PALACE & POLITICS
The UMNO General Assembly: To take up the issue of palace involvement'" pohtics.
The Politics of Mandela ... 4; Dimensions of Unity ... 6; A Design for A)odhya .. 8; Elections That Split the Nation ... J 0: Letters .. .II ; M'sian Mass Media : Sinking to New Dep.ths .. .l6; Apologists and Eunuchs ... 20; Aliran's OUTSTANDING MALAYSIAN Award ...22; A 'Nice Man' Fmishes Frrst. .. 23; The Child Cannot Wait...25; Coming Home to Find a Smug, Scared America... 30: Analisa Keputusan Pilihanraya ...32; Current Concerns... 34; Exposing US Motives . 40 UMNO Baru Generel Assembly: To discuss Palace involvement in the Generel Elections.
he Malaysian public has just As a matter of pnn,lplc, our mount to mvolvement in politics. been tolJ thJt the UMNO SuJ[ans. who are constllUtlonal Indeed, constitutional rulers should T Baru Supreme Counctl hCi.'i monarchs, should not get involved not ..:ven make statements on politi accepted for debate at the UMNO in poliucs. Involvement m politics cal issues especially if they arc Baru General Assembly scheduled means supporung or opposing a hnl-.ed to party politics. lor the end of November, a resolu particular political pany ur particu· Staymg out of politics is impor 11011 tabled by two or the party's tar candidates in elections. Any tant lo1 the protection of the image d1v1sions in Penang appealing to the form of campaigning for a particu of the constilu tional monarchy. Sultans to stay .out of politics. lar party or candidate would tanta- Rukrs should be seen b} e~eryonc
2 as mdtviduals perfonmng pubhc sition party and tned to d1ssuade pohtics reveals once agam the lack roles who are, nonetheless, above them from challenging UMNO of principles m our public life. Cer ' party polittcs. Only then will they Raru tam leaders in power try to create inspire fatth and confidence If we are opposed to the involve the impressJOn that they are amongst all segments and all ment of the palace 10 polllics, then defending certam constnuuonaJ sections of Malaysian society. Only we should be consistent in our norms and values. In reality, how then will they be respected and stand We should not be selective. A ever they are merely giving vent to revered as symbols of unity and wrong is a wrong. regardless who the1r anger and frustration over the harmony. transcending part) afftlia· the perpetrator is. It would be most electoral verdict in a particular lions and poliucal allegian~es. unfair to casugate a Ruler who state. If art} Ruler gets involved 10 allegedly supponed one side, and They wa11t every Ruler to be politics, either directly or indirect yet keep quiet about some other 'neutral' on the1r SJde 0 ly, all of us who c.hensh the constt Rulers who may have backed one's tutiona1 principles upon which the own party to the hilt. Chandra Muzaffar Malaysian nation is founded. should This epiSode about palace and undertake to remind tum of the importance of walking the stratght and narrow path. But we must fust r----____;__-c!!P marshal the evidence. It would be very wrong to make wtld allegations against a particular Sultan. The Sullan of Kelantan, 1t has been alleged O} certain UMNO Baru '• \' leaders and members, supported the Angkatan Perpaduan Ummah (APU). co11pnsing PAS and Semangat 46, in the recent general elections. These allegations have been made in various speeches. But where is the c\ldence? So far no UMNO Baru official has furnished concrete proof of the Sultan's Ul· volvement. Perhaps m the party's general assembly, some of the dele· gates may produce hard evtdence to - back their clatms. More important, even if UMNO ,g,. ,. Baru can show that the Ruler was btaSed. what about other Rulers? Have all the other Sultans stayed ,/,, out of party poht1cs 1n the last few ------~ years? Isn't it true that lhe Sultan of a particular state when he was Yang di Pertuan Agong- asked the Malays to rally around the UMNO Baru of Dr. Mahatlur Mohamad immediately after the original UMNO was deregistered? Isn't it true that he even offic~ated at a major UMNO Baru function shortly afterwards? Hasn't he continued to ------~ interfere 1n the selection of UMNO Baru and Bans.an Nas1onal candi dates in Ius state, as renected in the last elections? And, isn't it also true that sometime in 1988, the Ruler of yet another state asked his sub Jects to g1ve their wholehearted support to the UMNO Baru leader ship? It IS alleged that he has even called up leaders of a certam oppo-
3 POLITICS THE POLITICS OFMANDELA by Anil Netto
Mandel a in K L: A historic event turned into a Barisan PR exercise.
ahatlur and Mandela BARISAN PR EFFORT non-evem? ), new~papers dently prctltcted a '"'"• ..,..,...... ,. champtons of racial It wa.s a m<.'dia e."\crcise a crowd of ab\1ut ~O.()()l) M equahty'. That m a nut· Barisan PK effort - becau~c at was obviou~ from our T\ ~hell summed up 1he vistt of \Cteran the level ol the man in the street. antt-ap:lrtheid activi)t. Nelson there was lntJc entlmstasm or that the turnout for 1 Manc,iela to our shores. In retros excnement JJ1 evttlence. It is function was e"ncmel) row upon row ol e pect. it was notlung but a medta doubtful whether man} had even which TV ..:amera) n cxerose to r:use Mahatlur's pubhc heard of Manuela before this best to a\ou.l. r6on 'italure to the level ul Mandeb's. visit. One lml nnl} to lake a look to thei:r favourtte tactt But. tn reality, there wa!> no com at the ceramah (not a publtc rally, ·dose-ups· of ~cctaons pari:.on. One wa5 lock.ed up for you understand. because there 27 )Cars for lm pohtica.l wovic· ts a ban on those) held at Statlium crowd. uuns while the other does not \:cgara where Mandela and Mandela hc:.~ta1e 10 detain his poltu~al Mahatlur addre~sed the crowd. from lndw and Ja pan opponents" ithout tnal Before the t!VC!lt (or was it n
4 of the Sharpeville massacre which had resulteu in scores of hlack~ losing their liv~ . TI1e Tunku indtcated that he would only be pre~nt if the Sharpt!Ville mas!k!.:re was on the agenda. As it turned out. the i~~ue was discussed at the meeting. Those present included the South Afncan prime numster Hendrik Verwoed. Briush 1>renuer Harold McMillan and Australian leader Robert Menltes. the latter two being partH.:ularly symoathelll towards South Afncu and Its polictcs Also there were Ayob Khan, the pres1 dent of Pakistan. and Jawaharlal Nehru India's fust pnme mtnister. Under Nehru. lndta had become the first country to adopt sanc11om agam~t South Africa. The Tunku came to the meeting Tunku: A pioneer in the struggle against apartheid. well prepared He had carlter tabled a rc!>Oiution in the Malayan Parlia ment a~amst the injustice of apar· had been the focus of adulant Tunku was !.hunted out of the piC· the1d 111 South AfriCa. This resotu. and adonng throng~ ul well ·WI~hers . ture. Mandela , probabl}' not aware lion was seconded b) none other Civen Mahatlur's eagerness to have of local potitical developments in than the then parliamentary Oppo· h1m \isit Malays1a, he would be recent years. recalled in glow1ng )ition leader. Dr Burhanudd in J\J. furg1ven for perhaps ha' mg ex · words the Tunku's efforts tn the IIclmy. who ~a~ also president of pccted a ~imlfar display uf public struggle again~t apartheid much the Pan·Malayan hlamic Party (now appreciation and support for h1s to Mahathir'l> chagrin. Tn be lair. known as PAS) It was the ftrst time uny1elding struggle m South the PM lumsclf did touch bneny t11a1 such a resoluuon had rccetveJ Afric:a . un the Tunku 's wle in the Sll ugglc. the unanimou~ backing of both But then. wa~ no meeung :uranged sides of the House. TIDAK APATHY b~:tween the Tunku and Mandcla But whll t>Jct:tcd him instead Mandela would sutely have been IMPASSIONED PLEA wa!. a pathetil' Ji:.play of indiffe delightcu lo meet the I unku. fhat Armed ~,~;ith this resolution and ren~;e Perhav~ 11 wa~ the fauriliar would most ccrtamly ha'e been the the moral ba~:king of the Malayan Malay\lan J 1\ease o I tidal.. apat/ry. high point of his vistl. lmtead. people. the Tunku delivered a Perhap~ It wa~ due lO our mahillty Mandcla was scheduled to vtsit a st1rn11g ami impassioned plea to transcend the bound~ ul cthni 1-ELDAscheme. agatmt aparthetu at the Common· city anJ rehg10n ..,. hen Identifying wealth meeting. \;chru was so with the stn1ggle fur freedom and TUNKU'S ROLE impressed with the Mala} an leader's justice in variuu:, parts. ol the world. lt wouW he useful hete to !lash· courageous speech that he imme (1 hat wuuld explain why PLO back to the Tuuku':. pioneering role diately took out the rose that was prcs1dcm Ya,..cr Arafat recc1ved an in the international ~;rusade agJinst pinned onto his ~it and pre~ented nuberant welcome at the very apartheid The Tunl\u. tn fa~;t. was it to the Tunku a) a measure of Ius o;ame venue not too long ago largely re~ponsible lor South appreciation. (The Tunku later ..,. hereas Mandela could barely Afrka's expulsion from the Com· qtllpped that he had complimentcd muster a fracuon of that crowd.) mum\ ealth. In 1961. as prime the Indian prenuer earher on the Perhaps it was the way ,\1ahathir nuntster of newly mdependent lovely rose he was wearing and was turned what should have been an Malaya, be was invited to attend eyeing 11 for some time!). 1mpmng. non-pJrtisan aiTatr tnto a the Commonwealth heads of In 1962. South Africa was Barisan 'family' event where he go-..::mment meeting. At that 111ne. expelled from the Commonwealth. would, of course, share centre South Africa was a member ul the Just 1magme. tf Mandcla bad hccn stage That may have put off many organualioo. There was also a con· allowed to meet the Tunku - 11 people who might have other~A 1se siderably smaller number ol lhtrd would have been a historic meet in g. been interested world natmns 111 the Common· tinged with nostalgia. But it was But the most dtsturbmg aspect wealth than there IS now The not to be. A certain 'champwn of about the visu was the wa}' the mceung was to be heiJ 111 the wake racial e4uahty' saw to that 0
5 UNIVERSAL SPIRITUAL VALUES DIMENSIONS OF UNITY by Prabhakaran S. Nair
nity is a denvattve of brother who he hath seen, Group solidarity provides a 'unit' which means 'one'. Jww can he love God whom linuted form of Unity. Inspired U Umty, therefore means he hath not seen?" by attachment to one's own com mumty. race or natton 1t undercuts ..oneness". If Unity IS Oneness, And again. then Umty cannot be realised a universal sense of unity. History through matter. This is because "And this, commaJ1dmeTit have records mstances of people of matter belongs to the realm of we [rom Him, that he who the same race frequently wagtng multiplicity. Matter can change, loverh God love his brother wars against one another Nationa also·: and thls change is a continuous lism likewise is finite and the love process that results in forms that Our relationship w1th God of one's country "tn very often are more than one. Matter can should thus be based on spiritual cause hatred for others Another popular misconception stresses that multiply. can be separated or values. Conversely. if we seek Unity is not possible before class divided. all ofwh1ch duplicates it. Unity with an individual on any equality is f1rmly established. If Untty is not of matter then other narrow basis like physical attraction, this means nothing as All linuted forms of t.:nity it must be uJ the Spirit. Anything limits distinction between ;;ood that is of the Spirit is of God. It it does not improve our relationship with God. There are many who and bad. They compronu.se truth is only through the Sp1rit that one with error. They exm for con· can experience a permanent and mistake the idea of Unity to mean uniformity. In reality there is venience and self-interest out of true basis for Unity which outlives necessity and through force of very little connection between the material. temporary form. It is tradition. Family ues are no Umty which IS of the Spirit, and universal. and present everywhere exception. Both Krishna (m the unifom1ity which is of form. giving the human being his sense Mahabharatha) and Chn:.t v. anted of identity and a channel of Even if we all practise the same their followers to ghe up kimlup communication with the Creator. culture and speak the san1e ties that hinder the realli.auon The Spirit represents the eternal language, we can still go on f1ghting of spiritual oneness. As Christ part in us wh1ch responds to the amongst ourselves over many other himself declared tender. chord of love, mercy. issues. It is obvious that a common justice and kindness enabllng us to language or the external trappings "Think not that I htn·e come distinguiSh good from bad. truth of culture cannot restore ties of to send peace 011 mrth. I come from error. lt gives us ideals and fnendship which have been severed not to send peace but a sword. a vision in life. on account of jealousy. Jack of For 1 am come to set a narion This concept of unity is often sympathy. selfishness and dis at variance against Jus father. misinterpreted. People relate Unity honesty. and the daughter against her to non-spiritual matters. Such a Another fallacy involves those mother. and the daugllrer-in-law narrow concept of unity has Jed who come together in the face against her mother-in-law; and to greater disunity and hatred of external threats. This fallacy a man's foes will be those of among people. The true bond of is best reflected in the words of his own household. He wlw Unity between Man and Man is Jean Bodin who claimed that loves [ather or mother more based on an mdividual's spiritual "the best way of preserving a than me is not worthy of me; relationship with God, and has state and guaranteeing it against and he who l01·es son or a bearing on his relationship with sedition, rebellion and ctvil war daughter more than me the rest of humanity. Cod thus is to keep the subjects in amity is not worthy of me . . . . . " represents the medium through with one another. and to this (Mathews 10:34-37) which individuals can be truly end. to find an enemy against In other words the spiritual united. As stated in 1 John iv. whom they can make common bond is stronger than physical cause. Thereafter when such an 20·21. ties. Truth is seen to have the external threat is removed. the "If a man say, I love God, and power to re·adjust human relation unity also crumbles. hateth his brother. he is a ships. This adjustment may require liar: [or he that loverh not his Oneness of God the sacrifice of kinship ties.
