a tragedy that after twenty•ight menyegerakan pendaftaran Persekutuan Ke· line of thinking ct.wloped to ultimetely con­ years of independence the poor in many rural satuan Sekerja dalam Badan-badan Bar· 'Wince the Hindu ~ that Jehovah alone ar- have to queue up with empty containers kanun. is the supreme God worthy of our worship. for the precious gift of water doled out by Kesamua Usul di etas akan dikemukakan Just reed the stetements below and judge JKR trucks year in and year out. I have often kepada pihak·pihak berkuasa yang bertcenean for yoursel-. wondered what their feelings were towards the tidak lama lagi. Mejlis Agung pula alan ber· ''ille noted Hindu philosopher S. Dayabumi and the Penang Bridge not to men· usaha sedaya upayenya untuk menc:.pei hasil Radhalc;rishnan, in trying to explain the infinite tion the exclusive clubs, condominiums and the yang baik ke etas USUI-u$ul itu. character of Brahman (God) said: 'We can only like I Mustafa Johan Bin Abdullah say, I am that I am'. Dr. Radhakrishnan hereby Rural Poor Setiausaha relates the infinite quality of Brahman to the Kuala Lumpur Pihak Pekerja Majlis Bersama Kebangsaan Bible's definition of God's name Jehovah". Badan~an Berkanun Malaysia Page 21. Kuala Lumpur ''What is the will of God for the earth and • • • for mankind? Can we find the answer to that question in any of the holy books? Can we find it anywhere? Yes, but only in the Bible. Pekerja Badan-badan Berkanun • • • It is in the Bible that God answers the questions Pihak Pekerja Majlis Bersarna Kebangsaan propounded in the Gita". begi Badan-badan Berkanun Malaysia teleh Page 30. mengadakan Persidangan Perwakilan Dua· Jehovah's Witnesses of lpoh "Sadly, lasting peace and happiness have tahunan Kali ke-4 baru-beru ini iaitu pada 21hb not resulted from human efforts. Why? Disember, 1985 di Tropical Inn Hotel, Johor I wish to comment on the eloquence of Because such blessings can come only by Bahru, Johor. Serarnai 150 perwakilan yang innocence by "Disappointed of lpoh" in res· following the counsel of Jehovah God as ponse to Mr. Lim Bang Heong's allegations twdiri daripada 43 badan gabungan telah meng· found in that unique book, the Holy Bible. on certain practices of Jehovah's Witnesses hadiri Persidangan ini. Therefore, what will you do now? Will you Sebenyak 8 Usul telah diluluskan dalem in this country. accept the divine invitation to seek Jehovah". It is common knowledge that when Chris· Persidangan ini di rNna-rnana usul adalah Page 31. berkenaan dengan pantadbiran dalarnan se­ tian denominations talk of preaching and conversion they have very often attempted mentara 6 usul lagi merangkumi isu-isu panting Though there are certain areas where all yang mtlibatkan pekerja-pekerja dalam Bedan· to bring in new converts from among the religions have fundamental agreements but baden Berkanun iaitu yang berikut:- Buddhists, Hindus and certain groups of in· there are major differences in others. Hindu digenious people of this country. There is noth­ philosophy and Hindu concepts of the ultimate i) Usul mengenai Tuntutan Pelarasan ing wrong in preaching one's religion to others spiritual achievements contradict some of the Gaji Pekerja-pekerja Sektor Awam if it is done decently. But I strongly criticize assertions of Christianity and as such Hinduism Kerajaan didesak supeya tuntutan ini segera the methods employed by certain groups to cannot be made to play second fiddle to pro­ diseleseikan dengan edil dan saksarna. achieve their ends. In their eagerness to win mote unyielding dogmas of some Christian ill Usul mengenai Hak Berunding new converts they often overemphasise the sec-ts. Kerajaan didesak supaya merl1J41mbalikan spiritual supremacy of their Jaith while fre­ To insist that the Bible alone provides the •mule hak berunding kepada jentera quently discrediting other religions by many answers regerding the will of God for the earth Majlis Bersama Kebangsaan dan Kesatuan­ subtle means. Sometimes these criticisms ere and for all mankind is to openly state that all K8S1tuan Sekerja di dalam Badan-badan harsh and direct but in recent years they have other religious scriptures known to us have Berka nun. become more subtle and psychological. flilad to convey the truth. It is alright if such iii) Usul mengenai Autonomi Badan-badan Religion and spiritual development is 1 very assertions are confined to among its own mem· Berka nun personal ~tter end the individual should bers but it becomes provocative when such K.. ;..n didesak supeya melerang campur· have the right end freedom to choose the path assertions ere made to beliewrs of other faiths. tangen Jabetan Perkhidrnatan Awam dalem he desires. But conversion should not take Is this the way to preach and promote a unaan pemadbiran Badan-badan Berkanun place in ignorance. The person who desires to religion? If these people can put such words dul ~an Badan-badan Berkanun convert should have sufficient knowledge of into print and distribute them openly we can betfa,.. denvln bebas untuk mencapai his own religion before he makes his decision. just imagine what they are capable of doing ...U.a.t f*lubuhennya. Only then could he have made the right choice. with their tongues! m Usul mengenai Oasar Penswastaan Religion is such e vast and deep subject. P. Rasahugan Kerajaan Many people ere ignorant of the true depths lpoh K..,lut_. dibu8t supeye menolak usahe· of their own felth. Certain groups take advan­ -a. lt..-.jun untuk menswatakan se­ tage of this situation to confuse and brainw..t. t.-. s-khidmetan ewam dan perfu. others into accepting their versions of truth. • • •

6 NUPW Fabricates Charges fate in view of the impending sale of their INSAN representatives have abo cooperated Against INSAN estates, and the apparent reluctance of the with both Dr. Nanyanan and Mr. Krishnan - NUPW to protect their Interests. who also head the Malaysian Trade Union It has been brought to the attention of It is childish, irresponsible and libellous for Congress and its youth section respectively - in INSAN that the National Union of Plantation the NUPW to claim that INSAN has a "vested vwious MTUC-organized activities over the Workers (NUPW) has alleged the following in interest" in the matter, "has tried to mislead last few years. a report - signed by Mr. N. Krishnan, the workers", has "promised a lot to the Furthermore, INSAN drew national ltten­ NUPW executive director of research, workers on Kerling estate" and "is more tion in 1983 to the slave labour conditions and copied to Dr. P. P. Narayanan, concerned with publicity rather than doing in Selanchar EmPit, a FELDA (federal land (aecretary11eneral of NUPW and Asian vice­ something useful for workers". INSAN also Development Authority) oil palm plantation, president of IFPAAW, the International Federa· resents the NUPW allegation that "a handful of and - with the cooperation of the london­ tion of Plantation, Agricultural and Allied workers on Kerling Estete become pawns to the based Anti.Siavery Society - to the plight of Workers) in his capacity as president of the vested interest group (implying INSAN)." children working on Malaysian plantations - ICFTU, the International Confederation of INSAN demands an immediate public retrac­ work which the NUPW should have done a Free Tnde Unions - to the general secre­ tion of and apology for these concocted and long time ago. tary of IFPAAW: unfounded allegations by the NUPW. Further­ Unfortunately for the plantation workers more, while INSAN respects the NUPW claim of this country, this list is far from complete. "A group of vested interest persons has that "Our union encourages workers to approacto They have learnt these ugly truths from tMir tried to m slead the workers. These include us directly should they have problems", and has own bitter experience, not from INSAN, or a consumer body and IN SAN. They have advised NUPW members accordingly in the anybody else for that matter. The fact tha&. promised a lot to the workers on Kerling pest, INSAN must point out that there is no these workers have turned to INSAN and others Estate. basis in fact for the subsequent preposterous is tragic testimony to the cruel and VICIOUS It was unfortunate that a handful of claim that the NUPW has " made this dear trap that many plantation workers believe workers on Kerling Estate became pawns to to the vested interest, that no amount of the NUPW to be responsible for. the vested interest group. pressure will make us bend from our firm To be sure, INSAN is a small organization The vested interest is more concerned stand". with few economic assets (not even a hundred­ with publicity rather than doing something More recently, there have been several th of what the NUPW has) and staff, and little useful for workers. other instances where INSAN has been app­ influence. At best, we offer sincerity and Our union encourages workers to approach roached by NUPW members to help them commitment more than anything else. The us directly should they have problems. seek redress. One case involves disgruntled elephantine NUPW's rabid reaction to our We have made this clear to the vested settlers in the Bahau land settlement scheme modest efforts to be of some use to plantation interest, that no amount of pressure will run by the NUPW sponsored Great Alloniers workers In dirl need of help only belles it's true make us bend from our firm stand". Trading Company (GATCO), which INSAN charact8t'. These fabrications by the NUPW are pathe­ is trying to resolve amicably with the NUPW INSAN demands an immediate 1nd com­ tic efforts to gloss over the serious loss of officer concerned. Another involves the ind­ plete public retraction of and apology for the credibility of the NUPW leadership among ustrial action by the workers of the SOCFIN­ unfounded and concocted allegations by the Malaysian workers in general and plantation owned Batu Arang estate, which has been NUPW. labour in particular, some recent trends are going on for well over a month without any Jomo K.S. highly suggestive. NUPW support. Director, INSAN The NUPW counts less than half the estima· INSAN has also been advocating a better Petaling Jaya ted quarter million estate workers in the coun­ deal - in terms of wages and other working try as its members, compared to a peak in the conditions - for plantation workers and has region of about 150,000 several years ago. opposed the superexploitation of immigrant • • • Although the productivity of rubber tappers labour by estate managements. rose by 126% from 2247 kg. in 1960 to 5083 kg. in 1981, these workers experienced a 8% loss in a\181'1f8 real incomes from $3.40 to $3.14 per day, according to calculations based on Rubber Research Institute Malaysia figures! Between 1980 and 1983, according to the Malaysian government, the official poverty rate among estate workers rose from 35% to 55%1 When natural rubber prices were at an all time high in 1979, the NUPW negotiated its last collective agreement, which increased the workers' basic wage by 19% compared to 1976, though the consumer price index had risen by 22% in the interim - causing a decline in the r811 wagel There have also been numerous allegations of misappropriation of NUPW funds, which is especially serious because the NUPW is Malaysia's largest union in terms of mem­ bership and exacts the highest union sub· scription fee, which is particularly onerous in view of the low wages the workers receive. On several occasions, NUPW members have approached INSAN to help them solve their problems because of the refusal of the NUPW to do so. INSAN does not have the staff, the means or the desire to go around inciting workers to do so. At present, INSAN can barely cope with the problems the NUPW alone unwittingly sends us. For instance, in 1982, INSAN helped the workers of Cheroh estate near Raub, Pahang successfully to obtain the release of their NUPW branch leaders after both the NUPW and the MIC (Malaysian Indian Congress, a component party in the ruling coalition) refused to assist. In the K8t'ling case, INSAN and another ··1 guess I would have gotten the JOb if I hadn't mcluded the non1JQV8t'nmental organization (NGO) were Mona Lisa m my portfolto t" approached by workers concerned about their

L------~~~----...... ;..7 ______AUran_MQmhJy EJDr'*_yJMarch 1_..~~..--- Peristiwa Memali .. s.tebh menellti kenyataan-lKedah pada 19 November 1985, yang pertama dibuat oleh Pemangku Ketua Polis Negara bahawa ianya suatu tinda· kan terhadap "penjenayah-penjenayah" selepas beberapa ,11m barlakunya tindakan tersebut, diikuti oleh kenyataan Datuk Musa Hitam di Patlimen pada 20 November 1985 dan kenyata· an lanjutnya kepada akhbar, make ternyaa.lah hakikat sebenar motif dan tujuan tindakan karajaan sehingga mencetuskan peristiwa yang mengorbankan 18 nyawa dan mencederakan 29orang. Kapada akhbar, Datuk Musa menyatakan "he was criticised twice in the Umno general -mbly for his seeming inaction with regard to these activities". Kenyataan ini membukti­ kan dengan jelas bahawa tindakan Kerajaan adalah hasil dari desakan dan tuntutan UMNO di dalam perhimpunan agungnya selama dua a.hun berturut-turut. Bagi sesiapa sahaja yang meneliti dan mengikuti perkembangan mengenai penangkap­ an dan penahanan di bawah Akta Keselarnatan Oalam Negerl liSA) dan Kanun Keseksaan 298A (Pindaan), UMNO lah faktor pendesak dan penentu terhadap tindakan yang dilakukan ltu. Walaupun kenyaa.an Datuk Musa di Par­ limen seolah-olah memperlihatkan bahawa tindakan itu ditujukan terhadap "penjenayah· penjenayah" tetapi kenyataan itu sendiri tidak mempunyai asas bile dirujuk kepada penafian Ketua Polis Negeri Kedah bersebit dengan peristiwa 20 Oktober 1985 pada hari berikutnya, nyatalah alasan yang dibuat oleh Datuk Musa sengaja direka-reka untuk meng­ Me mali: a grim reminder ... halalkan tindakan Kerajaan yan g melampau. Kami sangat menyesali tindakan yang Memali, an unscheduled re•creening of 'Peris· begitu kejam dan rakus bagl memenuhi tun­ Memali Bloodbath Screening: tiwa Bukit Kepong', a drama about police tutan politik UMNO dan kepentingan peribadi Whitewash heroism in fighting the communists, was pemimpin·pemimpinnya. carried out, to serve as epilogue. Sesudah ternyata bahawa masyarakat me· The video screening of the Memali Blood· All in all, it was a night of propaganda ragui istilah "penjenayah" yang digunakan bath of 19 November 1985 over RTM 1 last orgy for the government, UMNO and the dalam kenyataan itu. maka satu percubaan night was no1hing but a government pro­ police and against PAS and the dissidents sedang diusahakan untuk mengalih pendangan paganda whitewuh. As a matter of fact, RTM labelled conveniently as extremists, criminals, rnasyarakat bahawa mereka yang pada mulanya from 8.40 pm to 11.15 pm was a night of deviants, subversives and anti·nat~ \als - diistilahkan sebagai "pengjenayah" hendak cunning government propaganda on the virtues the usual fare. dikaitkan pula dengan ajaran sesat. of the government, UMNO and the police and The whole night of propaganda has failed Usaha seperti ini juga pasti akan gagal the vices of PAS and the dissidents. to answer some basic and crucial questions: oleh kerana kenyataan Jabatan Ugama Islam Although the Memali affair was screened 1) What are the root ca~ - social, economic, Negeri Kedah sendiri yang mengetahui kegiatan between 8.45 pm and 9.22 pm, it is important political, religious, administrative - of dakwahnya telah menjelaskan bahawa "How­ and relevant to take into account the pro· the Mernali bloodbath? ewr, the council found that he was only grammes that came just before and just aftw 2) Why wasn't th& .,.. c:ordon«f off and giving religious ceramahs" yang semasekali the Memali affair screening. At 8.40 pm a basic essentials like ~••· food, electricity tidak bercanggah dengan ajaran Islam, malah clipping of Prime Minister Dr. Mahathir's cut off to induce a non-violent solution? Ustaz Ibrahim Haji Mahmud sendiri berkelulus· speech at the official opening of the Putra 3) Why were the police and FRU so impatient an Azhar, Kahirah dan takhassus dakwah dari World Trade Centre was shown, telling what to storm the dsdents' house? sebuah universiti Libya pernah berkhidrnat di the government in general and UMNO in 41 Who gne this order to storm the house? Sahagian Ugama Jabetan Perdana Menteri particular had done for the Malays and Bumi· 5) In .,._ af llha fact that the authorities sebagai pendakwah. puteras. This was obviously chosen to serve were fw _. ~ ta terms of arms, Dengan demikian kami menuntut Kerajaan as prologue to the Memali screening. equipmaon --=! persocmef, and therefore mengeluarkan senarai lengkap mereka yang The Memali bloodbath screening itself the outcome « tbR engtgement was very sedang ditahan tanpa penentuan peruntukan took :r7 minutes. The first 12 minutes of nwdl • their" ba:Jds. why did they decide undang-undang yang terdiri daripada lelaki, screening was not about what took place on • • as::hQdQtJonl perempuan dan kana'<-l

