The Maika-Telekom shares investigation: UNANSWERED QUESTIONS
ACA Director-General Zulkifti Mahmood Samy Vellu
The 17-month investigation into the Maika-Telekom shares scandal by the A CA concluded with its Director-General Zulkifli Mahmood clearing Samy Vellu of any \vrong-doing but unfortunately without clearing the doubts in the minds of the Malaysians.
If anything, his statement had not only raised many questions connected with the Maika scandal, it had apparently undermined the credibility of the ACA as an independent organisation dedicated to fighting corruption, writes ANILNETTO.
A/iran Monthly 1993:13 (10) Page 2 IC President Samy Vellu appeared to be absolutely "Far from clearing Samy Vellu, it has Mdelighted with the recent six-paragraph statement from lhe instead raised fresh concern about Anti-Corruption Agency on August the independence of the ACA itselr' 26clearing him of any irregularity in the Maika-Telek.om shares con- troversy. But the verdict was hardly Did aU lhe money go toTAFE Col Were similar aUocations made to convincing. Indeed, it left many lege or was some of it diverted else RM2 shell companies linked to other questions unanswered and even un whe.-e? Barisan component parties. dennined the credibility of lhe ACA Perhaps the most serious flaw in What are lhe controls in place to as an independent organisation dedi the ACA report was its failure to ensure that the funds from lhe even cated to fighting corruption. address the whole basis of special tual sales of these shares are used for The ACA investigation, which allocations of shares every time the benefit of the underpriviliged lasted 17 months, appeared to be very lhorough. Samy Vellu and olhers were grilled at lenglh on a few occasions and the flam boyant Minister was even asked to declare his assets. Unfortunately, the declara tion was never made public. A detailed disclosure of Samy VeUu's many assets would have certainly been of great interest to the public. The ACA statement pointed out that Maika had rejected the 10 million share aUocation ~ause it was financially incapable of coming up wilh the neces sary financing. However, Maika investors being manhandled... this directly contradicted Mailca Managing Director and not misappropriated by those in positions of powet1 ''A detailed disclosure of Samy These are the crucial, un answered questions which make the Vellu's many assets would have ACA report seem almost farcical. Far from clearing Samy VeUu, it has certainly been ofgreat interest to the instead raised fresh concern about public'~ the independence of the ACA itself. It has done nothing to boost the con Rama Iyer's public statement that there is a privatisation project. fidence of the public in lhe ACA. The conlroversy surrounding the Maika had already obtained a RM50 What criteria are used to select million loan facility to buy lhe the companies for special allocations Maika-Telek.om shares scandal ap shares. of shares? pears to be far from over. Even the The ACA confumed lhat most-of Who makes the final •decision ACA itc;elf seems to be having the money was channelled to lhe and approves such allocations? second thoughts and has resumed the party's education arm, lhe MlED. How is it possible that RM2 shell investigation in earnest, but this time But it failed to explain in detail how companies could be entitled to three by going after various small fries the funds were used by the "MIED. million shares each? linked to lhe Mailca episode. •
A/iran Monthly 1993:13 (10) Page 3 The Maika-Telekom Shares Scandal: An .Unbelievable Cover-up!
itlt is nothing but a shield to protect • The Treaswy offered 10 mil Parliamentary Opposition corruption, breach of trust, abuse of lion Telekom shares to Maika leader, LIM KIT SIANG had power and unethical practices in in a letter dated 27 September reacted with disbelief, outrage high political places. The ACA 1990. The Mlnaging Director and disgust over the ACA should more appropriately change of Maika. G K Rama Iyer in findings which cleared Samy its name to Anti Small- Corruption formed Samy Vellu in a letter Vellu. According to Lim IGt Bureau. dated 28 September 1990 that I am greatly demoralised and dis Siang it is one of the greatest since Maika's financial posi couraged becau~ Zulkifli has failed tion was tight, it would only be oover-ups of fmancial to back his finding with facts and able to take up one million sandals in Malaysian history. figures, dates and a chronology of shares. events after 17 months of investiga • Samy veuu informed the tion. It is one of the greatest cover Treaswy, which withdrew the read the short six -pam graph press ups of financial scandals in offer. statement by Anti-Corruption Malaysian history. • In letters dated 6 October IAgency (ACA) Director General is Such data central and basic to 1990, the Treaswy instead of ZuJkifli Mahmood clearing MJC the bUth about the scandal which fered the 10 million shares to President Samy Vellu and all others defmuded 66,(XX) Maika the following parties: in the RMlOO million Maika shareholders. My suspension from Telekom shares scandal again and Parliament at the height of my ex Maika 1 miJiio11 again, each time with increasing dis pose of the scandal can now be seen Clearway Sdo belief, outrage and disgust. It has in its correct per.;pective. Bhd 3 miJJioll failed to give a convincing case for S 8 Manage- the clearing of Samy Vellu. DOUBTFUL 'FACTS' ment Services I have totally lost confidence in Sdn Bbd 3 miJiio11 The following 'facts' ~ losed the Anti-Corruption Agency in the by the ACA are open to challenge: Advance Per- fight against corruption. It has lost all sonal Com- • The Government decided to credibility and respect If the ACA puters Bhd 3 miJiio11 allocate 10 million shares to were to conduct a swvey today, it TOTAL 10 tnillioll would fmd that over 90 percent of the MIC for the Indian com Malaysians have lost confidence in munity.
"/have totally lost confidence in the Anti- Corruption Agency in the fight against ·corruption" -um Kit Siang
Jtlirtm MonJialy 1993:13 (10) Pt~ge 4 • 1lle offer was made without lion that if the share price fell below the consultants and to reim any condition as to how the RM7.50 upon listing, the borrowers burse the cost of construction shares were to be utilised would have to top up the balance, of TAFE College. This otherwise the financier would sell probably refers to the Maika not MIC off the shares to recover the loan. RM2.318 million profit But On 12 November 1992, Par It is apparent that Sarny Vellu why were the proceeds in liamentary Secretary to the Prime lied at his 'tell-all' press conference 'casb' and not by cheque as Minister's Department Othman when he said that the total profit of is the normal practice? Abdul reiterated that the 10 million RM7.168 million from the eventual • S B Management sold off all Telekom shares were given through sale of 8.92 millioo Telekom shares three million shares. by the three companies had been Maika Holdings. 1lle Maika Board • APC di~-posed only part of as well as Rama Iyer himself channelled to the MIED in three their shares. Part of the instalments of RM2.318 million publicly denied that Maika had p~eeds of the sale were used rejected the 10 million shares alloca (November 19~). RMIOO,
.AIJran Monthly 1993:13 (10) Pog1 S Telekom sbares wbicbever 6'Did the ACA interview Finance Minister Anwar way you look at it. Since Anwar bad categorically Ibrahim, Ghani and Othman - who had taken a denied aUotting any Tenaga common stand throughout 1992 that the shares shares to the MIC, the three million Tenaga shares must were not given to the MIC but to Maika - before bave been purchased on the rejecting their version of the events?" open market at a cost or RM25 million (it was listed sell them off as otherwise, all three family assets of Samy Vellu are at RM8.SO on 29 May 1992). companies would go bankrupt." worth RMIO million, RMlOO mil This rar exceeded the total In reality, the Telekom counter lion or RMl billion and how he profit rrom the sale or the had never fallen to RM5.30. Aftec amassed such wealth and assets. Telekom shares amounting once falling to RM5.85 on the day of When I flfSt exposed the Maika to only RM 7.168 milion. listing on 7 November, it had kept scandal, Samy Vellu protested by In any case the claim by the ACA rising for the rest of November and asking why I didn't ask how many that Tenaga shares had been pur from 13 December 1990 went over shares were allocated to other chased using the proceeds of the sale RM7 per share. Barisan parties. of Telekom shares destroyed Samy These examples illustrate why This outburst is significant Vellu's claim that "every single sen the ACA statement clearing Samy Samy Vellu seems to be implying of that money had been spent by the Vellu is completely unacceptable. that the Maika scandal is only 'small party's education ann, the MIED, on Recently, the Attorney General fry' compared to other bigger !all· T AFE College." seemed to be passing the buck dais involving other Barisan parties. It is also very interesting to note saying that it was up to Zulkifli to Is this the reason wby the ACA that Samy Vellu never mentioned decide whether there was a case for and the government covered-up anything about the purchase of prosecution. This is against the law, the scandal? Tenaga shares at his 'tell-all' press as it is clearly provided under Sec This could also explain why the conference. If he really did buy the tion 26 of the Prevention of Conup A-G failed to prosecute MIC leaders three million Tenaga shares out of tion Act 1961 that "a prosecution for assault and violence against the proceeds of the 10 million under the Act shall not be instituted Maika shareholders and others in Telekom shares. then this amounts to except by or with the consent of the connection with their protest over a criminal breach of trust because, as Public Prosecutor (who is the A-G the scandal. Samy Vellu had disclosed at his himself)." Malaysia today stands in sharp press conference, the three com Actually, A-G Abu Talib has a contrast to the other (~-growing panies- namely APC, S B Manage deplorable record in upholding the economies in the East Asian region. ment and Clcarway - "had promised law by prosecuting top officials in In countries like South Korea, that the entire net proceeds out of the volved in other scandals as Taiwan, Japan and China. there are sale of the shares would be donated evidenced by his failure to act in the high-level campaigns to root out cor to T AFE College. RM2.5 billion BMF scandal and the ruption and money politics. It is the Vijandran videotape scandal. top political leadership and the DEPLORABLE regulatory agencies which are set WHITE PAPER ting the pace. RECORD The fall of the Liberal Zulkifli's failure to provide facts NEEDED Democratic Party government in and figures was obvious. The dis Dr Mahathir should present a Japan despite its incredible crepancies and contradictions with White Paper in Parliament to give a economic success should be an eye Samy Vellu's statement would have full report on the scandal. The White opener. It should serve as a wamiJ)g become all too glaring. Such omis Paper should make public the full to those who argue that graft and sions amount to a cover-up. extent of the family assets declared corruption are acceptable to Asians These were not the only lies from by Samy Vellu and other top MIC because they are necessary evils and Samy VeUu at his press conference. leaders. unavoidable "lubricants" to grease Another lie was his claim that the Has Samy Vellu been able to the palms of political leaders and price of Telekom shares following account for all the wealth and civil servants if an economy wants to the listing of the counter "went down properties which he had declared? graduate into the ranks of the 'LiUle and down from RM6 to RM5.30, so Ir so, why hasn't the ACA made a Dragons.' • we were panicking. We consulted ruu public disclosure? Let the professional advice and decided to Malaysian public know whether the
A/iran Monthly 1993:13 (10) Pog1 6 What Others Say
had been a mistake and he would had a poor trnck record in its invest check with the ministry officials on ments. • Is Samy Vellu how many shares were really offered But what was the record for the Really to Maika. 3 companies that together took up Even before the MOF realised the 9 million Telekorn shares under Innocent? there had been a "mistake" in send instruction from MIC? Two of these ing out the letter offering Maika 10 companies were in fact shell com he Anti-Corruption Agency million Telek.om shares Samy Vellu panics with paid-up capital of RM2 (ACA) have stated they fmd somehow already lcnew there was a each. Tthe MIC leader, Datuk Seri "mistake". Subsequently, MOF offi Is it pure coincidence that the Sarny Vellu, innocent of any cials "clarified" Maika was only leader of the opposition, Lim Kit criminal wrong- doing relating to the being offered 1 million Telekom Siang found letter-heads and busi allocation of Telekom shares to shares. ness cards that showed Samy VeUu 's Maika Holdings. Samy VeUu, who What was not clarified was how son as a director of one of the com has consistently maintained his in the mistake arose and on what panies? Samy Vellu, of course, nocence, but not been consistent grounds the MOF agreed to allocate claimed these items were fakes. about very much else, would thus 9 million shares to 3 other obscure appear to have been vindicated. companies supposedly representing Dubious dealings Sarny VeUu has certainly not the interests of the Indian com Of the 3 companies that equally been consistent about who the 10 munity while Maika itself only received the 9 million Telekorn million Telekom shares were sup received one million shares. shares in October 1990, Clearway posed to go to. FlfSt he said they were Sdn Bhd, sold its 3 million shares to be allocated to Maika, the invest Maika shortchanged within a month for a net profit ofRM ment arm of MIC; but since Maika 2.3 million. did not have the fmances, the shares Samy VeUu has not been consis The other two companies, Ad were allocated to other parties repre tent in his public statements on vance Personal Computers (APC) senting Indian interests. Then, it was whether the full amount was initially and SB Management Sdn Bhd made public that Maika in fact had offered to Maika. Neither has the (SBM) which together received 6 arranged a loan that would have al leader of the Indian party in the million Telekom shares, sold 5.5 lowed it to take up the full 10 million Barisan been consistent about why million shares also in early Novem Telekom shares. Following this. Maika was not to be offered the full ber 1990 for a RM2.1 million profit Sarny Vellu changed his tune. The 10 million shares. With this profit, they bought 3 mil 10 million shares were not being of lion Renong shares. The remaining fered to Maika but to MIC, he now half a million Telekom shares were said. And MIC it seems, allocated " ...not allowing Maika sold only in March-April 1992, just only one million Telckom shares for to get the full about the time the Maika controver Ma.iJca and the rest were for other sy became public. companies that would make profits allocation of Telekom The companies supposedly were to be channelled to the MlC educa shares, ' and thus to make profits from Telelcom shares tional institution, Tafc College. undermining Maika's (which was a pretty sure thing given profits, is a criminal that it was an initial notation) to be MOF leUer channelled to Tafe. It is hard then to A letter was issued by the Minis breach of trust." fathom why APC and SBM used the try of Finance (MOF) offering money from selling the Tclekom Ma.iJca 10 million Telekom shares in FlfSt he said Maika could not shares to buy shares in Renong. the flObtion of the utility company. afford the shares. When Tan Sri Why did the profits not go Soon after getting this letter, Maika Rarna Iyer produced the letter from straight to Tafe? Why were the funds Chief Executive Officer, Tan Sri Arab-Malaysian Merchant Bank of instead put in Renong shares which Rama lyer, rang up Sarny Vellu to fering Maika a loan to take up the full appear not to have been sold until infonn him of the allocation. 10 million shares. Sarny changed his 1992? Curiously, Sarny VeUu immedi tune and said the shares were not Hod these companies become ately told Tan Sri Rama Iyer there being offered to Maika because it the investment arm of Tafe? Who