6 The Idea of Unity is funda· chaotic man will certainly lose other hand. though visible and mentally linked to the Oneness grip over his faculties of reason tangible, mislead us through our of God - a concept that forms by wtuch he IS able to gain an senses and our minds. the bedrock of rehgions like understanding of Truth through If we wish to live a ltfe that Judaism, Christianity and Islam. the various branches of learning. is consistent wtth Divine Unity. These religions emphasiL.e that God we must make attempts to has no partners in creatton and Driving force transcend the limitations of form that the source of true Unity lS The discovery of h_armony and matter that stand in the way the Oneness of God. This idea between the different branches of our quest for Turth.These of one God is related to the idea of human knowledge is indeed limitations of form induce a state of one humanity. We are all equal a tribute to Divine Unity. Even of illusion which prevents us by virtue of our coinmon Creator. the quest for knowledge becomes from seetng a good intentton We are linked to Him equally a source of Unity. If Truth lS One, behind an action which we may through ties of human goodness the standards by which truth is be conditioned to look upon on the one hand, and through distingUished from error and good as bad. conversely, 1t may also ues of absolute servttude and separated from bad. must be one prevent us from seeing a bad dependence on the other and the same for humanity as a intenuon behind a particular actton The idea of one universal God whole. Thus, the Un1ty of God wtuch we are led to believe as implies that God 1s not e>..clusive pre-supposes the existence of a good to any one people. The local smgJe moral order that is One and The Sptrit of God makes a society. tribe , race or natton Indivisible. Without this moral person generous, honest. kind. becomes unimportant when there order, life would be seen as tolerant. considerate and forgiving. is belief in one God who is "sacred" only within one's own All these qualities are not water· common to all humanity. As group. Security and peace would tight, they flow into one another. Arnold Toynbee wrote, it ts only be for one's own group. For example, a person's considerate because of the belief in dJVtne while it would be regarded as nature makes hun at once generous, umty that the world religions holy war to destroy that of others. honest. kind, tolerant and for succeeded in spreading beyond the Unity then will not be based on glVlng. A person who is kmd confmes of the local societies justice and compaSSIOn for others. automatically evinces the qualities m which they originated ln his The concept of Unity is all of generosity, honesty. tolerance 'Letter to the Romans', St Paul encompassing m scope, and indivi· and forg1veness. We cannot unagll,e urged the early followers of Christ sible in application. It 1s the drivmg a generous person bemg unkind; to spread Christianity beyond the force of civilization. The Spuit or a considerate person being limits of the Jewish Soc1ety mto of God JS not confined only to dishonest. This is because all the wtuch it was born. "Is He the any panicular house of worship, diVine attnbutes are irlSpired by God of the Jews only? Js He not nor is it to be discovered only the same Spuit of God. That is also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the through the practice of rituals why. even if we concentrate on Gentiles also! (Romans 3:29). and ceremonies. The Spirit of developmg just one virtue, we The 1dea of one God and one God should be expressed in all will be able to cu It ivat e all the humanity is related to several area~ of human society. Those other virtues as well. If one culti other beliefs. If God is One, the who claim that "religion ts religion vates the true spirit behind prayer law of the Cosmos must also be and business is business" are and fasting. one may be able to One. The word Cosmos suggests indeed dtvtdmg Realtty which is develop tnner purity. concern for to the mind a ptcture of the One. The Spmt of God is theo others, and a sense of restraint. universe as an ordered system in removed from thetr total experience If th1s inner spirit is cultivated which the part and the whole of life. They live a life that is then there can be no room for exist m organic harmony, reflecting full of contradictions. They may cruelty or corruption. This ts the oneness of divine law. be convmced of the need to pray because the inner spirit behind Reality cannot be fragmented. hard but may not be persuaded prayer and fasting is no different and knowledge cannot contradict of the need to be tncorruptible. from that which inspires kindness itself. If the world were to be These mconsistenc1es are not in and concern for others. ruled by contradictory sets of harmony with the consistent moral Unity is a subJeCt that is Jaws. there may be reason for order uf One God. exhausttve. The sincere seeker after people to worship many diflerent This Oneness of the Spirit has Truth will be 1mpressed by the G A Design for Ayodhya s far as l know, the Vishva Build a Ram-Rahim Darvaza whelming experience ol we>.IS· Hindu Parishad's design for at Ayodhya. symbolising an tcnce with a different relig1ous A a ne\o\. Ram Mandir in open door of dialogue and tradiuon. a fact wlucb ha.'l contri· Ayodhya envisages either the even· vision between Masjid and buted enomtously to the distinc· tual destruction or removal of the Mandir. says philosopher uveness and atlfactiveness of Indian disputed Babari Masjid or 1ts archi· RAMACHANDRA GANDHI. Islam. The prt-sencc of a new Ram tcctural submergence within the grandson of Mahatma Gandhi. Mandu lfl lront of the Babari temple structure. Such a conse· Masjid should po" crfull} represent quence would be unacceptable not to lndian Islam tlus debt of grati· merely for tegal and conservationist tude wtuch it owes to Hinduism. It reasons, and not only for the sake merely symbollcal. Symbols quick· is amazing how. like Dhritarashtra. of public peace and order, impor· ly translate into reality. Equally llindu and Muslim fundamentalists tant as these considerations are. fundamentally, the Babari Masjid in pre ier to remain blind ~ vcn \\hen Any harm to the mosque by way of Ayodhya. situated m the sacred sacred lustory. which ts sacred destruction or diminution would be heart of the Janma Bhuomi of Sri desp1tc all its 'liolauonl>, 1s ready unacceptable also for reasons which Ram, can also be seen as powerfully ahd eager li ke Knshna t\l ~me them have profoundly to do with i.bc representmg the fact that ut recent divine sight witll which to :>ee and nature and destiny of Hinduism. centuries. Hindu se lf.realisation, read reality nght. These reasons would gain s1gnifi· both collective and individuaL has There arc also reasoru tor not cancc, not lose weight, even tf owed not a little to Hinduism's disturbmg the Saban M3SJid wtuch archacologtcal investigation and not experience of the contrast between have spcctticall> to do ~ 1th the merely pauranik interpretation itself, and the special character of tradition in Ind ia oi the nam~: of were to establish to the hilt that the Lhc spiritual and culturaJ trailit1ons Ram within and oulSldc lllld on the Babari Masjid stands precisely on represented by Islam; and to the peripheries of Hinduism. The name the spot where Sri Ram was born. fertilising power of this expenencc. of Ram, as dhunguished from. but It is spiritual illiteracy which It is spiritual illiteracy once not in hostile iconodasuc opposi· prevents Hindu fundamentalists again which prevents Muslim funda· tion to. the fom1 of R:tm. has from realising that the masjid in mentalists from seemg that it is quickened the spmtual heart illld Ayodhya, like many oU1er masjids only in India lhat Islam has enjoyed mind of lnd1a at least ~m~..:e the age elsewhere in lndia,.necd not be seen anything like an endunng and over· of Kabir and Nanak all the way as a usurpation and distortion of Hindu space and structure by aliens for allen purposes. Instead, the masjid can be seen as representing the fact that Islam in India sustains itself primarily on the catholic foundation of Hinduism. The reconversion in any form by force, of the masjid into a mandir, or its destruction, would be exactly analogous to the reinduction by force of a Muslim into Hinduism, or to killing him simply on the ground that he inhabits predomi· nantly Hindu space in Ayodhya and Lndia as a whole. Such acts J.,r; of cowardly vengefulness should ' ...,'>3-l jtf deeply offend Hindu conscience Vishwa Hindu Parishad leaders in police custody: A need for spiritual and consciousness, even if they are liten~cy. 8 down to the Gandhi.an era in lovers of the name of Ram ; and to the Ram- Rah1m Dan·a:a guarded modern umes. The adorauon of the all pcacc-lovUig cttttens of our b\ Gandh1 and Kabir should aho name of Ram nas enabled culturally country. rern1nd u~ of our neglected task of connected and theologically fearle!>s I..ct Ram · slu/as be welcomed weaving together the rich dhersities Hindus and Muslims - and Slkhs from all over the wuntry mto of our ~:ulturc 11110 J viable civilis3· to gain access tluough a umque Ayodhya by Muslims also. and not tion 111 the modern world. · spintual route to the formlessness only by Himlus. The Ihi/as, after As a child Mahatma Gandlu of divinity, and even more venture· alJ, bear only the ttumr or Ram, not used w he temfied of tlucvc). somely, occasionally. to the non the form of Ram. Let matching snakes and ghosts, until his parents' duality of reality. Hindu and Rahim slrilas. bncks bearing the Harijan maidservant. Rambha. Mushm and Sikh m}'~t1cal and name "Rahun", be also constructed iniuated hun 1nto the mantra of the musical tradiuom m India bear and consecrated m establishments name ol Ram. From the moment of w1tne~s to this magi.:: of Ramnam. devoted to the traditions of Kabu 1n1t1atlon ttll the moment of II is a profoundly erroneous and Nanak and Gandhi. Let these mart> rd(liTI, 11 w.u Ramnam wludl view. popular m "progress1ve" ~llilas also be wekomed from all endbled Gandhi to overcome the circle!>, that n wa!> GandhJji's u!>C of over the country 1nto Ayodhya by fear of tlueves represented by Hmdu !>ymbolism during the free Muslims and Hindus Between the Hritish unperialism: the fear of dom struggle, especially of Ram Babari MaSJid and a redesigned new snakes represented by \C:.tcd nom, which sowed the seedc; of Ram Mand1r. let these consecrated interests opposed to lndl.afl inde communal division in the country, matenals be used to construct a pendence; and the fear of ghosts leading to its partition. Not only matchless arch. an open Ram represented by unhending rell~ttOU) docs this vtew do grave injustice to Rahinl Dcm·a:a. a magical open and soc1al orthodo.\tes. The ghosh Gandhi's self-sacrificw role m the door of dialogue and vision be of fear and hatred. survtvmg from )Crvtce of Hindu-Muslim amity: it b tween MasJld uud Mand1r. our troubled past. )talk the sacred also profound!} unjw>t to that At one end of the Dan:02a, land of Ayodhya and lndta once stream of lslanu-. traditton m Jnd1a . lacmg m a neutral dire~·tion. let us aga1n Ma y the w1sdom of Rambha dramatised in the personahty ol uppmnt as a tb•arapa/ watdmmn. a enable us to understand the h-.almg Kabir. which has known and cele statue of Kab1r weaving at his loom. and ltberat1ng power of the llilllh! of brated for several centunes now the And at the other end, facing again Ram once again : and may the monotheistic and momsttc meaning in a neutral directiOn, a second tt.JIIIeS " Ram" and " Rahim" create and power of Ramnam. The name dvarapal, . a statue of Gandhi in AyoJhya a symbolic passageway 'Ram' is also of course at the root spmrung at IllS chnrkha Let there of peace and commurucation of Sikh )Cnptures and spirituality. be earmarked around the Dan·aza between all our tradttions. anctent It was Jinnah's dangerous theologi a congregational cucular space or and modern, religious and secular. cal innocence which precipitated square especially for the chanting Let all parties involved in the the partition of India. and Godse's of Ramnam. but also for inter-faith destru-.uve Ayodhya d1spute, spmtual blindness wh1ch lulled dialogue and worship in general. espe-.taUy the Vishva Hmdu Pan· Gandhij1, not authentiC Indian The space or square should also be shad. give a fair hearing to the Islam or Hinduism. available for the usc of those who above proposal for the construcuon in rigorous and peaceful inquiry of a Ram-Rahim Dan•aza between ut unless we do something, wish to seck the nature of truth the Babari Mi'lsjid and 1hc proposed unless Hindus and Mushms independently of all religious tradi new Ram Mandir. let Lhis and simi· B tions. The tmdttion of the name of do something soon, events m Jar proposals be given an opportuni Ayodhya are likely enduringly to Ram 1S also the tradition of bold ty for serious constdera!ion b> all damage the soul of both HindUism and free enquiry, witness the Ram concerned citizens of Ayodhya and and Islam, undomg the miracle of blzakta Gandh1's inversion of the India. The Vishva Hindu ParC.had Gandhi's martyrdom and the magic fonnula "God IS Truth" into the should declare. tn the name of of Kabir and Nanak. R1ot~ are challenge " Truth IS God", to men Ram. that its design for the Ram mevitable if the Vishva Hindu non only one example. The name Mandir in Ayodhya IS not infleXJ· l>arishad does not mod1fy its "Rahtm", meanmg "the Compas ble. and that it v. ould desiSt from architectural plans for the new Ram sionate One", at once invokes the any action or construction wluch Mandir in Ayodhya. And the highest authority of the Quran and would cntatl harm to the Babri Parishad will clearly not do so if also the message and presence of Masjid and the catholic Ram con culturalJy rooted. and specifically the Buddha. and together the stituency of India. What is at ISsue Hindu, alternauves are not urgently consecrated names "Ram" and in Ayodhya is not a p1ece of d1s· and quickly made available to 1ts "Rahim" on the Darvaza should be puted property. but the arclu- leadership. One such altemauve is acceptable to the majonty of tecturc and future of Indian the following, a des1gn for harmony Hindus and Muslims and Sikhs, Civilisation. • and commurucauon and mutual and also to Buddhist, Jlarijans and acknowledgement. wluch should be Tibetans among us. At once a Extracted (rom I.'VDIA11/ EXPRFSS acceptable to alJ Hmdu and Mushm restraining and a liberating factor, (SUNDAY FDITION). December 3.1989 9 "'What comes from the lips, reaches the HEART TO HEART ear. What comet from the heart, retchea the heart." - ARAB PROVERB ' ELECTIONS THAT SPLIT THE NATION he results of the general 1986. polillcians wtth the1r own bombarding of the erosion of elections were depressing. interests at heart began to divide "ketuanan Melayu" to the Malay T Not only did the rulmg the population along ethnic and population. Unfortunately. such party win. but it dtd so at the rehgmus lmes. They never failed unscrupulous ·strategies' had some expense of religious and ethnic to exploit any opportunity, no effect on the voting pubbc - as harmony in the country. After matter how base and unfounded. was the aim anyway. the last elections, I am now con to incite hatred and distrust among While cantpaigning for an o ppo vinced that elections m this country the various communities. sition candidate, my friends and do more damage to religious and The last general elections was I could sense a distinct shift in ethnic harmony than any other no different. Desperate politicianS the mood of the voters m our event. had no qualms putting aside t.ruth constituency in the four days I first saw it happen m Sabah. and ethics to pH one ethnic or before polling day. Prior to 1985. the people of that religious group against another. "Dta orang bruk tapt kua mesti state rarely saw themselves along The di.rty tricks used by the Barisan jaga kita punya ketuanan." ethnic or religious lines. In fact, Nasional were many: the lies over "It's OK to vote for a Malay, ethnicity and religion were never the wearing of the sigah by Tengku but a Chinese would lake tare of issues. Mixed marriages were not Rualeigh, more lies that the our interests." only common, but they were also demand for an independent Sabah Malay fence-sitters were worked not frowned upon by pa.rents. TV was for christianiL.ing purposes. up enough to ··protect the1r posi You would also fmd Muslims the use of colour adverts in the tion." Chinese voters preferred to eating with non-Muslim friends Malay press enacting the invasion vote for a Chinese (Barisan) candi in non-Muslim coffee-shops. and of Malacca showing Christian con date. The real issues facing the nobody would even attach any querors in combat wJth the Malays, country were ignored. Religion was particular significance to it. But the imaginary 'letter' by the Pope important. So was ethmcity. or with the 1985 state elections, and congratulating Pairin for Christiani rather "race'' as was the preferred especially the snap elections in zing Sabah, and the constarll term used by the pollttctaru. Yes, the last elecuons were very sadderung and d•sappointing. The change we hoped for didn't come about. The goal of a united Malaysia that was being advocated not long ago, was thrown to the wind. I could only come away feeling angry at the way the Barisan con ducted their campaign. It was also depressing to reali~e that the general populauon could fall for such tactics. And I still fmd it hard to accept that the majonty of the voters chose to emulate the same motivations of our poliucm.ns: putting self-interest before that of the nation. • Election posten: The general elections split the nation and religious lines. Colin Nicholas 10 , 1990) thlt her electonl victory in the Shah Alam putiamentary constituency wu attributable to 'State •ency employees who camp•WnecJ twelndy for me during the last 10 day'.' I don't think uy tupayer would ~gree to 'State aaency employeea' LETTERS campawping on behalf of a parlicuJar W. welcome len.n from reeder~. Len.n can be elth• In Engli1h or BaM8 political party because it is simply not M81aysla. n-. letters may be editlld for .