Allran Monthly February/March 1986 • Oan negara kita - walaupun banyak orang MAE adopts resolutions Be Creative menganggapnya 5ebagai negara yang amat I refer to Wanted - semester system in moralis, tapi sangkaan ini amat meleset sekali The Malaysian Association of Engineers school$, by Chan Kim Boon of Penang, The untuk tatapan kini. Arus kemajuan dan pam· (MAE) held its Eight Annual General Meeting Star, Dec.17. bangunan yang rakus, telah melahirkan indi­ on Sunday 24 November in its Petaling Jaya Please allow me to say that, the KBSR vidualism& yang hipokrit, pengejaran status headquarters and adopted the following four and the coming KBSM are not only boring, dan kekayaan yang melampaui batas, pang· resolutions unanimously: anti·lslam and weak but also a bruden. In khianatan ke atas golongan yang lemah/daif, "The 8th AGM of the MAE: fact, it is a very huge burden to teachers. menipulasi kekuasaan yang menyimpeng, pre· 1. NOTES that 16 Malaysian organisations Otherwise, why have more than 3,000 teachllfS, judis, dan pelbagai angkara kemasyarakatan have grouped together under the Movement trained teachllfS, either resigned or retired? yang menjadi petanda bahawa sebilangan besar for Freedom and Justice since 14 July 1985; This means getting nothing after 15 or 20 ma'syarakat kita belum mengenal erti merdeka BELIEVES in the need to protect and years of teaching, while after only 4 years of dan tidak mendalami lagi soal keuniversalan enhance both freedom and justice among being a Wakil Rakyat one can get a lump niali bersama. the Malaysian people; ACCEPTS the sum as gratuity and a lifetime pension even Serampang dua haluan dalam Dasar Eko· invitation to join the Movement and urges its from an early agel nomi Baru, iaitu membasmi kemiskinan dan members to attend the Human Rights I bring this out to let people like Mr. Boon memendekkan jarak jurang pendapatan untuk Meeting planned for 8 December 1985. see the truth. If with the term system, whereby tema perpaduan (penyusunan semula masyara· 2. APPLAUDS the recent decision of the lpoh there are 200 days of school and 165 days kat!!) sehingga sekarang hasilnya jauh dari High Court against Asian Rare Earth Sdn. of holidays, of course including the week­ tercapai ~ra sebenarnya. Dan peluang balk Bhd.; HOPES that a satisfactory solution ends, more are resigning and pensioning, in mernang berjaya melahirkan aegelintir to the entire controversy will be found what more when the semester system offllfS usahawan yang ditargetkan - tapi malang soon; NOTES the constructive role that only a six·week break. Remember, teaching golongan ini tidak menjadi penggerak kepada MAE played within the Papan Support is not like office work. Teachers not only kemajuan masse - cuma memenuhi selera Group and in arranging Prof. Ichikawa's have to teach but to make pupils or students personal mereka sahaja !I Juga jurang yang Malaysian visit. understand what is taught. Then, there are mahu didekatkan itu terus menerus gagal - 3. REGRETS the retrenchments of engineers, the games or extra dasses in the evening, jauh dan semakin jauh jaraknya antara golongan among others, currently taking place in the correction of written work at night, kaya dengan golongan lemah dalam kancah the country; URGES both employers the record books, the register, the maintenance ekonomi kapitalis. and the Government to protect the of medical and other records, the teaching Masyarakat majoriti bukan sahaja sukar employment prospects of Malaysians against aids, the exam questions, the administration memasuki era ekonomi bebas sepertl yang foreigners during the current economic of free breakfasts to children In some chosen ditaja ini, malah mereka pula kerap kali di· recession; CALLS upon Malaysian engineers schools, the mark lists, then the preparations manipulasi, diperas, ditipu, dihalang dan to be more innovative in creating self­ for some visiting feudal lords or menteris etc. dipergunakan oleh kalangan pemodal samada employment opportunities. etc. etc. What more? When the teachers express pemodal baru ataupun pemodal lama dalam 4. NOTES the rather critical remarks made dissatisfaction, the question crops up ..... usaha mengaut keuntungan yang wujud di by the Prime Minister against engineers who in the world asked you to become a bumi tumpah darah merek.a sendiri. lnilah yeng as well as public dissatisfaction with teacher? arnat memprihatikan kita semua. Massa tidak technology transfer; BELIEVES that there is So, Mr. Boon, if parents cannot take care of rnendapat pembelaan yang sewajarnya. Mereka much room for improvement within the their children during the December holidays, dihimpit dan dihempap kepalenya dengan profession; URGES its members and other who is to blame? Well, well, why continue to pelbagai sekatan, ketidakupayaan, masalah, engineers to respond positively to all produce if you cannot take care? We ell know manipulasi oleh gergasi kapitalis yang dipelihara criticisms and work for the greater public good. how the capitalist system works. We already oleh taraf kekuasaan yang disalahgunakan have 30 years of good experience. Anyway, dengan wewenang. Gurmit Singh K.S. parents who cannot look after their children, Pembangunan dari segi pendidikan, kita President can send them to mel lihat wujudnya para gra4uan atau cendikiawan MAE B.A. Kedah yang melupakan tanggungjawab mereka yang Petaling Jaya Alor Sater sabenarnya. Golongan ini sebagai harapan masyarakat dan penggerak kemajuan & budaya adalah tidak memanfaatkan. Kepentlngan diri • • • dan lingkaran keluarga diutamakan. Persis ••• melupakan dengan keras janji mereka sebelum· Pembangunan yang Bermakna nya. Masing·masing berlumbe untuk memenuhi ruang yang atas tanpa menoleh kesisian yang Support for the Cause Soal pembangunan sudah acap dicakap amat memerlukan sokongan, bantuan dan orang. Sesudah beberape dekad negara me­ sumbangan. Apakah ertinya pendidikan I refer to the letter by Mr. Philip Lim of nempuh arus kemajuan dan pembangunan - sebegini?? KL on 'Thank You Or. Chandra' in the Nov/ make para pemerhati dan penganalisa pun sibut Segi kebudayaan - amat parah sekali nilai Dec 1985 issue. mengenal pestl akan jaya gagalnya. Tersudut budaya golongan remaja kita. Anasir jahat May I reaffirm that my friends and I fully disebalik keghairahan masyarakat dengan terus merajalela dalam kaca TV kita. Penonjo· subscribe to Dr. Chandra's values and objectiv• slogan pembangunan; maka atas pemerhatian la o seks, penipuan, skandal moral, rasuah, and for that we stand dosely and steadfastly kita secara alamiah wujudnya pelbagai krisis kebobrokan ashlak dan pelbagai cerita saban behind him in his relentless endeavour for kemasyarakatan. Mestipun dari segi harfiah waktu menyirnakan jiwa rernaja kita. Maka improved social justice and true parlirnentary pembangunan material amat membanggakan jadilah mereka lebih baret dari baret. Pihak democracy in this beloved country of ours. (oleh setengah pihak), namun sebenarnya berwajib belum berniat untuk rnembasmi Let all of us, the silent majority. voice out harga mahal pembangunan itu tidak dapat peradoks ini. Apakah 5ebabnya7 Juga tak our undivided support to the sacred cause. Let lagi untuk membayar status moral dah ke­ lain dari sumber wang - alias keuntungan. him know that there are many of us who manusiaan yang melonjak akibat dari pem­ Tanpa merasa ihsan kepeda mangsa-mangsanya believe end thus support his good cause. bangunan fizikal tersebut. - manusia belaka. Last but not least, to Dr. Chandra and other Apakah sebenarnya tujuan kemajuan & Dan pembangunan adalah untuk rakyat social workers as a whole; please don't stop the pembangunan7 Banyak kalangan kita belum menikmati kesejahteraan darinya. Apakah good work for our sake as well as for that of kenai betul hakikat fitrah manusia apebila dengan munculnya efek-efek serta fenomena our children. disoal dengan prosedur pembangunan. Pem­ seperti diceritakan itu dapat mencapai hasrat Din bangunan negara kita sama sek.ali memakai itu7 Jawapannya ada pada kita masing·masing lpoh model pembangunan Barat. Baret yang sudah kerana kitalah yang tarus menyaksikannya beberapa dekad kemari sudah hancur nilai­ dan mengikut arus sejarah. nilai spirit, harga diri rnanusia, kemuflisan Kartini Muhd. Oahlan status kemanU5iaan dan sebagainya. Barat Rantau Panjang yang seperti mana dikatakan oleh seorang ahli Kelantan • • • falsafah lnggeris abad 20 - Bertrand Ru$$811; bahawa tamadun barat sudah mencapai tahap Rayuan Kepada Kassim Ahmad yang amat kritis, tamadun kemanusiaan bar­ same nilai-nilainya yang sudah hancur lebur, • • • Dahulu, saudara ini ditohmah macam· dan pelbagai permasalahan yang sukar sekali rnacam kerana Sidang Ruhnya. Puncak segala untuk diselamatkan. tohmah·tohmah ini, dia terpaksa bayar di

9 Aliran Monthly February/Merch 1986 Kemunting selama 5 tahun dengan tidak ada lawan bermatj·bermatian. Pertama, kalau di· Lim Kit Siang Should Explain apa-apa gantirugi atau ganjaran pun. larang buat kenduri besar·besaran walaupun ESSO Case Settlement before Kini Teori Hadisnya pula. Saya kira saudara di merata dunia, hamba-hamba Allah S.W.T. Taking on BMF Report akan buang masa sahaja cuba membetulkan kelaparan. Kedua, dilarang mengikut hadis fahaman-fahaman yang telah dikelirukan sudah walaupun hadis itu diketahuinya palsu. Dan DAP leader Lim Kit Siang has been reported saribu tahun. Di Tanah Melayu, telah lebih ketiga, disuruh mengkaji 6,236 Firman dan as saying that he would seriously consider 700 tahun. jangan buat buku nyanyi atau pertandingan. taking on the responsibility of publishing the Barangkali ada hadis-hadis dan sunnah· Meneliti semua ini, segeralah saudara kembali BMF final report if the government provided sunnah yang mengatakan bahawa ketua-ketua menyatukan pembangkang-pembangkang. him with a copy. This sounds a commendable mesti duduk di istana-istana, pakai kereta besar­ B.A. Kedah gesture indeed. However. what guarantee have besar dan bergaji besar-besar juga. Pendekata, Alor Setar the peple that he will not eventually back down semua besar-besar belaka, kecuali UNTUT dan in the face of libel suits? How are we to know BURUT. Sudah 30 tahun pengalaman pahit • • • that there will not be a repeat of his shameful kita, bukan begitu7 amicable out-of-court settlement of the Esso Dan barangkali ada hadis-hadis dan sunnah· libel suit against him by withdrawing all all­ sunnah mengatakan mesjid-mesjid mesti kerap· Refusal to Make Public BMF egations against ESS07 kerap dan indah-indah. Dengan wang loteri pun Report: Entire Cabinet These are very relevant and legitimate tak mengapa. Sebaliknya rumah sendiri, nak Should Resign questions because the issue involves huge cium bumi pun tak apa asalkan mesjid·mesjid, sums of public funds. The ESSO affair was lstana-istana dan rumah ketua-ketua serba It is by now very clear that the government supposed to involve $1.2 billion; the BMF indah. is bent on not taking up the responsibility to loans scandal costs more than double that Takkanlah ulamak-ulamak feudal nak make public the final report of the Ahmad amount. These are serious matters of great keluarkan hadis-hadis seperti bila Nabi Noordin Committee of Inquiry on the $2.5 public importance that should not be trifled Muhammad hendak ke mana-mana, di tengah­ billion BMF loans scandal. It is now hiding with by false bravado and cheap propaganda. tengah jalan ia akan turun dari untanya dan behind the threat of libel suits. Lim Kit Siang should give a full and Sati· disuruhnya khadamnya naik pula. Untuk apa We would now like to challenge the govern­ sfactory account of his ESSO case settlement agaknya perbuatan begini7 Kalau bukan men· ment to show its sincerity by setting up a before he even considers taking t he BMF egakkan keadilan7 Royal Commission of Inquiry on the matter. report into oblivion. Atau pun bila Nabi pergi makan kenduri, dia It is not too late to set up a Royal Commission Fan YewTeng selalu ke dapur belah kayu. Bukan bersembang even now; the findings of such a Commission Secretary-General atau berlagak di astaka-astaka. Atau pun selalu would solve the problem of possible libel suits. SOP disuruhnya Bilal, yang berkulit hitam itu However, if Prime Minister Datuk Sari Dr. Kuala Lumpur mengazan. Berpuluh-puluh ribu lagi perbuatan· Mahathir and his colleagues are unwilling to (Lim Kit Siang has already given a full account perbuatan begini. Kenapa tak tonjolkan7 Takut set up a Royal Commission of Inquiry, then the of the ESSO out·ofcourt settlement in the nanti rugi sekumpulan kecil kau modal-feudal· entire Cabinet should resign. Otherwise, there is A/iran Monthly Vol. V. No. 12, December/ penjajah 777 absolute.ly no meaning to the government's January 198S) Saudara Kassim tentu maklum ada tiga motto of being 'Clean, Efficient & Trustworthy'. perkara yang mesyarakat Melayu kita akan Fan Yew Teng Current Comment (continued from page 27) The BMF Report: Tan Koon Swan & the Pan-El Affair The People's Victory A LI RAN hopes that T he Malaysian pu­ the law will be allowed to take its course. blic as a whole will welcome the ca­ following the arrest of Tan Koon Swan in Announcement binet's decision to release the BMF Singapore yesterday for crimina~each report in full through Parliament. It was of trust. the only sane and sensible decision It is unethical and immoral for poli­ acceptable to the people. tical and non-political groups to try to It will be recalled that right from the make Tan Koon Swan look like a martyr. beginning groups had in fact suggested The charges brought against him do not ALIRAN to the Prime Minister to re lease the in the least justify such a response. Report through Parliament. The Prime If the MCA and other groups value Minister's reluctance to do so had re­ their integrity and dignity they will CARTOON sulted in an unnecessary controvefsy react rationally and sensibly to the which has not done him any good. situation. All RAN observes there is a tendency Indeed, as soon as the cabinet received now for leaders whose moral integrity the report a few weeks ago it should is in doubt to whip up support from the have decided to make it public since that was the government's promise to people by exploiting imaginary ghosts The closing date and demons. ALIRAN condemns this the people. ot1h8aa.ove The publication of the Report is not practice. competition Is the end of the matter. If there is a need Morally bankrupt leaders must be extended from for further investigations, Parliament prepared to face the truth. t6 March 1986 should direct the Public Accounts Com­ Tan Choon Kooi to 16.., 1888... mittee to act. Executive Committee Member Finally, All RAN regards the decision to publish the report in full as a triumph 24 January 1986 for the principle of public accountability. It is a victory that belongs to the people.