Aliran Monthly 1993:13 (10) Page 7 CLEARWAY SON BHO wrong-doing on the part of Samy VeUu? Given his high Ocl9, 1990 bought 3 million TelekOm shaJ9s 15,000,000.00 fVl position in government and Nov7, 1990 sold 3 miHion Telekom shares at 5.95 fVteadl 17,850,000.00 lgt allegedly close links to the l..Ms Expenses: Prime Minister, many would jump to the conclusion that ~ 178,500.00 'Vt the ACA investigation was a SIMipl,ele 17,852.00 tVt cover-up. s.MCeteelt 1% • 150,000.00 fVl It is hard for the intel- ligent public to reconcile the Spldng&~ 25 00 1 c::hlwVM · 'V conclusionoftheagencywith what is known from press "*'-t charges 186,819.27 rgt reports. Plima facie, not al- 531,9G6.27 ~gt lowing Maika to get the full Nett profit 2,31 8• 003 . 73 rg t allocation ofTelekom shares. and thus undermining APC & SB MANAGEMENT SON BHO Maika's profits, is a criminal breach of trust Ocl9, 1990 bought6 million Telekom shanK 30 000 000 00 ' ' fVl Shareholders of Maika Nov8, 19QO sold 5.5 million T~ lhara. 32,637.000.00 fVt had put their faith in Samy Leu~ 899,234.00 ~gt Vellu and money in Maika. ,.,.., Many had borrowed as much Protit 2,1 00·'-·00 fVl as they could in order to buy Nov 15, 1990 bought 3 million Renong shares (part payment) 1,851,656.00 fVl Maika shares. Then it Len Expenses: transpired that Samy Vellu Admin charges 34,156.00 fVI had nominated 3 other com panies to get the bulk of Splitting & other charges 1 955 00 •' ' fVI Telekom shares- taking away (9,110.00 fVt from Maika RM 120m in Nett profit 100.000.00 fVl profit if it had just held on 10 The remaining 500,000 TelekOm shares went transact8d as fdlows:- the extra 9 million shares up to today. Marc:h/Apil1~2 sold (20,000 Telelulm shales How could the ACA say Nett profit 4,750,000.00 ~gt there was nothing wrong in Balance of Telekom sharM in hand: 80,000(witl APC) diverting profits from Maika to obscure companies with no TOTAL CONTRIBUTION TO TAFE COLLEGE TO DATE 7 168 003 73 • • · rgt established record? What Sourct: Malaysian Busi.Mss/June 1-15,1992 were the facts that supported the ACA conclusion? Without going through all the would underwrite the losses of this would go to Tafe? Is it pure coin facts discovered by the ACA it is not further investment? In fact the cidence that these shares were sold easy to see how it reached its con Renong shares purchased in Novem just about the time that the public clusion. ber 1990 had gradually fallen in were becoming aware that Maika If the report remains only for the value and by the middle or 1992 failed to receive the 10 million eyes of the selected few, the were only about half their cost. If Telckom shares it was supposed to credibility of the ACA will be af. there had been profits £rom the have been allocated? fccted. The agency mll'>t make Renong investment, who would public the reasons for its conclusion, have benefited? Puzzling ACA decision or risk: its acronym (ACA) being APC and SBM held on to 0.5 For those who have been follow widely perceived as standing for million of the Telekom shares ing the Maika-Telekom issue, there sometJ1ing qu1te the opposite. received in October 1990 and only is now a new puzzle. How, in spite sold these in 1992. Ram of all these coincidences and Bank OffiCer Why were the shares held for so curiosities, could an investigative long? Was there any guar.mtce that body like the ACA come to the con when the shares were sold the profits clusion that there had been no
Alirt111 MonJhly199J:lJ (10) Page8 ACA has never investigated this? mation for the ACA ... books were Everybody expected the ACA to written about it and so many inter do a proper job. We thought that they views conducted. The explanation were doing a good job - with all the by the ACA just doesn't stick. hours that were spent in interrogat I suspect it may have something ing. Howeveralotofthingshavestill to do with persons higher up and not been pinpointed. The ACA has bigger than Samy Vellu. In my view, not done a proper job. They seem to Samy Vellu has been around long be only interested in the dollars and enough and could possibly drag cents aspect of the various transac others down with him. In this par tions - it is not difficult to balance ticular issue, I strongly suspect that AG Abu Telib: No reuon to accounts - figW'CS can be balanced - the Ministry of Finance may be im proaecute? this is not difficult at all. They have plicated. not examined the procedures in We have a situation where RM volved. 10 million worth of Telekom shares • SOMEBODY IS What is going to happen if every were offered to Maika and the next BLUFFING politician acl<; in this way - just thing we knew was that a large part taking care of themselves and not of it had been diverted to three com im Kit Siang said that the caring for the public. What are the panies, one of which allegedly had ACA is the Accept and Allow ACA •sown rules - in coming to such Samy Vellu's son as its director. LCorruption Agency and I a decision, was a proper investiga Two of them, we know, were RM 2 agree with him. If there is no case - tion carried out? companies. then there would have been no If the money had gone to Maika And two directors in two of the reason for Zulklfly to submit a report all the shareholders would have companies were also on the board of to the AG. There must have been gained. Each shareholder would Maika Holdings. Moreover, it was some reason to prosecute! have benefited and this would have later revealed that Maika had All along Samy Vcllu has said increased the buying power of the managed to secure fmancing to pur that the shares were given to the MIC Indian community. chase the shares ... so why did the but Anwar Ibrahim has said that the Now that it has been given to Mini1.1ry go ahead in diverting tf.le shares were given to Maika- he has Tafe- nobody benefits. Many mem funds? said that shares are not given to bers of Maika took loans to buy The question here then would be political parties. ACA's final report shares - loans from banks like CCB how the Fmance Ministry could ap states that the shares were given to or UAB - they have not received prove so much shares to private MlC - somebody is bluffing. dividends from such investments ex firms with such vested interests. It is We just don't know how the cept for only once all these past 8 clearly a case of conflict of interest ACA went through the whole matter years. They are paying interests to and surely one that could presumab and came to such a decision. the banks and in actual fact are be ly implicate the Finance Minister coming poorer mther than richer by given the way the Ministry seems to S Arulc helvan investing in Maika. go hand-in-hand with the whole Social worker Poor people are suffering - the thing. question of why the shares did not go I don't think the Minister would to Maika has still not been clarified. want any controversy ofsuch dimen • NOT sions in his way at this moment in DIFFICULT TO Raj time ... one that would make him A disastisfied/disgruntted look bad, now that he is contesting BALANCE worker the UMNO deputy president's post The whole thing shows very ACCOUNTS badly on the ACA and this must be n terms of corruption - what has • SMELLSOFA questioned with all seriousness. What is the use of an anti- corruption ~appened is indeed corruption. It COVER-UP agency that only goes for small fry IIS a case of favouritism. What was supposed to go to the shareholders he whole tl1ing smells of a and which is afraid of the sharks? has not gone there. According to the cover-up which leads all the Dr Mohd Nasir Hashim Ministry of Finance the shares were Tway up to the top. It is not as Human Rights Activist and given to Maika. Why is it that the though there was not enough infor- Academician
A/iran MonJh/y 1993:13 (10) Page 9 Maika, a largely inconsequential or conspiracy that involves the top ganisation, can be offered RM 10 political leadership? • • NOT million in Telekom shares, certain Wee Choo Keong other parties and political per SURPRISED! Lawyer and MP for Bukit sonalities would possibly have been Bin tang_ have ceased to be swprised at offered five or even 10 times more. what the ACA does or says. Can we be blamed for suspecting a IWhatever independence they may have enjoyed in the early years Announcement of their formation has been eroded by the tymnny of the executive to virtually nothing. The Samy VeUu Maika issue is just another case WE HAVE MOVED proving how controlled the ACA is Wath eiTcrt from Sept I. 1993. our office address is II. Lin tang Pantai by the powers-that-be. Not so long Jcrjak 2. Century Garden. Batu Uban, I 1700 Pulau Pinang. ago, the ACA investigated the case However. our postal address and telephone/fax nurnhcr remain un of a Minister who paid RM lOO,
BELIEVE? OON CHEE KOON (MAR-244) he ACA is equipped with up 4 JALAN PERAK to-date facilities, trained per CANNING ESTATE Tsonnel, money. It took 17 31400 IPOH months to investigate this maller. It PERAK (EXP: V14/03) made Samy Vellu and members of his family declare their assets. It JAINUDDIN MALIK (M2812) spent hundreds of hours interview SABAH STATE ARCHIVES ing people connected to the issue. KM4, PENAMPANG ROAD 88300 KOTA KINABALU (EXP.V13/08) And what do we get in the end? A six-paragraph statement from the ACA director-general that all is well with Maika and Samy Vellu. ARE YOU WAITING FOR THE Arc we expected to believe that? The ACA is perceived as being in ALIRAN MONTHLY? competent and utterly useless or part If you arc. it's underst~md:.tble. You have sent your postal order for t.11e of a huge conspiracy to cover up this Aliran Monthly hut you had not given us your name and aJllres.'>. Mai.ka-Telekom shares scandal. Kindly gave us your particulars. quoting t.11e PO numbers 111 order to Such a conclusion by the ACA does estahlish the farl t.J~;at you arc t.11e subscrihcr. not require 17 months of investiga tion ... maybe 17 days would be less shocking for us considering the amount of public expenses incurred. Many people believe that if
Alirrln Monthly 1993:/J (10) Page 10 MAIKAALLOTIED 10 MILLION SHARES Excerpts from the Managing Director of Maika • Hold1ngs Sdn Bhd Tan Sri G K RAMA IYER's statement on May 16, 1992.
"On 4 October 1990, A.MMBB advised Maika to contact Cik Munirnb of the Finance Division of the Ministry ofFmance regarding the special a1localion of STMB shares to Maika. The MD, on 4 Odober 1990, thereupon contJCted her by telephone and was wid that M:Pb had been allotted 10 million shares and that she had with her, a letter addressed to Maika to thateffecL The MD immediately sent a senior off&eer from Maika to collect that Jetu::r of allocation. The letter which was da&ed '1:1 September 1990, was thus G K Ramalyer received by Maika on 4 October. In view of the offer of lO million shares, the MD of Maika wrote to the MD of AMMBB, Dato Malek Merican, on 4 October, to raise a loan of $50 million to flllWlCC the share allocation in full. The MD was only able to contact Dato Scri Samy VcUu by phone at 6.10 am on .5 October 1990. The MD told him of the offer of the 10 million STMB shares to Maika and the probability of obtaining fuU loan financing, and that MU.k.a intended to take up the offer. Dato Seri Samy Vellu replied that there must have been a mistalce. The offer to Maika should be for only l million shares and not 10 million. According to Dato Scri Samy Vcllu, the remaining 9 million shares were for aUocatioo to "other MIC Bodies". Further, Dato Seri Samy Vellu stated that he would contact the Ministry ofFUWlCe to clarify ~position. On 6 October 1990, Maika received a letter dated S October. from AMMBB, on the offer of $50 million to fmance the purchase of the 10 million STMB shares. On 6 October 1990, Cik Munirah of the Ministry of Finance telephoned to MD of Maika to inform him that the allocation to Maika was 1 million and notlO million shareS. She refused to give any reason for the rctraction. She stated that she would be sending a fresh letter of offer for the I million shares. The letter dated 6 October 1990 cancelled the first allotment of I0 million shares and instead allotted only 1 million shares." I STAND BY EVERYTHING I HAVE SAID "I made a clear statement al the earliest possible opportunity when it became obvious that I had to clarify matters, especially my role in them. Al that stage, I gave a full and uue factual account supported by all the pertinent documents. Al no stage since lhen have I found it necessary to retract from. correct. add to. 01" fwthet sustuttiale my accooot of the matters. I. stand by everything that I have said. Hence the q~on of my resignation does not arise." (Tun Sri Raffllllyer on Dutuk Samy Vdlu' s ~turemtnlthat hit (Samy) had been exom~rated by the ACA and the Prime Minister and thus Tan Sri Ramo lyer should resign. Released to Bernama on 7 Dec 1992.)
