FORAYS INTO FOREX BANK NEGARA 'S RM9.3 BILLION LOSS
Even as the country grows in wealth and confidence, mally, the Prime Minister concern over the accountability and transparency of spoke. And what a revelation Fit was after Bank Negara's government assumes increasing importance. Yet, issues of confused Jargon or the Finance national concern continue to be swept under the carpet as Minio;ter's cavalier excuse ahout damage control. Public relations take precedence over how complex the whole matter was. forthright explanation, and servile editors aid and abet the There IS now much less fog about powers that be. The Bank Negara affair, writes K.J. Bank Negara' s involvement in the foreign exchange (forex) market and KHOO, is simply the latest such example. In the process, the nature or 1ts RM9 .3 billion loss ordinary citizens are deprived of their right to know. The m 1992. result: a thriving rumour mill and an ill-informed Never mind that in November electorate- hardly the best recipe for democracy. 1990 Dr Mahathir angrily denied that Bank.Negara went into the forex market to make profits. Thi~ orne around, and true to form, Dr Mahathir called a spade a spade: be CONTENTS read il y acknowledged the Bank's "forays" into the forcx market -not onl y to protect the ringgit but also to Forays into Forex 2 make protiK He conceded that such wa.s not Heart to Heart 7 the general pmcuce of central banks hut he ~ured us that Bank Negara hao; the capability to do so. But he complained that no one complimented the Bank when it Time to Revive Student Activism in 14 made proflt'> m the pa.o;t - a strange Malaysia cornplamt. For ifwe shouldn't worry about paper losses, as Bank Negant Futile Attractions 17 tells us, why ~hould we cheer paper gams, a.\ Dr Mahathir regrets we Thinking Allowed 19 didn't'! UnJess, ofcourse, the RM9 .3 bil Indigenousness: A Question of Politics 24 lion Joss is real. After Dr Mahathrr' s clarification and Social Justice of 20 April 1993, would anyone still care to explain that the lion's share Right and Wrong 28 of the loss was primarily due to the ringgit's appreciaHon? The Fire This Time 32 The fact of losses as such is not at io;sue here. Nor 1s the issue Current Concerns 35 pnmarily about looking for scapegoats or remO\wg individuals. Malaysian Women: Struggling at the 40 No one save the Prime Minister has publicly rdlsed - and rejected - this Crossroads possibility. One important1ssue IS the mag nitudeand thecauseoftheloss.Even if Bank Negara's profit-seeking in
A liran Monthly 1993:13 (4) Paxt! 2 the forex market was proper central bank policy, the size of its loss points to a major failure in checks and con trols - both within the Bank, and between the Bank and the Minister of Finance. Did no one- not the Governor, Advisers and Board Members of Bank Negara, the Minister of Fmance and the Prime Minister - lcnow when to call a halt to the forex "foray"? Was everyone gripped, as it were, in a gambling fever, merrily persisting as the losses mounted, waiting optimistically to recoup them in the next transaction? One critical issue is the less than candid handling of this "Bank Negara affair". Not a word of it was heard until it could no longer be con tained -at which point "damage con trol" was uncorked. Imagine the puzzlement of the average Malaysian being deluged by a major "explanation" from the Governor of Bank Negara on 19 April. Imagine his or her bewilder ment when waking up to screaming front-page headlines of "Bank Negara explains" or "Akibat Ringgit Naik" the next day. The sad fact is that the local media - so brave in exposing the escapades of the royal ty and in opposing their immunity only so recently- had dishonourably The Minister of Finance: Didn't he know? left too few of us with any inkling that anything needed explaining at Maminco's losses were blamed on Now, the people have to directly all. the London Metal Exchange's mis forego RM500 million because of To put it differently, the issues. conduct, and when the EPF' s losses the Bank's losses. In 1991, Bank fundamentally, are about account were blamed on Pan-El's failure. Negara transferred RMl billion to ability, the transparency of govern Are we now to accept blithely that the government Last year, the Bank ment, policy, and checks and the Bank Negara's "paper" losses could only transfer RM500 million. balances. were due to the mysterious fluctua As such -unlike The Star colum tions of the foreign exchange nist, P Y Chin, who thinks we should SHORT MEMORIES market? ask no more questions about this When the Governor of Bank If over these years our foreign Bank Negara affair, unlike New Negara, Tan Sri Jaffar Hussein, said reserves, as a measure of our Straits Times editor, A Kadir Jasin, "it is amazing how short the memory economic health, have grown, it was who urges the "man in the street" to is", perhaps he regretted that few not just because the Bank's leave the matter to the forex recalled how Bank Negara made specialists "made profits". Much of specialists, and unlike Fmance Min profits in the past it owes to the responsibility of the ister Anwar Ibrahim who was so But our memory is not so short man and woman in the street who easily "satisfied" with Bank as to forget an unhappy past when have been told to wort harder, con Negara's explanation- the man and BMF's losses were blamed on the sume less and save more - and who woman in the street reserve the right Brits and their messing up of the have responded magnificently to to ask the following questions and Hong Kong property market, when these calls. expect the Minister of Finance to