Chandra Muzaffar 0 President

22 January 1986

Aliren Monthly February/March 1986 10 Human File · the boy and the girl were only 1% and 9 months old respectively then. Conditions in the· kongsi were so bad. The men com­ • • ' 4 ,- . . plained of overwork. And the children

:· • •.~. •• 4 ' • awoke in the morning, sometimes to find that rats had bitten their nails during the night. What would the wcmen do when the men went to work?A l::>t of chili used to Th _ e:~-ll : l

11 Aliran Monthly February/March 1988 Arms Race SPACE-BASED MISSILE DEFENSE UNION OF CONCERNED SCIENTISTS

n March 1983, President Reagan tercepted, since discrimination between of fatalities - in the event of a large offered the vision of a shield against warheads and decoys would be impossible Soviet attack (see Figure 2). -: • nuclear attack so effective that it in the vacuum of space. Terminal defense, could replace deterrence as the basis while possibly a feasible means of pro­ Basing Problems of our security and render nuclear tecting individual "hard" targets such as The problem of basing is particularly Iweapons "impotent and obsolete." He missile silos, is fundamentally unsuited to daunting. A boost-phase missile defense called for a major national effort to a comprehensive territorial defense. must operate in space, creating three de realize this vision through the develop­ The Union of Concerned Scientists has ployment options. The system could be ment of new defensive weapons capable conducted a detailed technical analysis of 1) based m space on orbiting battle sta· of intercepting · and destroying Soviet the prospects for Star Wars defenses, tions; 2) based on the ground, with ballistic missiles in flight. The administra­ emphasizing the principal technologies mirrors in orbit to reflect its laser beams tion's proposed Strategic Defense Initia­ being considered for boost-phase inter­ to Soviet missiles rising from their Iauner tive (SOl) is a five-year, $26 billion re­ reption - directed energy weapons such sites; or 3) "popped up" into space wher search, development, and testing program as lasers and particle beams, and "kill a warning of a Soviet attack is received. to lay the groundwork tor construction vehicles" that would home in on their None of the three schemes appears work· and deployment of missile defenses. target missiles. The UCS study concludes able. that there is no realistic hope of achieving • Orbiting battle stations could be The Problem of Missile Defense the president's goal of an impermeable placed into low orbits, at an altitude The SOl raises a host of questions defense against nuclear attack. Moreover, of several hundred miles, or in geosyn· about the technical feasibility and stra­ the attempt to develop such a shield ·11 chronous orbit at 22,500 miles. In the tegic wisdom of missile defense and re­ have dire consequences for the arms ace first case, a very large number of battle calls the Anti-Ballistic Missile {ABM) and for strategic stability, leaving both stations would be needed, since only a debate of the late 1960s. Unlike the earlier the United States and the Soviet Union small fraction would be in position ABM efforts, however, the new program less secure in the end. over Soviet missile silos at any given focuses on futuristic weapons operating The proposed defensive weapons of time. UCS has estimated that a low­ in space - hence the "Star Wars" label the SOl suffer from a combination of in­ orbit defense would require several often applied to the SOl. The proposed herent technical limitations. intractable hundred chemical laser weapons. shield would consist of several layers de­ basing problems, and susceptibility to Simply launching this system would signed to intercept missiles during dif­ Soviet countermeasures. The Pentagaon's cost tens of billions of dollars; more ferent phases of their flight (see Figure own chief of research has conreded that important, the weapons would be ex­ 1 ). The key to success is the first layer, the total missile defense called for by the tremely vulnerable to Soviet attack. In which would attempt to destroy Soviet president would require breakthroughs in geosynchronous orbit, fewer weapons missiles in their "boost phase," within eight separate technologies "equivalent to would be needed, since they would re­ minutes after launching. Boost-phase in­ or greater than the Manhattan Project" main in fixed positions relative to their terception is critical for three reasons: 1) that produced the first atomic bombs. targets on earth. But these weapons the number of targets is much smaller Even if individual technologies could would have to operate at an enormous than in later phases of the trajectory be developed to the needed performance and quite infeasible range. An "ex­ (since multiple warheads, decoys, and levels, fashion ing them into a workable, cimer" laser in geosynchronous orbit, other penetration aids have not yet been deployable, and survivable system would for example, would require a sighting released); 2) the booster rocket is a much pose insurmountable difficulties. The telescope some 100 to 150 meters in "softer," more vulnerable target than the system would be immensely more com­ diameter - twenty or thirty times reentry vehicles it releases in the post­ plex than existing weapons and could larger than the Mt. Palomar telescope, boost phase; and 3) the booster rocket never be tested under realistic conditions. the largest in the United States. flame offers a strong infrared signal that In addition, it would have to be fully • A ground-based laser, favored by Pre­ greatly facilitates target identification and automated, responding instantly upon sident Reagan's Scienre Advisor, tracking. waming of attack without presidential in­ George Keyworth, is no more pro­ Failure to thin out an attack drasti­ volvement, given the very short reaction mising. UCS has analyzed an excimer cally in the boost phase would present time available for boost-phase intercep­ laser weapon whose beams would be the subsequent "midcourse" and "ter­ tion. Yet the defense would have to work reflected by a mirror in geosyn­ minal" layers of the missile defense with with near 100 percent reliability. It chronous orbit to other mirrors in low an unmanageable problem. In midcourse. would have almost no margin for error orbit, and then to Soviet booster roc­ the defense could be confronted with because even a minute "leakage" rate kets. UCS estimates that the electric hundreds of thousands of objects, all of would mean hundreds of nuclear ex­ power bill alone for thts tmplausible which would have to be tracked and in- plosions on US territory - and millions system would be $4()..11 0 bi II ion. even

Aliran Monthly February/ Mard11986 12 if the Soviets made no effort to • Attacks on the defensive system itself. danger and warns that the continued counter it. Space-based weapons and components integrity of the ABM Treaty is critical to • The "pop-up" scheme has been pro­ (such as mirrors) would be highly vul­ arms control. posed as a basing option for the x-ray nerable to attacks by "space mines" or Another danger of the SOl is the des­ laser weapon, favored by the physicist inert objects such as sand or small pel­ tabilizmg 1mpact of missile defenses in Edward Teller. Such a weapon could lets. Ground-based components would crisis situations. Given their limited effec­ not be based in the United States, be subject to attacks from submarine­ tiveness against all-out attack, defenses however, because of the curvature of launched ballistic missiles and from are likely to be perceived as part of a the earth and the short time available cruise missiles. Targets could include "first strike" strategy. They would be for boost-phase Interception. For ground facilities for battle manage­ most effective in defending against the example, a pop-up missile launched ment, rockets and basing facilities weakened retaliation that would follow from Alaska would have to reach an associated with pop-up weapons, and an attack on the adversary's missile silos. altitude of 2000 miles before it could communications and control stations. As a result, defenses could increase pre­ "see" missile fields in Siberia, and by Well-executed strikes of this sort, in ssures for preemptive strikes during then Soviet rockets would have com­ advance of the main offensive missile periods of high tension, as each super­ pleted their boost phase. As a result, launch, would probably disable the power fears that if it fails to strike first it the system would have to be based entire defense. may find itself disarmed. close to Soviet territory, probably on a Finally, pursuit of space-based missile -- new fleet of submarines created for Strategic implications defenses will foreclose any chance of re­ this purpose. Even then, it is doubtful The Strategic Defense Initiative wiH straining the development of anti-satellite that sufficient reaction time would carry heavy political, strategic, and arms (ASAT) weapons. The proposed Star exist. Moreover, this basing scheme control costs. These costs would weigh Wars weapons would all have an inherent would be vulnerable to Soviet attack against development of ballistic missile anti-satellite capability. Indeed, they and would create major difficulties defenses even if the technical prospects might well function more effectively in for command and control. for such systems were much brighter than the less demanding ASAT role than in they are. their intended anti-missile role. There­ The most obvious casualty will be the fore, a commitment to Star Wars means Countermeasures 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, the an unconstrained US-Soviet ASAT com­ The slim hopes of overcoming such most important arms control agreement petition -and the future vulnerability of problems disappear altogether in light of to date and the foundation of all efforts satellites on which the United States de­ the countermeasures available to the to impose limits on offensive nuclear pends for early warning of attack, control Soviets, who would certainly take any forces. The ABM Treaty flatly prohibits of nuclear forces, and military commun1- action necessary to defeat a US defense the development, testing, or deployment cat1ons. that would, if successful, disarm them. of space-based missile defenses or com­ The Star Wars policy is ill-advised on All of the proposed Star Wars defenses ponents. Although the admm1stration both technical and strategic grounds. are susceptible to countermeasures that claims that the SOl can initially be There is virtually no chance that an in­ are cheaper and better understood than carried out within the terms of the treaty, vincible shield envisioned by President the defenses themselves. Soviet responses planned technology demonstrations will Reagan can be developed. Yet the pursuit could include: at the very least push the United States to of this appealing mirage will, ironically, • An offensive nuclear buildup designed the edge ot noncompliance. As such, the make us less rather than more secure: It to saturate and overwhelm the US process of erosion that already threatens will escalate the arms race, reduce stabi­ defensive system. This could include a the ABM Treaty will be accelerated, pre­ lity. and feed a new cycle of mutual sus­ proliferation of real or decoy missiles cluding serious attempts to reso lve issues picion and fear between the superpowers. (decoys would lack warheads and of Soviet compliance that have been guidance systems but would still have raised by the Reagan administration. to be tracked and intercepted by the A major US missile defense program • defense). or the placing of additional would also stimulate a new round of the warheads on existing missiles (thus in­ arms race and undermine the already The Union of Concerned Scientists is a creasing the effectiveness of those that bleak prospects for new arms control Cambridge, Massachusetts-based, non-profit organisation of scientists, engineers and other penetrate the defense) agreements. Despite US rhetoric that professionals concerned about the impact of • A buildup of warhead delivery sys­ missile defense might be in the mutual advanced technology on society. UCS was tems, such as low-flying cruise missiles, interest of the superpowers and com­ established as an informal faculty group in the that would circumvent space-based patible with negotiated arms reductions, Boston area in 1969. It now has over 100,000 defenses. the Soviet Union will certainly view the citizen sponson nationwide. • Shortenmg the boost phase of Soviet SOl as an attempt to ach1eve military ICBMs by giving them more powerful superiority by negating the Sov1et deter­ Ordering Information engines. This would reduce the already rent. The Soviets are no more likely than Additional copies may be obtained from: short reaction time available to the the United States to accept such a situa­ Publications Department defense. perhaps to as little as one tion and can be expected to respond with Union ofCo ncerned Scientists minute. In addition, by designing their a nuclear buildup that ensures their abi­ 26 Church Street missiles to complete the boost phase lity to penetrate US defenses. This fresh Cambridge, Massachusetts 02238 while still inside the atmosphere, the stimu lus to the arms race would sweep 617-547-5552 Soviets could defeat those defensive aside existing constraints on offensive weapons that are unable to penetrate forces and doom future ones, including Cost: the atmosphere. These include the the administration's own "build-down" x-ray laser and particle beam weapons. initiative in the Strategic Arms Reduction Under 25 copies, free of charge; • Protection of booster rockets from the Talks (START). The President's Com· 25 copies or more, 10i each effects of beam weapons through mission on Strategic Forces (the Scow­ hardening, shielding, or rotation. croft Commission) has recognized this September 1984