-.r~ of 1pec:a and clarity. The the job they have been pajd to do. It Yiews IMY not be thoee of the Ali ran Monthly. PMudonyrm •• ac:ceptlld but was a posa abuse of public retources all letten lhould indudll the writllr'1 name end eddr•. letters should for which the new MP owes us a good pm•ably be ty~ritten with dou~e-epeclng ; if hand-written they lhould e."pJanatlon and apology. I suggest be legible. ~ the clarify how many people were involved, what the natwe ()f work letten should be eddr~ to the Editor, Aliran Monthly, P.O. Box 1048, they carried out was as well as. how 1083t7 Penang, M81ey•i•. they were made to comply With the work order. She should face duciptina.ry action for any such abuse includin& being disqualified as an MP, if JleCl'SSU)'. While she might be 'an.xious to 5e1Ve' as reported, I think citizeJU anti tax payers h:lve the right to refuse her scrvJC:e '4 hich has been tiJIIt ed. the r uli~ coalltion. 45~ voted for "YANG BERKHlDMAT" T o our nc" MP for Shah Alam, I NOT "YANG BERHORMAT" the opposition. Sabah puUed out of say, please come clean! the Baman because it rejected the Barhan's polici~. Kclantan thruhed the A.\ Tf.CORRC !'nO:" Barisan comprehensively. Pena~ almost wish to thank aU the "ou~rs of Penang came under opposition control. Even the Kota Bharu parliamentary con the very heart of Mabysia - the Federal stituency for giving TilE PE.OPLE, I r erritory- said 'No' to the Ba.risan. tluough me, are10undiog VICtory. This shows that slowly but ~urely. In return, I pledge that I ~lutU the Ba.risa.n is sinking. It would not e~ecute my duties as waki/ rakyat h3Ve acllieved us two-third) majority (people's representative) to the best if not for: MAHATHIR WORE THE or my ability a11d that I shaU bear in • the snap election which caught SAME HEAD-GEAR mind at all times that my tuan is the the opposition front unprepared. people and ~~ I am just their repre • the almost total control of the ma» sent:ttive. motlia by the Barisan. am writinj as an ordinary Sabahan I call upon ull waJ..1l rakyar for • vote buying. who is di-&usted by the blaant PulWnent or State Legislative Assem· The 45'X ~ote for the oppoutiOn I lles spread du.nns t11e election biles to apprec1ate that we are tluty i\ a clear signal to the Mahathir regime carnpaJ&n by the Barl\lln Naslonal m bound to always refer to our electorate th:lt voters are unhappy "ith the order to wlup up communal sentiments. before voicing out, on their behalf, Barisan. mainly due to: fustly, about the rigah o r head anything that affects them. • the emphasis on ethmcity. dress '4 hjch was unfortunately giveno We, u wlkll r:tkyats, ~hou ltl always • restrictions on the freedom of the to Tengku Rauleigh during his election respect our lu:tn\. In my opinion, the press. campaign vwt here - IDY Sabahan btle ) 011~ IJuhormar IS mislead inA • the 1buse of the IS A. would know that the SCM:~lled cross and shoultl be changed to YanK Ber. • the lack or accountability due to on the s,gah has nothrng to do with k ludmat w luch is more appronriate the OSA, and sbortcoming> 1n o ur Cluistianity. The motif on the s,gah to the role entrusted to us to M.'TVC lqjal oystem. merely SYIDbotizes nature - 1n this the people. • the mi.,lllg of busmc~ and political particular caJe. the motif symboliza.l interests by certain political parties. a 'tapioca shoot' o r pucuk ubi The 1/AJJ 4 H 1L.AlVI BT DA TO IIJ IS!IJltK If the Bariun continues to be insen SIXDh is usually made by the Bajau , ~tP For Aora Bharn sibve to the grou~ of the rakyat. community. the m:vonty of '4 hom are they may find thernscl\les on the losing Muslims., and IS usually given to guests end in the ne.'t general election. as a gesture of welcome. In fact, tlurmg his VISit to Sabab Ill 1980, the &ime sn ·A Mulister himt~elf was given a simr.lar Shah A lam sigull with CJ 12 VOTERS' NUMBERS to the Commonwealth observers WRITTEN ON POSTAL secretariat on tbh metter. BALLOT PAPERS It IS ObVIOUS th2t the l:.le<:tJOn (;Om· mission is linked to the Ba.ris:an Nas10nal n J3 October 1990, the Election We can conclude that they a.re nut Commission heeded by Datuk politically neutral when in fact, they O lluun D1n committed 1 serious should be. They have failed in the task offence under the Election Offences entrusted to them. Can DatuJc Ha.run 010 Act. The candid.ah: for the Buk1t Binu•~ please provide us with an eAplanatJOn? constituency, Wee Choo Keong, dis Can the pollee investigate further and covered ttt.t the postal ballot papers cllarge those respon>ible for this? had been tampered ~nh. Voter numbers wete actually wr1tten on them. The CHA1\ KOK NUI\G following is a copy of a letter addressed A uolo /.umpur The Kelantanese people: A salute for their courage. Dear Sin, YOtioB papcn beati"8 the wota llllntbcn POSTALIALLOTPAPERS llad been tetu out by tile retamiJW THREATS WILL NOT .BUKIT BlNTANG PARLIAMENTARY otricer deapite my prot.a. I ltave abo INTIMIDATE THE coNmru£Ncn bern iafotmed by 111y el«tbn ipl\t lbU KELANTANESE theae 300 votiJw JMpen. whicl\ belr tile ant the ciadillate for I be I DAP Bukit voter nu.bers. will be treate.l u 'IJC)ilt linlUI COIIItkamcy. votes ~ the couati~~& ••au proteaed. I Oa I 3 October 90. my eJect;>n •en• find thil oommellt from lbe E1ect10• wu requested b) tile Rtulauw offiCer to Commiltioa 111ost .,Uilw nd u•cc:ep• he people of Malaysia tuve obierYC the prepuatiun for fbc: dea tablr becaaa tiiCIIC 300 vodlil ,.,., are give~~ thu maii LEE BOK Sl!ONG Penang 13 WHY URBAN VOTERS E.E.C. ThUIIUiftglwn was the fast •UNTUK MARUAH AGAMA Member of Education in lhe Federation DAN BANGSA' ARE DISlLLUSIONED of Malaya. Today \I.e don't have any representatiVe m gmernrnent. Tlte number of students of Sri La.n· nee again, the Malaysian people would Like to use your column tan oY~In in the uniVersities too has have had the \1-00I puUed over to air my views as I'm SUJe the dwindled. For example in 1950, the 0 lhelr eyes. Lies and slander I pro-government press will not percentage of such students in the won lheday. publish them. I refer to the open letter Umversity of Malaya was II% whereas Pairin's PBS pulls out of the Barisan. by "Concerned Urbanists" In lhe Star In 1966 it was only 6'1 . I'm sore it b les.~ Mahathir proceeds to teU blatant lies (L9 October 1990). than 1'1· today. Even tn the civil service. on national television about Paiun There is no necesaity for a point our number has dwindled and now we wanting to start a Chiista.an TV station. for point rebuttal as it will only be a are forced to send our children overseas The PBS is so outraged, 11 lodaes a futile exercise but I Y.Ould just like to further the~r education 1n order to po~e report agams.t the Prime Minister. the author(s) to renect on the swing secure a good job. Entry to universitie~ Tite Christian Pederat10n of Malaysia to the Bari.s:tn among the urban clecto· ,hould be bL'I!d on pcrfoimance and not aets ~ery disturbed about the extremely rate Ul the 1982 general eJectiOn. There ethnic origin. communal and religious tone or sute· is web a lh1ng caUed 'wise retrospection' Demands by the Malaysian CeylonClle ments beina made tn the mass media. and the powers-that-be will do well Conares.~ (MCC) are not entertained by • J had the dubious pnvilege of wit· to realize that mmy urbm voters are the government. One clear example is nessing one &~~ch incident myself. The not hard-core opposition supporters. the hope or lhe \iCC to be a component BN ~eaker was cntu:ising Tengku But the many scandals, abu)e of party in the Baruan Nasional. All our R.azaleigh. "Sehingga dia terpaksa beT· power md the curtailing or individual president, have brought up thL~ L'sue pbuna dengan pihak Ktist:ian, ~hingp liberties since lhen have resulted in but to no ava1l Recentl)'. the MCC bekerJasarna denaan kenjun Kristian, disillusionment with the Batisan and pledged its full suppon for the BN in lhe ah. itu kita tak maltu. Demi kepentingan wt.t it stands for today. election. The Sri Lankan Malaysian banasa Mela)'ll dan agama Islam. 1tu The cthruc overtone in your letter community together wnh oth~ m1.nority kill tak mahu". is only too obviOus. The turn of events communities have been left on thea o~n My ethnic aroup. my religion. ught since the PBS withdrawal from the aU this while. or wrong. This is the rationale of UM NO Barisan has highlighted the use of the Take the case of our community Baru. And 10, the ethnic and religious psychology of fear as well as 'ICJitirnents leaders Like Thura~IIIJham and S. Chel· sentiments of the rural Malays were linked to reiJ(!.IOn and ethnic dom1n1nce vasingham. Chdvasifi!Lham y.on the Batu stirred up at the last minute. FoUts in our political arena. I was unhappy, Pahat lielt in Johore 1n the 1955 el.:ction started pu~ out of Semangat 46 at first, when the electoral undersandtng on an vMNO ticket. He Y.IS the first to jotn UMNO Buu m droves. among lhe opposition parties resulted Malayan Ambusador to India. Nepal md As if ethnic or teligious sentiments in a choice betY.een a PAS candidate Ceylon. Today he hal been forgotten. 1w1 anythmg to do wtth Truth and and a Barisan candidate (a Clune~~e Thuraisingham entered public life in Justice. Malaysian) in my state con~trtuency Malaya in 1946 whe11 he became Mem UMNO Baru doesn't deal with and a choice between tY.O Malay candi· ber of Malaym i\dv1~ry Council, Selan· facts, but that's okay with the majoriry dates in the puliamcntary $ell. But gor and later represented the Sri Lanklln of Malaysi:ans, puticularly UMNO Baru 1 am glad no"' to have th1, chance to ~alaysi:ln commumty on the Federal supporters. U11tuk IIW'D2h agama ~an cast a vote accordmg to the d1ctate~ Leg!$latlve Council 111 1948. bangsa! PLEASE pause to consider of my conscience without having to Ue .... u eJected :u the fnt Member of that motto! Lt's the s:arne one use!d by look 11 the ethnic origin or the Educatton, Malaya in 195 I. He wa\ the the Ku Klux Klan! candidate. founder President of the Ce)'IOn Federo· Is that JOmething to be proud of'? tion of Malaya (Cr I) from 1946 to You have no mtCie$1 in the Trulh. URBA,\ I'OTER Penang 1975. You have no wish or desire to transcend Thuraisingham paS$ed ""'Y in 1975 the boundJ of ethnic1ry and relJlion. and because he belonged to a mtnonty You don't love Truth enough. You ethnic group all he did for his counuy as no questions. You believe in the Ita\ been con~emently forgotten by tht stirred up 5entirnents and uncertamties government. Not a s1ngle street in Malay· withm yourselves. sil today i~ named aft~'t htm. You cannot thinlt freely. reason MCC SHOULD JOIN 1 would like to sugge t that the ~CC freely decide (reely ..• You're too 15 GENERAL ELECTIONS SINKING TO NEW DEPTHS M'sian mass media & 1990 general elections MUSTAFA ANUAR looks at how the ruling party has so effectively controlled and used the mass media to win (agnin) in the general election. he recent general election docs maintain that the general dJstortlOns. While it would be once again painfully demon pattern of the media practices dishonest to assert that the opposi T strated the unequal access suggests that the media concerned tion did not get ~ certain measure of the mainstream media to poli worked in such a manner as to of media exposure (includmg that tical parties. particularly in the satisfy the 'underlying econonuc given by Lhe respccuve party case of the opposition. It also and political intperatives· of their organs), 1t would be equally falla· showed the ability of the ruling corporate owners. As a result. cious to disregard the fact that party - given its easy media access the activities of the component many a time the opposition was by virtue of its ownership (as in parties and the leaders of the put in a bad light by the main the case of certain mainstream ruling coalition, for example, were stream media. For instance, the newspapers like the New Stl'llits highlighted in the best possible un~xpected resignation of DAP's Times, Berita llarian. The Star, manner on the front and important former deputy secretary-general, Utusan Malaysia, and the 'private' inside pages of the mamstream Lee Lam Thye, received immediate TV3 station) and control of both press and on the prime time slots and unwaveung attention with print and electronic media (inclu of the electronic media. the net effect of depicting DAP as ding Radio-Televisyen Malaysia, Hence, Malay SllUl voters easily a party riddled with internal RTM ) - to utilise the media in recalled the many reportiogs of conflicts and dissens1on. PAS. who promoting its public image and politicians of the ruling party complained of being a victim to construct its own verston of 'handing out' development projects of distortions by the mainstream the Malaysian social reality for and promises to the electorates. media, denied making any press its own political ends. No less Not only that, these politicians statement about its alleged willing important js the fact that the were also seen to be caring enough ness to have a dialogue with UMNO election campaign of the ruling to hug babies and the aged. In Baru 'for the sake of Malay unity'. party through the media had, addition, the conscious blurring in certain respects, reached a new by the incumbent Barisan Nasional Ra1.aleigh victimised level of sophistication. of the line between party and The leader of the Malay-based To start with, both the print government activities further Semangat 46, Tengku RazaJeigh and electrol}ic media, in particular enhanced its media exposure. Jn Ha111Lah, was not spared e1ther from those owned and controlled by other words. a ·simple official the savage criticisms and allegations the ruJing party. provided wide opening of a school function. of the ruling coalition and the some and positive coverage of the ruling for example. received media what 'predatory instincts' of much party. While the danger of econo attention to the point of it being of the mainstream media. Malay mic determinism is acknowledged orchestrated in such a way that sians were told by the Barisan by an analytical approach that the activity also doubled up as Nasional leadership that cassette sees a connection between owner a partisan event. lapes would be distributed to ship and control of the media On the other hand, the opposi reveal that Tengku Razale1gh was in the wider context of a capitalist tion as a whole suffered from a out to 'kill' PAS, his political system, this approach, nonetheless, Jack of coverage and, worse. media ally in the Angkatan Perpaduan 16 In rhese ~ases nellhcr the tape (to prove Ranle1gh's plan to "ktll PAS) made its appearance uor was RouaJc 1gll gJVen ample and equal ac~.;ess to the medw m order to respond adequate!) to those cntJ.:t~ms and allegations. When Rualetgh re~ponded tn pan to the~e mcdta ~tortions and unfauness tluough what nugbt be mterpreted b} ~ume as rudely barring TV3 from Ius poliucal functions. rv 3 coed foul and claimed that Ralaleigh was alrcarly showing lm inclination tu dis· honour his manifesto pledge to guarantee press fre~::dum 1 (At Lim juncture, one is mdmed to wonder huw all these diStortions, unfair. undemocratic and u net hie at journa listic practices square with all the Islamic pnnciples of say. honesty uprightness. fairness. and compassion that are regularly extolled in the religious pro grammes of these TV stations.) The Malaysian media, partku· larly the electronic media. dts playcd a dubious commitment to 'investigative journalism' when it came to covermg the. Opposition. For example, at a ume when the pa.rttes in the Gagasan Rak,yat had yet to reach a consensus on their electoral pact and mani festo, TV3 journalists and camera crew consciously and successfull} "detected' a certam dtscrepancy in the statements made by a few leaders of the Gagasan Rakyat. \\lth the apparent aim of depicting a lack of cooperation and a poor Razaleigh's Sabah visit was most adversely depicted by the sense of dtrection among its mainstream media. - lea1.h:rs. In contrast. the mainstream media a~ a whole seemed less Ununalr. Tile rm:tlia alw pr11v1detl Cagasan Rakyat on a vt<;Jt w mquisitl\ c to even wonder why. wide coverage of the LMI\0 Sa bah (after PBS left B)'; to j 17 PBS withdrew from the ruling aUJ ~: coalJtton essentially because it was diSsatisfied with the present federal i!J-.