A/iran MonJhly 1993:13 (4) Page 3 give clear answel'S. Or to try and camouflage the los Was Kadir Jasin rapidly recall • Why was Bank Negara speculat ses as in fact happened on March 30 ing the likes of Maminco and ing in the forex market? Since - when this episode began. Makuwasa in the not too distant past when losses were brushed aside as when did this become sound and BANK NEGARA'S proper central banking practice due to "injudicious and incompetent and Bank Negara policy? EXPLANATION execution of market operations", the On March 30, Bank Negara malevolent intentions of others or • Who authorized soch an involve released its Annual Report for 1992. simply forces beyond our control - ment? Were no limits set or Was it an April Fool's Day joke, and justified by "good intentions"? were they breached? some sh:lrp-eyed reporters Maybe. Still, he would have us • Was the whole Cabinet aware of wondered. when they detected that adopt the position that "it is not for the extent of involvement and the Bank had lost RM9.3 billion or the man in the street to ask" how the mounting losses? Did no one one-third of the nation's foreign ex Bank Negara conducts its opera ever counsel prudence? change and gold reserves? tions. That is for the "money market • Was there no system of checks Questioned about the loss, Bank specialists". A fmc but transparent and conrrols, within Bank Negara issued a three-point explana- attempt at containing the crisis of Negara and between credibility and hopeful Bank Negara and the "Did no one- not the Governor, ly defusing iL Ministry of Fmance? Advisers and Board Members of Bank But it wouldn't go Had the Boord of away - mainly because Bank Negara no Negara, the Minister of Finance and the three-point state monitoring role? ment amounted to little the Prime Minister - know when to call more than a jargon-filled • Are there any a halt to the forex "foray"? Was brush-off, while the text guidelines on the everyone gripped, as it were, in a and accounts in the An composition of our nual Report were foreign reserves? gambling fever, merrily persisting as remarkable for what Were these the losses mounted ... " they didn't reveal. guidelines breached? No one was able to • Was there no fear control the tide of in that other central nuendo and rumour in banks might retaliate tion on April 1. The central bank financial circles. against the speculation on their confmned and explained it as the The KLSE had earlier been ex currencies? result of the ringgit's appreciation cited by talk that the Auditor Central banks are not supposed against major foreign currencies. It General, Tan Sri Ishak Tadin, to engage in forex speculation - to all seemed very proper, for Bank apparently refused to approve Bank safeguard everyone's interest. There Negara seemed motivated by a need Negara's original accounts until may be thrills, sometimes even "to defend the ringgit" and "to keep some changes had been made - profits, in forex trading. But what, down inflation". presumably to render the accounts for example, would happen if If the losses were made despite more transparenL Taiwan's central bank, with its mas all prudence and propriety, why was And, the Finance Minister him sive foreign reserves, were to decide it necessary for the Bank to be so shy self did not appear to take the three to speculate on the ringgit in the in revealing it and so cagey in ex point explanation seriously, telling forex market? plaining it? reporters on April 13 that Bank If the government deems forex It took Kadir Jasin ten days to put Negara should be given a chance to speculation unavoidable, it should his "other thots" to it. But even he investigate and explain. set up a separate agency expressly had to shake his herul: "we cannot The result was that the Bank for this purpose, as in the case of a hide the losses under the cover of Negara Governor made his lengthy neighbouring country. It should not inflation control", "we cannot treat statement on 19 April, three weeks allow, moch less encourage. Bank the losses lightly", "we have suffered after the "Bank Negara affair" had Negara to play with the nation's similar losses in the past due to in graced the front pages of the Sin reserves in the forex market under judicious and incompetent execu gapore Busintss Times and the Asian the guise of "reserves management". tion of market operations", and Wall Strut Journal, and four days only to excuse its losses by moaning "good intentions alone are not suffi after it appeared in the Far Eastern about so-<:alled "dilemmas" and cient to justify these losses" which Economic Review.Jaffar Hussein's "ironies" of this onerous task. may be due to "bad management". 19 April statement strenuously
Aliran MonJhly/993:13 (4) Page 4 defended hls stewardship of the proval". became too wild for Bank Negara. Bank but elaborately avoided Financial analysts who had ex several basic issues. amined the accounts and the three THE STRONGER THE He also said he had forwarded a point statement concluded that Bank RINGGIT, THE HEAVIER complete report 10 Finance Minister Negara was guilty of what Anwar OURWSSES? Anwar Ibrahim, who declared him Ibrahim had so recently and so For what else could have caused self "satisfied" with it earnestly warned Malaysian stock the losses? Can we believe that it was This is the same Min largely due to the a&r ister who has expressed "Financial analysts who predation of the ringgit tremendous concern for or, as it has been put 10 poverty eradication. Yet, had examined the accounts us, "the stronger the he has been prepared to and the three-point statement ringgit, the heavier our forego RM500 million as losses"? a result of Bank Negara's concluded that Bank Negara was Let us allow that for losses. Imagine, he could guilty of what Anwar Ibrahim had so argument. Going by the have given an outright recently and so earnestly warned Bank's Annual Report, grant of RM5,000 each Malaysian stock market investors the ringgit appreciated 10 100,000 lXXX" families by almost 6 per cent - more than the 89 ,(XX} against- against the basket of very poor families who wild speculation and gross cwrencies of our major have recently received trnding partners. Had loans under the ASB imprudence." Bank Negara consis scheme. tently held its foreign exchange reserves in DIDN'T THE marlcet investors against - wild FINANCE MINISTER proportion to this trade-weighted speculation and gross imprudence. currency basket, then the loss due to KNOW? On 2 April, the Singapore Busi the ringgit's appreciation would In fact, however, the Minister of ntss Times reported that "in recent have been RM3 billion- at the most. Finance should have known and years, Bank Negara has earned itself