13 AI iran Monthly February/ March 1986 Bella

Pergerakan Belia: Suatu Penilaian Sahagian Kedua ·-

en ingkatnya autoritanan IS­ m a kerajaan merupakan ah satu faktor yang telah memaksa kumpulan-kumpu­ lan belia untuk menjalin perikatan dengan kerajaan. Mereka bim­ bangkan hukuman kerajaan sekiranya rnereka bertindak bebas. Mereka tidak akan mendapat sebarang sokongan ke· wangan atau moral dari pihak berkuasa. Belanjawan persatuan-persatuan belia me­ mang banyak bergantung kepada keraja­ an. Kumpulan-kumpulan belia Juga bim­ bang bahawa pemimpin-pemimpin belia yang menentang kawalan kerajaan akan rnen1ad1 mangsa dalam pelbagai cara. Ke­ bimbangan mereka ini mungkin berasas, mungkin tidak. Autoritarianisma merupakan akibat pelbagai tekanan sosial termasuk bentuk pembangunan dan modenisasi yang di­ jalankan dan janis struktur sosial yang wujud. Dalam hubungan ini adalah ber· faedah untuk diperhati yang apabila auto­ ritarianisma berada di peringkat yang lebih rendah sebelum pertengahan tahun 70 an, organisasi-organisasi belia lebih be­ bas dan berautonomi. Mereka menyuara· Apakah ini peranan belia? kan pendapat mengenai isu-isu sosial yang kadang kala agak bertentangan dengan terus berpengaruh. Begitu juga, persekita· atas keadaan organisasi belia kita ini. Ke­ pendirian kerajaan. ran materialisti k ekonomi, kekayaan re­ adaan yang dimaksudkan ialah kurangnya Bagaimanapun, autoritarianisma bu· Iat if kelas pertengahan (kelas dari mana kedalaman pemikiran, tiadanya pandang­ kanlah satu·satunya sebab bagi berkurang­ datangnya sebilangan pemimpin belia) an semesta, kurangnya ideal, ceteknya nya kebebasan kumpulan-kumpulan belia dan skop bagi suatu takat mobiliti di komitrnen dan kedangkalan keprihatinan di dalam negara. Pengekalan sikap neo­ kalangan kelas pertengahan peringkat di kalangan pemimpin-pemimpin belia feudal di kalangan budaya politik Melayu rendah telah membuai kumpulan-kumpu­ dan pengikut-pengikut mereka. Sudah yang diperlihatkan dalam pemikiran lan belia sehingga mereka bersikap 'tidak tentu, ketiadaan satu tradisi intelektual organisasi-organisasi belia Melayu khas­ apa'. Sikap inilah yang bertanggungjawab yang cergas, yang diarahkan terhadap pe­ nya, juga merupakan satu masalah. Neo­ sebahagiannya dalam membuatkan pega­ mikiran yang serius ke atas realiti sosial feudalisma diperlihatkan dalam cara pe­ wai-pegawai belia merasa bahawa tiada dan ideal-ideal sosial juga bertanggung­ nerimaan kuasa kerajaan dengan se­ yang salah dalam pertalian dengan keraja­ jawab. Sifatnya sistem pelajaran kita yang bulat·bulatnya tanpa sebarang soal dan an. tidak benar-benar berusaha untuk mena­ pemikiran yang kritikal. Sudah tentu psi· Kesemua sebab·sebab ini - kekayaan, namkan nilai-nilai rohaniah yang agung kologi ini semakin luput disebabkan pel­ sikap 'tidak apa', neo-teudalisma dan ke­ atau untuk menggalakkan pemikiran yang bagai perubahan sosiologikal di kalangan engganan menyoal pihak berkuasa, autori­ kritikal dan analitikal di kalangan muda· masyarakat Melayu. Walau bagaimana­ tarianisma dan pengawalan adalah di mudi kita juga harus dipersalahkan. pun, buat masa sekarang ianya masih antara sebab yang bertanggungjawab ke Ketiadaan pemikiran amat ketara di

Allran Monthly Febr ..ry,..rch 1986 14 kalangan mereka yang ingin menilai poli· kalangan belia mungkin telah me­ masa. Sebagai langkah pertama, kese­ si-polisi negara. Misalnya, belia-belia Mus­ mburukkan keadaan, sebab utama adalah mua organisasi-organisasi belia perlu lim yang kritikal terhadap susunan yang sistem sosial. Konsep dan amalan pem­ melepaskan diri dari kawalan keraja- wujud kini jarang-jarang mencuba untuk bangunan adalah sebegitu rupa di mana an dan kepentingan-kepentingan yang menganalisa punca-punca asas kepincang­ ianya memburukkan kebimbangan men­ berpengaruh dalam masyarakat. Kumpu­ an masyarakat. Begitu juga idea mereka genai hakisan identiti etnik dan agama se­ lan-kumpulan belia perlu berautonomi berkenaan negara Islam tidak melihatkan seorang serta meni ngkatkan persaingan dan bebas dalam ertikata yang sebenar-be­ sebarang pemahaman mengenai apa yang antara etnik pada beberapa peringkat ter· narnya. Untuk memungkinkan berlaku­ abadi dan apa yang sementara dalam tentu. Persaingan ini pula menularkan nya ini, mereka mesti berdikari dari segi agama, apa yang asas dan apa yang dang­ sikap perkauman di kalangan rakyat. Se­ kewangan. Maka dengan itu sebuah kat dalam agama, apa yang teras dan apa lain daripada ini, terdapat pula pecahan tabung amanah betia negara harus di­ yang di luar agama. Tiada sebarang usaha Bumiputera-Bukan Bumiputera, Mela­ bentuk. Kesemua kumpulan belia dalam untuk menyediakan maklumat-maklumat yu-bukan Melayu dan Muslim-bukan Mus­ negara boleh mendapatkan bantuan ke­ mengenai struktur politik, sistem eko­ lim yang telah mula membentuk rupa dan wangan dari tabung ini. Tabung tersebut nomi dan hubungan kebudayaan untuk mewarnai suasana negara. Belia-belia dan boleh ditadbirkan oleh sebuah suruhan­ dijadikan isi bagi konsep negara Islam kumpulan betia yang menjadi mangsa sis­ jaya belia negara yang seharusnya meru­ yang mereka dukungi. Ketidakupayaan tern ini terpaksa menerapkan nilai-nilai pakan sebuah badan yang bebas. Suruhan­ belia-belia Muslim untuk mengukuhkan dan sikap-sikap negatif yang menguasai jaya tersebut yang dianggotai oteh indi-... • idea pada peringkat falsafah dan paring­ sebuah masyarakat yang berdasarkan per­ vidu-individu yang dihormati masyarakat kat konkrit bertanggungjawab sebahagian pecahan-perpecahan etnik. harus dibentuk menerusi satu akta Parli­ men dan bertanggungjawab secara lang­ sung kepada Parlimen. Maka dengan ini, ••• penerlmaan domlnasl kerajaan tanpa ia akan bebas dari kawalan eksekutif. Se­ lain daripada membahagi-bahagikan wang pemlklran yang mendalam, pemahaman yang dan menyelia pengurusan kewangan pel­ dangkal mengenal proses soslal dan bagai organisasi belia, suruhanjaya ter­ sebut tidak akan mempunyai sebarang berkekalnya slkap-slkap perkauman fungsi yang lain. Surnbangan wang kepada merupakan tlga penyaklt utama dlhadapl oleh tabung amanah belia tadi bersumberkan kerajaan dan orang ramai. kumpulan-kumpulan bella. Dengan susunan sebegini persa­ tuan-persatuan belia akan mempunyai besarnya dalam ketiadaan pembangunan Beberapa Penyelesaian lebih kebebasan untuk menjalankan akti­ intelektual masyarakat kita. Maka jelaslah dari analisa kita bahawa viti-aktiviti mereka. Mereka tidak perlu mendapat kelulusan secara langsung atau Belia-belia bukan Muslim yang meng­ penerimaan dominasi kerajaan tanpa pe­ tidak langsung dari kerajaan atau agen­ anggap diri meraka sebagai jaguh agama m i k iran yang mendalam, pemahaman dan budaya masing-masing tidak banyak yang dangkal mengenai proses sosial dan si-agensinya setiap kali mereka mengan­ bezanya. Disebabkan mcrcko juga tidak bcrkc.kalnya sikap-sikap perkauman me­ jurkan sesuatu aktiviti, khasnya jika akti· mengkaji inti agama masing-masing, dise­ rupakan tiga penyakit utama dihadapi viti tersebut mel ibatkan perkara-perkara kepentingan awam. Sekiranya aktiviti ber­ babkan mereka tidak cuba memahami oleh kumpulan-kumpulan belia. lanya teras budaya masing-masing, potensi bagi tidak dapat dipulihkan menerusi lang­ kenaan bertentangan dengan kepentingan pembangunan intelektual masyarakat-ma­ kah-langkah jangkamasa-pendek. Selia awam maka pihak berkuasa boleh meng­ syarakat mereka tidak pernah disedari. adalah di kalangan segelintir manusia di ambil tindakan. Tindakan yang diambil Lebih buruk lagi, mereka ketiadaan daya sebarang masyarakat yang mampu memi­ mesti berpandukan undang-undang yang pandangan terhadap dan impian mengenai kirkan dengan mendalam penyelesaian-pe­ adil dan demokratik. rupabentuk sebuah masyarakat ideal, nyelesaian jangkamasa panjang yang ber­ Sesungguhnya, dalam situasi sebegini yang dilihat dari perspektif kemanusiaan kekalan. Oleh kerana merel«a masih muda sesebuah kementerian yang khusus untuk dan sejagat. Maka organ isasi-organisasi mereka mempunyai waktu untuk meng­ belia tidak perlu. Jabatan-jabatan belia belia bukan-Muslim secara keseluruhan­ gubal penyelesaian jangka panjang. dalam birokrasi juga t idak diperlu. Penye­ nya telah gaga! mempertingkatkan kese­ Terdapat beberapa penyelesaian yang larasan program-program belia boleh di­ daran etika dan rohaniah masyarakat mungkin dapat dilakukan. Pemimpin-pe· lakukan menerusi sebuah majlis penyela­ mereka. Akibatnya, kumpulan-kumpulan mimpin belia sekarang harus mengusaha­ rasan. Majlis sebegitu boleh ditubuhkan di Muslim dan bukan Muslim. terbantut, kan penyelesaian-penyelesaian in i walau­ berbagai peringkat - dari peringkat ke­ tiada daya kuasa intelektual atau daya pun pencapaiannya banyak memakan bangsaan ke peringkat daerah. Adalah kuasa rohaniah di dalam mereka. Sekarang kita akan mengkaji akibat ke­ Harus dladakan ceramah-ceramah, tiga dan terakhir mengenai sikap kumpu­ forum-forum dan seminar-seminar, bukannya lan-kumpulan belia. Polarisasi di kalangan belia-belia yang terl ibat dalam kerja-kerja mengenal toplk-toplk yang blasa dan basi belia telah memburukkan penyakit polari­ sasi dalam masyarakat luar keseluruhan­ sepertl 'Bella dan masa depan' atau 'Bella nya. Segala sungutan mengenai diskrimi­ dan pembangunan' tetapl dl bawah tajuk-ta)uk nasi etnik, pengabaian etnik dan pengua­ saan etnik - samada benar atau t idak - sepertl 'Kemelesetan ekonoml yang dlhadapl wujud di kalangan organisasi-organisasi negara' atau 'Masalah-masalah yang belia. Kadang-kadang ianya digandakan be rkali-kali disebabkan kecenderungan dlaklbatkan oleh urbanlsasl' atau 'Sekatan belia untuk bertindak dengan marah. Walaupun ketidakpuasan etnik di ke atas kebebasan' dan sebagalnya.