~1- state relations was swiftly and ~·-lji. Jl conveniently Side-stepped or for gotten by the mainstream medta. As in the last general election. DAP the ruling pany mounted an ACHE~S TO BE aggressive adverttsing campaign of not only promotrng a good image MANIPULATED of itself, but also of running down the oppus1tion (e.g. the 'Marriage of Convenience' cancature depleted an opposHton that was made up of seemmgly incompatible partners). While the ruling coalition was BN's election poster: No problem when BN wanted newspaper space able to advertise its manifesto for its campaign. and promote its public image without a hitch and on a regular basis. the opposition, on the other includtng the opposition, to make hand. had a tough tm1e lr) ing their polit1cal party broadcasts. to buy space to reveal its 'Save The political scripts for broadcast. Malaysw' manifesto to the general however. were subject to scrutiny pubhc. With the exception of by the radio stations 24 hours Waran and a few other fringe news before the broadcast proper This papers, no other mamstream media allocation of pobtlcal airttme could were w11ling to adveruse the oppo be interpreted as a mockery of sition's manifesto. MCA's Srar justice and fauness gtven the fact did provide - although only once that leaders of the ruling party - some space to DAP's elecllon (who happen to be ministers of promises to the Penang electorates. the caretaker government) had all but this was only to be shadowed tJus wlule gamed political mileage by Gerakan's political marufesto out of each and every official which. 10 contrast, was strategicall) government functton. ~nd these positioned and adequately high functions were assured of wide lighted m the same newspaper media coverage. on the same day. Media analyses, about the con Racist Campaigning testing political parties. essentially The reporting and rcmforcing functioned as a llun camouflage of racist and 'profane' election for the ruling party's propaganda. campaigning were to :.orne extent Political analyses and commentaries evident in this general elecuon. on the editorial page of newspapers in particular in the Malay main· normally had an inherent bias Investigative journalism paid scant stream press. Soon after PBS took towards tpe rubng party Opmion attention to Musa Hitam's pullout UMNO Baru and Bar1san Na~ional pteces m n1uch of the mamstream from the general elections. by surpnse by pulhng out ol the media usually became. and remains. coalitton a few days before poUmg an editorial mechanism for an day, the mamstream pemmular unabashed and sometitnes obscene puUout' of UMNO Baru's Musa medta were quick to portray promotion of the ruling party. Hltam and Ius close assoctates PBS as a party that had the under The letters columns dunng this from the general election. In lying motive of proselytizmg election period many a time carried other words. the mainstream media, Muslims and, m th1s process. letters. purportedly from concerned in this case TVJ, displayed a threatened to Jeopardise and erode cnilens. that were not only full penchant for selective 'investigative Malay unity and dom1nance. Seen of praise for the ruling coalition. JOUrnahsm'. in this light. the political alliance but also unfairly inflicted venom As 1f to exhibit its commitment of PBS w1th the peninsulnr Gagasan upon the opposition. to the democratic principle of Rakyat was posed as an untenable freedom of expression, RTM had political proposition for many, Slanted TV programmes aUocated JJ.minute rad1o airtime if not most, Malay-Muslm1 voters Television commentaries and for the major pohtical parties. in the peninsular. The fact that talk shows were bent on promoting 18 the ruling party's image hy, for of the old 'Barisan Kna' ('Our influence the electoral outcome on instance. inviting 'respectable' poli Barisan') [ilmlet and song. with that night). But wlwt really trivia· tical analysts and observers to give the accent on 'Barisan', served in lized the important night for an their supposedly impartial views many ways as a constant reminder anxinu~ and concerned nation of of the elect1on and Lhe political to the general viewers of the abtltty people was the insensitive mixing parties. Here the televiSion stations of the ruhng Bansan NasJOnal of ltght entertainment and com· concerned pretended to play the to forge ahead with socm-ecunonuc pctltions (with lucrative prizes) role of neutral. even dtsinterested. development and preserve the poli· with the electoral rC~ lllt S and hosts to a group of invited and tical stability and security of 'our' 'pohtical analyses'. seemingly well-informed guest country There were also ftJmlets Most respectable anJ nght· speakers. Again, as a shrewd way about underprivileged groups such thinking Malaysians Y< Oulll agree of pretendin~ to observe journa as fishermen. farmers. rubber that they did not need entcrtam· listic ·impartiality and balance. tappers. and also the police. for ment and prizes ,!almc to IUie RTM for mstance would reveal instance. to demonstrate to U1e them to stay up until tlte \~ee to the viewers the highlights of vtewers how tmportant they were hours of the morntng m or l<'t . ., the day's mainstream newspapers in contribu ling to the general know what pohucal .l ll ectlun ,u_JJ (in say. 'Keratan Akhbar'), which well-being of 'the nation', and beloved country wol.!' • 1h. \) it in essence corresponded to its also. more importantly. to sliow Y 19 APO GISTS &EU UCH The state of M'sian media A half-truth is still n lie. says ZAHARO~l N AIN in a criticaJ look at how the media has lied, distorted and censored facts in propping up the ruling party in the recent general election. n the penod leading up to upon the MCA too that 1ts powers half-truth IS not tantamount to and soon alter the Odober 10 inOucnce events affectmg. The telling a he . StickUig diligentl) I general ele~:tion , some senwr Star had b}' now become more to this behet. and hkc ohedient media practitionerl> made a number Imagined than real , that 11 was eunuchs, both stat lOth conunue of illununating comments which vntually only Mahatlllr Mohamad to act as propaganda machmes indicate that the mamstream who could - and would m for the reg1me in po"'er. churnmg Malays1an med1a now appear to Oucnce the:.e events tluough the out mes'>agc after me~sagc extolling have adopted a d1fferent tact in exercise of the awesome powers the regime's so-m1agmed vntues responding to muuntmg legitimate he wiellb as Prime Minister und and generally ignoring lcgitima le crit ic1~m~ of bm~. distortion and Home Mm1ster alternative vicw-potnt~ except when partialJty Hence. smcc the turn of events they had the opportunity to distort The Situation was sud1 that, in I 987. the mamstream mass these views. prior to the VIrtually total press no longer talks of "con emasculation or the m;umtream ~truct ive cnttcism", and. Uhtead. Impotent from the start medta. parucularly the pre~~. in obligingly toes the ltne. purportedly In short. unhke the press, R.l M 1987, media practi tioner) were for ··progress. natiOnal stahiiity and TV 3 have nevet pretended able to - .tnd did - assert and national intere~t" - wnhout tu aspuc towards tmpaniaht} or dcfensivel:t. even 1f unconvincing!}. much assessment as to what the~e neutrality. Unlike the press. they that they were relauvel} auto terms mean. Popular columns have never bothered to apologise or nomous and did cnt1c1se the previously wntten by respected make excuses ror their impotence, governmen 1 of the day. albeit cntics such as Tan Sn Tan Chce they have never atlenpted to gain "construeuvel>" Such was the ea~ ).,.huon and Tunku Abdul Rahman. any semblan~:e of JOUrnalisu~ credi· wnh The Srar until I qg7. not surprisingly, d1~appeared from bihty which. m any case. the}' Indeed. even if Tile Star was 1he pages of the Star when us never had in tltc lirst place. nor guarded in lts cnllci.Sm!> then. licence was finally renewed. are ever hkel}' to have. under 11 at least prm 1ded spa~.:c lll Added to th1S development ts wrrent CJCCUmstances the shJpe of 1b !.etters Page - the fact that. the broadcast media And .tny criticisms levdlt:d at for alternative. even opposillonal. of RTM and TVJ at the same these broadcastmg orgamsat1ons VleWpolllt!. ume began stepptng up their pro regardmg thetr pohll.:al parualtty This suuauon. ot course. took government. antHlissent actJ\IIIles. have so far fallen on deal ca1s. a turn for the worse after Operation Virtually tmpotent at the moment Indeed it wuulJ <;eem thilt they l.allang 10 1987 It suddenly of creatton. both RTM and TV3 revel in thcu role as the rcgtme's dawned upon nte Star, after have never had - perhap~ never propagandist). the removal of liS hcencc. 1hat wanted the autonomy to On the other hand. the mam even havmg the M(' A as its political question, let alone criticise, the strcam mass press has more recently -patron wa~ no longer a guarantee regtme m power At their helms attempted to dellect .:nuctsnts - that 11 could pubhsh "'itlwut fear arc apologists for the reg1me who perhaps because its per~onnel tir favour. It prohably dawned appear to believe that to tell a desperately w1~1 to patch up the 20 hea\'11) plllh:rur~d my I h of n being colouring of these newspapers . the r~gal Fourth EHate. The pre:.:. has had a longer penod of existen'e Disinformation Ill the MalaySian SOCial rormation. That is the realit} of pohllc.;al a longer t radlllon of journalt!>llC ~:overage in Brll1sh newspapers. practice than RT\1 or TV3. The It suddenly dawned'' upon The And that too is one great difference latter two haJ quite dearly allll Scar, after the removal of its between their pohucal coverage and una:.hamedl) been more concerned licence, that even having the that of our mainstream pre'\S, w11h form than they are ' \\ollh MC A as its political patron Where the BritiSh press generally sub~tance . was no longer a gu•antee that makes it clear that there are two Gtven this sJtuauon. and 111 sides to a coin. two or more vtews order to JUstif] the actions ol it could publish without fear available in poht1i:al decisiOn the ma instrcam JUe!>:> , espeetall~ or favour. makmg, our:.. more often than alter IQX7. scru01 p1es, JOurnalist~ not, doesn't even re11ect upon ha've resorted "' ~c raping 1he the dominant view i.e. the v1ew bnttolll of the bJrrcl tn ~ear~h ur of the Mahatlur regime - but !>Oilll.' C!Clflbl ii ty. SOIIII..' nnveJ C'I..U!>C '' simpl> reproduce~ and uphold!> for sucking up to the re!!UIIC It in {()to \\ohile at the same time. and rclcgaung to the cellars what · to. as it were. rile other side. 1gnoring other. e 21 there eXIStS and continues this unhealthy phenomenon of direct political pany ownership of the mass media . ALIRAN'S Since the apologists need re minding. party ownership and control of f1U1SS circulation dailies. T like the Ne-w Straits Times, Berita HMian, Urusan Malaysia and T11e Star, cannot be compared nawely with the DAP's ownership of the Rocket or PAS's ownership of Jfarakall. The former, apart from being Award goes to the people mass circulation dailies, also have large. full-time staff, regional of Kelantan offices nationwide, and a well oiled distribution network which stretches across the whole natiOn. he Aliran Executive Committee has decided to confer 'Aiiran's The latter are essentially limited Outstanding Malaysian' aw11rd for 1990 upon the people Circulation party pan1phlets, run T of Kelantan. largely by part-time staff, and The people of Kelantan deserve the award for the following lacking an efficient distribution reasons: network. One, in the recent general elections, they resisted all sorts of bribes To inlply, as the regime's apolo and withstood all forms of intimidation from certain quaners in order gists in the mainstream press do. to express their freedom of choice through the ballot-box. This shows that there is mcreasing freedom integrity and courage of a very high order. of the press m Malaysia because, Two, in the recent general elections, they refused to succumb to for example, UMNO Baru and the vile communal propaganda put out by certein individuals and MCA-owned mass crrculat:ton news groups bent on retaining their overwhelming political power through papers coexist with the party the exploitation of a community's fear and insecurity. In the process, organs of DAP and PAS, is to the people of Kelantan established quite clearly that they are totally conveniently and mischievously non-communal in outlook. disregard the economic constraints The readiness to reject communal propaganda, like the ability to under which Harakah and The resist bribery and intimidation, deserve to be lauded by all Malaysians. Rocket operate. Aliran regards these as essential qualities in the creation of an Moreover, such an argument ethically-sound society. conveniently brushes aside the The Outstending Malaysian award which was first introdu«** in fact that under the abhorrent 1982 seeks to encourage the development of high ethical values and Printing Presses and Publications lofty moral principles among the people. Pr.vious winners of the Act. the Home Minister. a post .ward are as follows: strategically held by Mahathir, has 1) Tan Sri Ahmad Noordin bin Zakaria 1982 the final say in granting or remov ing the printing licences of news 2) The Malaysian Worker 1983 papers which, in any case, need 3) Tan Sri Dr. Tan Chee Khoon 1984 to be reapplied annually 4) The People of Papan ~ Tambunan 1985 These. therefore. are the sad reaht1es of the state of the press, 5) Y.T.M. Tunku Abdul Rahman 1987 and the media generaJly, in con 6) The ISA Deteinee 1988 temporary Malaysia. And no amount of eyewash by the regime's All ran will present the award, which is in the form of a cjtation, to apologists -who have the temerity an ordinary Kelantanese, at a public function in Kota Baru early next to still call themselves journalists - year. will blind Malaysians or the world outsjde and prevent them from seemg the situation for what it really is. • Zaharom Nain is a lecturer in the Communications Programme of Unil•ersiti Sains Malaysia. 