When interviewed by the Asian tracked the matter better. a reputation as one of the most ag Wall Street Journal one economist The Central Bank of Malaysia gressive speculators in international said: "We all knew they would have Ordinance 1958 requires Bank forex markets such ru; New Y orlc. a high revaluation charge to account Negara to submit an account of its London and Tokyo". The Far East for the appreciation. That's not assets and liabilities 10 the Minister ern Economic Review of April 15 surprising. But it doesn't explain the of Finance once every two weeks. stated matter-of-factly that "Bank magnitude. Conservatively, the loss The law also requires Bank Negara Negara has long been known to do should have been only about RM3 to keep the Minister informed of the more than merely stabilise its cur billion." monetary and banking policy pur rency, by speculating on foreign ex In other words, as a banker ex sued or intended 10 be pursued by the change movements". plained. "it's only if you were active Bank. Should the Minister disagree There is more. Money market ly trading, as Bank Negara does, that he has the power 10 issue binding analysts maintained that given our you're exposing yourself 10 the directives on the Bank. healthy economy, and given that the volatility of the market." And what Moreover, Bank Negara's offi ringgit was not under attack, the cost was Bank Negara doing if all its cial publication, Monty and Banking of keeping down inflation and the "shifting the composition of its in Malaysia claims "there is frequent appreciation of the ringgit would reserves to protect their external contact between the Governor of the have accounted for about RM3.5 bil value" did not amount 10 speculative Bank, including the Bank's Board, lion. The remaining RM6 billion loss trading? and the Minister of Fmance where cannot be accounted for in this man The same banker noted that views are exchanged and problems ner. Such a massive loss, according Bank Negara's periodic statements discussed [and] the Treasury is kept to the money market analysts, could of its reserve position last year indi fully informed of current and only be due to speculation in the cated that the contingency reserve proposed monetary policies or foreign exchange market - that funds showed little change at the end measw-es, and problems are dis largest and wildest casino where of March, but it fell to RM5.8 billion cussed in advance where a change in hundreds of millions can be, and are, at the end of June, and fell further 10 policy requires Government ap- made or lost in mere minutes. RM1.7 billion at the end of July. Last year, that casino evidently
A.Unua Monlhly 1993:13 (4) Page 5 These declines trailed the ringgit's notion of the accounting year as ses" beyond our control is the height appreciation but took place before mere convention, quite meaningless of non-accountability. Bank Negara incurred most of the in the long tenn, took the cake. It would have been regrettable interest costs from its money-market Which chairman of which loss but excusable if the losses were in operations. making bank or corporation would cWTed as a result of fighting off at Bankers and financial analysts not have given an ann to be able to tacks against the ringgit or of suggest that the timing and size of get away with such justifications? stabilising exchange rates. Then the the declines also pointed Bank would have been to losses from foreign ex- doing what it was meant to change speculation. "the Governor... do. The Banlc of England Several of them added could not provide a and the Danish central that when the ringgit OOnk tried to do just that six started to depreciate satisfactory answer on the 'size and months ago when their against the trade details of the loss', reserves were virtually weighted currency bas on grounds that Bank Negara is still wiped out in their ket in October 1992, desperate attempts to Bank Negara' s foreign in the 'foreign exchange business'. defend their cwrencies. exchange reserves To provide details, he added, would But such a loss, for the should have seen a reasons now evident. is in rebound. But the contin be to 'show my hand to the market' - excusable. The Prime Min gency funds continued to an unfortunate metaphor more ister hath spoken: no heads decline until the end of befitting a poker player than a central will roU - although some the year. will sagely nod in agree- Viewed in this con banker." ment. text. the Governor's It would appear that the televised statement of 19 April vir Bank Negara remains very ac immunity removed from our Sultans tually confumed the correctness of tive in the forex market. This is seen has been transferred to the govern such interpretations. He could not clearly from the RM2.7 billion in ment provide a satisfactory answer on the contingent liabilities on foreign ex For the time being, the Bank "size and details of the loss", he change contracts which were not yet Negara affair has ended on an ironic pleaded. on grounds that Bank due when the accounts were drawn note. Bank Negara. the country's Negara is still in the "foreign ex up at the end of 1992. Will these fmancial watch~g. has apparently change business". To provide liabilitites, now losses on paper be been quite ready to contravene details, he added, would be to "show come real losses? Jaffar Hussein Malaysian accounting standards. my hand to the market" - an unfor would only say that "their final out First, it admits to inconsistencies in tunate metaphor more befitting a come will depend on the exchange its previous accounting. Second, for poker player than a central banker. rates prevailing at the time of the 1992, it changed its accounting The Governor argued that Bank maturity of the contrncts". policies: it revalued its foreign ex Negara's future effectiveness in True enough. But once more the change and gold reserves, but "reserves management" depended point must be the magnitude of the provided no information as to the upon not giving "advance clues involvement and for what pwpose. impact of such a change. about the bank's intentions". Surely It lends credence to Singapore To be