15 Aliran Monthly February{March 1986 amat penting yang majlis sebegitu ditu­ sosiologi, pembangunan dan sains fizikal. hid, menyempurnakan peranannya se­ buhkan semata-mata kerana keperluan Adalah amat berfaedah jika kumpul­ bagai Khalifah Allah dan mematuhi nilai­ untuk menyelaras aktiviti-aktiviti di an-kumpulan belia mengembeling sumber­ nilai sejagat serta prinsip-prinsip abadi ke­ kalangan kumpulan-kumpulan belia. Ia sumber untuk mewujudkan sebuah per­ hidupan. Apabila sahaja identiti dilihat tidak seharusnya merupakan sebuah khidmatan pinjam-meminjam buku. Kum­ dari segi ini - bukannya ditafsirkan se­ badan yang dipaksakan penubuhannya pulan-kumpulan pengajian harus dibentuk mata-mata dari segi perlakuan upa· oleh kerajaan. demi tujuan menganalisa apa yang telah cara-upacara keagamaan - maka adalah Sekiranya penyelarasan boleh dibuat dipelajari seseorang. Harus diadakan cera­ lebih mudah bagi seorang belia Muslim dalam cara ini, aktiviti-aktiviti belia tidak mah-ceramah, forum-forum dan seminar-. u ntuk berhubung dengan rakan-rakan perlu dikawal oleh ahli-ahli politik dan bi­ seminar, bukannya mengenai topik-topik bukan Muslimnya dalam sesuatu organi­ rokrat di atas dalih penyelarasan. Tetapi, yang biasa dan basi seperti 'Belia dan sasi kebudayaan atau keagamaan yang memandangkan hakikat bahawa kawalan masa depan' atau 'Belia dan pembangun­ lain. Begitu juga, sekiranya belia-belia adalah kuasa tidak mungkin perubahan an' tetapi di bawah tajuk-tajuk seperti Buddhist, Hindu atau Kristian mengait­ yang diidamkan ini akan mudah terjadi. 'Kemelesetan ekonomi yang dihadapi ne­ kan keimanan kepada agamanya dengan lnilah sebabnya mengapa kumpulan-kum­ gara' atau 'Masalah-masalah yang diaki­ perpaduan umat manusia dan melihat ni­ pulan belia mesti bersedia untuk menyer­ batkan oleh urbanisasi' atau 'Sekatan ke lai-nilai kerohanian sejagat sebagai ciri-ciri tai perjuangan untuk kebebasan dan auto­ atas kebebasan' dan sebagainya. Pengeta­ yang mentafsirkan identitinya, maka dia nomi yang rumit dan memakan masa. huan seseorang dari pengajiannya boleh tidak akan menghadapi banyak kesuk'aFan Apabila kebebasan dan autonomi di­ dig u nakan dalam perbincangan-perbin­ dalam bekerjasama dengan rakan-rakan capai, kumpulan-kumpulan belia akan cangan di bawah tajuk pengajiannya. Se­ Muslimnya. lebih berupaya untuk membentuk semula masa kuasa intelektual mereka bertambah Ia sebenarnya merupakan peringkat polisi-polisi dan program-program dengan kuat, para belia harus cuba untuk meng­ kedua. Setelah identiti kukuh, kesemua tujuan memberi penekanan ke atas pem­ hasilkan risalah-risalah, jernal dan buku­ organisasi kebudayaan dan agama di bangunan rohaniah dan mental ahli-ahli buku tentang cabaran-cabaran besar yang dalam negara harus mencari persama­ mereka. Sudah tentu, ini perlu dilakukan menghadapi masyarakat Malaysia dan an-persamaan dengan mengkaji konsep­ tanpa mengambil kira akan kejayaan atau umat manusia keseluruhannya pada ke­ konsep yang khusus dalam tradisi masing­ kegagalan organisasi-organisasi belia tika ini dalam sejarah. Sangat sedikit orga­ masing. Misalnya, mereka boleh melihat dalam membebaskan diri mereka dari nisasi belia yang telah berupaya meng­ bagaimana pandangan Islam, Buddhisma, cengkaman kerajaan. I ni bererti mesti ada hasilkan penulisan-penulisan yang ber­ Hinduisma dan Kristian terhadap tanah, lebih aktiviti yang bertujuan untuk mem­ taraf intelektual. Sekiranya bel ia-belia sumber-sumber asli, alam semulajadi, tek­ pertingkatkan kesedaran etika dan inte­ kita bercita-cita menjadi pemimpin pada nologi, keluarga, masyarakat, kepimpinan lektual para ahli. Perbincangkan-perbin­ keesokkan hari, mereka mesti membukti­ dan sebagainya. Semasa mereka menemui cangkan harus diadakan untuk mengkaji kan keupayaan intelektual serta keutuhan banyak idea-idea yang serupa dalam dimensi-dimensi etika sesuatu polisi sosial moral. agama dan kebudayaan mereka yang ber­ beza, belia-belia kita akan menyedari bahawa kuasa-kuasa yang menyatu Semasa mereka menemul banyak Idea-Idea mereka jauh lebih besar ertinya daripada faktor-faktor yang memisahkan mereka. yang serupa dalam agama dan kebudayaan Samada ianya berkaitan dengan kebaikan seperti kebebasan atau berhubung dengan mereka yang berbeza, bella-bella klta akan kejahatan seperti rasuah, sudah pasti ter­ menyedarl bahawa kuasa-kuasa yang dapat persamaan-persamaan yang menon­ jol di kalangan berbagai agama. menyatu mereka Jauh leblh besar ertlnya Peneri maan persamaan-persamaan ini sudah semestinya membawa kepada satu darlpada faktor-faktor yang memlsahkan analisa yang terperinci ke atas struktur­ mereka. struktur dan nilai-nilai yang mengasing­ kan masyarakat.- Analisa sebegitu juga penting kerana apabila para belia menge­ tertentu atau pun jika perlu tindakan se­ Akhirnya, untuk mengatasi masalah nali akan penghalang-penghalang integrasi seorang individu. Belia-belia harus digalak polarisasi etnik, belia-belia mesti cuba yang sebenar, mereka akan semakin rapat untuk memikirkan tentang motif tindak­ untuk melahirkan suatu penyelesaian kerana pada ketika itu mereka akan men­ an-tindakan mereka khasnya apabila tin­ yang teguh dan boleh diamalkan. Tidak yedari yang masalahnya bukan 'kaum dakan mereka membawa kesan ke atas ke­ ada gunanya dalam membentuk polisi yang lain' atau 'agama yang lain'. Apabila sejahteraan kumpulan tersebut. Kritikan perpaduan negara yang mengenepikan para belia kita mula melihat kecacatan-ke­ diri sendiri harus diterima sebagai satu pengaruh identiti etnik dan keagamaan. cacatan dalam sistem yang wujud kini, prinsip tingkah laku dalam organisasi. Polisi-polisi · tersebut akan gaga! kerana mereka juga harus cuba untt.ik memikir­ Pada masa yang sama para bel ia juga tidak mengambil kira akan besarnya erti kan satu alternatif susunan sosial yang mesti diterangkan bagaimana segala usaha identiti dalam masyarakat pelbagai etnik. akan meningkatkan persefahaman yang untuk menerapkan nilai-nilai etika ke Dalam peringkat pertama pendekatan kita tulin dan perasaan kasih sayang di kalang­ dalam tingkah laku mereka bersesuaian kepada masalah tersebut, kumpulan-kum­ an kaum-kaum yang berlainan. dengan doktrin keagamaan. Sesungguh­ pulan belia perlu mengkaji secara men­ Ketiga-tiga penyelesaian yang dica­ nya, belia harus difahamkan bahawa di dalam tradisi kebudayaan dan agama ma­ dangkan dalam penulisan ini, sebagai cara dalam agama transformasi seseorang indi­ sing-masing. Kajian sebegitu akan mem­ mengatasi ketiga-tiga penyakit yang serius vidu merupakan pra-syarat bagi transfor­ bolehkan para belia memahami apakah yang dianalisa tadi, adalah berhubung masi masyarakat. dianya inti dan isi kebudayaan dan agama dengan soal kesedaran. Kami yakirl yang Penanaman nilai-nilai rohaniah harus mereka. ldentiti budaya dan agama akan hanya dalam medan kesedaran sahajalah dibuat sejajar dengan suatu usaha yang ditafsir berpandukan inti ini. Dalam wujudnya perjuangan yang sebenar e bersungguh-sungguh untuk menggalak erti kata yang lain, seorang Muslim adalah para belia menghalusi, sejarah, falsafah, Muslim kerana dia berpegang kepada Tau- Chandra Muzaffar.

Aliran Monthly February/ March 1986 ------16 Develop_ment 0 o

he public tends to see the From our own experiences and the better and not the worse ones. While we public services as the general complaints we read in the newspapers we are told to look "East", let us not forget services provided by govern­ can say that the quality of our public that there are many good things that we mental departments and agen­ services is not very satisfactory. The can learn from the "West". At least appli­ ciesT such as the Customs, Immigration government recognises this, and the cations and letters of enquiries to the Department, Post Office and others, and official slogan of amanah, cekap and public services in many Western countries are less likely. for instance. to associate bersih is very much applied to the public do get prompt and courteous replies, but the armed forces as part of the public services. In fact, an official argument for it is a common experience here that many services. However, according to the Con­ privatisation of certain public services is government departments are slow or even stitution, public services include (a) the that this will increase efficiency, which is reluctant to reply or acknowledge the armed forces, (b) the judicial and legal to say that public services are not as effi­ receipt of applications and letters of en­ service, (c) the general public service of cient as services in the private sector. quiries. the Federation, (d) the police force. (e) AI iran and various public interest I have a personal experience. My son the railway servtce, (f) the joint public societies hdve expressed their views WLJS born in Melbourne, 1\ustralia last services, (g) the public service of each against the privatisation of the public year. He was born there because my wife state, and (h) the education service. The services. For one thing it contradicts the was referred to a hospital there for major off icia I definition of public services very function of the government espe­ surgeries. I was able to get my son's birth covers a very wide area. My comments on cially its service role. It is thus most un­ certificate from the Austral ian Depart­ the public services refer to both the lay­ fortunate and indeed rather irresponsibife ment of Registry within a day but it took man's view of the general services and the that the move to privatise the Telecom me three months to get our Malaysian whole range of public services as defined service was not properly debated in High Commission in Canberra to issue a in the Constitution. Parliament. The government should certificate to my son · and endorse his Unlike primitive and atJtonomous, realise that the role of the crucial public name in my passport. Even then it was simple societies, modern societies are very services can never be satisfactorily re­ only after I had sent a letter and a tele­ complex. In a nation state individuals are placed by the private sector whose gram that I got it. My wife's doctor had under the control of a state authority. ultimate concern is making maximum to intervene on medical grounds before I but in return, they are assured of certain profits. Services are provided as a means got back the passports and documents. services and security which only the state to gaining profit rather than an end in Isn't there something wrong with our can provide. However, this is also a risky itself. Th is is the fundamental difference Malaysian service there? In the first place arrangement because the state may between the public sector and the private my application should have been acknow­ become authoritaria'l and suppress the sector. In public services or perkhidmatan ledged, and it was very disappointing that freedom of the individual. Anyway it is awam, "service" or perkhidmatan is the my letter and tele:~ram were not replied. the duty of every government to see that crucial concern. It is an end in itself. Let me add that my application was public services do meet the needs and Some people may say that we should acco rnpan ied with all the necessary expectations of the people. Ensuring the not criticize our public services as they documents which were endorsed by our efficient and proper functioning of the are better than those in some other Third Consulate in Melbourne, and mind you, public services ts the basic functton of a World countries. This argument is mis­ such an application requ ires so many government - tndeed it is the rationale leading for tf we want to compare our­ documents. Our case was a medical case for its existence. selves to others we should compare to the which . deserved humanitarian treatment.

17 Aliran Monthly February/March 1986 servants who cannot get into the PTO . ... they tend to see the public going to them These civil servants are jealous of the PTD off1cers, and rightly so. In the first place, as asking for a favour .•. those who are recruited into the PTD do not necessarily have better qualifications than those who are recruited into the Anyway even for non-medical cases it the leaders do not show the spirit of good other services. It is claimed that pro­ should have not taken such a long time service, hard word, and responsibility, motion in the PTD is much easier and for a simple application to be processed. how can we expect the junior officers and faster than in the other services. Indeed. We need to instil a sense of service in clerical staff to be good public servants? many in the other services cannot even our civil servants, and enforcing the To improve the public services, tt IS get their promo:ions after twelve or acknowledgement of the public's appli­ necessary to examine the whole structure thirteen years of service. Furthermore, cations and legitimate enqu1ries 1s JUSt of the pub I ic services closely, with the PTD off 1cers are able to get some bene· one way to promote this spirit. Many of aim of cutting costs, eliminating dupli· fits, e.g. studies abroad, which are either our civil servants, especially those of the cat ion of functions. Increasing nter not easily access ble or not offered to the upper rank, do not regard themselves as ·department coordination, increasing other civil servants. Being closer to the servants of the public, instead they regard work incentive, and in general increasmg centre of power, ;>TO officers are fairly themselves as some kind of a boss. They efficiency, accountability and producti· influential. Being mvolved 1n high- level tend to have a sense of having some -vity. I understand that agenc1es like ICU dec1sion maktng, they are able to take power over the public. They tend to see (Implementation Co-ordination Unit) and care of their own interests and reinforce the public going to them as asking for a MAMPU (Malaysian Administrative their own position favour, whereas it is actually their duty to Modernization and Manpower Unit) have There is no justification to create a provide good service. In fact some done something about this. However, I special class of civil servants within the n:· ·nbers of the public, especially the less think it will be good and timely to set up civil service. If there is a need for well literate are easily awed by the bureau­ a review committee Involving the various -qualified, able, and more experienced cratic power of public servants. They see sectors of the public. There IS no need to staff at certain strategic positions the themselves as the irter"or going to the 1nvite fore1gn experts to give recom­ present PTD really doesn't serve the superior to get some help. mendations about our public services, as purpose. It is better to recruit experien· During the colonial days, the public was done in the past. We have enough ced and able people from the whole range services were under the control of the experienced people to do this. of the civil service. This gives equal colonial elite, and as can be expected, the Among other things, the review opportunity to all civil servants and adds colonial civil servants regarded themselves comrr~ittee should re-examine the present incentive to their work as well as boosts as occupying a superior position vis-a-vis systems of PTD (Perkhidmatan Tadbir their morale. the local people. After Independence, our dan Oiplomatik). PTA (Perkhidmatan There is a trend now towards greater civil servants contirue to demonstrate Tadbir Am) and other services. At present emphasis on paper qualifications. This their bureaucratic power, and in so doing PTD OHicers form the elite class of civil should be reviewed as this system denies e"l>hasize their own importance. The servants within the civil serv1ce. The PTO the able and experienced non-graduate lack of social consciousness among the system should be restructured or even civil servants the opportunity to rise from public has also contributed to the bureau­ abolished. The present arrangement the rank and file as it was possible in the cratic attitudes of many civil servcml~. Is creates much discontent among civil past. Promotion which is an important there any programme which will help not on 1 y to 1ncrease the efficiency and quality of civil servants but also ensure that civil servants understand their duties and responsibi lities? 1 have mentioned briefly the need for promoting accountability and the spirit of service. The lack of accountability can lead not only to a decline in the standard of service but also breed an unhealthy attitude of tidak apa. To ensure accounta· bility there must be easily accessible channels where the public can lodge their complaints. These complaints must be acted upon as quickly as possible. Above all there must be good leadership in the department to ensure its smooth and effi­ Cient running and to ensure the staff perform their duties well. The trouble is that many of the senior officers take advantage of their positions to do things at their own convenience. Surely we cannot expect this kind of officers to run the office well. It is sad that not all senior officers lead by example. I am sure the government recog­ niseS this problem, hence the slogan "leadership by example". Yet the slogan Postal sorters going through thousands of Hari Raya cards ...meeting the needs and cannot achieve anything without concrete expectations of the people. measures. This is a serious matter for if