22 A 'NICE MAN' FINISHES FIRST hen he felt the onset of a heart attack complement somewhat and held to hts will. taking on Brtttsh com W early last year, Mahathir H to a popular maJOnty ol only panic~. the JUdiciary and even. 111 Mohamad took the crists in hand. 5::!1¥. the lowest smce 1969's his most sen~111ve tangle \talaysia's A phys1cian by traming, he recog. ViciOus race nots. When the dust hereditary sultans, who rotate the nued the Signs and drov~ lumsclf cleared, though, lhe rultng alliance constitutional kingslnp among at once to Kuala Lumpur General and its hnLhpin. Mahathir's UnJted themselves With a fresh five llospltal Malaysia's durable Pume Malays 1'\ational OrgantLation. had year term altcaJ, he stands to Minister emerged from a subse· taken 127 out of 180 legtslauvc . become the lon~cs t -se r-.mg head quent coronary-bypass operation seats. Just 49 had gone to of government 111 his country's looking a btl drawn and fratl. R:valeigh\ bloL, lea-.mg the Front h1story H opponents thought he wa5 rtpe with Its symbolically crucial two Mahath1r ~redued the \-iLtory lor a pohttcal coup de grace. thuds share and then some Not to h1~ guidance of a ~ucccssful however, Mahathtr showed last only did MahatiHr retain enough economy. today H a p:tce-se umg week what hts take-c..harge tnstin~ts ~ats to approve constitutional growth rate of 9 ~{, As one oppo can do. In the most closely fought amenJments; hts tnumph was Sition supponer say. 11. though, election in \1alaysian histof}. h1s so convmcmg as to torpedo the ulu tno of money, media ruhng National Front beat the Rll/.aletgh's eflorts to form a and party machinery was what odds to win a conclusive 70.6';.'{ credible alternatt\1!. tur11ed the tnck II a team of of the seats in Parliament. for a dramaucall} mdustrialt Commonwealth poll observers That a coalttion that has domi· ting and prospenng nation, that acquitted the vottng as mostly nated the coumr} lor JJ }Cars attempt to establish a potiucs free and faJJ. the I 0-day t'am would wm agatn had been a fore of chotce was a major tssue. "Thc patgn d1d not fare so well. gone conc.lus:on. That tt would oppos1tion parttes for once d1Jn't 1\ewspapcr and broadcast coverage wtn such a lopsided vtctory had oppose each other. and that was was powerfully pro-Mahathtr. and not For the first lime smce a btg step f()rward for them." fear-mongenng figured in it too independence from Bntatn tn 1957. said Harold Crouch , a political First. Mahath1r called "a stab Southeast Asia's most racially science lecturer at the NattonaJ 1n the bad." Ute defection by mtxed nation featured a challenger University of Malays1a "But they the Chrisuan-based ruhng part} who also embraced Malays1a's main didn't follow through by working ul Sabah. an EaM Malaysian \tate ethmc communtt1cs: Malay. tor candtdates from other oppo on the tsland of Borneo When Chinese and lnd1an lie was. more sition part 1es.'' Whet her rubber Ralale1gh appeared sporting a over. a figure of high standtng tapper or electronics tycoon, the Sabah hat. newspapers ~plashed among Malays. RaLaletgh HamLah, a\-eragc voter prohably saw the the picture Mahathir supporters a heredttar)' prince and oneume clectmn as simply a battle ol whispered that the hat d1splayed nat1onal Finance Mtntster, stttched personalities: an ougrowth of a cross. 1mplymg thai Ra/alcteh together an unlikely combtnatton RaLalcigh's narrowly missed 1987 was prepared to betray lsla~l . of facttons rangtng from fervent btd to unseat Mahath1r from the "t\o pohttctan should stoop that low." satd Chandra Muzaffar. a would-be lslamuers of the state U.M.N.O. presidency. As such. it to a leftist Chinese-based part} was the cool, blue-blooded con Penang human-righb activist But opposed to Muslim-Malay domJ· sensus leader vs. the combative 10 a TlM 1:: mtcrv1ew. Mahathlr nation. Rautletgh's agenda· reduce mcumbent who likes to tweak denied havmg used scare tactics. the Front's parliamentary strength, the Establishment and defy the Besides. he Lharged, Sabah leaders discredit Mal1athir and ultunately West. got tn U1erc first by taking "a displace h1m. very d1sttnctly antl·Muslim stand." In his ntne years as Prime In genewl, Mahathir told TIME The suave challenger did succeed Mmister, Mahathir has bent a in diluting Lhe Front's le~sJattve Malaysia's race relations a~ series of mdependent instituuons "reasonably good" compared w1th 23 ·, {'flll/IIIW I I Jmm I L. 7TTR S fJ(Tl:~ 15 tua1u medan urian kepada pencinta kemakmuren yang menjadikan egama se!Javal penduan kehidupan. S.moge Kelantlln bertambah makmur dan rllkyetnye hidup bahagie. Bagi Bariun Nuional sepatutnye kejatuhen Kelanten menjadi suatu kale· mahen beur .karena sepanjang Rlilflh neva•• tidak J)lrnlh rakylt sebueh neo-ri men-adc•n SEMUA c:alonnya. Segagah"911V'h L.. Kuan Y- pun dalam pilihanreya lalu, partinya PAP, tidllk dapet me.nyapo bersih kerusi Peril men. A. Mustopa Yahy a, Auaman DR. M Gentleman? mi aentlemen. Kamt ter:ima pukulen K.O. di Kalantan. Pam· ngkang pun kenalah terima pUkulan K.O. di negeri·l"'lgeri lain," kate Dr. Mahethir Mlepa keputusan pilihan· raya diumumken. Tapi 1011lnya, sama-uma lawan lari Mahathir's triumphs include taking on and bending to his will vital 100 meter, kaleu tangan lawen diikat independent institutions. ke belakang dan mata ditutup sebelah, men. kNdilannye7 Mana kegentlemen· nannya7 those in many strife-riven lands, competitive society." P.mbengkang pula kenapa bier including some in newly Liberated Mahathir contanues to flout begini7 Kenapa biar ekhbar·akhbar dan Eastern Europe. But a man who Western critics of Malaysia's n•ven TV dan redio main kotor7 Sapatutnya Barlan Rakyat (BRI summarily jalled 107 opponents human-rights and environmental ditubuhkan pad. 1·12-87 l~~gi. Tapi tn 1987 on charges of incllmg records. As for destroying the Uk mengape. Mulalah dari sekarang turmoil darkly declared that "we ram forests, he saad, no one untuk persiapan begi tahun-tahun 1995 cannot hold back anymore" on mentions deforestataon m Europe dan 2000. B~~gaimanapun, syabas diucapkan prosecuting "certain political and America, whereas tropical trees kapada karjuama PAS dan S46 di leaders." He also suggested that "grow so fast that if we forgot Kelantan. Malangnya kerjasama DAP racial antagonism will never be to cut them down, the whole of dlln S46 di P-ang gagal. Begitu juga overcome until the commercially Kuala Lumpur would turn to di Kedah, Perlis, Trengganu dan lain· lain. S.moge-moga berjaya lima blhun dominant ethnic Chinese assimilate forest in two years." What of his r.gi. to Malay life and language. future? He is inclined to retire Di Kalanten, mulai sek41raf111, afoklah To loosen Chinese control of after this term, Mahathir said, dijedikan contoh. Potong atau kurang the nation's wealth, Malaysia m but remains "at the service of the kan semu. cokai yang membeblnkan rakyet. Mentari S..r serta wakil-wakil 1970 proclatmed ats New Economic party." And perhaps the press rlkyat dan lain·laln pembesar aloklah Policy, an afftrmattve·action favors him today. he added. tarima gaji berpatutan sahaja, supaya scheme favoring Malays for loans because it has found him out. kekay11n Kelantan boleh dinikmati and schooling privileges. With the ''I'm a very ntce man, really," oleh setiap penduduknya. NEP due to expire at year's end, he said. "I've always been a very Bila tudah jadl contoh. 5 tahun lagi sena1111 ajelah l'llk K.O. Bari11n Mahathir hinted that it would be shy person who doesn't like meet N•ional di Tre.ngganu, P.nang, Perlk, renewed in a modified way. Malays, mg w1th people But I have to S.langor. S.r-ak. dan mungkin juga he stressed, still need "strength force myself. It has been a strain.'' e lain·lain negeri. Barulah Ol'liJ19 mun<~fik to stand on their own." lie com itu blk c:akap baser. bohong sana, pared them to golfers. "If you play - By James Walsh. bohong sini, fitnah sana, fitnah sini, peralatkan medie m..a dan elektronik, against the champaons wathout a Reported by Jay Branegan/ "'*an suep di nna dan mflnyuap di handicap, you are nowhere . . On Kuala Lumpur sini. the other hand, there as a danger Wakil-ekil S46 den PAS, jege· of the Malays becoming too j~~galah sikit, nenti ade yang kena bell. dependent We are now trying Extracted from TIME of S No1•embcr Anj to onent them toward a more 1990. Buk il Pinang. 24 Gabriela Nobel Prize-winning poet from Chile he population of the world's We must provide the most 30 million children are "street.. cities doubled in the past basic of human rights - that children, forced to live by their T thirty years and is projected of being wanted to all wits in the alleys and avenues of to double again in the next twenty. children, everywhere and at all faceless cities. They come in all The human consequences of this times, says HALFDAN ages, sizes and colours. They are phenomenon are frightening to con MAHLER. found qn the streets of Chicago, template; we know, foi example, Calcutta or Cartagena. They aie that even now over a billion people, both male and female. They are a fifth of the world's inhabitants, family plots which no longer pro· both vulnerable and fearsome. are either homeless or live in ex vide fnr the family's needs. Other They have no access to educa tremely unhealthy conditions. migrants, often men, but increasing tion, basic services or family affec Cities expand f01 multiple and ly single women, leave remote tion and support. They are an complex reasons. In some develop villages to seek employment, underclass with poor chances for a ing counlries the most significant hoping to earn cash to send to decent future, condemned to live factor 1s rural poverty "push". families who await their return. by deceit, stealing, prostitution or Cities offer hope for a better life: What commences as a n•Jch for violence. All are "old" before health care, schooling, employment improved living conditions often their time. or, more simply. a chance to ends in squalor and alienation in In the poorer nations, many survive. city slums or begging on the streets chlldien have been sent from home In recent years millions of indivi of the world's capitals. And it is by paients who believe they will duals, either alone or 10 family children, the most vulnerable have a better chance of eating, or groups, have been driven from among the migrants or city dwel· surviving, on their own than in their rural homes by degradation of lers, who suffer most. miserable family huts where lack of soils, landlessness or the size of Worldwide, it is estimated that food results in stunted growth, 25 where privacy and self-hood are It costs as much to: non-existent. Other children support aban· produce one jet doned mothers and siblings, victims fighter as to equip of another statntic. one third of all 50,000 village households worldwide are headed comtruct one nuclear pharmacies by women, and these homes, of submarine as to build course, rank among the world's 500,000 homes poorest. In industrialised nations, children often flee violent or drunken homes, preferring to take their chances with the unknown rather than face daily abuse. They are easy prey for those who would exploit them. Pimps, drug marketeers and niggardly employers all manage to live off the labour of these alienated chil· dren. In our naivete, we used to think that only teenagers were targets of sexual exploitation. The more we learn about poverty in From: My name is today by D. Mori~Y. arnJ cities, the more we study "sex H. Love/, pub/Uhed by Macmillan and TALC, 1986. tourism". the more horrified we Your Children are not your children. They are the sons and daughters of A1MJDt tOur bibles 110 born every DEMOGRAPHIC FACTS Ufe's longing for itself. second. They come through you but not At Jeaat 30% of all the deaths at all E.., day about 2S and a hllf from you. aan m the wodd each year are of thousand infants die, lnd 2S And though they are wtth you yet children m the clewlopUJI countrtes thousand of them are 111 tbe they belong not to you. uDder the a&e of five. developingwuntrles. You may give them your love but Nillety,eefttl per cent of an iofaot £.-y minute 18 Infants die, and not your thoughts. deathS m the world are ill the 17 of them are ia the deweloplng For they have their own thoughts. dcveloplnc rouncnes, although. countries.. You may house their bodies but these countries account for only Ia the developing countdes an not their souls, 86CJ, of all btrths. mfant dies ~ry three 1«0nd1 For their souls dwell in the house ODe in thirteen infants in the while m the mdustrialized countries of tomorrow, ctnelopq colmtries dies before an Infant dtn nery two mbwta. Which you cannot visit, not even in rudda! the 88¢ of oae, compared Bwry day about 38 thoWaad your dreams. to about ooe .ill 70 infaati m the Infants aod )'OOnl cbUdreo die, You may strive to be like them, but iadustrialized coantriel. seek not to make them like you. and ~r 17 thousaa4 of tMJI\ are For life goes not backwards, nor ODe In ci&ht dlik1rcm m the m the clevclppq couatries. drnelopJne oouutriel dies Wore tarries with yesterday. ID the developiq countries an reachinl the ot t'lve. ~ You are the bows from which your aee infaat or a )'OUI cblld dill every 10 altoul OM Ul 60 ~ in the two iDd a hllf l«ffffdd, wbi1e 1n children as living arrows are sent tadaatrializecl oouattiet. forth. the fadustrialr.e4 countries .n .,.,. day .&out 360 chuSIIICl iufant or a YOUII8 c:lilcl diel eveor - Kahlil Gibran - THE PROPHET ~ ...... two ad duee quarter,...,.,. ~ ..... about 250 ...... Wl 26 prove the physical, social and spiritual environment of others, underitand only too well the Providing primary health care - includin& water underlying causes of today'ii surplus and sanitation, trained wDrken, communicable youth. We know, for example, that disease control and basic drugs - would cost an of the 140 million women in the extra SSO billion a year for the next 20 years. developing world who became preg· That is Sl2.SO per person per year. nant in the last 12 months, one third did not want to have another child. And 200,000 among them 2/3 of world 1/2 of world 1/ lSofworld died in an attempt to avoid another spending on spending on military pregnancy by resorting to non cigarettes alcohol spending medical abortion. We must queitiOn our responsi bility to the street children here, now and to those who are yet to be born. A slogan for the world community could well be, "Every child a wanted child!" U women have access to contraceptive ser vices, would there not be a better chance for having children born into a family which can provide care, food and protection? Hundreds of millions of women throughout the world have no access to family planning services and counselling. They seek a better life for themselves and for their families. They want, as a young Sri Lankan woman told me, "to have a few children so I can send them to school and give them a better life than mine". Yet we continue to witness the From: My name is today by D. Morley and expenditure of public funds on H. Love/, published by Macmillan & TALC, arms or armies rather than on 1986. essential services for hundreds of millions of women, men and chil become, learning of fiVe-year-old are society's disposable people; dren. The average cost of training a boy prostitutes or pre-pubescent having no voice or vote, their plight soldier for a year equals the cost of girls sold for minutes at a time to is overlooked by political leaders prirnary education for 100 children adult men. and city planners alike. for a year. Just like their parents before So very often we hear the phrase The current increase in popula them, the children turn &om trust that, "we Uve in a rapidly changing tion growth rates is, in fact a ing innocents to embittered survival society". So often, we forget to success of development efforts, of artists, respecting little but the code examine the human consequence of investment in public health and of the streets, its anonymity, tts that oft-voiced comment. Cut off sanitation. We are seeing a health violence and its limitations. from traditional support networks explosion, not a population Children of the cities know little and communications systems, city explosion. Couples are not having of the services available to them; dwellers and their children are more children than before, it is Lhe only institutions they know adrift in today's modern, literate simply that children are not dying well are punitive. The anonymous and technocratic society. The as much as in pan generations and adult world around them does abandoned "crack" babies of adults are living longer. The results not recognise their youthful needs, Chicago may have a better chance of that success now call for invest too busy to notice another lonely at rehabilitation than the Colom ments of a different nature. child among so many. bian eight-year-old glue sniffer. Per· As slum and squatter settle· Victims of human exploitation, haps. But the future for either ments grow, a commitment to low these children are also victims of remains obscured by poverty and income shelter, 5anitation and pollution, lack of sanitation, poor society'slooking the other way. primary health care is but a mini nutrition and lack of shelter. They Those of us who work to im· mum requirement. There is a cruel 27 THE DEVELOPING CITJlS Migration •s a growmg phenomenon m the developmg world the populauon of the world's ctlie~ doubled between 1950 and 1980 and Will have doubled agam b}' the year 2000, when c•ty~wellers lD the poor world will outnumber those m the nch world by two to one. In poor countnes tltti expansion of the urban population IS partly the rhult of men - husbands or sons - leavmg the1r rural homes to fmd jobs in one of the expand10g Cities. HUMAN ENERGY FOR HOUSING Wuh acute pressure for shelter m Third World cit•c~ . the greate~tte~ooun:e fur i.mprovement in the Urbanisation quality of huusmg for the poor rs the resourcelul ncss uf !he poor themselves. YE.