sure, this is not fraud or any central bank's intentions on the money market sources' claims that criminal breach of trust. But does it international scene are, or should be, Bank Negara is known to place deals help "to develop a society which transparent: to defend the nation's of up to RM2 billion at a time and respects the truth" as Jaffar Hussein currency, and, to quote the Bank's may be exposed to anywhere be urged when he spoke during his ac own publication, "to monitcx" and tween RM6 billion and RM16 bil ceptance of an honornry doctcx"ate safeguard the value of the interna lion. from Universiti Utara Malaysia in tional reserves" - not to engage in November 19917 profit-seeking. INEXCUSABLE The matter of Bank Negara's The nonchalant manner in which This is lhe heart of the matter - RM93 billion losssurelycannotend the losses were dismissed - that in an not the fact of Bank Negara's losses just yet and just Wee this. unstable market. you win some and as such. but the size of the loss for The Finance Minister might weU you lose some - was truly amazing. reasons ofprofit-seeking in the forex be "satisfied". But damage control To dismiss it as a trivial problem of market. Shrugging off a loss of alone will never retrieve Bank "paper losses" and to discredit the RM9.3 billion as mere "paper los- Negara' s damaged credibility. •
Alirtut MonJJaly 1993:13 (4) Pag- 6 HEART TO HEART The costs would be prohibitive but what is money compared to life? Wlat oomes from ths ips /'8lltCIJQs the ur, what C0016S from the heart reachfiS the heatt.• -Arab provetb An ambulance was requested to transport Kanna to the private hospi WHAT A SAD, SAD WORLD tal. On his arrival he was rushed into Uncaring attitudes in a caring society the emergency ward and X-rays were immediately talcen.Two he 20th of February seemed heart all those who helped for their broken thigh bones, a broken arm like any othet day for S. kind deed. He rushed to the hospital and some internal injuries was the TKanna as he sped off from on his motcxbik:e and arrived to find diagnosis of the attending Voges Mot.c:rs on his way to Butter Kanna in the casualty ward. physicians. worth to purchase spares for his Kanna had now regained con There was no delay and treat brother's motor workshop. The jour sciousness and was semi-coherent ment was immediate. An operation ney to Butterworth on the bike was He grimaced in pain and begged to was needed to staple the bones and uneventful though the traffic was be attended to. The doctor and nurse repair internal injuries. Voges signed heavy. The journey back on Penang did whatever they could but support the forms and prayed hard for Bridge was very scenic. The need to facilities were reeded to ascertain Kanna. hurry was uppermost on his mind as the seriousness of the injuries. His thoughts wandered as he he sped off towards Brown Garden Sadly enough it was lunch hour waited anxiously. and approached the traffic lights at and the X-ray department was not What kind of world is this? In the Brown Garden/Glugor junction. opened. some instances, human beings were Then it happened. A van driver An hour ~ by ... and yet kind, helpful and considerate. In slammed on his brakes to avoid an another hour .. . and still no help other instances, they were thought errant cyclist and before he knew it carne. less, uncaring and indifferent Kanna was speeding headlong into Was this supposed to be a hospi The nameless ones who helped the rear of the van. A dcsparate at tal in a caring society where care Kanna never asked for money. They tempt to avoid hitting the van failed should be lavished on those who just helped. as the screeching of lyres and the needed it most? In the G.H. they were paid to inevitable crash signalled a bad col Finally in a most casual manner serve and yet were so indifferent lision. in came the X-ray operator. Yet fol Even when treatment was not The next thing .Kanna knew was low up action to ascertain the injuries free, the service was deplorable. that he was lying on the road amidst was agonisingly slow. In the private hospital treatment the twisted wreckage of his bike. Does not the suffering ofa fellow was prompt and efficient But there Blood was oozing from his mouth human being mean anything? Is it money talks louder than human feel and ears and he could only remem possible that the everyday experien ings. ber faint voices as the searing pain ces of dealing with accident victims What a sad, sad world it is. that was enveloping him carried him have reduced some members of the But the world is what we malce off to unconsciousness. hospital staff to a state of indif of it It reflects us, ow values and For Voges, it was a bad shock ference or is death too common. attitudes. when a neighbour rode up on his These thoughts raced through Philosophical musings were not bike to inform him that Kanna was Voges's mind as he watched with Voges's forte and he was brought involved in a bad accident helplessness and mounting anger at back to reality when the doctor came In the meantime caring pas the indifferent manner in which out of the O.T. to inform him that sersby who witnessed the collision Kanna was treated. Karma would recover. A feeling of wasted no time in summoning the A good three hours had passed relief swept through him on hearing ambulance. Anxious hands carried by and yet nothing was done. that news. the uncoi\Sl:ious Kanna into the wait Can this be possible and is it But inwardly he was disturbed ing ambulance for the trip to the happening in a hospital funded by by his experiences. hospital. the money of the people and Kanna alive. Great 0 Lord, Whoever they were, these un functioning for the people? great! known and nameless human beings, For Kanna, in the meantime, But what a price to pay. What a they cared enough to help. breathing was becoming more dif price to pay in terms of human feel By the time he arrived from his ficult and the pain was unbearable. ings. • garage at Brown Gardens at the Enough was enough Voges con Ariffin Omar scene of the accident, Kanna was cluded. He decided to rush Kanna to gone. Voges silently thanlced in his a private hospital at Batu Lancang.