Aliran Monthly February/March 1986 18 that there must be a freedom of speech. politicians interfere with the and in particular, freedom of the press, to ensure that the government and the public services are made aware of the work of public servants public pulse. A free press helps ensure incentive in the public services, should be no lunch-break continuous service accountability in the public services. based on the pnnc1ples of merit and equal system. Under this system, public ser­ Unfortunately, in recent years our opportunity. vants go out for lunch in turns so that mass-media have be:::ome more and more As our society is very much polarised there is continuous service throughout controlled by the powers that be. This is along the communal lines, it is important the day. At present, the post-offices pro­ done in subtle but effective ways. We that our public services guard themselves vide continuous counter services even hope that the government will realise that against communalism. This is not an easy during lunchtime. This is commendable. the loss of a free press will not only mejln task as our public se'Vices have become In the private sector, the banks follow the loss of feedback from the rakyat, but quite identified with the dominant ruling this system too, and we know how con­ also will lead to the decline of the public parties which are communal in nature. venient it is to us. All public services services and therefore the quality of the Our public services should actually be should adopt this system. If the conti­ government. This is especially serious in agents of promoting communal harmony. nuous service system is adopted, we can our country where the public services are It is not good for the nation to have the even get rid of the half-day work on central ised and tightly controlled by the senior and the so-called 'strategic' posts Saturday, since not much work is done ruling parties, in particular, the dominant monopolized or dominated by any one on that day. lt will be more productive to party namely UMNO. Any attempt at re· ethnic group. It is desirable that the top adopt the five-working-day system by forming the public services should also circle of civil servants is more multi implementing the continuous service aim at bringing about more decentrali· -ethnic in compositio'l since they are in· system, and if necessary, by extending Lation. l reckon this is rather difficult to valved in decision-making which affects the office hours by an extra half an effect as there is no political will to do so. the whole public services and even the hour everyday. Since the lunch break on The party in power exp!'!cts the public whole society. This can also help prevent Friday is extended to allow Muslims to services to identify with it. Since there misunderstanding and racial biases, which perform their congregational prayers and has been no change in government since may or may not be intentional, in the very little work is done in the afternoon. Merdeka, this identification becomes a public services. I am for a Sunday to Thursday five-day really serious problem. It is also necessary that public emplo­ working week. Since Friday is already an All in all, there is much room for im­ yees receive fair salaries. To allow for ad­ off-day in some states, this move will provement in our public services. In the justments due to rnflation the1r salary standardize the working week system ultimate analysis, the efficient and proper should be reviewed from time to time. throughout the whole country. functioning of the services depend greatly Now we are in the midst of a claim by the The efficient running of the public on upholding basic universal values such public servants for pay adJUStments. Their services need the participation and con­ as equality, JUStice, freedom, incorruptibi· claim IS legitimate. Unfortunately, the cern of the public. In this respect, the lity, and accountability e government has so far been unwilling to mass-media play a very important role. It meet this claim. With the rising cost of is the mass-media which carry the views living, it is really unfair that civil servants of the citizens. Thus, it is very important Tan Chee Beng in the lower and middle levels do not get salary increases while the Ministers and top-level civil servants continue to receive large sums of entertainment and housing allowances on top of their regular salaries. Lately there have been reports about politicians interfering on the work of public servants. Even UMNO politicians have openly talked about this problem which of course has been in existence for a long t1me. only that It is probably gelting worse. It seems that th1s problem is especially serious at the state level where some pulilll:li:IIIS dntl influencial people exert direct or indirect pressure on public servants to perform their duties in ways beneficial to the former's interests. Like other krnds of corruption, this is difficult to eliminate especially rn the public serv1ces which are traditionally vul· nerable to the abuses of politicians. There are many other areas in the pub I ic services which need review. For example, we shou ld work towards a situa­ tion whereby most of the applications and renewals of licences and other re lated services can be done efficiently by post. This will not only be convenient to the public but will also save many working hours which are at present wasted at long queues. We should also work towards a Clocking in ... increasing efficiency, accountability and productivity.

19 Aliran Monthly February/ March 1988 Religion ·

hat is the mystic bond God's abiding presence is the same. is we can best find out, first by observing that unites holy men That spiritual experience gives mean­ him at work in his world around us in and women of many ing both to their existence as individuals which he is ever present and active, faiths and in particular and to the world in which they live, manifest in the wise ordering of the W those of Hinduism, delivering them from many of the pro­ universe. That means that we must no Judaism, Christianity and Islam? blems of our Western culture, which so longer attempt to conquer nature, but When they meet they know that they often ignores the verities of the spirit by learn humbly to work with nature in have much in common in that part of failing to transcend "the measure of which God is both hidden and revealed. their being which is most precious to man'smird". Secondly, we can learn something of them. However great their differences of Modern man's tragic quest for his God's will by listening to the great theology and forms of worship may be identity does not exist for the mystics, prophets of all nations, who have lived they share, and know they share, in a who know that they come from God, aware of his presence and through whom mystic experience which gives meaning the source of all, thot they continue to he speaks to men of all races. to their lives and to the Universe. exist only by the indwelling of God, Those prophets of whatever time or What is that experience and what and that their destiny is to return to place agree fundamentally in their meaning does it give to life? The mystery God. For such men that is enough, they message, which is simply summarized in the souls of religious men of many seek no further, they have found "the by Micah: 'What is required of the faiths is an intense awareness of pearl of great price". Oman, but to do justly to love mercy a presence abiding with and within Without the vision of all pervading and to walk humbly with thy God?" • themselves and the world. divinity, life, as many have found, is About 500 BC a Hindu wrote "My "a tale told by an idiot full of souna and son, there is nothing in the world that is fury signifying nothing", but to those The author, an Anglican priest, formerly not God ... Spirit is everywhere, upon granted the vision of God's presence in worked in physiological medicine. The above article is reproduced from The Times, London, the right, upon the left, above, below, all things, "Heaven and earth are full of Saturday September 21 1985. behind, in front. What is the world His Glory". but Spirit?" The Jewish psalmist's theme What then is the message of those is the same: "Whither shall I go from great souls for the individual? It is that Aliran's thy Spirit; or whither shall I go then the self can only be 'ulfilled when it from thy presence? If I climb up into loses itself in God; Basic Principles heaven thou art there· if I go down into As salt resolved in the ocean, Beginning with this issue, the AI iran Monthly hell tho art there also. ' I was swallowed in God's sea, .will carry the Aliran's Basic Principles in 8 Among Christians, Blessed John Past faith, past unbelieving, instalments. The 33 po'inciples are presented under 8 sub·headings. Ruysbroeck tells us: "The first and Past doubt, past certainty. highest unity of man is in God; for all Jalal-Din Rumi God, the human being and society creatures depend upon this unity for Today, many are perplexed and 1. Belief in God as the Eternal Truth that their being, their life and their preser­ not a few in despair when they ask, embodies all the Universal values that vation; and if they be separated from as they must early or late life's four define our humanity, the affirmation God they fall into nothingness and great questions: Whence am I? Who am of God through actual deeds that become nought." I? Why am I? Whither am I going? The In Islam one of the Suf i mystics evince our humanity. great religions of Hinduism, Judaism 2. A compassionate society that regards writes: Christianity and Islam, with others, humanising the human being through In the valley in the mountain - only give and have given down the ages the liberation from inner bondages such God I saw same answer. as selfishness and cowardice and outer Him I have seen beside me oft in You are from God, you exist only shackles such as poverty and exploita­ tribulation; in God and for God and you wi II return tion as its primary goal. In favour and in fortune - only God I to God; what is true of you is also true 3. The conscious cultivation of eternal saw of the universe of which you are part, virtues in the individual through the "God is all in all". Baba Kubi control of human vices so that people Such men, like Enoch, walk with We exist only because of God's will will relate to one another on the basis God and recognize each other when they and our only purpose is that we may of ethical considerations. meet, for their intense awareness of choose to do his will. What that will

Alinn Monthly February/March 1986 20 electorate at the time of election". The first question one should ask is· how would the ordinary citizen know ° CURRENT COMMENT that leaders are making mrstakes, getting . 0 A record of Aliran's complete press statements involved in scandals, mismanaging problems? The answer is obvious. He made in the preceding months must have information on the conduct of government. To come to the conclu­ sion that there is mismanagement of Retrenchment of Atlas Workers easily available to retrenched workers the nation's affairs, the citizen must who want to begin their own businesses have solid, reliable data on state policies, Finally, ALIRAN cannot help but their implementation, where, how aM A uRAN supports observe that when it comes to saving the why policy-makers and administrators the 1,000 retrenched Atlas workers in stock exchange and big companies and failed. Otherwise. he would be making their demand for better retrenchment wealthy individuals, the government an erroneous JUdgement on government benefits. The conglomerate of banks who acts with lightning swiftr1ess. It is only performance. This would not be fair to are acting as receivers of the Atlas com­ too ready to make public funds available the leaders themselves. What this means pany should commence discussions for stock -exchange operations However. is that rational JUdgement of the actions immediately with the workers and their when it comes to poor and powerless of those in power is possible only if union on this issue. factory workers who have lost thei.r there is adequate flow of information. From a larger perspective, All RAN livelihood, the government does not If we probe further Pillay's point is dismayed with the lukewarm and Stlem to have the money or the energy about 'mistakes'. 'scandals' and 'mis­ lethargic response of the Federal to attend to their crying needs. management' on the basis of specific government to the serious challenge episodes in Malaysian public life, we will posed by retrenchment in various sectors Executive Committee realize how hollow his argument is. In of the economy. The Atlas retrenchment the case of the BMF scandal, it will be is the second massive retrenchment 27 December 1985 recalled that in spite of persistent exercise in the Bayan Lepas Free Trade questioning in Parlicrnent in the middle Zont within the short space of 3 months. of 1982. the government was very And yet, the government does not seem 0 reluctant to divulge anything. The little to have formulated short-term and long­ bit of information that reached small term strategies to deal with the challenge. How Would People Know? circles of our people at that t ime came For a start, the government should via a regional newspaper. It was that compel all Free Trade Zone factories to paper that kept on probing the scandal. set aside a small portion of the profits I had hoped that Most of our local dailies, for obvious made in good years for the establishment C.K.G. Pillay (NST December 20) would reasons, did not dare to conduct their of a Workers' Compensation fund. raise some powerful arguments on why a own investigations. It was only in the Money from this fund could be used for Freedom of Information Act was not wake of the tragic murder of Jalil the benefit of retrenched workers. feasib le. Unfortunately. his response to Ibrahim in Hong Kong that the Malaysian The government should also require my reply (NST December 9) to his public became alerted to the BMF's by law, all companies to inform workers earlier comments was really quite dis­ operations. It is quite possible that if at least 3 months in advance of im­ appointing it was not for the murder, the public pending retrenchment exercises. He says that a balance has to be would not even have known that a At the same time the government struck between "indiscriminate and colossal scandal had taken place. should one, launch a national retrench­ premature flow of information ...... and This is why it is rather naive to expect ment fund to which all Malaysians could cladestine and willful distortion and the people, on their own, to discover contribute. The fund shou ld be concealment of information ...... ·• The national scandals and pass judgement on publicised and supported by all language need for a balance which is irrefutably those in authority. Power-holders, whe­ newspapers. Retrenched workers - inclu­ true is however not an argument against ther in our country or elsewhere, seldom, ding Malaysian workers who have been a Freedom of Information Act per se. if ever, volunteer information that would retrenched overseas - would be entitled For it is wrong to assume , as Pillay does. incriminate them. Hence the importance to receive financial assistance from this that somehow the moment such an Act of some mechanism or other, with the fund. comes into force there would be weight of law behind it, which would Two, the government should also set :ndiscriminate' and 'premature flow of compel the el ites to let the people know. up a special employment exchange for information'. The Act itself, as I had A couple of other recent incidents retrenched workers which will not only stated in my paper at the Law Conference would reinforce my view. How much undertake their registration but also and in my earlier reply could contain does the Malaysian public know about give priority to the search for alternative certain safeguards. These safeguards, the Pan-E l affair? And yet no one can jobs. properly applied, would help to protect deny that the public - which includes Three, the government together with both the state and the public from some the small-time investors - is entitled to public sector agencies and prjvate sector of those dangers he has mentioned. know what is happening. Have the cor­ companies shou ld set up centres for He further argues that t here is no need porations involved given us any infor­ re-training retrenched workers in new for a law on information because "if mation? Has the local stock exchange agricultural and industrial skills. Such political leaders habitually make mis­ explained to us in detail, the events centres should be opened immediately takes. get involved in scandals and mis­ that led to the Pan-El collapse? Apart in Johor Baru, Kuala Lumpur, Penang manage problems of the nation, their f rom assuring us that everything is and Kota Baru. credibility and image will be auto­ alright, through Bank Negara, how much Four, the government in cooperation matically diminished or destroyed". He has the state told us of the affair? Unlike with banks and other financial insti­ then adds "therefore, the short answer a couple of regional weeklies and a tutions should make interest free loans to any misdeed is accountability to the regional newspaper. none of our national