Aliran Monthly 1993:13 (10) Page 11 Nesa Pelbagai Sdn LETTERS Bhd
Many Indians who bought shares in Nesa would like to know what is happening with Nesa? Samy VeUu had settled the mat ters of Maika Holdings and other matters; why is he keeping quiet about Nesa? Many Indian Malaysians had bought shares in Nesa but for too long they had not received dividends nor could they sell their shares to redeem their money. Why? Suddenly, everything has gone "New Version of and that of the present. It is a quiet; why? Who had taken big living historical relic of our nation loans from Nesa'l Who didn't 'Negara Ku'- an Utter at its formation and as such war repay the loans? When will the Disappointment rants preservation in its original shareholders get their money? We form. would like our Prime Minister, Dr It was with a feeling of "Oh Those responsible for this Mahathir to look into this matter no" when I first heard that there change have in one fell swoop to help the poor Indian Malaysians was to be a change in the rendition removed all that. The new ver get their money for the shares they of the national anthem. Now how sion? Stand to it - yes. Stand it - hold. could anything that was already no! A Shareholder grand, dignified and solemn and as RKJoseph Prai such supremely qualified to be the PonJian,Johor nation's anthem be improved upon? The rationale for the change "Desert Fox" Should that its tempo be speeded up to Shame on You, Read More Aliran reflect the country's dyn:unic progress - is nonsense. It is akin to Malaysians Monthly arguing that sprinters must hence forth sing only in fast tempo! What a sick society we have. I refer to the letter to you by When Anita Sarawak kissed a dog, The new version is fast for the "Desert Fox", Petaling Jaya in sake of being so and certainly lack many people could not sit still. your latest issue 199J: 13(7) page Papers carried the news on front ing in musical worth. It is beat 15 entitled "Saddam To Blame For pages, with readers condemning music employing musical cliches Iraqi Suffering". and will not even pass for good the act. When Ramona Rahman He said that Bush "tried all was kissed during a drama, again march music. And to think what peaceful means ... " ALL peaceful people were furious. Again the we have given up to be saddled means? If he had, the Gulf War with this in the end! headlines in the Malay papers. would have been averted! But when our constitution is Were the people's opinions It appears that "Desert Fox" being raped shamelessly, people sought on a matter so important as had not read past issues of Aliran something that represents the can sit still and watch without a Monthly on the Gulf War in 1991 whimper. Shame on you, country's image at home and regarding attempts by Russia and Malaysians. abroad? Were our lead-musicians other countries to mediate in the consulted on this? Abdullah bin Ahnuul Iraqi-Kuwaiti confrontation. The national anthem in its pris KIUlla Lumpur It was alleged that the United tine state is our link with the past. States, through the United Nations It is the link between the genera by manipulation, "sabotaged" at tion of the era of independence tempts at holding meetings to
Aliran Monthly 1993:13 (10) Page 12 solve the issue. Bush wanted the more isolated from real power "our" religions is that we want to Gulf War to devastate Iraq to within UMNO Baru? As Mahathir "show" to others that "our" safeguard US interests as Iraq became more and more powerful religion is the best and "our" laws posed a threat to them. as an international spokesman, he are divine laws and others are "Desert Fox" hopes Aliran will seems to have lost his grasp of and "man-made". give "both sides of the coin." his hold over UMNO Baru To force the non-Muslims to Please do to clear the picture. realities. accept the Hudud is like asking Other readers, who are better in And it would seem that them to leave their religions. Why formed, could also do so. UMNO Baru is truly Baru, not are we being involved in this Mus EeKimChye only legally, but also culturally. lims problem? The Hudud may be Penang The end seems to justify the practised by the Muslims but the means. non-Muslims are quite satisfied To me it is only whether with the so-called 'English' laws. Anwar still retains some of the We never asked for the Hudud! Thinking About idealism of his youthful days and It is very clear that most of the how much he has changed from it. Muslim scholars are unable to in Anwar We do not agree with the terpret the Qu'ran and also the methods used, but possibly, those Hadith to the satisfaction of all. What's wrong with Anwar? Is were the only ones he knew - his The question of interpretation is he any worse than Ghafar or for growing up years were the sixties yet to be settled. that matter Mahathir, even? and the early seventies; from Since the Hudud issue is a very I'm sure if you look at your whom could he have learnt more controversial and sensitive matter. back issues, far back enough, 'moral' or more 'honourable' with due respect to the Muslims, I you'll fmd that Ghafar too had his methods? feel the Muslims must not force it ways of ascending to power and on the non-Muslims. My earlier surviving in the political jungle of Jo-M Kedah letters about the Hudud have made UMNO. clear my views and I do not want And to say that Anwar is to repeat them. To force the Hudud Mahathir's man ... I wonder if he on us would reflect the insensivity EVER was? Remember the days Mansor Puteh, Hudud of the Muslim. when Anwar was an under Saudara Mansor bin Puteh may graduate and wanted to change the and Religious write to the following if he is keen world? Who did UMNO/the Tolerance to know more about God and His government use to check his laws. plans etc. (Since you asked power before clamping down on I refer to brother Mansor bin about non-Muslim ways etc). the universities? Possibly Anwar's Puteh's letter [AM 1993:13(9)) ( 1) Self-Realization Fellow eyes were opened during those regarding the Hudud. ship days. He must have realized that We must realize that the 3880 San Raj(ul Avenue the easier way to deal with those majority rules in a democratic sys Los Angeles, California 90065 in power was to meet them on tem but that doesn't mean the fun USA their own terms (leave aside damental and basic human rights morality, decency, integrity etc.) In (2) Thirumajal Publications of the minority citizens can be S-69 Taman Tan Yew Lai this he seems to have succeeded done away with. only too well - to become, from fa/an Puchong the start, Mahathir's hand-picked In India the BJP party is cam Kuala Lumpur or chosen one. It looks as though paigning to get rid of the Muslim (3) Swami Haridhus Giri he has learnt from his mentor and cow1s and laws meant to handle c/o Sree Gnianananda Seva improved on him. Muslims affairs. The BJP's argu Samajam Your article seems to point an ment is that the Muslims must ac 132 Owen Road accusing fmger at Mahathir for cept the common laws (based on Singapore 0821 'approving Anwar's decision' to Hinduism etc) because Hindus are Tel: 2918540 in the majority in India. go for the No 2 slot in UMNO (4) Navaasakthi Nilayam Baru. But what bugs me is what if Does Mansor bin Puteh accept Enterprise Mahathir did not have much the BJP's argument which sounds 43 fa/an Besar choice except either to 'approve' very impractical? 45700 Bukit Rotan Anwar's bid or become more and The problem with most of
Aliran MonJhly 1993:13 (10) Page 13 Selangor We hope that non-Muslims trivial matters. Tel: 03-8892026 would be allowed to live in peace I sincerely hope that this at (5) Tlu DiviM Life Society without being forced to accept the titude prevails in the coming is P 0 Shivanandanagar Hudud which the Muslims may sues of A/iran Monthly, for it is Dt. Tehri-Garhwal have if they wish to. only now that your magazine UP Himalayas UMNO Barn and PAS must seems to be living up to your India not manipulate the Hudud for adopted philosophy. political gains! Do not create dis In light of these recent develop unity. May there be unity in diver ments, I pledge support for your There are many more reliable sity always. magazine. sources which Saudara Mansor My regards to Saudara Mansor could contact if he wishes. He Jaya Krishnan bin Puteh and his loved ones. God could also read the following lpoh bless you always. books: SSurendran Penang 1. Autobiography ofa Yogi by .Paramahasa Yogananda Constitution Not a 2. Only Love by Sri Daya Mata Sacred Document 3. Divine Romance by Impressed with Aliran A/iran Monthly 1993:13(6) Paramahasa Yogananda Monthly contended that Malaysians say 4. Man's Eternal Quest by "No". But today our MPs said Paramahasa Yogananda I came across Aliran "Yes, Yes". Our senators who are 5. Talks with Swami magazines from a friend and I am not responsible to the people Vivekananda very interested in the articles and would also say Yes. Like senator reports that are published there. 6. An Autobiography or the I tam Wali, who was quoted as With this, I would like to sub saying "I do not oppose it", I wish Story ofMy Experiments with scribe to the monthly magazine. I Truth by M K Gandhi} to add "me too". What else can we do not have the subsctiption form expect of the modified democracy and thus, I would like to apply for that we have and the sort of Saudara Mansor could also one so that I may be enriched too "government of the people that we read books about the Buddha's by the magazine. have?" Law of Karma and Reincarnation, I would also like to know more What are a few additional Manu's Law, the Holy Bible etc. I about the activities of Aliran. amendments to our constitution, feel there is Truth in all religions Chuah Kim Hong Rudeen which has been amended more and it is up to us to act in harmony Muar than thirty times. Now we are in so that we continue to keep our na the second half of 1993, it is the tion as a good example to the second amendment this year. At world where people of various eth this rate, your proposed Judicial nic, religious and cultural origins Support for Aliran Review Committee can hardly live in peace. keep pace(!) unless you get a man As I mentioned before, what Monthly damus to stop Parliament from may be good for someone may not passing amendments; or are you be good for others. Therefore, I have, for a very long time, suggesting that amendments must diversity of opinions, faiths, laws been only an occasional reader of be approved by Aliran? etc wilJ be there always and what your magazine primarily because The views expressed seem to is of paramount importance is that of the lack in focus and attitude of imply that the Constitution is we respect all religions, opinions your journalist. 'Thinking sacred. Is that really so? Sacred. etc and learn to live in harmony Allowed' was probably the most like the Ten Commandments and with all irrespective of political, childish and annoying section of the Old and New Testaments? Or religious or cultural affJ.liations. In your supposedly unbiased is the Federal Constitution im fact, modern science may question magazine. mutable? Nay, no where does it certain so- called religious prac However, this month I was say it is sacred or immutable or tices and science may also recog pleasantly surprised to note that has sanctity. It is just the supreme nise certain ancient religious your articles focused more on the law of Malaysia. The super human values. issue at hand rather than the more has only to sign an Act of Parlia-
A lira" MonJhly 1993:13 (10) Page 14 ment. It has nothing to do with to marry? Freedom to get being on the authority of a solemn God; therefore it is not a sacred drunk at public places like the order of the High Court. document. Just a scrap of paper, function supposed to have In our law, there is no which a certain nation does not been held on 6 August or provision for release of a detainee have (the not so Great Britain). ganised by the MCA? Freedom on habeas corpus on substantive So Mr Editor if we have a judi to commit blasphemy like Sui grounds. The law only provides cial commission of senior judges man Rushdie? for release of a detainee on proce trained in the British tradition, the Justice: Legally, only the dural grounds. concept of the supremacy of Parlia judges can define it. When The jurisdiction of courts to ex ment overrides the US' concept of citizens talk, it is what they ercise their time honoured duty to judicial review. And fwthermore, think justice should be, not release anyone illegally and unlaw who cares? The ordinary elec what justice is. Is this not fully detained on habeas corpus torate is not bothered with the philosophy, man? or rather whether in public or private cap lofty concepts such as: jwisprudence; and if it is tivity has been severely restricted. • the erosion of fundamental jwisprudence, even the bar It must necessarily follow, there rights and liberties risters have no clue! fore, the Executive must honour • the derogation of the Rule of Politics. Mr Editor, is the art of orders of habeas corpus. Law (what Rule ofLaw? All staying in power or else getting Of late, there have been our laws were passed by Par booted out of office. The rules repeated re-arrests of detainees liament. Constitutional amend keep changil\f. In Malaysia, it is released on the authority of ments that require two-thirds for the convenience of those in of habeas corpus orders even in in majority were passed accord fice, inconveniencing those aspir stances where appeals have been ingly.) ing to get into the office of power. allowed by the Supreme Cowt. • the abuse of Executive power MaJJStrly There is no point in Prime Min (How many petitions has the Kai'ABARU ister, Dr Mahathir, accepting ac Jaga of the Fountain of Justice colades from former British Prime received from aUeged victims?) Minister, Margaret Thatcher, as being a statesman of vision if he, Would it not be more informa as a Home Minister, can condone tive if you were to elaborate on Habeas Corpus: flagrant and mischievous dis concepts propounded by Aliran & Flagrant regard by police officers of orders (P Ramakrishnan's own)? Mischievous of habeas corpus. • Strengthening the democratic Disregard Perhaps, the Prime Minister process What does this mean? should carefully consider and find Easier to cast our votes? No On 2 September 1993 the High time to reflect upon the followign need to register as voters, show Cowt, Penang ordered the release observations of Justice Eusoffe Ab ICs and vote? Legislative on habeas corpus of traders, Lee doolcader in Yeap Hock Seng @ process more simplified? Ah Goo, 43, from Sungei Petani Ah Seng v Minister for Home Af Simple majority? Man you talk and Liew Wee Keong, 42. from fairs, Malaysia & Ors. on 28 Oc of two-thirds majority. Why so Kota Baru. tober 1975, "The grant of habeas bent on two-thinls? And why On 4 September upon the order corpus is as of right and not in the not three fourths plus the con for habeas corpus being served on discretion of the court as in the sent of two thirds of all State the Superintendant of the Muar case of such extraordinary legal governments plus two-thirds of detention centre where both Lee remedies as certiorari, prohibition the super humans royal con and Wee had been detained under and mandamus. It is a writ of right sent for any parliamentary section 6( I) ofthe Dangerous against which no privilege of per BiU? i.e. make it more difficult Drugs Act (Special Preventive son or place can be of any avail to amend the Constitution Measures) Act, 1985, both were re (R. v Pell And Offiy). The heavy (sacred)? arrested by police officers with im musketry of the law will always be • Eternal spirit oftruJh: So we punity when they stepped out of brought to bear upon any sugges introduce philosophy at LCE? the detention centre. tion of unlawful invasion or infr • Freedom: Unlimited freedom Their freedom did not last even ingement of the personal liberty of like the decadent West? a couple of steps away from the an individual in the form of Freedom to streak naked? miserable gate of their place of in habeas corpus and kindred orders Freedom for gays and pansies carceration despite their release where necessary to grant relief
Alinl11 MonJhly 1993:13 (10) P1111 IS when warranted. It was aptly put way." of detainees on habeas corpus or in the American case of State ex Detention without trial is incon ders. rei. Evans v Broaddus that at least gruous to universally accepted Karpal Singh. in times of peace every human principles of justice and fair-play. Member ofParliament power must give way to the writ The Prime Minister should of habeas corpus and no prison forthwith intercede and ensure door is stout enough to stand in its there are no re-arrests upon release
Macallum Street Ghaut "Apartments": PDC's Misleading Details
I refer to the letter from the Penang Development Corporation (POC) which appeared on page 39 of the Weekender supplement of The Star dated 24 July 1993 in which your paper and Air ltam Assemblyman Ong Hock Aun were criticised for publicising the plight of aggrieved purchasers of the so-called "apartments" at Macallum Street Ghaut Ask anyclerk working in a developer's office in Penang or a draughtsman employed by an architect (like I did) and you will be toldthat No Certificate of Fitness (CF) is issued on the Island for completed building works.Instead, an CXx:upation Certificate (OC) isissued by the Penang Municipal Council(MPPP).Fora detailed explanation on the difference between a CF andanOC, your paper can probably seek the official and un prejudiced view of the Municipal President. However, I am more concerned with the other misleading facts put forward by the PDC. For easy reference, kindly allow me to tabulate the differences between apartments and Oats as commonly known within the housing industry in Penang, which I obtained from enquiries at the MPPP:
APARTMENTS FLATS Density 15 to 30 units per acre. 60 to 100 units per acre. Unit Built-up Area 800 to 1 ,400 sq. ft. 700 sq. ft. and below. Car Parking Provision 1 parking bay for every unit. 2 parking bays for every 3 units. Required
Those so-called "apartments" at Macallum Street Ghaut are actually approved as flats in the relevant build ing plans. For verification of the differences, please obtain a copy of the MPPP's Planning Guidelmes and Car Parking By-Laws. The POC also disclosed that Forza tiles are being used in the renovation works. As a Government Statutory Corporation, it should be encouraging the use of local tiles rather than foreign ones. Import duty on foreign ceramic tiles is calculated on the basis of weight and not on the number of pieces or price. Thus, unscrupulous suppliers and contractors may peddle off thinner tiles which, although it may maximise profits, will break easily if laid improperly on badly levelled floors or walls. And the most nauseating part of the letter is the bragging about the Corporation being a "responsible" developer! If it were a reputable developer, why does it have to stoop to publicising half-truths? Roads linking the Macallum Street Ghaut housing scheme to Weld Quay and the proposed coastal road lead ing to Glugor, as promised in the sales literature, have not yet materialised! The f11st phase of Komtar was issued OC some 12 years ago and to- date, the POC has not bothered to apply for the issue of separate strata titles for each shoplot! As for the Prai and Bayan Lepas lndusuial Estate/Free Trade Zone, up till Imlay, !here is no pruper com munal waste disposal/treatment/storage site! In a more litigious society and without the numerous exemptions afforded to statutory bodies from prosecu tion under various legislation, the POC would have been slammed with expensive lawsuits. The very least that the POC can do for the Penang community at large, after "milking" it, is to comply with every law that all housing developers in the private sector have to adhere to. "Discipline is the building block of character and accountability is the comer-stone ofresponsibility". Kapt (U) Tan Beng Swee (Rid) PENANG This letter was.original/y senl to Tlu! Star- Editor.