\R Soluuons du not lie ut destroyutg that resource WORlD URBAN POPULAJlON fulness by bulldollng homes which the poor have POPULATION put up: or m takmg away all mceuuve by refus10g IN BILLIONS to provide baste serv1ces; or m trying to reseule comrnumue~ many kilometres away frum their 1800 09 3 4~ only rcalisuc- source~ of employment; or 10 strangl mg aU mJtratrves in thl' red tape of buildu1g regula 1900 1.6 13.6% liOn~ which often date back tu culonial tlJI1es. 1950 ~.5 Instead, the ~oluuon often lies mliberatmg that ::!8.1'" energy and motivation by makmg settlements 1975 4.0 lepl: conferring secuoty of tenure, allocating 41.1~ unused urban lands to the poor; abolishing t11e .2000 63 55.0% worst aspects of landlorcfum: teanng up cumber liome building regulauoru; and providing credit and tram10g and cheap buildmg matenals through the or~anr~d commumtics of the poor themselves. SAFE WATER FOR ALL Along wJth health care and nutnuon. dean water ami safe sanuauon are baSJl: to human well-being and therefore to development It was to accelerate tllis that the UnncJ Nnuons estublrshed the Jntcrnatronal DnnJ..rng Water Supply and Sarutauon Decade (19Rl-J990). It ha~ JlhJeved a great deal. Clean water has been mll\1.: available to an eswnated addrtJOnal 700 million people and sanHallon to another 480 million Desp1te tillS progress, the aun of "safe water for all" will not be reached by next year") target date. In towns and clues, 23% do not have access to safe water supphes and 42% are without safe sanitauon. To keep reaching for "'safe water for all"". a reallocauon of available resource~ IS needed about 8~ uf the S l 2 bllHoo a year currently being invested in water and sanuatron i~ uevoted to IOStalhng semces for 1he bett~:r-off at an average per capita cost of $600 . ... AND ENDING POLIO In M:~y last year representatives of I 66 natJom, those given the rust dose who fail to turn up for meeting at the Wmld Health Assembly in Geneva. t11e second or third do~~ . tool.: the lmtork d<:ci!>lon to aim at eliminating Gomg agarn)t the world\\!Oe trend \\hich has polionyehus from the planet by tlte yeat 2000. seen a 25 Jail 10 drop-out rate) smce 1984. the In the imlustriahsed world. the disease 1s almost rate tn suh-Saharan Africa ha) men slight!} - from erad•cated But rn the de\cloping worl!l polio still 36% 10 1984 to 37% m 19!)7. In about a doan paraly~s more than 250,000 children a yeat and countnes the rate exceeds 50%. kill$ arother 23.000 The ~lobal elumnauon of polio rs technrcally Va..:~mcs are lrftrng the burden of polio from feasible . But 11 w•ll requrre rnaimauung hrgh cover Afrh.::l A~ta and Ulun ·America. immullli:ltion ts :~ge le\eh ot about l)(r,( - amon11 children under prevenung an estimated 220,000 cases a yeat of the age ol one year for some yeats, even af:er no paralytic poho. further pulio cases are reported. But a datk cloud on the homon is tlle rise in A key to high and su~tarned leveb of coverage drop-out rates 10 Afnca south of the Sahara. Polro - and low urop-out rates - 1s the rnvolvemcnt of •mrnun~atron normally re4uires three dos.::s of the pohucal Jead~rs, the medta, communrl) leaucrs. va~:~:rne the drop-out rate ts ilic percentage of educators and pnvatc voluntary orgamsations. 28 HOLDING BACK THE SWELLING NUMBERS • It took one million years for the world's population to reach one billion, about 150 years ago. Only 100 years were needed for that population to double- and in the last 50 years the world population has more than doubled again. • It passed the five billion mark m 1987, and approximately one billion people are now being added every 12 years. • Each minute, the global population grows by 150; every day, by 2:!0,000; every year, by over 80 million. • • By the turn of the century, the world is expected to have 6.1 billion people. • lt is estimated that there are about 200 million couples in the wor1a who do not want any more children but who are not using any method of family planning. Fertility rates are falling in most parts of the To bring family planning to all women who want it world. The number of children born to each would cost an extra $2 billion a year untiJ the year woman has dropped from 3.6 in 1970/75 to 2000. This is less than the annua1 US expenditure 3.4 in 1980/85. For example, Sri Lanka, on tobacco advertising. Thailand and Mexico have seen big reductions. . I .~ c. I,... """" riLTt.t\S The average Dominican Republic mother bad 7 children in the late 1960s. This dropped to 3.8 by 1986. But in Nepal, Pakistan and Afghanistan fertility has remained high; while in Malawi it has actually increased. burdeni must be relieved and better We mu$t provide the most basic of contradiction in fostering life and human rights - the right to be then denying to so many who are and more itable pricing ensured for what they produce. wanted - to all children, every born any hope of enough food, where and at all times. • proper shelter, adequate education It is our duty to see to it that and the chance to enjoy the rich children come into the world because their parents want to give neis of existence. Halfdan Mahler is Secretary-General, For the gap to be closed, the love, affection and care to another human being. Cities of Children International Planned Parenthood nations of the developing world Federation, London; [om1er Direc require more purposeful and con· telh of our failure to provide that basic human right to millions of tor-General, World Health Organiza certed help than has been given tion, Geneva. until now. Basic to this, their debt children in all parts of the world. 29 LIFESTYLE COMING HOME TO. FIND A SMUG, SCARED AMERICA • ou can hear the moments of by STANLEY MEISLER Washington, Allan Parry, head of a boredom ttck away when Liverpool drug program, could not Y ever you tell Americans that hide his fury at Amencan attitudes no other industrialized democracy toward addicts and the refusal of has the same dispiriting problems as Behind the dazzling display of almost all American cities to hand the Uruted States - not the crime, abundance of American cities out clean needles as a way of not the guns, not the homeless, not is evidence of deterioration, preventing the spread of AIDS. the unschooled, not the poor, not apathy, a decline of substance. "I fwd it very sad to see the the racism, not the ugliness. Listen people in the Bronx using the same ers may mirruc interest for a short needle and being crirninallzed and while, then their glances roll up and brutalized," he said, words steeled away. Paris, for example, bustles with in anger. "We used to sen"d people They may not doubt me but, carefree revelers at all hours before to the United States to see how to content 10 smugness, they do not dawn. Crime does exist but if Los do things. Now. people go to New care. After 21 years as a foreign Angeles had the homicide rate of York to see how not to ru n things. correspondent, 1 returned home Paris it might consider disbanding 'Let them die. ' The number of late last year to a country bristling 1ts police force. times I've heard that in t.lus country. with astonishing problems, most Americans, of course, are not 'Let them die. 'It's Incredible." left untended. Yet many Americans obbv1ous to crime - they fume I took his words down, having persist in believing that their coun about It - but they do seem obli· occasiOnally felt the same kind of try has a dlVlne nuss1on on Earth, a vious to the problems of poverty, anger back home 10 America. The model for all others. education, unemployment. racism frrst Images that struck me on my Ignorance about the rest of the and inequality that spawn this return. however, provoked only a world seems total. Our son set off crime. Instead. there are ever more troublmg pu1.z!emem. I saw an for high school the other day in a cnes for vengeance and ever more abundance that would astound the T-shirt emblazoned with a bust of demands for Draconian punish· rest of the world and then an ugli Lenin. I JOkingly warned him to be ment. These cries come even ness that might astound them JUSt carefuL "Don't worry," he Said, though the United States already as much. · cynically not jovially, "no one at keeps a higher percentage of 1ts The cornucopia on a U.S. super school knows who he is." population 10 jail than any coun market shelf, for example, numbs Few if any peoples can boast as tries other than South Africa and the sense of chmce. A shopper much democracy and energy as the Soviet Umon. searching for salad dressing must Americans. These are wondrous Although many countnes fret now choose among French, honey gifts that foreigners can hardly over drug addiction, it is basically, French, Italian, creamy Italian, fathom. Yet 1 often wonder now to as a Yale historian once put it,"an zesty Italian, robust Italian, blue what purposes they are put. Arnencao disease." The problem cheese. thousand island, Caesar, Fear of come quickly makes a exists nowhere else in such mtensi sweet & sour, ranch, buttermilk & returning American feel the reality ty. Perhaps because the problem 1s herbs. celery seed & onion, dill & of home. On one winter rught I smaller, Britain can look on addicts lemon and more. walked across l'lve dim, deserted witll humanity, treating them like There are at least 11 brands of Washmgton blocks wondering sick people. The British have dog food. Even bagels come in a whether it might have been wiser to trouble understanding why Ameri host of navors. garlic, onion, rye, take a cab. There is no such fear 1n cans treat addicts as satanic enemies pumpernickel, honey wheat, bran, most cities of Western Europe and in a war on drugs. sesame, poppy, cinnamon raisin - Canada. Almost all of downtown At a recent symposium in and plain. 30 into government. In no other coun· try could a legislature have denied a leader tlte choice of a secretary of defense the way the Senate rejected President Bush's nomination of John G. Tower. In no other coun· try could a peaceful expression of public opinion have denied Congress a pay raise the way it was denied here earlier this year. Yet the despairing problems of America are neglected because Americans do not feel the need to face them. Bribed by tax cuts and soothed by Reagan years reassuran· Brooklyn arrest: Poverty spi!Wns crime, but Americans fret about the ces, they feel no urgency, content symptoms and not the cause. to accept the argument that .. budget restraints" make it irn· Yet this dazzling display of that the French need not have possible to do anytlling - at least abundance comes in enormities of worried; they were far, far behind now. The fact that Western Europe shopping malls that proliferaLe the American model. and Canada manage these problems around cities like pillboxes ·on Television has created a vacuous· by imposing blgher taxes and guard against style and beauty. ness in American public life. Soon spending government funds heavily Such clusters of concrete existed after arrival in Washington, I was does not seem to impress anyone, if. two decades ago but never in such entangled in several misunderstand· they even know about it. size and strength. They symbolize ings. While I thought 1 was arrang· Perhaps the problem is leader· the sprawl and flight thal make ing lengthy interviews with officials, ship. Leaders of most industrial spiritless U.S. cities so different tltey assumed 1 was setting up quick democracies have a breadth of now from the vibrant, lovely towns phone calls to catch pithy quotes. intellect and experience, a moral of Europe. Television bad instilled the idea strength and commitment to reason No memory prepared me for the that reporters needed no more than that often seems lacking here. awfulness of American television IS-second bites. Perhaps the very power of our commercials almost every "You are an anachronislJl in people undercuts leadership. U.S . message loud, every scene frenzied. .American journalism," said Marvin leaders have to cater to the tastes Any touch oJ subtlety vanishes Kalb over dinner in Cambridge one and whims of the masses in ways with constant repetition. OnJy a night. The director of Harvard's that leaders in countries like France masochist would sit through them Joan Shorenstcin Barone Center on and Britain do not. with any pleasure, the way most the Press, Politics and Public Policy The differences in leadership arc people watch commercials in Paris. explained, ..You actually want to hard to explain. Since returning, Sophisticates regard commercials in interview somebody." onJy one American politician has France as works of art; the best· I have fell anguhh about the truly impressed me - Senate Majo· known French movie directors irrefutable evidence of deteriora· city Leader George J. Mitchell make them. tion in America: Surveys rank U.S. (D-Me). He breakfasted with No memory prepared me for the schoolchildren at the bottom in reporters one morning and replied mindlessness of the 1988 presideD· math when tested against South to all questions with impeccable tial campaign. I had just covered Koreans, Canadians, Spaniards, logic, pertinent evidence, thought· the French presidential elections Britons and Irish. Studies show the ful .analysis and reasonable con where the televised debate was United States now bas the 18th· clusions. I had not heard that sharp and meaningful, campaign worst infant-mortality rate in the quality of political discourse since speeches long and thoughtful, dif. world. Such reports make me feet I leaving Paris. ferences between candidates clear have returned to an America that After the breakfast, I excitedly and philosophical. France allows no feels good about tinsel and helpless told everyone that Mitchell sound political spots on television. Cam· before the scourges that matter. ed just like a French politician. l paign managers do not mold Experience overseas taught me meant it as a complinlent; everyone strategy around sound bites. that no other people have the same else assumed 1 was putting !tim In 1988, French analysts kept control over their destiny as Amcri· down. 0 moaning about the "Americaniza· cans. American democracy allows tion" of their elections, meaning a the people more rights than any Stanley Meisler, now based in decline of substance in favor of other political system and more Washington, was 11ze Times' co"es· unage. But a few weeks into the input - either through the power pondent in Paris from 1983 to American can1paign, it was clear of public opinion or Congress 1988. 31 PILIHANRAYA VMlJM ANALISA KEPUTUSAN PILIHANRAYA Kemerosotan Sokongan Kepada Barisan Nasional di Semenanjung 0/eh Saliho HaS$/ln emenjak Barisan Nasional yang dimenangmya dt Semenan Dalarn ptlihanraya lalu. peratus memenangt 9 1 2% danpada JUng menurun kepada 83.3, iattu jumlah kerusi Parlimen yang dJ. S kerusi Parlimen di Semenan- kemerosotan 3.6 peratus berban menangmya di SemenanJung me jung dalam piliharuaya pertama ding dengan tahun 1982. Begttu rosot lagi kepada 74.2 dan peratus 'pada tahun 1974 sehmgga pJithan JUga, peratus jumlah undi popular jumlah undi popu1arnya jatuh raya lalu. 1a berjaya mengekalkan bag1 BN dt Semenanjung menurun kepada 55.4. majonti dua-pertiganya. kepada 5 8.1 peratus, kemerosotan Dengan itu jumlah peratus keme Peratus kernenangan di Seme 3.2 peratus. rosotan dari seg~ jumlah kerusi nanJung berkurang kcpada 82.5 Sekali imbas, kemerosotan 3.6 Parlimen BN di Semenanjung di dalam pilihanraya tahun 1978. dan 3 2 peratus 1tu bukanlah bawah kep1mpman Mahathir, 1982- Bagairnanapun La dapat ditarnbah suatu yang mendebarkan. Sebagai 1990, talah I :! 