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Alitan Monthly 1993:13 (4) ~ 8 humiliated that such a thing could still happen in Malaysia in the last decade LETTERS of the 20th century. All of them wanted fll111 action to be taken by the government, including a constitutional amendment to restrict the immunity given to the Sultans. Malaysians have not gone republican, but they want their rulers to conduct themselves with dignity and self-respect For instance, to name only a few, the Raja of Perlis, the Sul tan of Perak (who is also our current King), and the Yang Di Pertuan of Negri Sembi! an do cany themselves with great dignity, especially in their relations with the people. Monarchs in the modem world must realise that their constitutional At least, this time around, I hope sovereignty is not above the ABOLISH the authorities will act to bring the sovereignty of the people. Their EXECUTIVE culprit to book before he gets immune. legitimacy and relevance need to be I appeal to the PM not to fool sustained by the people's sovereignty, IMMUNITY around with the people again. If he not the other way around. If they cares for the people and the future of choose to lose the respect and support The government, particularly Dr this nation, then he should review all of the people, who are they to be Mahathir, should be commended for existing draconian acts, i.e. the OSA, sovereign over? the constitut10nal amendments remov the IS A, etc. to prove to his critics that It is almost trite to remind oursel mg the legal immunity of the royalty he is sincere, loyal and responsible ves that monarchs in some other which were passed in Parliament on 9 and not power-crazy and h~ritical. countries who forfeited the trust of the March 1993 with the rulers' assent al NMAHENDRAN people had been consigned to the though there were some changes to the PORT KEUNG dustbins of history. The late Shah of Bill. However, 1t's a great diSappoint Iran is a case in point ment that PAS and Sernangat46 In January 1976, I spent about two leaderl! chose not to support the weeks in Iran, visiting almost a dozen amendments. Instead, they sacrificed towns and cities in various parts of the the parties' principles and ignored the LEARN FROM vast country. Everywhere statues and wishes of the people. huge photographs of Shah Mohammed True democratic principles were THE CROWNED Reza Pahlavi, the self-styled 'King of witnessed as the people's wishes were CANNIBALS OF IRAN Kings', the 'Shadow of God' and the taken into consideration. The mass 'Light of the Aryans', stared at the media has given the freedom to report The Prime Mirlister, the Deputy people. and expose the wrong-doings of the Prime Minister and Parliament as a But it was utterly self-deceiving rulers. Can this type of freedom be al whole ought to be congratulated for that such ostentatious self- advertising lowed to continue so that the people's their detennination to defend and could buy respect and love. Yes, the opm10ns can be obtained on the aboli protect the people from the bullying manufactured omnipresence of the tion and/or amendment to the OSA, by some members of the royalty. Shah no doubt exacted fear, especially the ISA, the Printing Presses Act, the History will look back with pride with the help of the Savak, his im Police Act, the University Act etc. that on 10 December 1992, Parliament perial secret police. However, in the These Acts curb the people's fun unanimously voted a motion of cen patient, quiet chambers of the hearts of and damental rights give immunity to sure against the Sultan of Johor with the Iran1an people, there was only the Executive and the government regard to his disgraceful assault on a growing hatred. The imrnumty issue has diverted Malaysian citizen. One Iranian, a victim of the torture attention away from other major issues I had talked on the subject with methodology of Savak, fmally like the Maika-Telekom shares scan 103 Malaysians from both sexes, all managed to get into exile in a foreign dal. We are stlU waiting for the ACA ethnic groups and all walks of life. land. Although he was still haunted by and/or the government to reveal to the With the exception of a lady who fear, his experience was so bitter that public the outcome of their investiga declined comment, all the others ex he wrote a book, The Crowned Ca~~ tions. pressed their anger and utter dismay nibals, detailing the many excesses It is still not too late to expose the over the action of the Sultan of Johor. and crimes of the Shah. scandal as the public has the right to Many of them said they felt Meanwhile, the fury of the Iranian know.