Aliran Monlhly 1993:13 (10) Page 16 ahatma Gandhi's name the poser put by many who doubt the reflected the interests of the edu evokes the highest and the efficacy of Gandhi's methods of cated, urbanised middle class. The Mnoblest ideals of human protest- satyagraha and ahimsa. involvement of vast masses of rural conduct and thought, namely, truth, Prof. K Swaminathan, in his population was totally lacking. self-sacrifice, self-abnegation. 'Foreword' to the volume under Gandhi was quick to recognise universaJ love, non-violence, peace, review, which deals with Gandhiji's this. He knew that if political activity tolerance, equality, liberty and stay in South Africa, writes, "In mo was to lead anywhere, it must be universaJ brotherhood. ments of stress and strain, when related to the interests of the masses. These qualities were verily the mankind finds itself at the He realised the imporumce of in characteristics of his personality. He crossroads, the light which clearly volving the masses and shifting the actually lived and died for these shows the way out of the impasse is scene from city to the village where ideals. In the manner of his living as provided by the thoughts and deeds India really lived. Freedom that was of his death, he demonstrated the of a Mahatma like Gandhiji". sought must be defined and ex higher traits of human nature. Before Gandhi's advent, the plained in terms of the basic needs of While his countrymen idoli~ political scene in India was chaotic. food and clothing for the hundreds of him as something more than a Political activity was marked by millions ofindia's peasantry, he felt. human being, the world at large mar fumbling and groping. Il lacked In any political activity, he stressed, velled at his achievements, and ad direction and purpose. It was con direct participation by the rural mas mired the power and purity of his fusion all round. ses was of the essence. soul. Political campaigning seldom GandhiJi's transformation as a The first half ofthisccntury real went beyond ceremonious speeches leader in fact carne about during his ly belongs to Gandhi and for cen and ponderous memoranda sub stay in South Africa, where he had turies to come, his idc.'lS will mitted to the alien authority from proved his worth as a barrister. There continue to light the path of hum~m time to time, accompanied by loud he realised that he was following the progress. declarations of loyalty to the value systems of an imperfect world, Is Gandhi relevant today? This is Sovereign. Political issues largely where prejudices and preferences
A/iran MonJhly 1993:/3 (10) Page 17 raised barriers between man and servant of our times. Editors Nott: Tht ytar 1993 man, stood in the way of human The editors have done well in marks tht ctnttnary of Mahatma brotherhood. The superior postures arranging the volumes chronologi Gandhi's arrh·al in South Africa adopted by the Whites, who held cally. They bring out the evolution for tht first timt. Many functions absolute power m South Africa, of the mind of the Mahatma, while and stnunars art planned both in nude life misemble for the native at the same time presenting an India and South Africa to B4lcks and the immigrantln A/iran Monthly 1993:11 (10) Page 18 ' Senior Minisler Ghafar? Are we to Wlderstand from this episode that it can be pretty costly 10 be honest in one's criticism and opinion? Or worse still, are we to interpret that ftX' as long as one is in the good company of the ruling party, one is perfectly safe from the otherwise long arms of the law and the claws of the loans providers. TO BE OR NOT TO committee and chairman of the At any rate, in a society which BE: THAT ISN'T THE Sabah Barisan Nasional. Ghafar espouses the virtue of being ethical argued he made this decision and sincere, this revelation is most QUESTION because he could no longer get the shocking, to say the least co-operation of divisional heads in The run-up to the UMNO Baru's Sabah, except for TWl Mustapha In the meantime while Ghafur was away visiting his North Korean forthcoming General Assembly has Datu Harun. the head of Marudu friends, an UMNO Baru politician (a seen a lot of things happening. For division. He also received little Menteri Besar, no less) suggested, one, the country's mainstream support from Sabah members as apparen~ as a way ofappeasing the media seemed pretty occupied with regards his desire to defend his matters pertaining to the party. deputy presidency. incumbent" deputy president. th:lt Ghafar be made a senior minister. Attention was initially focussed on Then we were made to This idea was proposed with the the post of the party deputy understand by the mainstream Singapore experience in mind. president Here Ghafar Baba, the media that Tun Mustapha was There the still powerful and still old incumbent. is being chaUenged by terribly slighted by the Lee Kuan Yew has been made the the not-so-old ex-ABIMer Anwar announcement that Sankaran republic's senior minister. Ibrahim. Dandan was to t*e over Ghafar's Some membersofUMNO Baru. position in Sabah, thereby in effect This kind of suggestion may just particularly its youth wing. had side-stepping Twa Must.tpha who open up the wound suffered by the openly sugg~ that the winds of had indeed indicaled his willingness incumbent himself. For not too long change is being felt, and that the 10 lead Saba~) UMNO Baru. ago he had already insisted that he's party really needs fresh blood. This Mustapha must have felt so not old, and in fact has many more was how the Magnificient Trio, led dejected as 10 have come 10 the point years so as 10 enable him 10 serve the by Youth leader Najib Razak. came of telling the world of his country. into the scene. The three. to be sure. unhappiness on this matter. But At the time of writing. the are vying ftX' the vice-president •s what's quizzical is his caution to the biggest bombshell that Ghafar Baba posts. press that by revealing his ~ far had dropped was his decision Then Ghafar Baba dropped the displeasure he's actually putting 10 resign from his deputy prime bombsheU: he resigned as head of himself at the risk of being declared minister's post. a formal intention the Sabah UMNO Baru liaison a bankrupt made known to Dr. Mahathir via the A. Jiron Monthly 1993:13 (10) Page 19 fQJmer's political secretary. that belong to foreigners, like the HOLY British, who died in Penang. It is solemnly hoped th:ll feUow (living, MALAYSIANS? • • • i.e.) BriiOns, for insbnce, would be At a recent inter-religious moved enough after knowing the dialogue, the Great One was existence of these cemeteries as to TOWARDS THE reported to have said that eventually visit Malaysia - as well Malaysians are now bcwming fliOI\: CREATION OF THE as the graves. In other words, the religious. 'NEW MALAr histOOcal and sentimental value of Holy smoke! Is this b'Ue? these cemeteries will be explored Of course it is. More and more 11m must be whalthey meant by and exploited as much as possible. Malaysians are now worshipping all winds of change and the coming of This is arguably a milestone in manner of things like Money, the 'New Malay'. Almost suddenly the histay of Malaysia's tourism Power, Position, the Stock Market, there was this craving for intellectual industry. What will they possibly and the Free Marlcel Trouble is, activities in certain parts of the think of next.. tounlry. these so happen to be False Gods. In Melaka, Seblgor and Per..!k. In line with this trend, new for instance, seminars had been ••• religious shrines and symbols have organized to kuss ~ues lha1 were emerged - the temple of the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange, the sacred purJ01edly importw to the Malay VIETNAM/SING community in particular and letters RM and the mystical Malaysians in general. And more SOMALIA Corpor.lle Ladder, to name a few. often than not. the dignitaries who More and more Malaysians are also were present and partic~pated in The bitter experience of US making regular pilgrimages to these seminars apparently intervention in Vietnam seems to stockbroking fums, golf courses, constituted the Who's Who in have been forgotten by some pubs, laaoke lounges, Empat Ekor today's UMNO Baru. Americans, including their outlets... you name it, they are One only hopes that this stamina president, when addressing making pilgrimages there. Some of themselves on the issue of Somalia. and urge k> deb:lae, discuss, argue the more adventurous ones even would last beyond wh:ll seemed to Unlike its apJXOOCh towards the resort to plunging into the holy be the political expediency of those Bosnian conflict, the US is waters of Sun way Lagoon. involved in the forthcoming UMNO app:J"Cntly inclined towards burying What is worse is when Baru general assembly. itself deeper into the sands of Malaysians place certain mere Somalia. Under the UN banner, the mortals (likely to be politicians) on US has displayed its military might a pedestal and start praying 10 them ••• and terrorued, and in the pocess and singing their praises in the hope killed, some of the local residents. of receiving favours in return. If Ofcoune, all this is done in the name these misguided devotees are LEAVE NO STONES of democrxy. progress and wh:ll exceptionally religious, they may UNTURNED have you. even fall in a tmnce and start It is hoped thalthe ill-armed and d:ulcing to the tune ofcertain exalted While some people in the capital Wlder-nourishcd Somalis, in their individuals, while all the time city of Kuala Lumpur are busy own little ways, would eventually be chanting the sacred mantra "Selia, prepuing and bracing themselves able to tell the. American Selia" or "20,20. • for the UMNO general assembly, government that bullying a small At this rntc, we will certainly some people in Penang have been and poor country may not have the most 'religious' society in keeping themselves busy in their necessarily upgrar.le its international the world by the year 2mO - but it unrelenting effort to woo the image and Sl:llure. If -anything, its will aU have been in vain. Something COYdl:d foreign tourisls to the island. action in Somalia onJy smears its for all 'holy' Malaysians to And they seemed dead serious about saar -studded fbg. contemplate, meditale and reflect their wort and mission. on. These people, we've been made to Wlderstand. have been cle:lning ••• some of the cemeteries on the island • • • A Jiron Monthly 1993:13 (10) Page 20 AIDS TO THE his arrival There w~ a typographical error in The 12 guests who did come, the word 'to' which was printed ~ POOR? twned up about 30 minutes ble. 10 just 'L' trafflc policcrncn were called to help Lee Kim Sai's worst nightmares fill the vacant seats and make the have come true, or so it seems. The nwnbcrs (thai leaves 78 vacant seats • • aids problem in Malaysia is • -but let's not quibble here). PrcUy apparently far more serious than we embarrassing, huh? thought - and it looks like the poor CUKUPLAH Poor Hilmi tried to give excuses will be the most likely victims in the for the low turnout: "Pelbaps, there JACKING future. is a clash of programmes, or it could The Star reported this alarming So, Finance Minister have been due 10 some technical development on 19 September: Extraooiinaire Anwar lttahim ·has problems." (Technical problems?) He (Finance Minister Anwar been named runners-up as Fmance Ibrahim) admitted that he was Minister of the Yea- behind India's critical of the country's leOOership To make matters worse, he had Marunohan Singh by Euromoney during his younger days but it was to to show that he was completely out magazine. For someone who w~ fight for the poor and the deprived. of touch with reality when he rumoured to be reading a Fonn Six "But now that I am Finance rem:uked," ... Penangites are known economics textbook not too long Minister, I will have to extend such to be safety conscious and ago, this is apparently quite an aids to the poor. Such projects have campaigns at the district levels had achievement. No doubt, it will nothing to do with the vice always been weD received. • increase Anwar's valuation in the presidency COOleSt." Everyone, except Hilmi. knows transfer market for Finance Yes, I'm sure extending aids to that Penangites are among the worst Minis1ers. the poor has nothing 10 do with the drivers in the country. But before we go on to say "Jolly UMNO Baru elections. Still, one good show, old chap" to the Great can't help wondering whether "such Onc-10-be, let us take a closer look aids" will be welcomed by the poor. • • • at Euromoney magazine. What the Bernama report • • • MIND YOUR splashed throughout the local Press LANGUAGE failed to teD us is thai Euromoney BEWARE OF magazine is published by POLITICIANS Shaik Osman Majid recently Euromoney Publications PLC of ended his weekly column on London: a British company. People are not only trying to Business English in the New Sunday The reason for this avoid aids. Seems like they are also Times. Conceding defeat in his non-disclosure of the nationality of trying their darned best to avoid one-man crusade against the poor the company making the award coming into contact with politicians. usage of English - even his Editor seems obvious. Corning so close ~ Hot on the heelsofSamy VeUu's spells Other Thoughls as Other it does to Margaret Thatcher's celebrated walkout from a recent Thots - in the country. he concluded • gushing (to the point of being MIC-sponsored gathering on his 64th and last Biz English column nauseating) tribute to the Great education because of poor as follows: One-to-be and John Major's attendance by parents, comes "In ending, I take occasion to glowing words for everything another case of a dismal twoout apologise for the many Malaysian, the revelation that. this from up North. typogrnphical errors and solecisms latest honour for Anwar was from a The Road Safety Week that have inadvertently appeMCd British company would only have campaign for Scbetang Perai Ut.:n over the last 63 articles. These are confumed our wast suspicions- the had a p:l1hetic start when only 12 of sins in an English ncwsp:lpel' RJ. Brits are reportedly out 10 'jack' A/iran Monthly 1993:13 (10) Page 21 schools of thought on whether favourite was obvious and the support from parents (tsk! tsk! very Anwar really deserved the accolade. outcome seemed predictable touchy, aren't we?) There are those who feel thai the enough. The invited guests were stunned only reason why Malaysia has a In fact, the other "eligible" by his thunderous outburst and their relatively high growth rate is candidate (one had to be stamped attempts to calm him failed. They because Anwar has done almost "eligible" in cxder to run in this watched speechlessly as he strode nothing since becoming Finance presidential election, you know - out of the hall (presumably, in Minister. However, others feel thai can't have any Wldcsirableelernents majestic style). What a grand wt it credit should go to Anwar fcx being running the country and must have been. smart enough to realise that the less squandering away its resources) was Doesn't Samy realise that he does the beuer it would be fcx the a very reluctant one indeed, parents have got better things to do Malaysian economy. We leave it to apparently just making up the than to waste their precious time you to judge. numbers. listening