7 balik oleh kep1mpinan Dr. ukuran prestast rekod BN di Jurang perbezaan di antara Mahathir kepada 86.9 peratus pada Semenanjung sebelumnya, ia tidak jumlah kerusi Parlimen parti-parti tahun 1982, tattu pertambahan menjejaskan imeJ dan pengaruh pembangkang dan BN adalah 66.6 sebanyak 4.4 pcratus. J umlah undi BN Kepimpirlan Mahathir masih peratus pada tahun 1986 dan popular bagi BN di SemenanJung mcmpunyat asas untuk menganggap menJadt 48 5 pcratus pada tahun juga bertambah danpada 57.1 dirinya diterima oleh sebahagian 1990. Jurang perbuaan jumJah peratus dalam pilihanraya tahun besar rakyal Semenanjung undt popular dJ antara BN dan 1978 kepada 61 .3 peratus dalarn Sebali.knya jika kila melihat partl-parti pembangkang juga ber tahun 1982, iaitu pertambahan kemerosotan sokongan pada tahun kurangan daripada 16.:! peratus sebanyak 4.2 peratus. 1986 sebagai permulaan satu trend, pad a tahun 1986 k:epada I 0.8 Ptlihanraya Lahun 1982 merupa· maka in patut dikaji lebih men peratus pada lahun 1990. Banding· kan detik penting dJ mana rakyat dalam, lebih-lebih lagi memandang kannya dengan ketinggun JUrang menyambut baik kepimpinan kan perkembangan semenjak tahun perbezaan peratus jumlah kerusi Mahathir. la membuka harapan 1982 membabitkan prestasi kepim· parlirnen sebanyak 73.6 dan rakyat kepada sebuah pentadbiran pirlan yang sama. taitu kepimpman perbe7aan peratus jumlah undJ yang berteraskan prinsip-prinsip Mahathir. popular sebanyak 22.6 pada tahun Bersih, Cekap dan Amanah la juga menjanjikan kepimpman yang dmamis, liberal dan beJWawasan. Berikutnya kewibawaan kepim Peratus Juoilah Undi dan Kerusi Parlimen BN di Semenanjung. pinan Mahathir dan keupayaan BN untuk mentadbir negara meng Tahun Jumlah Kerusi Kadar Jurnbh Undi Kadar hadapi berbagai cabaran. Kekuatan Pilihanraya Parlimen + 1- Popular +/- dan keJemahannya, kejujuran dan 1974 91.2 55.5 tindak-tanduknya, telah menjadJ 1978 82.5 -8.7 57.1 +1.6 isu-isu penting bagi segenap lapisan 86.9 +4.4 61.3 +4.2 rakyat dJ tahun-tahun 1980an ini 1982 58.1 -3.2 Dan pada pihhanraya 1986 kewi 1986 83.3 -3.6 bawaannya tcmyata tercabar. 1990 74.2 - 9. 1 55.4 -2.7 Peratus jumlah kerusi Parlimen 32 1982. Dalam pilihanraya lalu, BN beP jaya mendapat lebih 50 peratus undi parli.men dl semua negeri dJ Semcnanjung, kecuali Ke1antan (32.0) dan Wilayah Persekuwan ( 43.1 ). Peratus undJ par limen tertinggt bagi BN ialah d1 Perlis, iaitu sebanyak 65.5, dengan diikuti oleh Pahang 63.0, Kedah 62.6, Johor 61.5, Melaka 60.5, Selangor • 58.4, Perak 56.2, Negeri Sembilan 55.7, Terengganu 54.3, dan P. Pinang 51.0 peratus. Da1am pilihanraya lalu juga terdapat beberapa fenomena khusus. terutamanya kehadiran Semangat 46 dan faktor PBS. Cabaran Semangat 4o paling ber kesan dl Kelantan. Keberkesanan nya dapat dilihat pada kemeroso· tan sokongan kepada UMNO antara pilihanraya tahun 1986 dan 1990, iaitu - 13.2 peratus. Berdasarkan nisbah undian di kawasan-kawasan yang ia bertandlng, Semangat 46 mendapat lebih kurang 32.2 peratus daripada sejurnlah 67.5 peratus undi yang diperolehi oleh parti· parti pembangkang di Kelantan. Penganalisa dan pemerhati politik umumnya berpendapat bahawa fak1or PBS menjadi faktor utama yang mengukuhkan kedudu kan BN. Dalam konteks ini, ken· Kemenengan PAS di Kelantan: Dapatkah Pembangkang daan di Kelantan adalah berlainan mengusahakan sesuatu yang bermakna ke arah pembentukan sistem dcngan ciri-cirinya yang tersendiri. dua-parti? Bagaimanapun, isu PBS menyertai barisan pembangkang yang juga dan PBS. apakah kepimpinan tru akan dianggotai oleh DAP yang keban • Strategi ini sangat menggugat dapat atau akan berusaha untuk yakan orang Melayu anggap se· kedudukan BN. Sayangnya buat mengubah semula trend yang bagai pencabar utarna kepada kali ini, kerjasama ini pada umum terlibat sekarang? ketuanan Melayu dan kedudukan nya belum menyerap dengan sebati Persoalan kedua, apakah strategi Islam teWt mempengaruhi pen di kalangan parti-parti pembang dan matlamat masa depan barisan dirian pengundi Melayu luar bandar kang. Jentera kerjasama mereka parti-parti pembangkang? Dapatkah khususnya. Faktor ini telah menga bagi tujuan menjayakan kempen Gagasan Rakyat dan Angkatan kibatkan 'kegelisahan politik' di ·pilihanraya juga jelas kelihatan Perpaduan Ummah mengusahakan kalangan mereka dan menyebabkan masih belum teratur baik. Tangga sesuatu yang bermakna ke arah pemindahan seokongan kepada BN pan rakyat tentang jurang per pembentukan sistem dua-parti dj di saat-saat terakhir. bezaan antara perjuangan mereka negara ini? Dapatkah parti-parti Kejayaan parti-parti pembang rata-rata masih kekal. pembangkaog mengatasi perbezaan kang untuk meletakkan calon b.er Ada dua persoalan penting yang perbezaan asas di kalangan mereka dasarkan strategi 'satu lawan satu' perlu dJberi perhatian. Pertama sehingga berjaya mengujudkan untuk berhadapan dengan BN telah ialah persoalan yang menjadi sebuah lagi barisan yang dapat menempa sejarah politik. Ja me intipati kebanyakan debat dan diyakini sebagai alternatif kepada rupakan kejayaan kerjasarna pem perbincangan politik masakini iaitu BN? D bangkang yang paling tinggi dalarn kewibawaan kepimpinan BN. sejarah pilihanraya negara. Dalam Rakyat di Semenanjung dan di konteks lni Semangat 46 merupa Malaysia umumnya, pada dasarnya Saliha Hassan illhlh ketuajabotan Sains kan penghubung kepada parti-parti masi.h memberi keyakinan kepada Politik Universiti KebangSIJIJn Mahlysia. pembangkang utama, PAS, DAP kepimpinan yang ada. Tetapi 33 Mandela'a life and m1Silon tell us that there can be no dignity or justice without freedom and CURRENT CONCERNS equality. AJiran would like to pYOpoee that in the courae of his visit Mandela abould be riven the opportunity to meet our fiHt Prime Miniater and Father of THE NEW KELANT AN MoYe important, Aliran hopes Independence, Tunku Abdul MENTRJ BESAR - A that the Kelantan Mentri Betar Rahman. For it wu the Tunku, will, as soon as pouible, introduce who spearheaded the move to GOOD START legialation that will make it compul· expel South Africa from the eory for all Executive Councillors Commonwealth in 1962, in the liran commenda the new and State Assembly membera and wake of the Sharpeville massacre Kelantan Mentn Besar, Haji their families and nominees to The Tunku was an unwavering A Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat declare their aueta and liabilities opponent of apartheid at a for discouraging people from pre· in a public register, eaaily acceuible time when the Commonwealth senting lliftl or IOUVenirs to him to the people. The regiatet" abould itself wu reluctant to act deci at both private and official be up-dated every year. sively against tbe Pretoria regime. functions. All Kelantan State Exe Public declaration of the uaets The Tunku'a contribution in the cutive Councillors and Allembly and liabilities of elected repreaenta· strugale againat apartheid has been membera abould follow the Mentri tives is different from declaring recorded in the annals of history. Beaar's example. one'a asseta and liabilities to tbe A Mandela meeti~ with the It is our hope that Nik Abdul head of aovernrnent either at ailing Tunku would be a areat Aziz will introduce other similar State or Federal level. Public resture. reforms. For inatance, he abould declaration of uaets and liabilities do away with the practice of is practiaed in a number of 1 November 1990 Chandra Muzalfar elaborate- ceremonies whenever a countries includina the Philippines President Mentri Besar visita a district. and Iran. State government and district-level It is important that leaders, o!Cicials whose duties do not who have been entrusted with require them to be present at power, prove through deeds that a particular function attended by they are prepared to put noble the Mentri Besar, abould be allowed ethical principles into practice. They to continue with their work. A should establish, through their lot of valuable time is often wasted adions, their commitment to in our country, participatinr in public accountability. FEDERALISM: EXCLUDING meaningless ceremonies to welcome THE OPPOSITION and aend ore difnitarlea. 1 November 1990 Chandn Muuflu President liran is disturbed by the move to exclude the Mentri A Besar of Kelantan and the Chief Minuter of Sabah from meetings between MentriJ Beaar and Chief Ministera and the central government. These meetina• are meetinp MANDELA IN MALAYSIA between atate rovernmenta and the central aovernment. They deli s a public interest. eociety berate upon mattera of state and which is actively involved adminiltration They are concerned in the world-wide campaign about development policies and A development pro(l'ammea. These &g&lnat the evil of apartheid, Aliran extends a warm welcome are not - it muat be atreued - to Nelaon Mandela. Malaysians are meetinp or the party. happy and proud to have Mandela The funds allocated for develop in their midst for the next 4 days. ment proarammes dilcuaaed at Nelson Mandela has come to these meelmp come from the symbolise both the tragedy and rakyaL. This is money from the the triumph of the human being's rakyat u a whole and not just eternal queat for freedom. Through from Ba.risan supporten. State his indomitable couraae and his aovernmenta, like the central unyieldina intearity, be bas government, represent aU the breathed hfe into eome of the most people, and riot ju5t Banaan voten sublime values of human civili and aupporten. zation. It so happens that two of these Mandela's vilit, we hope, will atate rovernmenta are now undt>r serve to remind Malaysian leaders oppo5ition parties. But the fact and the Malaysian people that is they are Jeaitimate govemmenta oppreasion and exploitation, racial which repreaent aU the people of diacrimination and social inequali· Kelantan and Sabah. The Mentri 1 ties, in whatever form and in Besar of Kelantan is the Mentri Gift presenutions discouraged: Nik whichever place, abould be fought Besar of the whole of Kelantan AbuI Az:iz Mtl a fine example. with vigour and determination. and not just the Menui Besar 34 • ARE YOU AWARE OF THE ISSUES AFFECTING OUR FUTURE? Do you want to know what is reaUy happening? JOIN US IN THE STRUGGLE FOR Ge1 a pup of the is.sues and e\'mts thai affed us u JUSTICE, FREEDOM AND Malaysians whatever our ethnic or reijgious SOLIDARITY! b:Lckground. Aliran does not get any forei3n financial help. We READ ALIRAN MONTHLY depend enlirely on ~lays.ians for support. The We have tackled aU sorts of national and global Aliran Monlbly whose editorial team works on a subjects. Poverty, corruption, democracy and ¥Diuntary basis, is one or these means or income. o:ational uruty in Mmysia, apartheid, Third World That is why your support IS 10 vital. lnv1te your development and human rights. Our approach 10 friends to subscribe to these issues is non-communal, non-sectarian and truly mulli·ncial. Bul don't take our word tor II. FiU in this Conn and rmd out for yourself. Our quest IS for a just and humane society. NAME: •••••.• • ••••.•••••... • •••••• .ADDRESS: (Please print MR/MRS/WlSS(MS) ..•...•....••...... •.••...... PROFESSION: ...... •...•.....•..... 0 I year's subscnption ($10.50)• 0 2 yeu's subscription ($20.50)• beginning Vol. ············-····No.·············-····· •tndudes $0.50 for oumation cheques. 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Tha topics addr~ include the Hirtorie~~l Mengapa Wujudnye Polari-i Kaum7 Dapatkan jawapannya Background, the Role of the Monarchy, the Role of the dlllam buku ini. Judiciary, the Role of the P.rllamant, the Role of the Executive, State and Federal Relations, the Rule of Llw, • I.S.A. DAN KESELAMATAN NEGARA -$520 0 Funclamanul Liberti•. the Ethnic Oimanaion end Islam in Buku mi mambecarakan undang-undang ISA. Ia memapar· the Corwtitution. kan tantang ketidllkadilannyl, tentang kezalimannye. Ia cuba mamberi gambaran tentang ape 11benarnye yang • DIALOGUE ON DEMOCRACY - $320 0 berlaku pada bulen Oktober 1987 bile labih 100 oreng Collection of 1peech• made by l•den of varioUI politic:~~! c:litangklp di bawah I SA. part!• and public interaat IOc:iati• in connection with the Third Dialogue of Concern on P.rliemantary Democracy. • CABARAN~ABARAN SEMASA - $7 20 0 Suatu ka1ian yang mendalam tentang cabaran-abaran yang • CORRUPTION - $420 0 kita hadepi dalam bidang damokrui, ekonomi, kemasyara· An .sily readable, informative and enalytie~~l collection of katan, pandidikan, keman111iaan, hak -i manUiil dan papers on varioUI •pectl of thia 1ocial ICOUrga praaanted hal-eh-1 antarabangp. by Aliran officials and gu•t 1peakers at an Aliran ~eminar on Corruption. Indicate number ordered in box next to title. e NATION OeiTRIAL - $12.00 0 Neme: Mr/Mrs/MI ...... Th- laat f1ve y..,. have bMn tumultOUI oi'MI for Malaysia Addr-: ...... in many r•pectl. In many aphar• of national life, the country a!)PMra to be llipping. Thi1 i1 manlfaated in the -kening of democratic foundationa and the rise of authoritarianism in government, corruption and financial I endOM money order/poatal order/cheque no ...... -nclals, lack of accountability and an ablenca of integrity ...... dated ...... for the sum of among people at the helm of the nation's affairs, violation of human rithtl, a declining economy and lncraaing unemployment. In the midat of all this, Afiran continu. to • PI- include 50 5en for bank comrm.ion for demand a ..nw political and economic system. outrtation cheques. • For loe~~l orders, pric. quoted are inc:lutiYe of poltaga. • For o,_ orders, pric. quoted in US$. Add 20% of total order for 1urfece mail and,tiO% of total order for airmail. 