21 Aliran Monthly February/March 1986 da'lies have attempted to present a scrutiny - unlike closed societies where public will be in the dark about how its comprehensive analysis of what clandestine operations are the order of money is being managed. happened. Without information and the day. This is why it is absurd to cite This in no way suggests that law alone analysis especially in such a complex examples of leaders who are overthrown can guarantee public accountability. In event as Pan-El, the public cannot be in coups or executed by military juntas my paper at the Conference I attributed expected to zero down on the mis­ to prove that "the wrath of the public ..... much more significance to structures demeanours of the elites. Contrary to cannot be avoided". They have no and values in bringing about an effective what Pillay believes, in situations like relevance to a democracy. flow of information. Nonetheless it this, the 'credibility and image' of A democracy has to be judged by would be a mistake to downplay the political personalities will not 'be auto­ its own standards. A Freedom of Infor­ importance of laws especially in the pro­ matically diminished or destroyed'. mation Act is consonant with the spirit tection of the individual's rights. If there Similarly, in the Memali tragedy, the of democratic government. Just as a was a Freedom of Information Act that people will never know who was really democracy grants freedom of expression was really comprehensive in scope, it responsible, how events unfolded and and freedom of association to its citizens, would be that much easier for an ordi­ what the consequences are, unless so should it bestow upon them, the nary citizen to go to Court to persuade unbiased, unadulterated information is freedom to know. This does not mean the government or a private corporation made available. Isn't it significant that that a democracy cannot impose certain to furnish the public with all the relevant ~ nearly every public figure outside conditions upon the actual exericse of information on say the BMF scandal or government - has asked for some form these freedoms. They may be necessary Pan-El. of independent inquiry into the tragedy? on certain occasions and in specific To appreciate the role of a law like The reason is simple: only with infor­ circumstances. But no democracy worth this one has to reflect on what happens mation from such an inquiry would the its name would defend the denial of the when a diametrically different situation public be able to judge. And in this - freedom of expression as a norm to be prevails - when overly restrictive laws as in some other episodes - it is apparent cherished. For a similar reason, many are enforced. Such laws, whether it is that some people do not want to be governments are now beginning to the Industrial Relations (Amendment) judged in an impartial and objective realise that an Official Secrets Act is Act or the Universities & University manner. totally incongruous with the underlying Colleges Act (UUCA) or the Internal The same argument applies to Pillay's values and ideals of democracy. In this contention about 'accountability to the connection, the continued existence of electorate'. Here again, sufficient know­ an Official Secrets Act in Britain should ledge of the ruling party's performance not be used to justify its presence in coupled with adequate information on our statute books. After all, the Official the opposition's capabilities, would be Secrets Act in that country which has essential to the electorate's ability to come under scathing criticism in recent judge wisely. This is not as simple as decades, was formulated in 1911 with it seems. For there is a great deal about the dark clouds of war hovering on the the workings of government - its horizon. Besides, there is no reason why security Act (ISA) invariably tend to management of the economy and ethnic we should wait for Britain to take the whet the appetite of the State for greater relations in particular - which are not lead on this matter {as Pillay suggests). and greater control. The Official Secrets known to the people. We would like to We should evolve laws and policies that Act, especially after its 1984 amendment. know for instance whether income would give meaning to the values and offers a vivid illustration of what I mean. disparities within commumt1es and principles which we hold sacred, guided When the leader of the Opposition asked sectors have widened in the last 15 years, by our own experience and our own a simple question about the naval base and if so, why is this happening? This needs. in Lumut in the recent session of Parlia­ is the sort of datum that would be most And our own experience tells us - ment, the Minister in the Prime Minister's useful to the electorate and yet none of the various episodes analysed a while Department did not give an answer and the official economic reports and deve­ ago are among the examples - that instead sought refuge in the Official lopment plans provide such information. the government is less and less willing Secrets Act! A law with a negative Sometimes information may be available to disclose vital information to the orientation, embodying authoritarian but the curbs and controls, both overt public. The overwhelming dominance of characteristics, is bound to produce con­ and covert, imposed upon the media, the executive, sustained partly by a sequences of this sort. This is why it is political parties and citizens' groups, four-fifths majority in Parliament, is, important to have laws which encourage are so severe, that its flow is seriously to some extent, responsible for this the growth of positive values and healthy impeded. This is a pertinent aspect of state of affairs. At the same time, attitudes in society. political life in Malaysia which Pillay government is getting more and more Of course, a law however noble its has conveniently ignored in his bold call complex, given the sort of development intention can be misused and abused, to the electorate "to get rid of what we and industrialization that is being as Pillay has tried to show. But then don't want". pursued. Growing bureaucratic, techno­ anything - religion, knowledge, science, In any case, why should citizens in cratic complexity makes it even more power, wealth - can also meet the same a democracy confine their demand for imperative for the state to ensure that fate. Our duty is to check misuse and to accountability from the state to elec­ the people are kept informed. For when curb abuse. No one in his right mind tions? Accountability, in a genuine technocrats become dominant, public would suggest that the advance of know­ democracy, is a continuous exercise. accountability invariably suffers. A Free­ ledge should be arrested or the pursuit This is one of those characteristics that dom of Information Act would help of science should be thwarted. Similarly. distinguishes a democracy from other check this tendency. This has become the likely abuse of a Freedom of Infor­ political systems. Political leaders, and crucial at this point in time because mation Act is no argument against its· indeed all those who wield authority, government is also involved, directly or usefulness. should be constantly evaluated mainly indirectly, in a variety of economic It is, in any case, a little odd that because their actions are supposed to activities. Unless there is proper account­ Pillay should be obsessed with the possi­ be conducted in the full glare of public bility, facilitated preferably by law, the ble danger of abuse in the future when

Aliran Monthly February/March 1986 22 the actual problem facing us at the moment is an acute dearth of information on crucial issues. It is like warning a community of starving people of the adverse consequences of obesity. 1 • would rather we feed the hungry first. =

Chandra Mu.o:aHar President 30 December 1985 z~ (This article did not appear in any newspapers) ... .. 0 c .r. iii"' c0 E 0 d • ~.. = Q ::J The Memali TV 'Show' u u 0 '­c 0 W hile it appears from I! the video recording that the Police !0 exercised a certain degree of restraint a: 0: in their handling of the Memali incident, it is quite obvious that there was a deliberate attempt to present the Police 0 in a highly favourable light. The screening IL on the whole was quite biased towards the government's version of the incident and even partisan for the following z ! reasons: ~ 1) It showed very little of actual Police i" 0 '0 action and gave exaggerated emphasis to the villagers' hysterical response. 0,.. 2) It told us very little of how Ibrahim •c -~ 0 Libya developed a highly committed ~ following within the kampung. For s A. 0 u .. it is well known that whatever his c = shortcomings, Ibrahim acquired res­ .. 0 DO pect in Memali because of his religious ·-a: "' piety. E 3) The explanation given by the Minister u a of Information on why the incident took place was highly partisan. For en while he mentioned PAS's responsi­ bility. he failed to admit that govern­ Ill ment discrimination against PAS members and followers when it came :::» to development projects, repression against PAS activists including the en threat of ISA against them, and dire poverty in the area had also con­ tributed towards the Memali incident. a:- Indeed, this is the greatest short- Ill coming of the video on Memali: it fails to explain to the public the underlying a causes of the incident. At the same time, it must be acknow­ a: ledged that the frenzied, hysterical state of mind of the villagers, including women and children, as shown in the film is a 0 matter of concern to everyone. There is no doubt at all that the lack of emp­ hasis upon the intellectual rational dimen­ sion in PAS's approach to Islam is one of the causes. For this PAS must be blamed .

Chandra Muzaffar President 3 January 1986

23 AllrM Morrthly Februllry/Mwch 1186 The BM F Report: Excuses & Excuses

A Ll RAN is amazed tliat the government is not prepared to assume legal responsibility for making the BMF report public. The Prime Minister has cited tho fear of libel suits as the reason. This was precisely one of the reasons why All RAN and a number of other groups had insisted on the extablishment of an independent Royal Commission TITLE PRICE COST of Inquiry from way back in 1982. A 1 OASAR-OASAR ASAS contam$ an Outlone of Royal Commission by its very nature Ahr•n's philowphy "' B.M. $ 0.70 would have been protected against libel 2 ALIRAN SPEAKS a compilation of press and other such legal complications. The statements, essays and $pt!eCh8$ sirw:e the o<§lllnosat.on's onctPtiOn on August 1977 on a Malaysian pubdc has to be reminded vahety of social themes of gfe.at public •nteren $10.00 that it was the Prime Minister who re­ 3 CORRUPTION contaons paper$ on varocrus aspects fused to set up a Royal Commission. of this social scour§lll presented by A loran olticials Instead, he chose to establish an in­ end guest SPeakers at a seminar held In November 1980. It is eaS

12 Cueette T•po vision network. It was more than willing AT THE CROSSROADS: 25 YEARS OF to disseminate to the populace infor­ MERDEKA attempts to diagnose some ol the ebuses and the problems lacing the nation. mation and commentaries heavily slanted (Price inclusive ol postage.) $ 5.50 against a particular group of indiviruals. 13 c-mT- On Memali, there has been no fear of JUSTICE BEFORE CO-OPERATION grves libel! numerous examples of how Malaysia and other developing countries are controlled in many This is why All RAN would like to wneres of actlvitres by the POwerful indunrialized countries of thl North know why with the BMF report, the (Puce inciU$tve of postage.) $ 5.50 government has suddenly become so

14 c-mr- apprehensive of libel suits. Should we WHAT IS NATIONAL CULTURE: THE ALIRAN sacrif ice the larger public interest because APPROACH examrnes the basis in the development of a culture. It evelu.ates current trends and of our fear of legal action from a few tupsts on approach individuals? Should we compromise truth (Pr.ce inctusove of post-.) $550 and integrity simply because of legalities 15 c -n.T- and technicalities? WE SHALL OVERCOME -SONGS OF HUMANITY $ 5.00 If in spite of all these arguments, the government insists on adbicating its res­ POSTAGE CHARGES ponsibility to the people, then the TOTAL Ahmad Noordin Committee of Inquiry • tnc:lusive of Bank Comm•ssion has no choice but to make the report

Ali,.n Monthly Flbru.ry/Merch 1986 24 public. To do this, it has to be re­ ponsibilitY for all the legal consequences Retrenchment: Need for Labour constituted since the Committee has of publicising the report. In any inquiry Ministry to be More Responsive already been dissolved. it is the body or institution that initiates Finally, All RAN is of the view that or commissions the job, that should the Prime Minster is wrong in arguing that assume ultimate responsibility - regard· The announcement those who want the BMF report to be less of what the findings are. by Deputy Labour Minster, Datuk Haji made public do not care for its conse· To now ask Tan Sri Ahmad Noordin Zakaria, that most factories inform the quences to the nation. It is btlcause we and his two colleagues to bear the burden government at least 4 or 5 months ahead care for the integrity of the nation of possible litigation, after they had before they retrench staff raises a most that we want the truth to be known. completed to the best of their abilities, important question. namely· what mea· a difficult task entrusted to them by the sures does the government take to ensure Chandra Muzaffar Prime "1inister is the height of moral that the interests of the workers are President bankruptcy. Is this meant to be the catered for both immediately, as well 'reward' for their sincere, selfless endea· as in the long-run? 5 January 1986 vour to restore the dignity and integrity In the case of Mostek Malaysia which of the nation in the eyes of the world' laid off 1,200 workers in September last However Tan Sri Ahmad Noordin year, apparently, the Labour Ministry was 0 and his colleagues should kn.ow that in the know of retrenchment plans as thinking, caring Malaysians will give them early as April or May. At that time, there BMF report : all the support they deserve - as long as were already clear signs of impending Make it public through Parliament they continue to uphold the truth, come closure of the factory since about 500 what may. If as a result of publishing the workers were forced to "resign report in full, they face libel action, these voluntarily". In view. of the Mostek The 15 public in· 15 organisations which cut across ethnic episode and assuming that the Atlas terest societies. labour federations and and ideological boundanes, will come to group of factories also gave the Labour political parties which adopted a joint their defence with all the moral, material Ministry prior notice of its p'ans to re· stand on the BMF report on the 20th and legal resources that we can mobilise. trench its workers, it appears then that of December 1985, feel that Parliament We shall not allow the brave and the the Minstry has been extremely slow and is the best channel for making the report honest to perish in this land of ours. inefficient in formulating a policy on how public. The government can do this by to deal with the retrenchment problem. tabling a Command paper in Parliament, CNndra Muzaffar Nor has the Ministry been responsible in as suggested by the leader of the Parlia­ President ensuring that the workers' interests have 7 January 1986 mentary Opposition Saudara Lim Kit been safe-guarded justly. Siang and other individuals. In the first place, in both the Mostek If the BMF report is made public and now the Atlas, cases, the workers through a Command paper tabled in The following are the organisations were not given adequate notice of their Parliament, the Prime Minister will not that have sent a joint cable to the Prime retrenchment. Moreover, various kinds of have to worry about libel or other such Minister this morning. payments due to the workers - like legal complications. Newspapers and 1) Selangor Graduates Society (SGS) termination benefits, annual and other other organs and individuals reporting 2) Association of Women Lawyers bonuses, payments for unused annual on the Command paper will also be pro· (AWL) leave etc - were determined arbitrarily tected from any form of legal action. 3) The Social Science Association of by management. With no official union Since such a technique has been used Malaysia (PSSM) to represent these electronic workers, it in a previous Bank scandal - the Bank 4) The Environmental Protection So· had been extremely difficult even to get Rakyat case of 1979 - it is all the more ciety of Malaysia (EPSM) the management of these companies to compelling that the government should 5) The lnstitut Analisa Sosial (INSAN) sit down in negotiation with worker· adopt the same approach with the BMF 6) The Malaysian Association of Engi· representatives. With its prior know­ report. After all, there were no libel neers (MAE) ledge of pending retrenchment, the suits arising from the Bank Rakyat dis­ 7) The Office for Human Development Labour Ministry should have at least closures though a number of politicians (OHD) insisted that these just demands for were implicated. 8) The National Association of Muslim payments be settled amicably by the It is because the 15 organisations are Students (PKPIM) management in consultation with convinced that making the BMF report 10) The Parti Sosials Rakyat Malaysia workers. public through Parliament is in the (PSRM) Secondly, it is disappointing that interest of the nation, that we have just 11) The Socialist Democratic Party it is only so late in the day after so many sent a joint cable to the Prime Minister (SOP) thousands of workers throt..ghout the urging him to act immediately on this 12) The Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS) country have been retrenched that the proposal. Each of the organisations will, 13) The. Democratic Action Party (DAP) Labour Ministry is setting-up an ad-hoc in the course of the week, also send 14) The Malaysian Trades Union Con­ committee to prepare a report on the individual cables to the Prime Minister gress (MTUC) labour situation. As of now, no com· on this matter. There is no sane, rational 15) The Congress of Union of Emplo· prehensive plans on how to address the reason for him not to act. If the Prime yees in the Public & Civil Service problem seem available. Apart from Minister continues to ignore this proposal (CUEPACS) appealing to retrenched workers to without giving any proper explanation, register themselves with the Employment the public would have every reason to 7 January 1986 Office and announcements that retraining doubt his integritY and sincerity. of workers would be conducted, no It is totally irresponsible to ask a mere other concrete initiatives seems to have in-house Committee of Inquiry whose 0 been taken. The Employment Office appointment was announced by the appears to have found jobs for a oouple Prime Minister himself to take full res- of hundreds only.