to meaningless talk. These Since voting is oornpu1sory in are smart parents indeed. They this tiny republic, many voters must would much rather spend their • • • have been extremely frustrated precious time looking after their having to go out and vote with so children at horne, making sure their FOR WHOM THE little to choose from. kids are studying instead of blown BRIDGE TOLLS? Thus, it was not surprising that over by a gush of hot air from the the "overwhelming favourite" mouth of some politician. polled only 59 per cent of the votes Two more lucrative - Perhaps, they were also - a result which must have left the privatisation deals. The Penang presumably none too impressed ruling party a little taken aback as it Bridge, famous throughout this with the way Sarny handled the' was widely seen as a popularity poll region fcx its exhorbitant tolls, is to Telckorn shares allocation, which he for the govcmrnenl be privatised to UEM (Oh no, not said was supposed to be used to again) while 1V4 has apparently improve the stan Aliran Monthly 1993:13 (10) Paxe 22 same period. leadership series. Hal Hal Is ~ a to airports to sewerage systems. While the market experts big joke or what- aNorth American High level matketing, they call it - carefully considered their portfolios. bank inviting a European (a Briton doesn't hurt to boost a few egos. Ola made his choice by throwing to be precise) to give a talk on Asian does it? darts at names of companies on the leadership in a country once Stockholm bourse. "Oia could colonised by the Brits. change jobs with me, .. stock analyst Common sense tells us that ••• Bo Carlsson said. Carlsson only Thatcher is in no position to lecture madeUS$35. anybody on Asian leadership. GIVE US A BREAK To adapt a line used by that Indeed, there are many who feel that dame, Margaret Thatcher, during she is not even qualified to lecture on If she paid tribute to local her recent visit to Malaysia; if British leadership, let alone leaders. she was highly critical of investment analysts could be European leadership, especially Europe over its inaction over transferred like professional after the crisis of confidence over her Bosnia. "I rage at the inadequacy of footballers, I could think of several leadership within the Conservative Europe· s response to what is very much larger secwities fums party in Britain which ultimately led happening there. Ifwe can allow that and fund managers who might pay to her stepping down as Prime to happen in the heart ofEurope, our astronomical transfer fees to get Ola. Minister. credibility in defending democracy This experiment conflllll$ our WeU, Thatcher was not going to and human rights elsewhere is worst suspicions about the other so let her visit to Malaysia go to waste. gravely undermined ... The wCI"St called experts on the stock market She paid tribute tothe Great One and thing of all was not taking effective One wonders. in the light of this the Minister-who-wants- to-be action to deal with massacre, 1a1est study, whether secwities fmns Prime Minister. :Many would agree murder, evicting people from their will now be on the look-out fOr that the tributes were so lavish they homes and concentration camps on orang-utans (preferably familiar became almost embarassing out doorstep." with darts) to replace their now (nauseating, I thought). Here's a obsolete human investment classic: "If Finance Ministers could analysts. And if you really want be transferred like soccer players, I some solid tips on the share market, could think of several very much why not pay a visit to the local zoo - larger countries who would pay and don't forget to bring along your astronomical transfer fees to get darts. him" (Anwar). Believe it or not, she was also a great fan of the Proton Saga- "It's the quality, you see." • • • This so irked the Deputy Prime Minister-hoping-to-be-Prime GURU THATCHER Minister that he grumbled the next Right.,_ Thatcher? day that foreigners should not get MEETS DEVOTEES involved in local politics. Credibility? A fine one she is to Someone else (too insignificant, be talking. Wasn't it her own Who cares if that dehydrated Horgct his name) then replied that Conservative party in Britain which Pepsi drinker, Michael Jackson only foreigners were free to comment on closed the files on the BatangJc:ali visited Singapore and Thailand and anything they liked. Oh sure, if they case in Malaysia where innocent not Malaysia? We had Margaret are praising you, they are free to villagers were massacred by British Thatcher, the Grand Old Lady of comment: but if they are criticising troops during the Emergency? Privatisation worshipped by you, then that's interference in local Wasn't she Prime Minister when millions of free-market enthusiasts affairs. British soldiers mwdcrcd Argentine the world over making a superstar Personally, I think Thatcher was prisoners of war captured during the appearance 'live'. just expressing her heartfelt Falklands Wal? And now she rages Guru Thatcher was here to gratitude that British companies, at massacre and murder. Come on, deliver a talk "Towards Asian reeling from the effects of the GUAB (Give Us A Break) .• Leadership" attended by 500 recession in the UK. had of late been corporate executives (free market awarded gigantic contracts in mlciJ devotees) under Citibank's Malaysia in areas ranging from anns Aliran Monthly 1993:13 (10) Page 23 RELIGION Islam And The Environment multi -dimensionality. Unitarian View A foundation of Secondly, different issues ac spirituality in religion is quire centrality in different epochs. 1lJe most important thing about the physical well- being of A scripture, moreover, is not ex the Quran is that it advocates a tauhidic (unitarian) point of view. lt human beings. Thus, for a pected to make direct statements on any and every issue. It would then puts everything in a tauhidic true Islamic spirituality to make a scripture time-bound. It perspective. This is most fundamen prevail, one must ensure would loose its validity beyond a tal to Islam. that one creates an certain spatial- temporal context This point of view, it must be ecologically clean and Since a scripture uses symbolic noted, has both metaphysical as weU as this-worldly aspects. Theologi unpolluted environment, language, it is capable of being dif ferently interpreted, not only by dif cally and metaphysically speaking, says ASGHAR ALI ferent persons, but also in different God is one and unique(112: 1-4). No ENGINEER. Conversely, epochs. Each epoch throws up its one can be associated with Him. No those who choose to pollute own problems, which may not have one can match His uniqueness or the atmosphere of the been around in earl.ier epochs. Such share His divinity. It is a great sin even to think in those terms. earth follow in the problems which arise later cannot be directly addressed in any religious Seen in this perspective, the footsteps of the devil. scripture. It is onJy through ap unity of God is the unity of all His propriate interpretation of complex creation, or what can be termed as symbolic language that we can draw the 'integrity of creation'. ature, like human beings, is suitable conclusions. His entire creation is deserving created by God and hence, Interpretation or re-interpreta of respect One cannot distinguish Nlike human life, must be between one human being and tion should, of course, not be far respected. As it is immoral for a per fetched and in contrJdiction to the another, whatever his/her skin son to exploit another person, it is central value-structure of the colour, caste, creed or race. Race, unethical to exploit ruture for selfish religion. Ecology, for example, was colour, creed or rutionality may pro consumption. not a central issue, at least in the vide him/her with identity, but can There is much that one can draw sense it is today, when the scriptures not enhance or degrade his/her from the Quran, the holy scripture of were revealed or written. 1liere may human value (49: 13). Islam. The Quran is the mainspring have been a reverential attitude Even, the diversity of tongues of all Islamic thought and values. towardsnatureandGod'sothcrcrea and colours is among His signs But before we proceed to discuss tions, but not for the same reason. (30:22). No language group or ecological issues based on Quranic colour group can have superiority To discuss ecological issues and thought, we would like to say a few over another group. This is the religion, we will have to reinterpret words about our methodology. tauhidic concept. the religious scriptures in the light of Also Shir' ah and minaj may be Symbolic Language the centrality of ecological issues in our own epoch. It may not be in different (i.e. rituals and ways may differ), but values remain the same. Firstly, we should bear in mind keeping with the traditional ex If one discriminates between one that the holy scriptures in general, egesis, and traditional exegates may community of human beings and and the Quran in particular, use sym even be shocked with such inter another, it would be a non-tauhidic bolic language. Symbols relate to pretations. point of view. deep unconscious processes, and With these few words about hence tend to be quite complex. For methodoligical issues we would This applies not only to human the same reason, a symbol touches now hke to discuss ecological issues beings, but also to His non-human us very deeply if it belongs to our in the light of Islam, particularly in creations. His entire creation - cultural ethos. Through the usc of the light of Quranic pronouncements human, non-human, organic, non symbols, the scriptures acquire and the Quran's value system. organic - is worthy of respect A/iron Monthly 1993:13 (10) Page 24 against those who exploit nature due to selfish motives, one must also try to enlighten those who do so out of mere ignorance. Those who are un just are more dangerous than those who are merely ignorant Stressing tauhidic values, God in the Quran is often described as Rabb a/ Alamin i.e. Sustainerof the Whole Universe. He is also described as Compassionate, Beneficient and Merciful. Since God is the sustainer of the whole universe, His servants should see to it that the delicate balance in nature is not destroyed by "The affluence of the advanced industrialised nations has made them their rapacious acts. This would vio oblivious of the consequences of their rapacious treatment of nature." late the divine act of sustenance. Human beings, as servants of God, Unfaithful Humans it. Surely he is ever Ulljust, ignorant. cannot, and should not interfere with (33:72) the divine act of sustenance of this Human beings. gifted with the Thus, while nature remained universe. If they do so, they arc guil faculty of reason, enjoy an clement faithful to the laws ordained by Allah ty of violation of the limits set by of superiority over other creatures of and refused to carry the burden of the Allah. nature. The Quran declares that We trust (out of fear that it might not be created man in the best mould. able to carry the burden), man be God's Limits (95:4) came unfaithful after accepting the But the Quran also says that Then trust (amana h). The human being It is interesting to note that the We render his the lowest of the low. was gifted with the rational faculty Qunm gives the concept of hudud (95:5) Though the human being was to learn and understand natumllaws Allah (i.e. limits set by God). If created in the best mould, gifted as and to respect them strictly observ human beings respect these limits, he is with the faculty of reason, he ing them, but he became unfaithful they will be able to create a just, and also degenerated to the lowest of the and violated these laws for selfiSh balanced society free ofexploitation. low due to selfish motives. ends as he is unjust and ignorant. If they transgress these limits, they His sincerity, commitment to will be in serious trouble as the deli divine guidance and rational faculty Unjust And Ignorant cate balance of nature will be upset can raise him to the highest and The Quran also describes the noblest; his selfishness, lack of belief The Quranic description of transgression of these limits as zulm, and rejection of divine guidance can humans as 'unjust and ignorant' is i.e. a wrong and oppressive action. push him to the lowest depths. His quite significant. He is unju~t be TI1ere is great wisdom in sticking to selfishness can also make him cause he is selfish, and selfishness tl1e limits (hudud) fixed by Allah in oblivious to the sanctity of other makes him shortsighted, leading him His divine wisdom. creations of God. He may be carried to his own destruction. Had he been It would also ensure observation away by his selfish motives, ruth just, he would have respected God's of nature's laws which, according to lessly exploit nature and create laws and God's other creations and the Quran, are unchangeable. That ecological imbalances which ul would not have acted in his own was the way of Allah concerning timately endanger life on the planet. selfish interest utterly disregarding those who have gone before; and Thus, the non-tauhidic perspective is other interests. thou will find no change in the way conducive to selfish conduct and ul It is his unjustness which leads to ofAllah. (33:62) Thus, Allah's way · timately dangerous for human sur exploitation by him, not only of - Sunnatullah - is not amenable to vival. other human beings, but also of na change. Whatever laws Allah has Referring to human beings, the ture. made are for the benefit of human Quran also says, Surely We offered Also, he is ignorant and often beings. They must team to respect the trust to the heavens and the earth acts out of ignor..mce. He tends to them mther than violate them. and the mowlfains, but they refused exploit nature, not only out of selfish But the rich, seeking their own to be Ullfaithfulto il and feared from motives, but often out of ignorance comfort and satisfaction, violate it, and man has turned unfaithful to too. Therefore, while fighting these limits, laws and the way of A/iran Monthly 1993:13 (10) Page 25 Allah. Their own lust for more certainty of knowledge that which is duty of humankind to maintain the makes them blind to a sensible in store for you, but you would know integrity of God's creation apart course; they invite God's wrath and it with the certainty ofthe knowledge from ensuring the equality of all of destroy themselves. Thus, theQurnn that which is in store for you. But you humankind. says And when we wish to destroy a would know it with certainty only town, we send commandments to its when you experience hell and you Preserving Greenness people who lead easy lives, but they see it with the certainty ofsigh/. And The Qumn says Seest thou not transgress therein; thus the word it is then thai you would M q~Us that Allah sends down water from proves tr~U against it, so we destroy tioned as to what you did with the it with utter destruction. (17:16) The boons of 110ture. You destroyed.for the cloud, then the earth becomes same warning is repeated in verse your selfish ends, what was a boon, green ... (22:63) Thus, Allah sees to 23:64. what was the means for sustaining it that water is sent down from above your lives. However, it would be too so that our earth remains