Alinut MonlhlJ 1993:13 (4) Page 9 round the table and resolve the issue Mohamad, who, in October 1990 told amicably. The time factor should not Time m~azine, "People now live in be the criteriL In this way tllere will fear of the US, believe me", he be no winners or losers. warned, most clairvoyantly, "If you JACK are friendly with the US, that is fme. KUALAWMPUR But if you annoy them, they can take action like they did in PanamL" (r~me, 1 Aprill991). In the same article, it is reported that Mahathir, while attending a con RIPTIDE'S LEITER: ference in Bali in March 1991,just VICIOUS ATIACK ON after Iraq's 'defeat' (the senseless bombing, slaughter and destruction to CHANDRA, ALIRAN send Iraq back to the pre-industrial na tion stage) said, "America's dramatic As a responsible Malaysian, I am new clout would be used to shore up a Into h dustbin~ of hlatory: The Shah obliged to respond to the comments sagging economy," and added, of Iran lo.llhe trwl of his people. and condemnations of Riptide ("US "Military adv~nJurts cannot be ex can do no right, Iraq can do no wrong" cluded." people grew and grew. 1lle Iranian The Star 5 Feoruary 1993). Ripllde, Our astute Prime Minister's fears Revolution arrived. The Shah fled Iran apparently, is greatly troubled by the are slowly, deviously but surely being on 16 January 1979 and died in exile opposition and objections of realised as demonstrated by recent shortly. Malaysian citizens and organisauons developments. Would Riptide brand Some members of some of our to the militaristic responses (or lack of our PM as 'phenomenallly biased and royal households in Malaysia would them when apparently vital) of the prejudiced' with an 'inability to grasp do well to remember the lesson of the United States government towards in overall situations and look at long Shah of Iran If they do not want to dependent, sovereign, UN-member term effects' while suffering from travel along the same ignominious path. FANYEWTENG KUALA LUMPUR
RULERS' IMMUNITY: FOLLOW CONSTITUTIONAL PROCEDURES
Most Malaysians includmg the in tellectuals agree that an amendment to the constitution regardmg the rights Chandra, whh Alirw~ Presid« Alilwle MOIIIItly 1993:13 (4) Page 10 From the outset, Aliran. then members cannot afford to practise and manage its own affairs inste.td of headed by Chandra, has been unwaver double standards or indulge in un allowing rich MPs to come to its res ing and consistent in its condemnation truths, either by commission or by cue. What is worse is that already ex and denunciation oflraq's invasion omission. isting double-lane roads are given and occupation of Kuwait, recognized I wish Riptide a speedy recovery extra lanes and immediately classified as an independent and sovereign for he/she appears to be suffering from as highways with toll booths erected country, and a member of the UN. a stale of conflicting mental and emo ovemighl It is revealing and enlightening to tional pressures, for his pseudonym im If PLUS had made profits, would refer to what Malaysia's Prime Mini plies as much! PLUS share the profits with the raJcyaJ ster said at the UN General ~embly JOHN AYAVOO D by reducing toll charges? Would our in September 1991, underscoring the MPs have asked for such a reduction? inhumane suffering and senseless KEUNG There is no justification at all for humiliation inflicted upon the helpless [This letter was sent to the STAR but the recent increase. people of Iraq since Saddam 's in was not carried- Ed) Malaysians have to bitterly accept vasion of Kuwait until today. earning extra to pay for toll charges. Mahathir, conceding that the af Why can't the government absorb fected area (Middle East) needs polic some of the construction and main ing. nevertheless stressed that "police UNFAIR TOLL HIKE tenance costs by involving agencies action by the UN needs to be governed like the JKR on highways. The govern by principles and rules. Can our con BY PLUS ment has an obligation to the ralcyaJ to science remain clear if a whole nation provide such services. is starved into submission? Can our On 1 January 1993, Malaysians The usual toll charge from Pagob conscience be clear if the pnnctpal vic were warmly greeted with grins and al to Seremban to KL was RM 8.40. tims are the old, the inf1l11led, pregnant most immediately had to swallow the With the extra 40 Ion extension to mothers, the newborn, the young and shock from a near doubling of the toll Yong Peng, Johor, it now costs almost the tMocent?" rates. Such are the returns which RM 16 one-way. Touching on weapons inspections, elected MPs give the rakyaJ for allow- Soon, with the extension to Johor he said, "The UN, which is playing the Baru it may cost RM 25 and, after a role of inspector of Iraq, should extend short while, with the agreement of our that role to supervise the tkstruction of MPs, it may cost RM 100 to KL from all nuc~ar weapons everywhere. Johor (one-way) by the year 2000. More, it must supervise the invention What are the middle and low in and production of other diabolical come groups left with? Yes, the old weapons." No doub~ standards, is roads. In other words, highways are whalthe PM mt!ans! for the rich and famous and old pot I assure you, our PM is neither a holed roads are for the poor. It is time fool nor an ignoramus! for the politically coMected nominees Any further comments on of PLUS to move out and concentrate Riptide's furious denunciation of on providing services equally to the NGOs and Chandra, and his rather ralcyaJ by keeping tolls at reasonable naive sanctiftcation of the actions, and affordable levels. omissions and motives of the US and As a reminder, the estate worker its allies would be an exercise tn still earns around RM 8 per day, the futility. factory worker around RM 300 per I cmnot help but feel that Riptide month and the cleric around RM 350 is. through his letter, showing unmis per month. Worse still, the guards earn takable symptoms of xenophobia, in less than RM 250 per month. Develop reverse. His creed appears to be, ing the ruling coalition almost 36 ment and progress should be for all. years in power. To date, the govern 'Foreign is best, local is bad'. PSIVAKUMAR ment cannot account to the raJcyaJ for Riptide, for reasons best known to JOHORBARU himself, appears to have taken a vi the money it collects from road tax. cious dislike to Chandra and AI iran. Yes, the ralcyaJ need highways but the Chandra is too big a man to be upset fact remains that there are millions of by abuses heaped upon him. vehicles plying in and out of all the Aliran is an NGO and it stands for toll booths thereby giving the private MEAN truth and justice. One of its main aims company PLUS