36 THE SINGAPORE-UNITED STATES MILITARY AGREEMENT liran notes that Singapore and the United. States have A signed an agreement to allow American forces increued use of military faciliti~ in the republic. Though the media has carried some information on the tenns Military agreement between of the agreement, it is important Singapore and the US signed: that full details or the agreement are made public. The citizens Lee Kuan Yew jeopardises of ASEAN have every riJht to ZOPFAN. know what the agreement contains and what its implication& and consequences are for the region of an appendage of the inter It is a matter of some concern national capitalist system, like that Singapore hu entered into Singapore? Is it possible that the a military agreement with the Lee Kuan Yew government is United States at a time when concerned about the growth of certain regional developments seem progressive nationalistic groups in to sugaest that the prospects for the Philippines which are opposed Chief Minister of Sabah peace in Southeast As1a are better to the continued dependence of excluded~ The PM threatens the than ever before. There is an their country upon the inter national capitalist system? After principle of federalism. earnest attempt by various group~>, including the pennanent members all, the Singapore economy has of the United Nations Security benefitted tremendously from this of th~ Angkatan Perpaduan Ummah Council and regional powers, to dependence of the ASEAN region. (APU). Th~ same holds true of the evolve a peaceful solution to Singapore's aelf·interest in this Chief Minister of Sabab. the Kampucbean problem. Vietnam matter coinc1des with the interests When theM meetinp between is trying hard to improve and of the United States. The United the state governments and the enhance economic and political States, needless to say, IS deter central government were initiated ties with 1ts Southeast Asian mined to presene ASEAN as a in 1970, Penanlf wu under the neighbours. The Philippines is choice sphere for ita trade, invest opposition Oerakan Rakyat Malay determined to see that the ments and profits More important, sai (Oerakan). Kelantan was also American bases on its soil are the United States, as is evident under the opposition Parti Islam phased out within the coming from its pronouncements and se-Malays1a (PAS) From what we decade actions in the last 10 years or so, know, Penana and Kelantan did One would have thourht that is fearful or the impact or Islamic participate in these state-centre with all these developments laking resurgence upon the sort of social meeUngs. place, Singapore, in concert with order and lifestyle it upholds. By excludini Kelantan and other ASEAN states, would pursue Besides that, the United States Sabah, the Prime Minister has the noble ideal of a zone of peace, has always been apprehensive about adopted a very partisan, sectarian freedom and neutrality (ZOPF AN) progressive nationalist movements. attitude. He has placed the interests with renewed vigour and vitality. It is obvious that the Singapore of hia party, the Barisan Nasional, For ZOPFAN to become a reality, leadership hopes that wilh 'Big above the intereata of the nation. any form of foreign military Brother' - the United States - What is worse, his action is a presence in the region should be protecting the little island·state, challenee to the entire federal reduced and eliminated. It is a ita ASEAN neighbours would think system. In a federal system of pity, therefore, that Singapore twtce about challenging the sort eo'l'ernment which practises com has chosen to increase American of economic and political interests petitive politics, there is alway& military presence in Southeast that Singapore and the United the pou:ibility or state ao~ernmenu Asia. It will certainly be another Stata represent. In other words, ,com~ under the control of oppost. formidable obstacle to the reali the American military presence tion parties. But the principles of zation of the concept of ZOPF AN. in Singapore is meant to ·be a federalism should continue to be upheld, Aliran suSPects that Singapore psychological deterrent to any even \\hen this happens. federal leaders wants an increased American quest for a more autonomous who refuse to abide by the principles military presence in the republic and independent ASEAN deter of feden.LiJm ue a real 37 r contmutd [rom pagt 40 EXPOSING US .MOTIVES power would be used to prevent It is not for the love of justice HISTORICAL any "hostile" dom1nation of access that the Americans are there nor BACKGROUND to the large oil reserves in the it is the love for peace. They are We must examine the historical region. This "Carter Doctrine" there for the love of chdlp oil. It background which led to the was reaffumed by both President is for this reason that the Third· Reagan and Bush. Wodd must reject the intervention mvasion of Kuwait by Iraq if we Cheap oil has fed the growth of the US in the Gulf. are to fully understand the Gulf crisis. of the industrialised world. lt has Iraq and Kuwait were both allowed the West to prop up its GUNBOAT HYPOCRISY part of the Turkish Ottoman consumeristic and affluent life· Since the 2nd World War. empire until the World War I. styles at the expense of the poor the US has enher politicaUy inter Iraq then consisted of 3 provirlces and the oppressed in the Arab vened. destabilised or invaded no namely Baghdad, Mosul and Basra. world. less than 13 sovereign countries At that time. Kuwait was only Oil in the Middle East 1s mostly tn the Thud World . In 1982, the a small town in the provmce of under the control of a few ruling World Court found the US guilty Basra under the control of the families. According to World Bank, of mining Nicaraguan ports and al-Sabah family who were vassals l/5 of Arabs are considered considered tt as a violation of of the Ottoman empire. e.Jttremely poor having an annual international law. More recently, After the war, the Ottoman income of S275, and 1/3 are US bombed Libya and mvaded empire disintegrated and was taken categorised as poor w1th annual Grenada and Panama. over up by the British and French. income below $370. For the US, Given the magnttude of the US •The Brilish took over Palestine, any attempt to increase oil prices military buildup in the Gulf and Jordan and Iraq. A leader of the is an act against US mterests and its past records of invasions of Hashemite family was instaUed by therefore considered as "hostile". and interferences in Third World the Bntish as the king of Iraq. As Attempts by the Organisation countries. Jt is likely that the in every other case of the colonial of Oil Exporting Countries (OPEC) situation in the Gulf will lead to empire, the British executed their to increase oil prices have been a full scale war. divide and rule policy and created consistently undermined by the It is mdeed hypocritical for the region around KuwaJt as a US and the West. US has been the US to come to the aid of separate state with the al-Sabah using its client states in the Middle Kuwait while it remains silent family installed as absolute rulers. East such as KuwaJt and the Uruted about Israel's invasion and occu· Both the rulers of Iraq and Arab Emirates (UAE) to exceed pation of the West Bank, Gaza Kuwait were puppets of the British. the quota set by OPEC thus flood· Strip, Golan Heights, Lebanon and Iraq was granted independence in ing the market and pulling oil its bombing of Tyre, Sidon and 1932. Kuwrut however remained prices down. West Beirut, which wounded and · as a British protectorate and The struggle of the Third World killed hundreds of civilians. became independent m 1961. In in getting better terms of trade Instead of economic sanctions, that year. the Iraqis who always with the West is of course not Israel received increasing :unount considered Kuwait as part of limited to such natural resources of US aid. At present, Israel is Iraq, attempted to annex Kuwait like oil. The Third World generally receiving $4 billion a year from but was forced to withdraw when depends on the export of its natural the US. $400 million of US aid British troops mtervened. resources for foreign ear01ngs. goes to help settle Jews from the The monarchy of Iraq was While the Third World mJght pay Soviet Union in Israel's occupied overthrown irl a popular revolution SlO,OOO for an American tractor territories therefore legitimising in 1958. Power was setZed by a 20 years ago and pays $50,000 Israel's territorial expansion. group of army officers led by for the same machine today. the ln additton, the US had con· Colonel Qasstm. In 1963, the Third World is getting less and sistently vetoed aU attempts by Baathists organised a coup against less for rts raw resources it sells the Security Council to condemn Qassim but themselves were ousted to the industnalized world. For Israel for ignoring United Nations' a few months later. However, example, the Arabs today are demands that it withdraw from the Baathists returned in 1968 receiving only 12~ 15% of what Lebanon. in another coup which gave rise they received for oil in the 70s. This double standard was again to power of Saddam Hussein. The presence of US military observed by the US in regard to Saddam Hussein, fearing the forces m the Gulf 1S not to defend the Palestinian intifada in which spread of the 1979 Iranian revo· democracy for both Kuwait and the Israeli military killed over lution, invaded Iran backed by Saudi ArablB are hardly models 700 Palestinians including some other conservative regimes such as of democracy. • They are there 160 children. The UN resolution Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and to protect the interests of the calling for international observers Jordan. During the war. Iraq industrialised world in ensuring to investigate the situation in the received billions of dollars from that cheap oil will continue to flow occupied terntories was vetoed by these states especially Kuwait. to the West. the US. When the war was over, Kuwait •j refused to write off Iraqi debts. It provoked the Iraqis further by STATEMENT ON THE GULF CRISIS exceeding the OPEC quotas thus ASA rejecu the uJC of military force a means to resolve driving down the oil prices. This .s the praent confUct in the Middle East. We caJJ for restraint prompted Saddarn Hussein to revive from aU parties involved. the old nationalist claim that led We believe that the Iraq-Kuwait confl.ict is an internal affair to the annexation of Kuwait. of the Anb world and shouJd be resolved by the Arabs them WHOSE INTERESTS? selves, free from any foreign intervention. We appeal to all parties to respect the right of nations to self-det~nnination. The US military buildup in Therefore, we condemn the United States in engineerin& the the Gulf is increasmg the tension miitary bWidup in the Gulf region, and the extravagant in the region thus escalating the military expenditure in the buildup. Arab cnsis, which could easily ·ASA calls for a peaceful settlement in the Gulf through lead to an all out war. Therefore, negotiation. Further, we reject the need of United States, for any peace initiative to work Australia or any other foreign miJitary power to intervene in in solving the Gulf crisis there the internal affairs of the Anb world. Therefore. we demand must be ftrst and forewost, the the an mediate withdrawal of foreign military forces and instaJ withdrawal of US forces from the Iatioos from the Middle East. Middle East. We must condemn We also oppose the United Nations Security Council's the military buildup and demand resolution in approving the enforcement of the economic the withdrawal of US forces from blockade apinst Iraq. In order to avoid a devastating war, we the reg:~on . call for an immediate lifting of military blockade by foreign The PlO, Sov1et Uruon and powers. Jordan, have been wodcmg hard In addition, we are appalled with news of violence against to produce a negotiated solution civilians in Kuwait. We condemn especially the ~Jeual violence while the US has been preoccup1ed displayed by Iraqi and Kuwaiti soldien in raping and abusing with moVing guns and tanks into women, many of whom are Asian migrant workers, during the the Gulf region. The PLO has conflict. We appeal to the Iraqi government for the protection proposed the replacement of US and safety,ofaU foreigners both in Iraq and Kuwait. troops m Saudt Arabia with an However, we note that Western governments and media Arab joint military force, Iraqi have Jiven an unequal weight to the plight of westerners withdrawal from Kuwait and inter caught in the midst of the conflict while on the other hand, nationally rupernsed elections m thousands of non-westerners who have experienced great hard Kuwait. US has quickly dismissed ship and deAths were ignored. this peace proposal. Lastly. we believe that there will only be peace in the The peaceful resolution of Middle East if the Palestinian question is resolved. We the present Gulf crisis must be condemn the hypocrisy of the Western powers in rushing to addressed lD the context of the the aid of its client state, Kuwait. whiJe not responding Arab and the Tlurd World. The likewiK to the occupation of Palestine by Israel. We view this western intervenuon is not about as another example of western imperialism "ith western defending justice and democracy countries intervening in the affairs of Third World countries but is about the continual control whenever it suits them and when their interests are threatened. of the West over the resources of the Third World. EXECUTIVE COUNCIL Therefore. the US and tts ASIA-PACIFIC STUDENTS ASSOCIATION (ASA) western allies cannot have anything to do with the peace process since they have their own interests in the Middle East to protect. One thing IS clear. The West is not in Footnote: 25% in Saudi Arabia. These migrant the Gulf to fight for the interests workers are [rom India, Pakistan, of the Th.ird World , but to advance • Saudi Arabia, like Kuwait , is Sri lAnka and tire Philippines as its own interests. a repressive dictatorship. There is well as Egyptians, Jordanians, Hence. Third World organisa no legal opposition, no elected Yemenis, Lebanes.e, Palestinians tions like the Arab League, the parliament, no political parties, and Syrians. While they form Non-Aligned Movement and the no unions and no election. The the bulk of the population, these Orgartisatlon of Islamic Countries king rules by decree and has almost migrant workers are very badly must be g1ven the opportunity. absolute power. treated. In addition, both Kuwait and without any interference from the From: ASA News No 3, 1990. West, to ftnd a peaceful resolution Saudi Arabia /t(llle a huge migrant - A PubUcatJon of the Ana-Pa cific to the Gulf crisis 0 workforce; 87% in Kuwait and Students Auociation. 39 GULF CRISIS EXPOSING US MOTIVES A third world view by Steven Gan "We. tile free world, cannot both US allies, were persuaded afford to have anyone domi to provide aid to Iraq to help nate the Gulf oil producers, fund tts 8 year war with Iran. US also supponed the military be it the So!•iers that we coup in Turkey and its bases used to worrJ about, or the there were upgraded. Iranians that we worried about 1981 a few years ago or 110\V the Iraqis" Israel bombed Iraqi nuclear reactor with the approval from STANSFIELD TURNER the US. CIA Director 1977~1 1982 lnternationel Hereld Tribune, AuJIUit 13, 1990 Israel invaded Lebanon and US marines were despatched there to help Israel m expelling the raq invaded Kuwait onAugust2. Palestine Uberation Organisation Stx days later United States (PLO) from Lebanon. US also I umlaterally began landing brought home to lhe US how vetoed sanctions agamst Israel for troops in Saudi Arabia on the dependent 1t was on oil from the the mvasion of Lebanon in the pretext of defending it from the Middle East and reinforced m UN's Security Council. lraq1s. need to ensure that there would 1986 By the end of August, the US be! an uninterrupted supply of US bombed Ub}a killing 100 had 22 warsh1ps in the Gulf and cheap oil. To do that. the US civilians on the pretext that Ubya the Red Sea including 3 rurcraft found it necessary to mtervene. was suppomng terrorist groups carriers. 200 warplanes in Saudi and whenever necessary. in the which operated m West Germany. Arabia with 180 on the aircraft affairs of Mtddle Eastern countries It was uncovered later that it was camers, 14 P-Ill bombers sta Indeed. the recent US involve Syna and not Ubya which was uoned in US bases 111 Turke}', mt!nt in Gulf is the latest m a long backing these groups. 50 B-5 2 bombers in US bases series of intervention since the 1987 m Diego Garcia, and 200,000 1950s. The following are some of Warships of US and its western the major anvolvement of the US ground troops. lt was the largest allies entered the Persian Gulf in Arab affairs. US military deployment since to ensure the contmual flow of Vietnam. 1953 oil after lran threatened to stop On August 31. Prestdent Bush In Iran. the nauonalist govern all supply. A US warship was proclaimed that the US "will stay ment took over the oil industry. •·exoceted" by Iraq. US retaliated as long as it takes". There was no The CIA helped engmeer a success not ag3ll1St Iraq. but Iran. longer any pretence that the US ful coup and the Shah of Iran was 1988 \\as t:ngaged m an operatton to remstalled. protec.;t Saudt Arabia from "immi US warstup shot down an nent threat'' as clauned by Bush. 1967 Iraruan commercial plane killing The bulk oi the evtdence pomted Israel occupied the Palesunian ::!90 civilians The commander of tO\\ ards the fact that the US Gaza Stnp, the Jordanian West the shtp was awarded the Legion is mobilismg for an offerutve Bru1k. the Syrian Golan Hetghts, of Merit for "exceptionally meri war and for a permanent presence the Egyptian Sinai and Masjid al torious conduct". m the Mtddle East Aqsa m East Jerusalem with the In 1973. Arab countries imposed tacit support of the US. US CONTROLUNG THIRD an oll embargo against the US for increased its military atd to Israel WORLD RESOURCES ltS milnary support of Israel Half 1980 Tn l 980, after the hated pro of l S oil con~umption is imported, Iraq invaded Iran with the US US Shah of Iran was overthrown 27 of wluch comes from the supplying Iraq with military intelli m the Iranian revolution, President Middle East The oil embargo gence. Saudi Arabia and Kuwait Carter declared 1hat US military cnHWJI!i'd on f'OI!.l' 38 \GRAPHIC PRFSS SL>:-1 I:IHIJ, Lot 14, Jalau I, Ka\\as:m Pc:rusahaan, C'h~ras Jaya, liJ.Iakon[.• llatu II, 43.!UU I Chsan. Pubhshcd b)' AI IRAN KI·SJ.:DARAN Nl!GARA. P 0 Box 1049. 10830 l'cnang Otltce Phone 04.871608