green, but Utter Destruction late for you. It would not be possible we interfere with that process and for you to enjoy that boon any more. destroy the greenness of the earth in This is the Divine way of saying You destroyed it, you poisoned it. various ways. Since God sends that those who exploit others (in Thus, it is your affluence which is down rain from clouds to keep our cluding nature) for their own ends, your enemy. It is this affluence which earth green, it is our religious duty to disregarding natural laws, will be ut makes you rapacious, which makes preserve this greenness at any cost. terly destroyed. Thus today, we see you violate all the limits set by God. Anything that destroys this green that the rich industrialised nations ness must be opposed. and the rich of the Third World are Divine Sustenance It does not mean tha.t in utterly disregarding all the limits set dustrialisation should be opposed. by Allah, and violating the laws of The Qornn also repeatedly ex Industrialisation has been a boon for nature for their own satisfaction, and horts believers and others that Allah humanity in many respects. but it has leading humanity to disaster. has created nothing in vain. He sent not been an unmixed blessing. It has Worse still, no amount of exhor water from clouds which revived the thrown up many problems, the ecol tation will conscientise the rich, Earth and caused grains and fruits to ogy being one among many. and the blinded as they are by their own self grow. Thus, Allah says, Who mnde most serious one at that. It is, as ish interests. They hardly think of the the earth a resting place for you and pointed out above. threatening our long tenn consequences and put off the heaven a structure and sends very survival. Unless we resolve it the day of reckoning until they wit down rain from the clouds, then satisfactorily, industrialisation can ness it themselves, but then, it would brings forth with it fruits for your wipe us off this earth. be too late. The Qurnn puts it in its suste110nce. (2:22) The problem is not very ilifficult own inimitable way, (your) af Thus, it is Allah who created to solve if only the affluent would fluence diverts you, until you come heaven and earth- the entire universe agree to bring down their standards to the graves. Way you will soon - and humankind not only exists, on of living, which would considerably know, way, again, you will soon earth, but also extrJCts from it what reduce the level of pollution and of know. Nay, would that you know is necessary for its sustenance. Such other emissions. Also. it \\OUid be with certainty ofsight. Then on that cycles - e.g. clouds, rain and the· necessary to introduce intennediate day you shall urtainly be ques growth of life-sustaining fruits - are purilication processes \\ hich might ttoned about the boons. (102: 1-8) created by God. Anyone who inter be expensive for industrialists, but The affluence of the advanced feres with such cycles - and we are th•s price will tuve to be paid in the industrialised nations has made them doing precisely this by emitting interest of our s'Ul'Viva.l. God has oblivious of the consequences of po9rlous gases and other polluting made our Earth green by sending their rapacious treatment of nature. material - is interfering with God's water from above. Let us .... do any Not only are they destroying forests creation and is committing an unpar thing which interferes v;ith this along with the fauna sustained by donable sin. natural process and destro)S the them, they are also emitting The symbolic expression in this greenness of our earth. dangerous fumes and chemicals verse- of the earth as a resting place, Also. forests ~tly add to the poisoning the atmosphere, all for of heaven as the roof structure greenness of our earth. These forests their own profit and comfort. They above, and of water and fruits as are part of the process which keep will soon know (it is repeated twice sustaining life for all - is strongly our earth green. Forest cover is hlgh in the Qurnn for emphasis) the con reflective of the oneness of God's ly necess:.U)' for adequate rainfull on sequences of their evil deeds. creation on the one hand, and of earth. Cutting do\\ n forests inter Would that you know with the humankind on the other. It is thus the feres with this process and the quan- Atiran Monihty 1993:13 (10) Poge26 tity of rainfall goes down. which in us and grace us with Thy favour'. human beings: 0 people, eat ha/al twn destroys the greenness of our Tile next verse says: Not (the and good (UIIpol/uted, tayyib) things earth. path of) those upon whom (l'hou from what is on earth, andfollow Mt This cycle is vital for our very hast) brought down wrath. Natural the footsteps ofthe devil (pollutants). survival, which God, in Ilis wisdom. ly, those who do not follow a Surely he is an open enemy to you has ensured through the greenness of balanced and straight path, pollute (2:168). our earth. Today. the affluent nations the earth, emit poisonous gases and I know many traditional com and the rich in the Third World are destroy the greenness of the earth mentators would be aghast at my the greatest culprits. They cut down upon which God has bestowed rain taking liberties with the traditional forests to satisfy their insatiable water, are invoking the wrath of meanings of these words. However, demand for wood -mainly for furni Allah. Thus, the prayers of these pol as I pointed out at the very outset, tw-e, paper and construction and to luters would be an empty ritual. symbolic language tends to be very clear land for urbanisation. They They are prnying toRabb a/-' Alamin complex and multi-dimensional. Its destroy forests for constructing huge (Sustainer of the Universe) while meaning and interpretation depends darns to generate more and more violating the function of sustenance on the centrality of the issue one is electricity for ever expandmg in by polluting the Earth's atmosphere. dealing with. dustrial complexes and How can one who negates the very Halal. tayyib and Shaitan (law metropolises, whtch alo;o, need ever fundamental function of rububiyyah ful, clean and good. and the devil) increasing quantities of water. Thus, (sustenance), be a true servant of are often used by the Quran and have we seem to be caught in a vicious God, 'abd Allah? their own meaning in the context of circle which is difficult to come out It is true that it is very difficult to Islamic theology and jurisprudence. of. tread the right path. One has to show I do not challenge these meanings at the utmost patience and avoid a life all. Ecologically Balanced of affluence and meaningless con I am reading other significant sumption. It is takathur (abundance, meanings into them in relation to the Path affluence), tllough pw-sued for the environmenL What is halaJ and But get out we must. No straight comforts of life, which turns our tayyib (lawful and good) is ecologi path can be adhered to without con earth into jahim (hell). Nothing can cally clean, unpolluted. Only that is siderable sacrifice. Muslims pray to be more true. It is talcathur, as the pcrmissable. What is polluted is Allah five times a day, and in every Qw-dll calls it, which is turning our haram in an ecological sense, and prayer, repeat the words: Gwdt us planet into hcU. since what is spiritually and physi on the rig Ill path. The path of those The Qw-a.n also reminds us that cally harmful is haram, ecologically upon whom Thou has bestowed human beings are at a loss (khusr) pollution is also physically and favours (an anua). (1:5-6) except those who have faith (in spiritually harmful. Those who pol God's laws which are unchange Jute the atmosphere of the earth fol These are important words and able) and who do good (salihat - low in the footsteps of the devil, their constitute a significant invocation. healthy actions leading to a life-sus enemy. As Shaitan pollutes our In order to lead a pwposeful life. we taining environment on earth). spiritual life and leads us astray, the need to be guided on the right path, These people are also exhorted to ecological devils pollute our both spiritually and materially. The be truthful and patienL Only those material life and tend to destroy our word for 'favour' or 'blessing' used who follow Ire path of truthfulness life on earth. in this verse is an' amta 'alaykum and patience can control their desire There are many verses in the (i.e. they have favoured or blessed and avoid what the Quran calls holy Quran which can guide us in them). takathur. Those who indulge in ecological matters provided we set In fact. this translation is inade takathur think that they have all the our hearts to read appropriate mean quate in many respects. No other good things in life. but in fact. those ings to them. The very foundation of words truly captures the essence of who are farsighted lrnow that they spirituality in every religion is the this word. In fact, an' amta also are at a loss (khusr), as the Quran physical well being of human means worldly goods which enrich says (103:2). beings. Thus, for a true Islamic our life both materially and spiritual spirituality to prevail, one must en ly. Thus, interpreted in an ecological SW'e that one creates an ecologically sense, it would mean '0 God lead us H alai And Haram clean and unpolluted environmenL on the right path which ts ecological One will have to evolve a proper Only then can we have ha/al and ly balanced and thus enable us to ecological straJegy to ensw-e a heal tayym rizq (provision). • enjoy material and spiritual bliss. thy life-sustaining environment. In This is possible only if Thou guide several places, the Quran exhorts A/iron Monthly 1993:13 (10) Poge 27 Conflict Anglo-Irish relations: The Search for Healing Carlyle said that the Irishman was relinquish their right to their own Troubled by the Irish 'the sorest evil this countrY has to heritage. question, English doctor deal with ... There abides he, in his And the Northern Ireland Protes· JOHN LESTER, feels the squalour and unreason, in his falsity tant community can feel British and and drunken violence, as the ready at the same time estmnged from the need for a clinical made nucleus of degradation and English. examination of his own disorder.' When Disraeli asked for a attitudes. ''What is Treasury grant to build Irish rail The Division ways, a bureaucmt replied, 'Who'd needed, " he observes, "is Ireland was divided into two by a search not for solutions ever travel on an Irish mliway? A passenger booked for Dublin would Britain in 1922. The South, over but for healing ..• the kind inevitably find himself in Cork!' whelmingly Catholic, became inde of healing that is not the Echoes of this view continue to this pendent Six northern counties result of accurate analysis day. remained part Britain because the or great wisdom but is a Protestant majority there would not Something Wrong agree to a united Ireland, and per gift from .God." suaded Westminster to accept their Quite apart from the violence, view. Some of the Catholic minority therefore, something is clearly in the North have continued the n 7 February 1991, three wrong in the relationship between struggle for a united countrY. This IRA mortar bombs were Britain and Ireland, and it needs ad remains anathema to the Protestant Ofared at 10 Downing Street dressing. This took me to the history community. In this division lies the while the War Cabinet was meeting books and to Ireland itself, where I immediate cause of the present prob about the Gulf. Eleven days later, met people with the widest mnge of lem. another bomb killed a commuter in views in both North and South. One Catholic farmer told me, London's Victoria Station and in Above all it led me to a search of my 'We have every right to take up arms jured 39 others. own heart. For I am English. against a foreign power to attain a Such campaigns have inflamed And here I would like to dif united Ireland. And a Protestant British public opinion for more than ferentiate between Britishness and cleric said to me, 'I wouldn't con 20 years • and reveal the depth of done terrorism, but to defend our feeling that exi'>ts in some Irish Englishness. We tend to use both hearts. words to mean the same thing, be citizenship, we have the right to take Events like these distort the cause the English culture has been up arms if necessary. I would die to English view of Ireland. The vast dominant The English estab remain British.' He had provoked a senior English politician into ex majority of people there are opposed lishment, for instance, has attracted claiming, 'But you're not British, to violence. Ireland produces a great to itself for generations those with an number of men and women of faith essential English expectation of you're Irish!' governing. For this reason some who have chosen to serve, heal and One cannot understand the educate, founding and running some Scots and Welsh may feel part of the present without looking at the past, of the best hospitals and schools in establishment while others feel ex and certain events in the complex many countries. Its economic per cluded. historical saga focussed the relation formance at the moment is high in Black immigrants to Britain can ship for me. We English are apt to the European league. be caught in a similar trap. They can feel that the Irish cannot forget his In England we have got used to hope to be black British, but to be tory. But perhaps our problem is that a caricature. A century ago Thomas black English they would have to we do not know enough history. A/iran Monthly1993:13 (10) Page 28 English Involvement Owing the four hundred ye:li'S in which England was · -~~· under Roman occupation, Ireland remained a free col lection of kingdoms linked by a common Gaelic lan guage and tradition. St. Patrick converted the people without destroying their cul twe, and this began Ireland's close relationship with the Christian church. Over 800 years ago the ftrst Nonnan-English set tlers crossed the sea from England, and were followed by Henry II, who sought to maintain his control over them. England was involved in Ireland from that moment. William of Orange at the BatUe of the Boyne: By the end of the 16th "The Protestants determined on a policy of centuryvulsed,wbhentheEuroR ~was 'no surrender'- and to stand alone because England con y eaonna- tion, England had become might be unreliable, a feeling which Protestant. while Ireland remains to this day." remained loyal to Rome. So she was seen in England as being both in need of correction and town ... I believe we put to the sword converted to Catholicism. James ap a strategic threat We did not want the fu1l number of the defendants.' pointed Catholics to high offices of France and Spain, the great Catholic And in another letter: 'I am per state in Ireland and it looked as nations of Ew-ope, to make common suadcd that this is a righteous judge though he would be able to repeal the cause with Ireland against us. ment of God upon these barbarous Cromwellian land settlements. But Henry vm claimed aU lands in wretches, who have imbrued their before he could, William of Orange Ireland for the Crown, and Elizabeth hands in so much innocent blood.' emerged from Holland, married I made that claim a reality. The two He then conflScated the