billions. Who are the GRAS5-HOPPERS is to raise social conscioui>neS~; among beneficiaries of this company? It looks Malaysians; and conscience being. in like the MPs are so concerned about Any right-thinking, normal person part (as the Catholic church defmes it), PLUS making profits. Economics "Man's most secret core, his sanctuary. teaches us that in any business there would agree that party-hopping should There he is alone with God." AI iran are profits and losses. If PLUS is not be encouraged because it is a facing a loss, it should accept the fact betrayal of the electorate. Alitw11 Moftlllly 1993:13 (4) Pllfle 11 Party-hoppers are generally Mahathir's p~sors. His appoint GET RID OF CASTE regarded as opportunists because they ment as Minister of Youth and Sports are easily 'bought' over by those in is merely to enable the Cabinet to have MENTALITY power. a Kelantan representative. He is a Min The lowest and meanest thing a ister without a constituency. Normally, Many Indian Malaysi&rlS follow man can do is to sell his integnty for a mmister would visit h1s constituency the caste system practised in India. Al the sake of money, power, position to fulfiJ his promtses or to serve his though they speak against it outwardly and what have you. constituents. they still follow the system. They call JACK If Annuar Musa intends to estab themselves Thevars, Kallar, Venniar, lish himself as the champion of KUALA LUMPUR Konar, Gounder, Naidus, Vennan, UMNO Baru. he should secure a par Pariyaree, Pariah, Sakili and so on. liamentary seat at the next general elec One would like lo know if their caste tion. is imprinted on their foreheads or on MINISTER WITHOUT FAJZIN BARSHAD any part of their bodies. How can they BUITERWORTH prove what their caste is? They won't MANDATE? allow mter-marriages because of the caste system. Their children may be well educated with good jobs but still Youth and Sports Minister Annuar they talk about caste. Musa should not challenge the ACT NOW TO STOP A male factory supervisor, whose Menteri Besar of Kelantan, Nile Aziz father was a tholi (nightsoil carrier), to step down because of alleged anti ILLEGAL LOGGING fell in love with another worker in the Federal sentiments. Nile Aziz was a same factory. He approached the girl's long time Member of Parliament prior It is most disgusting to read of il father and got married. After some to his appointment as the Menteri legal logging occurring in almost lime, when he fourld out that the girl's every state in Malaysia. One wonders father came from a dhoby family, he about the extent of damage to the en beat the girl, ill-treated her and threw vironment u we also consider the un her out of his house. This girl is now reported cases of illegal logging. back with her parents. This man A few pertinent questions need to should have known there is no dif be answered by the revel ant ference between him and the girl as authorities mcluding the foresty depart they were both educated unlike their ment about the level of commitment of parents and grand- parents. People their officers and the current preven were not divided into castes by God. tive measures bemg taken. We hope that Indian Malays1ans will I would like to propose a unique do away with the caste mentality. It is solullon to the problem of illegal log very, very disgusting to hear about the ging. It would be wise to consider a caste system. pro_Ject where voluntary SOCieties, vil lagers or the general public adopt TRAJA various portions of our rainforests. PRAI With such public concern, the span of coverage would be much wider and more effective. The constant vig1lance of the commun1ty would surely deter PLANTATION illegal logging. Cases of illegal log ging could be reported to the nearest POVERTY: Nik Aziz: A ~g MP who forestry and police departments for im .,Joys tiM becking of lh• K.a.ncan mediate action. Rewards in the form of ADDRESS ROOT people. free medical treatment or free educa CAUSES tion trips to our national parks can be Besar of Kelantan. He is a religious arranged as incentives. From 19 Alirtut Monthly 1993:13 (4) Poge 12 to seek a living outside. These few es sovereignty of nation states and has in able in bookshops because of caped the trap and swvivcd in the deed exposed its hypocritical nature to the limited demand and sales. world for the fittest. But out there, a the fullest • Rural parents are the worst vic large number still remain in the planta While the Tel Aviv regime, in tims for even well-to-do tions or in the urban slums and still suf deporting 400 Palestinians from the oc parents find it hard to buy these fer from the same disease called cupied West Bank and Gaza strip, and textbooks. poverty. the murderous radical Serbians in Bos • Many pupils are frustrated due Today the few people who escaped nia Herzegovina continue to violate to the unfair, undemocratic and this trap, along with the others who in UN Resolutions, the West chooses to inconsiderate regulations which one way or another set up the trap, bully an independent nation into sub embarass their parents who can offer their solution to this century-old mitting to its hegemony. This clearly not afford to buy or borrow the problem of plantation poverty: reveals its ineffectiveness and intellec textbooks. LEAVE THE PLANTATIONS. tual bankruptcy. On the other hand, some parents This bothers my conscience; don't Being a Catholic Christian, I including headmasters, teachers, the these people know how to leave the humbly urge the Catholic Bishops in rich and the influential can find ways plantations on their own? Don't these Malaysia to appeal to Pope John Paul people want to fmd a cure for their dis IT to take into consideration the and means to cheat and bribe in order to borrow these textbooks. ease? Is leaving the plantations the hypocrisy and brutality of western In due course, the innocent pupils solution? governments in dealing with humanity learn their first practical lesson in cor The people who delight in aslcjng when formulating the Universal ruption and dishonesty right in school others to leave the plantation have Church's future evangelization and at home through the drama of failed to address the causes of planta programme. The Church which has the Book Loan Scheme Syndrome. tion poverty; they simply seek the easy played a magnificent role in the col The efforts of these teachers in way out instead of confronting the lapse of totalitarian regimes in the preaching Moral Education become a realities of the sickness and dealing past, should also make a strong com farce in the eyes of the school-children with it. They fail to question the cheap mitment to crusade against im as the educators