25 Aliran Monthly February/March 1986 BMF : Anwar Playing Games

A Ll RAN is glad that 'Bapa Malaysia', Tunku Abdul Rahman has asked the government to make the BMF report public through Parliament. He is right in observing that if the full report is not made public it could have serious consequences for the people in power. In this connec:ion, All RAN disagrees with the view expressed by Anwar Ibrahim, the UMNO Youth leader, that the government publish the report by dropping portions that may invite libel actions. Why should the government do this when it is possible to make the entire report public by tabling it as a commond paper in Parliament? The problem of libel will not arise since the authors, publishers and distributors of the report will all be protected by parlia­ Likewise, Regrets the Suspension of mentary privilege. government's Task Force hopes to deal Mimbar Sosialis If portions of the report are edited with the retrenchment problem has not out there would be certain adverse been revealed despite its announcement repercussions for the government. that it has been allocated $2 million for A I iran is deeply First, the public will continue to this purpose. concerned that the Publishing Permit of believe that the government is hiding At best then, despite awareness of PSRM's monthly Mimbar Socialis has the truth. This will not help to restore retrenchment plans for quite some time been suspended effective January 1986. the aovernment's credibility which is now, the government specifically the The reason given for the suspension is already at a very low point. Labour Ministry, appears to have only a poem called KAUM TANI which Second, rumours and speculations begun to investigate the problem. In appeared in an earlier issue of the about the portions that were left out . iew of the pressing problems faced by monthly. will circulate with even greater intensity . .vorlcers and tl1e lack of concern dis­ Aliran thinks that there is no justi­ It could do irreparable harm to the played by the Ministry, ALIRAN once fication for this suspension. The Ministry government especially in view of the again calls upon the government of Home Affairs has given a very flimsy coming elections. • To disallow any further retrenchment reason for taking such an extreme It is absurd of Anwar Ibrahim to argue without due compensation and alter­ measure. that UMNO Youth cannot ask the govern­ native employment provided to Since periodicals that are suspended ment to publish the report in full "when workers; are seldom given back their licences the guilt of the people named in the • To immediately recognise the Elect­ Aliran regards this suspension as a virtual report had not been proven". Whether rical Industry Workers Union such ban. This is not in the interest of the certain individuals are guilty or not that it can represent workers in their people since the Mimbar Sosialis played is for the Court to decide, not for UMNO disputes with management in that a significant role in developing social Youth to determine. A Committee of industry; consciousness on major challenges facing Inquiry can only make certain inferences • To provide rei ief aid and help workers the nation. It is a pity that a serious and provide certain pointers about indivi­ obtain fair payments from manage­ magazine which is concerned about duals and institutions implicated in the ment in cases where they have already justice and freedom should be suspended scandal It is up to the judicial process been retrenched; while frivolous sex and entertainment to explore the validity of these • To consult with unions, social groups periodicals have no problem with the alle~ations. and above all, workers themselves, law. Instead of playing his usual game of in drawing up plans to solve the re­ Aliran calls upon the Ministry of "hunt'ng with the hounds and running trenchment problem; Home Affairs to revoke the suspension with the hares" Anwar Ibrahim should • To introduce legislation to set aside order immediately so that the Mimbar have the courage and integrity to adopt a portion of profits gained by in­ Sosialis can continue to play a useful an honest, upright position on the BMF 'JeStors, especially those in the Free role in Malaysian society. report. The only principled, responsible Trade Zones such that special compen­ stand to take at the moment is to ask sation funds may be made available P. Ramakrishnan the government to make the full report ro w0rl.:ers in periods of recession Executive Committee Member public through Parliament. s;Jd'l as this one: ALIRAN would like to see Anwar 13January 1986 -o review the country's Free Trade Ibrahim persuade the Prime Minister Zone POlicy. to do that immediately.

Francis Loh Kok Wah Chandra Muzaffar Executive Committee Member 0 President 0 January 1986 14 January 1986

Aliran Monthly February/March 1986 26 The Courage of Tan Sri Ahmad wrong on both scores. to releaSe the Report in full to the Noordin & Chooi Man Sou By keeping the press informed of people. the progress of the committee's work, The people will be greatly disillusioned Tan Sri Ahmad Noordin was merely if the cabinet chooses some other course Tan Sri Ahmad responding to the public's right to know. of action. Publishing the Report by Noordin and Chooi Man Sou have dis­ In that sense, he was doing his duty. It leaving out those portions which the aplayed remarkable courage in stating is quite common for committees of Prime Minister assumes are "libellous" openly that they are prepared to take inquiry to communicate with the public or postponing the publication of the full responsibility for publishing the from time to time. Similarly, as the main Report until after the coming General entire BMF report. The integrity and author of the report, Tan Sri Ahmad Election will not be in the interest of honesty of these two righteous indivi­ Noordin has every right to express the government. Neither should the duals will be engraved in the hearts of his opinion that it should be made government devise any other manouev.re our people for all times. As a gesture of public. No reasonable person would to deny the public their right to know appreciation, the Malaysian public will deny him that right. Besides, in the the whole truth about the BMF scandal. give full moral and material support course of the last two years, a number The Prime Minster must realize that it to them of government leaders including the is his attitude towards the BMF scandal Now that Tan Sri Ahmad Noordin Prime Minister himself had promised right from the beginning of 1983, which.., and Chooi Man Sou are prepared to to make the report public. Tan Sri is largely responsible for his low public face all the consequences arising from Ahmad Noordin was merely trying standing today. His credibility will be the full publication of the report, the to fulfil that promise. And yet he is further eroded if he continues to be ball is back in the government's court. now being admonished by those who adamant about not publishing the Report All that the government has to do now want to renege on their word. in full. The impression that the public is to direct Bank Bumiputra to authorise The Prime Minister also said in his has is that the Prime Minister is giving the two of them to publish the report. letter that, "to make public the report one excuse after another for not publish­ It does not have to worry about libel is to pronounce judgement before even ing the report. action. concluding the investigations". The Prime In this connection, All RAN is con­ The government in fact now has Minister has forgotten that he pro­ vinced that his argument about how two avenues for making the report nounced judgement on the former the Report might tarnish the reputation public in full. It can either present it Chairman of Bank Bumiputra, Tan Sri of certain individuals is yet another as a command paper thro'ugh Parliament Kamarul Ariffin, and four BMF officials excuse. For there are ways and means or do it through Tan Sri Ahmad Noordin at the end of 1983 for allegedly receiving of ensuring that no injustice is done and Chooi. consultancy fees, even before any investi­ to any individual. Parliament's Public In both cases, there will be no need gation had started. He had then described Accounts Committee, for instance, can to edit out any of the so-called libellous their act as a 'heinous crime'. provide a channel for aggrieved indivi­ portions. All RAN would like to In any case, if the problem is getting duals to clear their names. emphasise this point for we feel that some individuals named in the report In the ultimate analysis, however, it the government is preparing the ground to "give their side of the story" it can is neither the reputation of a few indivi­ to publish the report minus certain parts be resolved very easily. All that the duals nor the credibility of the Prime which it wants to conceal from the Prime Minister has to do is to set up a Minister which is the issue. What is at public. ALl RAN would regard such a Parliamentary committee of Inquiry stake is the very future of the the Barisan move as a betrayal of the people's trust after the Report has been made public government itself. More than that, the especially since there are two clear-cut to investigate further some of the allega­ very principle of public accountability, channels for making the full report tions in the report pertaining to indivi­ upon which the democratic system rests, public. duals and institutions. will be in serious jeopardy. if the Report But it is obvious from the tone and is not released in full. Most of all, the Chandra Mu:taffar contents of the Prime Minister's letter reluctance to tell the whole truth, wi II President that he is determined not to make the lead to the total destruction of the moral full report public. He says that the and spiritual foundation of our society. government will publish the report if This is why each and every member it "is satisfied it's reasonably safe to do of the cabinet must think long and deep so". AliRAN would like to ask, safe about the consequences of the decision tor whom? For certain individuals in he or she will make tomorrow. We power? It is this question that the Prime implore them to search their conscience. Minister should ask his conscience. They must remember that there is no greater injustice than the betrayal of Chandra Muuffar truth and integrity. President It would be appropriate therefore Dr. Mahathir's Response to 18 January 1986 for the Prime Minister and his colleagues Tan Sri Ahmad Noordin to recall the advice in the Ouran, "0 you who believe, you shall be perfectly 0 honest. and observe God, when you serve as witnesses. even if it is against I n his reply to Tan The BMF Report: A Final Appeal yourselves, your parents, or your rela­ Sri Ahmad Noordin, the Prime Minister, to the Prime Minister tives ...... You shall not follow your Datuk Seri Dr. Mahath ir Mohamad, personal desires, lest you deviate". accuses the Committee of Inquiry of (4: 135). having exceeded its terms of reference S ince tomorrow is because 1) it sought publicity for its the cabinet meeting which will decide Executive Comlllinee work; and 2) it asked that the report on the fate of the BM F report, All RAN be made public. The Prime Minister is once again appeals to the Prime Minister 21 January 1986 continued on page 10

27 Aliran Monthly February/March 1986 Thinking Allowed A closer look at what people say and do the world over

uman behaviour getS more for the general public. Ever since the at nightsoil carriers? This suggestion Interesting, if not bizarre, Ahmad Noordin committee first announ­ may smudge the country's image, but when a country's general ced that it had completed Its Report, as a strategy to lure more tourists we election approaches. In many individuals in the government have ought to let, for example, cows roam HIndonesia, for instance, a West Java off­ been inwolved in a rigmarole, an act seen around our towns (leaving behind some icial had threetened to hang 15 village by many • an attempt to delay the treasure hunt-like traces) or let certain chiefs in his district if the ruling Golkar publication of the Report. Even now, kampungs, new villages and rubber estates l*tv loses the 1987 general election. there are still individuals in the govern· still go without the basic electricity and Such political allegiance goes to show ment and the bank concerned who have piped water supply and other social that you not only can ..si nk or swim.. not read or finished reeding the whole amenities - things whiCh the tourists with your fnourite candidate and politi· report. may not have back home. More than a1 pwty, but also hang yourself! In view of this feet-dragging episode, it that, such stark contrasts (say, between But allegienoe is only one part of the Is perhaps pertinent to request that the well-endowed and the neglected areas elector.a story. Political affiliation seems Malaysians be encouraged to form a in the country) can be beautiful enough tD shift eaily for certain ambitiow politi­ Procrastinators' Club, in similar fashion for camera-clicking tourists and our own cal Mimllll - befo,. (and after) elections. to the Procrastinators' Club of America. tourist brochures. Thete political chameleons jump parties He,. we can Invite certain dignitaries in But on second thoughts, isn't all this 10 much thlt perhaps a law 8gainst this the gowernment and those dosely associa­ tantamount to passing the bucket to public misbehaviour is in order. The law ted with it to be the Club's illustrious the tourists? cen sentence, for instance, the per1011 to memben. Once established, the Club IMke 56 perec:hute jum.. as punishment. can crystalliN ideas and formulate Or for the uninitiated, he or she should strategies to, for instance, cut down on be made to do a study on the sociology government's secrecy, or combat ethnic of the Kangaroo. polarisation and poverty more effectively, hen the Electrical Industries Apart from this, some politicians or change the labour laws so as to strong­ Worken* Union (EIWU) con­ IUddenly cen become w.y concerned ly protect the worken' rights and ducted a peaceful "protest lbout and _,litive to the pnaing pro· interests. W tour.. of the extravagant blerns faced by the people (the poor But the Club, it must be emphasised, shopping-QJm-offices complex Komtar wotan especially) before an election. has to be formed and registered with the for about 100 retrenched workers, Thele ..people's reprlltntetives.. will Registrar of Societies very quickly - so Penang's Chief Minister lim Chong make hurried atempts to help tolve the a to avoid further procrastination. Eu retorted: "Perhaps the union leaders problems. This can alto be the time for could even organise toun for their promises - which they normally can't workers to visit other places of interest, keep or cen keep forgetting always. Take including the E IWU headquarters". Imelda Marcos, the widely travelled wife He's right on target, for the retrenched of the Filipino President. for example. In workers can only tour local places unlike the heat of en election campaign, she feeders like him who have the ability and ewen "ordtnd the local •thoritiel (in time to cross the seven ..... Incidentally, Menila) to repair the streets, Improve after this remark the Chief Minister wu the drainage system and ensu,. effident ICheduled to leave for Singapore and Naw collection of garbage in the area... At Zealand for a month-long holiday. the rate things hawt been going, there's May be it's time for retrenchment Indeed a lot of garbage to boot. exercises and consequent socicHconomic problems to take a long break, too.

ne, If somewhat foul, PATA alaysians gener.lly have been Conference gimmick that waiting patiently. anxiously may run counter to the Jakarta* teacher was jailed for and '*YOUsly* for the revel• "clean attitude" of the Fed· having sex with a female tion af the infamous and 0eral government: Nightsoil carriers ope­ student on an Indonesian M rating in broad daylight could become a national flag that was used scandalous BMF effeir ever since the news A .. broken to them (initially by Hong new tourist "attraction.. , as tourists as a floor cover. Kont-based media). Now (at ltalt at the "don't have such things back home," This is perh..- a novel way of some­ time af writing). Malaysians .. still auerted Penang Island Munlci... Council one trying to show that unquestioning waiting for the decisive action of the spokesperton foo Yeow Tat. In response loyalty and compromise are necessary Mllaysian gowernrnent to publlda the to the general public's urging to make factors to national unity and harmony. BMF Report. prepared by the ln-hou11 these carriers I• conspicuous by resche­ But at the same time this also illustrates AhrMd Noordin inwestigating committM. duling the collection times (the existing that the spirit of nationalism can reach .-'JiliN's no denying thlt the procea of schedule is 7 am to 1 pml). to such a level, stained with unethical ..... the ,_ and figu.... Bout the If the 1DUritm Industry it 10 highly mons and manoeuvr•• ...... been ...... tMting ask r... dtd by the uow•...... t. why stop

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