Irish Mary, who was next in tine to the most powerful Gaelic Irish Earls Catholics' land and banished them to throne and, after agreeing to the Bill were fmally forced in l(JJJ to flee to the barren lands of the west. of Rights, they were jointly France. Their lands - comprising Three hundred years later, proclaimed IGng and Queen of much of modem-day Northern Winston Churchill was to write: England. The Protestant tine was Ireland - were settled hy Protestants 'The consequences of Cromwell's res lured. from England and Scotland. Fifteen rule in Ireland have distressed and at James fled to Ireland to enlist ye:li'S later there were already about times distracted Enghsh politics support but the Protestant settlers in 13.000 Protestant settlers. down even to the present day. To Londonderry slammed the gates in heal them baffled the skill and loyal his face and he besieged the city. Cromwell's Curse ties of successive generations ... After much hesitation, the siege was Upon all of us there still ties "the lifted by English ships. This made In 1641 there was a Catholic curse of Cromwell".' backlash against the settlers and the Protestants determined on a policy of 'no surrender' - and to 12,000 were massacred. Cromwell No Surrender used this to justify an invasion of stand alone because England might Ireland and a series of massacres. In After Cromwell, England be unreliable, a feeling which 1649 he wrote about Drogheda: 'The returned to the monarchy. Charles ll remains to this day. In 1690 James enemy was about 3,000 strong in the was followed by James II, who had was fmally defeated by Wilham at Alirrm Monthly 1993:13 (10) Pagt 29 the Battle of the Boyne. These events They had been conditioned to think Protestant community who regarded and feelings are kept alive each year of the Irish as an 'indolent' people. themselves as unalterably British. in the Orange Marches. And since Ireland was a long way from London, in teQlls of the travel Caricatures Harsh Penal Laws of the day. many found it hard to grasp the scale of the tragedy which Many people and groups are In the eighteenth century harsh was unfolding. trying to bridge the divide. Sadly, Penal Laws were enforced. An Englishman, Charles some in each community, including Catholics were excluded from Par Trevelyan, was put in charge. Before our own, live up to the caricatures. A liament and any kind of government long he discontinued relief opera conversation at Stormont, the North service. They could neither teach nor tions, writing, 'It is my finn opinion em Ireland government HQ, made maintain schools. Barred from that too much has been done for the me feel I was in Lagos or Delhi owning land, they could only lease people .. .' during colonial days. it, for up to 31 years. When they died The reality is revealed in the A Protestant church dignitary the land had to be divided between writings of others on the spot. A described to me how the doctor, a all the children unless one of them Justice of the Peace wrote, 'I entered Catholic, invited him to his retire became Protestant Then he in some of the hovels ... and the scenes ment party in a village just two miles herited everything. By the end of the that presented themselves were such from the Protestant's home. 'It was century, only five per cent ofthe land as no pen or tongue can convey the a fine affair,' he said. 'but with whis remained in Catholic hands, and slightest idea of. In the fli'Sf., six ky, which I abhor, and Gaelic songs many Catholic Irish lived in great famished and ghastly skeletons, to and Irish dancing, there was nothing poverty. all appearances dead, were huddled with which I could identify. I might So the Protestant faith was offi in a comer on some filthy straw, their as well have been in Soweto. • cially established in Ireland not by sole covering what seemed a ragged One senior Catholic figure told the conversion of the Irish but by the horsecloth, and their wretched legs me of being invited to a mess dinner rule of England. through the 'Protes hanging about naked above their by the Commanding Officer of the tant Ascendancy' of wealthy set knees. I approached with horror and BritishAnny in his city. He expected tlers, and members of the old Gaelic found by a low moaning that they to have a chance to explain some of Catholic families who in some cases were alive. They were in fever- four his community's feelings. But the talk was of whether the helicopter changed religion to retain land and children, a woman and what had other privileges. The magnificent once been a man.' pad could be marked out as a croquet country houses they built can still be A parish priest wrote, 'Deaths, I pitch. seen all over Ireland. All Irish chur regret to say, innumerable from star ches were given to the Protestant vation, are occuring every day; the Enormous Pressure Church of Ireland, and no Catholic bonds of society are almost dis churches were allowed till the mid People live under enormous solved ... The pampered officials ... , pressures. A doctor who treats dle of the nineteenth century. Dublin removed as they are from these today is 97 per cent Catholic, but its Catholic families told me that the scenes of heart-rending distress, can IRA often seek to use his patients' two historical cathedrals are Protes have no idea of them and do not homes as hide-outs. If the house tant. appear to give themselves much holders protest, guns are brought out. Starvation trouble about them.' When 'the boys' leave, the Security By 1849, 800,000 to l,OOO, Aliran MtJnlhly 1993:13 (10) Page 30 Over 2,850 have been killed· two-thirds of them civilian• • •lnce thelat•t troubles began In 11169. The laws of peacetime apply. with Later I disco,·ered that people prehcnsive school. Many of the boys proper convictions required through from other parts of the world had a were tlle sons of working-class Irish the cow1S. He accepts this, and lhe different perspective. The Poles fatllers. I thought I was free of resultant danger to himself and his reminded me of Yalta, the Chinese prejudice, and I was quite happy men. Such people demonstrate lhe of the Opium Wars, the South with the school until the language, great courage of many in Northern Africans of our concentration camps accents, culture and attitudes of the Ireland. in the Boer War and the Irish of the boys began to rub orr onto my son. I events I have outlined. We have was concerned that the school was Flawed Relationships flawed relationships with many spoiling his Englishness. countries. We were then invited to a Mass The more I read and listened, the I realized that our policies in at the school for parents and boys more the thinking and perspective of Ireland over many centuries had and as I sat there. English and profes these different communities became produced the current situation. But sional, among many less academic clear. But what about us? We in this did not entirely satisfy me. How parents and children, I was in tunnoil England decry Irish nationalism but could we have deliberately done because, in spite of myself, I do not so easily undenitand English such terrible tl1ings in Cromwell's despised lhcm. nationalism. time and in the famine, even !hough I did not mind my son associat I was taught to be proud of my values then were different? I as ing witlllhem but I did not want him country. When I was a child, much sumed tllerc must have been ex to become one of tllem. Something of the world map was still coloured tenuating circumstances. aldn to hatred of what tlley might do red. but each year more and more Or was it because of charac to our family welled up in my heart. countries obtained independence. I teristics we still 1\00? Yet we were supposed to be taking was proud of what Britain had Our family lived for some years Communion togetller. achieved in founding the empire and in Binningharn and our older boy Suddenly I saw tllat that would in winding it up with so little blood went to a Catholic inner-city com- be hypocrisy. I sensed Jesus saying. shed. Alirtln Monlhlyl993:13 (10) PageJI 'I died for them as well as you. I love young men and women involved. them as well as you. Why do you not It is not possible, for example, to Others must be responsible for their honour the wishes of the Republican love lhem?' For me, it was a choice. own actions, but if our policies have I liked to think of myself as balanced cause without betraying the Protes led to and sustained a situation full tants and vice versa. We also have to and objective and Wlprejudiced but I of injustice, we may have been the had suddenly seen that without God, reckon with those who ruthlessly use means of them being tempted to the historical wrongs to gain their deep down there were very un violence. pleasant streams which needed heal own ends. ing and cleansing. The Protestant community was By our very presence, and that of I can now say that true equality placed in Ireland to serve our inter our army, we have become a target came as we lmelt at the altar before ests. They see themselves as a We cannot withdraw without ab God. Aware of my own need I real beleaguered commWlity, without dicating responsibility. We too have ized for the first time that equality friends, threatened by others' desire been hurt We are the third wronged for a Wlited Ireland in which they has everything to do with forgive commWlity. Violenceagainstuswill ness. And at that moment, a great will lose security and identity, and not make us withdraw. But it has weight of unrecognized and Wljus by the fear that Britain will leave created yet more injustice, forging tified superiority was taken from me them to the1t fate. 'Why arc we llO( further links in the chain of hate. So and affection took its place. This has accepted as British in lhe way the we as a community also need to learn and grown enormously. I began to see English, Welsh Scots arc?' they to forgive. ask. too the enormous deb( we owe to Politicians must keep exploring Ireland for the faith and education We cannot condone the actions possible ways to an eventual solu which it has contributed to Europe oftheirextremistseJther. Yet it is our tion. But there is an essential precur and far beyond policies that brought their forebears sor. a search llO( for solutions but for This is a simple, personal il to Ireland to manage our affairs, to healing; personal healing and a heal lustration. It was a necessary step for uphold the Protestant faith , to keep ing of the flawed relationships be me, and it gave me some insight into Ireland loyal to Britain. We are em tween us; the kind of healing that is how British policy could have been barrassed now that they continue the not the result of accurate analysis or the way it was. Historical events aims and attitudes we initiated. We great wisdom but is a gift from God arise because of policies. But have found them difficult and dis whenever, before 1-lim. people feel policies depend on attitudes. · tanced ourselves from them, adding real sorrow. to their isolation. All this revealed to Such healing might make pos Need For Repentance me our part in creating the situation sible some otherwise unexpected in which they now live. So often developmenL It would be a valuable If our policies have been conflict becomes inevitable because example of something the world moulded by our character, certain of the sin or failure of earlier years. needs. other traits which I recognize in These insights have made me Our histories are intertwined. myself seem relevant the expecta feel a deep need for repentance over The British, like many other people, tion of supremacy and control, for Ireland. prefer being in control to being in instance; a self-confidence in one's need. Yetourcommonsenseofneed own judgements; and an ability to Seek Forgiveness is the strongest bond and the fmest keep emotion under control in order gift which Britain and Ireland could to 'stay above the fray' and appear The British position. too, is a dif offer the world together. objective. These are among the ficult one. We aknowledge our Britain has long-term links with qualities which made empire pos responsibility to the extent that we people in many parts of the world. sible, and were shaped by it. They lie know we cannot wash our hands of Many of these relationships require at the heart of English nationalism. the matter. When cases arise - for healing, like the English-Irish one, They have a positive side. But the instance the Guildford Four.the Bir because the same attitudes have~ down-side -the sinful side- has been mingham Six and the UDR Four- in plied. If we could dare to recognize, brought to bear on Ireland and has which it appears that British justice acknowledge and seek forgiveness harmed it has failed, we become rightly for our failings, we might contribute The violence of the IRA is right troubled. The saddest aspect is that more than we imagine. It is there, ly condemned and confronted in there appears to be no overnll politi- with myself and my own com Britain. It is also condemned in cal 'solution '; no way out which munity. that I fccllhe need to start.-> Ireland by many who share does not do serious harm to the Republican aims and by the Church legitimate hopes of one group or Rrproducedfrom For A Change which feels responsibility for the another. Vol. 4 No.4. Apr. 1991 A./iran Monthly 1993:13 (10) Pate 32 INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS Europe: Opening or Closing? Mohamed Ennaceur lthough I am Tunisian, which is being built is a Europe of nia-Herz.egovina. Europe is not unknown to large economic interests. It is not How will post-Maastricht Ame. I have lived some years sufficiently social. Many have Europe affum its identity on the in in Europe, where I have studied. hoped lhat Europe would be some ternational scene? Will she have a The rapid changes in Europe lhing olher lhan a big market. They distinctive role to play, throwing her arouse bolh admiration and anxiety. feel that Europe has not affumed its whole weight behind the reinforcing Admiration because Europe is mission on a universal level at a time of peace, supporting the develoir succeeding where others have so far when the world is shaken by great ment of the countnes of the South, and promoting the values of civiliza tion, culture, solidarity and social progress? Or will she subordinate everylhing to economic impera tives? To lhese anxieties, which I share, I would add some which are personal to me as a non-European, an Arab and a Muslim. Until quite recently my regional or cultur.ll identity, and my nationality, have never been a handicap in Eruopc, where I have always felt at ease. But today I in creasingly feel a stranger, and I sense that more and more foreigners are no longer welcome. For us, it seems, Europe is closing in on itself. On anival in European airports, you have the feeling of being suspected of I don't know what. You Europe Ia not facing up to its moral issues at a time when serious universal are made to feel undesirable. conflicts are taking place around il So Europe's move towards one ness, which is meant to indicate an failed. Its unity, which was a dream regional conflicts and faces a serious opening, is paradoxically accom 40 years ago, is becoming a reality moral crisis. panied by an opposite movement of with disconcerting speed. The Anxieties withdrawal into iL-.elf- as though lhe development of lhe European Com prospect of belonging to a supra-na munity is a history-making move At a time when international tional entity provokes in some which is preparing Europe to face a relations need rebalancing, one has Europeans a compensatory reflex. new century of global economic in the impression that Europe's inter What charncteri1.es Europe tegration. The EC is also forging national ambitions are limited to the today is a wave of exnophobia. new links with olher European defence of European's economic in Some reject foreigners in the name countries, including those to the east. terests. of preserving their own identity; Yet these changes also give rise I believe that Europe should have others do so in lhe name of fighting to anxieties: fli'St for the people of played a more decisive role in the against illegal immigration. Europe, not all of whom seem to settlement of conflicts which are This trend was staned by politi share the enthusiasm of their leaders. shaking several regionsoflhe world, cal movements of the extreme right For many Europeans, the Europe especially the Middle East and Bos- but increasingly the media has Alira1t Monthly 1993:13 (10) Pag- 33 ... ,. Cambt~dians at • summer conference in Europe: Immigrants are Increasingly being blamed for many ills in their host c:oun nes. European public opinion is sensitive to the growth of Islamic fundamen talism and to its violent manifesta tions. But not every Muslim is a fundamentalist and nOl every fun damentalist is a terrorist. I can only deplore the tendency for Europe to close in at a time when it is preparing a new destiny for it self. But I would like to end on a note of hope, hope that the millions of Europeans who have demonstrated against the anti-minority, anti-im migrant stands of certain groups may now take the stage. Herein lies the Europe ~ presently very sensitive to the growth of Muslim fundamentalism. hope that what weare living through is just a passing phase and that focussed public attention on im policy. Always under the cover of Europe will catch its breath, redis cover its soul and bring all its weight migrants so that they have been putting an end to illegal immigra blamed for all the ills. tion. one country reforms its to bear for the building of a world of solidarity and brotherhood. • It is no longer their irregu~Jr nationality law, while another limits situation with respect to the laws of the right of asylum. Such actions are the countries where they live which part of a strategy to encourage the Mohamed Ennaceur is Tunisian causes immigrants lObe denounced return of refugees and foreign im Permilnent Representative at tht and rejected. It is their way of living, migrants to their countries of origin. UN in Geneva and this year's thei.r way of dressing, their traditions President of the UN 1/wrum - in a word, their differences - which Passing Phase Rights Comnussion. d1sturb. What used to be slogans of What shocks me is that this the extreme right minority have strategy seems to aim at Muslim for Source: FOR A CHANGE gradually become government eigners in particular. Certain OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 1993 Aliran Monlhly 1993:13 (10) Poge 34 ------······----. A/JRA.V MU,\T/1/.'i' SUHSCR/YT/0.\' FUR.H Mr/Mrs/Miaa A/iran Monthly Address A GIFT of one publication of your choice 0 1 yeats subscription (RM $15-50)" If you subscribe 0 2 years' subscription (RM $30-50)* *Include RM0.50 for outstation cheques NOW I enclose money order/postal order/cheque no. 0 Songs of Human1ty dated ...... tor the sum of RM ...... as payment for my subscription and a further sum of 0 Thean Teik: The Other Side of RM...... as donation to Aliran. 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Add 20% of the total order for surface mail and 100% of total order for airmail ~---···------·--·------··------···------' Alirtut Molllhly 1993:13 (10) Pag1 35 about the growing number of abuses on Burmese women •POLITICS and children. A large number of rapes committed by Bur mese troops were reported in •RELiiiDN the areas of armed conflict. Many women porters were •ELECTIONS repeatedly raped. Thousands of women and children are o trafficked to Thailand and HU N RICiHTS forced into prostitution. Many of them are infected with HIV in Thailand. •MEDIA Nowadays the Asian and Western businesses continue •ENVIRoN to invest enthusiastically in NT the brutal regime. These foreign investments help pro • ETHNIC RELATION~ vide the money for the SLORC to buy arms and support its army to repress the people. •UNITY They also contribute to the present massive environmen CURRENT tal destruction in Burma. We hereby express our sup port for the Burmese people CONCERNS and urge that: Joint Statement on the Burmese people. • the SLORC immedi Thousands of political ately release Aung the Fifth Anniversary prisoners are still imprisoned San Suu Kyi and all of Military Coup and and subjected to torture. Daw other political Aung San Suu Kyi, the 1991 Repression on Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, prisoners uncondi Pro-democracy has started her fifth year tionally, stop forced portering, and all movement in Burma under house arrest. We strongly condemn the military measures 18 September marks the Burmese military practice of against the ethnic fifth anniversary of the kidnapping and brutalizing minorities, transfers military crackdown on the pro hundred of thousands of power to the elected democracy movement in civilians as slave porters and representatives of Burma. On 18 September labourers. Many die from ex the people; 1988, the Burmese military haustion or beatings. Some staged a coup and declared porters are used as mine • the international martial law. Thousands of stu sweepers. At the same time, community enforces dents and leaders of the pro many villagers in ethnic an economic sanction democracy movement were minority areas are forced by and arms embargo on· put in prison. More than 8,000 the military to relocate to Burma; people were killed in the military-controlled "strategic military crackdown. hamlets". These people are • foreign investors Today, despite strong inter forced to abandon everything stop investing in national condemnation, the they have built up for their Burma as this has Burmese military junta - the lives. These over·crowded benefitted the State Law and Order Restora relocation sites lack food and SLORC and helped tion Council (SLORC) - con medicine. repress the Burmese tinues its repression against We are deeply concerned people. Aliro11 Molllhly 1993:13 (10) Pllge 36 ALIRAN A NEW PARTNERSHIP COMMUNITY DEVELOP MENT CENTRE (CDC) Free to roam the land, Aa·u-oo ... Dispersed from hinterland to ululand CENTER FOR ORANG My voice reverberating in echoes By. roads, mines, dams and plan· ASLI CONCERN (COAC) tatIOnS ~ross the hills and valleys • my DAP SOCIALIST YOUTH oikos; Driven from our ancestral land DAPWANITA When I recline with cheek to Severed from group support and earth clan ENVJRONMENTAL I breathe the mother's warmth· In the name of economic PROTECTION SOCIETY ' development. OF MALAYSIA PARTI RAKYAT What survival for landless or Alas! Rumblings of sounds alien MALAYSIA (PRM) phans! A monster's head rearing over No way to retain our tribal identity PERSATUAN HAKAM the horizon; No strength to maintain our cui· A divider, a destroyer, an exter PERSATUAN SAHABAT tural entity. minator WANITA SELANGOR Forced to co-exist (SAHWAN) The modern Nation State • enter With one foot in the river PEOPLE'S SERVICE OR The other in the mud. GANISATION Greenland, USA. Russia and Canada PUSATKOMAS Into my flesh each has sunk its Goodbye to the idyllic past REACH teeth. Of free hunting and joyous I am the Inuit. gathering; SELANGOR CHINESE AS Chad, Senegal, Mali and Nigeria What strength a fragmented SEMBLY HALL- YOOTH three million And States four other SECTION Isolated by powerful political for Have broken me a quarter of a ces. SELANGOR GRADUATES quarter. SOCIETY (SGS) I am the Fulani of West Africa. Come what development SOCIETY FOR CHRIS Share our jungle TIAN REFLECTION (SCR) Bolivia, Peru and Ecuador Let us also benefit Have trisected my torso. SUARA WARGA PERTIWI The Earth is mother to all (SWP) I am the Ouechua. Learn to conserve SUARAM Lest perish we all. Torn between Malaysia and In· TENAGANITA donesia D..t VID A.NTHONY My allegiance is to the land not WORKERS ORGANISA Ptlaliltg Jayo TION state I am the Oayak. lO September 1993 Allnua MOiflltJJ 1993:13 (10) Pare 37 ... continued from back page WOMEN OF SARAJEVO SPEAK Sars~vo: .orrow •nd shock Ill the dfMth ofrelativ .. Md fri«KKs. "... the worst pain of all is the thought that there will be no end to this: that there is no future, no progress, no prospect of relief. .. , we scrabble for food at the roadside dry bread, unflavoured rice and their incarcer.uion even more as the like animals, now we can't offer a boiled beans. Of hearing the shells passing of time and season brings the guest even a cup of coffee.' fall around you, wondering whether realisation that life and hope are Everyone has a story. Of hus the next one will rip through the mocked by this war, by the gruelling bands killed, being used by the Cet walls of your apartment and blow struggle to survive in an existence niks (Serbs) as human shields, of your body apart. Fourteen months of reduced to pain and deprivation. brothers who died on the frontline keeping going. of turning the radio And the worst pain of all is the only two kilometres away, of friends up and playing games with the thought chat there will be no end to killed by shellfue as they queued for children to keep some of the fear out this: that there is no future, no bread, of homes destroyed, of of their young lives. progress, no prospect of relief. children sleeping in cold beds when And that, pcmaps, is the worst Bravery in SarJjevo is not some bullets peppered their room with deprivation, the grief of the parents heroic, swashbuckling, risk· taking destruction. As they told their for their children, for their inability quest for Grail or glory. Bravery in stories, many shook with fear and to feed them: for the lack of stimula Sarajevo is theda.ily, hourly decision exhaw;tion. tion, learning, freedom and growth to carry on, to 'get up, to dress, 10 1llcir weakness is caused by 14 that define childhood. The power make the best you can of the flour months of bad diet, the endless terror lessness of parents to nurture and and oil mtion, to visit a friend despite for loved ones, the prayers 10 keep protect their children is the deepest the sniper bullets, to keep clean and them alive and the fear every time source of the despair slowly suf tidy for no reason other than that it is they leave your sight that you will focating this city. a way of fighting back. All this never ~ them again, that their end AU the woman to whom I spoke despite the sickening fear, the loss of will be violent and painful and were nervous and depressed; I ob· hope, and the growing realisation bloody. Fourteen months of keeping served a great dctcriorntion of spirit that everything you once had and your c:tildrcn inside for fear that they since my earlier visit in March. everything you once were is gone for wilJ be killed by sniper fire or an When they had to fight the cold as ever, and the brublity of life now arbitr.uy shell as they play in the well, there was a spirit of resistance. reduces it to a bitter memory of a street Fourteen months of carrying a hope chat'if we can just get through fool's paradise. every drop of water up 10 night~ of the winter .. .' Hope has died in the city; so the stairs to your damaged apartment 1be winter is over and nothing city is dying. The death of hope is no which has no electricity or gas. Of has changed. Ifanything, people feel media event • there arc no piti:Wie Aliran MonJhly 1993:13 (10) P111e 38 Camp for Ba.nlan llus/itn$:,., husband and .on. have _ _._ l»en lost in the war, she is an ill~ relugf» In CToria.. ••• I IJ 0 lived in such genuine acceptance of each other that a couple could marry before it even occurred to them to ask what religious beliefs their families held... " figures in black defying the snipers abandoned us?' I was asked. 'Why visit, the stories came without to bury the dead - so the surrender of do you feed us for the bullet and thought or purpose, simply because hope's mst few positions in Sarajevo shcllfrre?' 1 had no answer. I was there. The people know they goes unnoticed and unmarked by The people kissed me and told are abandoned. and that any atten outsiders. International indifference me how much it meant to them to tion from us is due only to their assists the intimate tyranny of the receive gifts from outside. NOI simp usefulness in an international game Cetnik, who is using siege, starva ly because of their need, but because of political and economical ad tion, terror and despair to destroy the it meant that somebody out there vantage, played by those whose people of Sarajevo. The people of cared. Nonetheless, their gratitude privilege and wealth have made Sarajevo lived in such genuine ac exists alongside a bitter appreciation them heartless. ceptmce of each other that a couple of the political realities of the way in I did nOI need to teU the people could marry before it even occlll'red which aid is used by countries like that the world has failed them, nOl to them to ask what religious beliefs our own. Some said: because of the lack of stories told. their families held. That acceptance, 'You are feeding the Muslims to but because of the lack of people that example of what human society be killed by Cetniks. • willing to hear or to act I have tried can be, persists despite the last 14 'It is nOI lack of food that is kill to be a channel for the voices of the months. But it is dying as hope dies ing us. It is the war. You give us aid women of Sarajevo to be heard in the city. only to salve your conscience.' across the siege lines of indif I visited the poor districts of the 'You won't let us defend oursel ferenc~ city and met again some of the ves, and you do n01 protect us.' women I had visited before. Visibly 'The Cetniks will wait until we • (Source: INDEX ON dUnner and we A/iran Monthly 1993:13 (10) Page 39 HEART TO HEART WOMEN OF SARAJEVO SPEAK "Why has the rest of Europe abandoned us? Why do you feed us for the bullet and shellfire?" A mother mourns the loss of her son. y words represent many a dying city in anolher country. !heir inability to offer lhe tiny·cup of voices. There is my own, Many of lhe women wept as lhey coffee and glass of water lhat is lhe Mlhe voice of lhe outsider and told me !heir stories, as lhey foundation of their traditional aid-worker. More important are lhe described what life is like in hospitality. 'Before lhc war we had voices of lhe women of Sarajevo Sarajevo now, how it was in lhe past everything, like normal European who have told me !heir stories: and will never be again. 'We did not people. We travelled, we had jobs, voices which would not otherwise be always live like this,' lhey would say went to lhc lheatre, went shopping, heard because lhey are imprisoned in as lhey fought off lhe humiliation of had friends round for dinner. Now ... continued on page 38