themselves are labour policy which even today is perialism. If peace is to be realised hypocrites like crabs teaching their promoted by bringing in foreign fully. the forces of darkness should be young ones to walk straight labour. They fail to question the brought to the Light. Before it is too late, I hope all decrease in real wages in the planta RONALJJ AlL BENJAMIN educators, sensible parents and the tion sector over the last 20 years. They JOSEPH relevant authority will realise the fal fail to address the highly exploitative lacy of the Book Loan Scheme, and environment which makes the workers IPOH dependent on the plantations. take immediate measures to remedy the critical situation. After all these years ... they ask people to leave the plantations. FRUSTRATED PARENT So let's leave the plantations, let's THE HYPOCRISY OF KAMPAR leave this century-old problem as it is and try to escape from this disease THE BOOK LOAN without even lifting a fmger of protest SCHEME and let's together enter the race of the MAHATHIR CROSS fittest. The Education Ministry has made PLEASE TAKE INTEREST a big blunder all these years, making OVER CROSS-OVERS PETAUNGJAYA fools of aU parents, teachers and pupils by imposing aU types of much-ado It was a shock to hear our respect about-nothing restrictions in the Book able Prime Minister speaking of pros Loan Scheme in schools. titution etc, on TV while spitefully Parents with incomes above sulling over the USNO EVIL SHOULD BE $1,000 are not eligible to participate in Assemblymen's sudden change of EXPOSED the Book Loan Scheme. Actually, political affiliation! It sets one's mind there are more than enough books wondering who has been pimping aU these years because, to the best of my The recent military aggression on provided for all pupils in all schools. knowledge, most political cross-overs Iraq on the part of the United States, Besides, in terms of economics, the have been from the non-Barisan France and Britain should be con Book Loan Scheme is just a drop of Nasional parties to the Barisan. Well, demned by all human beings who water in the ocean. we all know that the Barisan Nasional believe injustice and truth. The 'no fly These unfortunate parents are con zone' in Iraq has no international fronted with a dilemma: can do no wrong since they are in power permanently! legitimacy because it was imposed by • Inflation reduces their real only three nations. Through this ag wages causing financial AB gression against Iraq, the US has made problems. IPOH it clear that it doesn't respect the • School textbooks are not avail- Alirrut Monthly 1993:13 (4) Page 13 STUDENT ACTIVISM TIME TO REVIVE STUDENT ACTIVISM IN MALAYSIA If students want to they can do it studies and their futw"e. Not only do tee, whose role is to give students an Students in our institutions they not protest the injustices in the orientation to student life, is ap of higher learning, writes country, they also sit still and accept pointed by the authorities. These are SEDAR, have become calmly rules and regulations that normally the 'good' students, that is continue to deprive them of their those who do not cause 'trouble'. apathetic and uninvolved. rights. Student leaders are normally ex His survey of the activism cluded Many other methods ofcon of the 1982-83 University Student Movement trol have also been employed to of Malaya Student Union, Suppressed make the students passive and some shows that students could To control and suppress student times one finds that secondary school students are more aware and and can still act even activism, the University and Univer sity Colleges Act 1971 (UCCA) active than university students. within the constraints of [which was amended again in 197 5] But can students today relin the UCCA (Universities was enacted. quish their role and responsibility as and University Colleges This Act deprived students of the conscience of society with the Act 1971). many rights, including the right to excuse that nothing can be done? feel. For example, it is an offence The answer must be "No", for no under the Act for the student to even mattet how numerous the obstacles, sympathize with political parties. students have to be creative and The irony is that they are still al overcome the fear, the apathy and he students movement in lowed to vote during general elec the many other barriers so as to Malaysia has its origins before tions! respond to the realities around them. Tthe Second World War. Since Any programme that a student The University of Malaya the 1930s students have been in wants to organise has to be approved Students' Representative Council volved in the struggle for inde by the Students' Affairs Depart (Union) of 1982-83 managed to pendence, students' rights and the ment, which also controls the funds revive student activism from its defence of the poor and voiceless as of students societies. comatose existence. Unfortunately in the cases involving landless squat Societies that are a 'threat' are the student movement just slipped ters in Teluk Gong, poor and starv not allowed to be registered. A b3ck into a coma after that period. ing rubber smallholders in Baling recent example in University The point is that if it can be done and squatters in Tasek Utara. Malaya would be SEDAR, a student once, it is defmitely possible to In other countries too, students society that was concerned with revive student activism again. spoke out against foreign govern human rights. Against the odds ments that violated human rights, for The increased emphasis on lec example, Thailand for its persecu ture attendance, the passing up of The actions and activities of the tion of the people of Pattani and the regular assignments and the change University of Malaya Students United States for its stand on the to the semester system is partly to Union of 1982-83 (which one must Palestinian issue. Students acted as a blame. Previously, the exam at the realise was a Union that emerged about 10 years after the amendments voice of ~ience for the people. end of the academic year was what Today, students in the ivory mattered -this meant that students, to the UCCA and after a spell of towers are so different from their who organised their time weU, inactivism or little activism) indicate pedecessas in the 60s and 70s. would find that they had the time for that there are still avenues and pos They are an apathetic lot who seem other issues of concern. sibilities for students to revive their to be concerned , only with. their Today, the orientation commit- activism and once again take their Alinut MOtllhly 1993:13 (4) Page 14 place as a voice of conscience that tions that the contents be fust ap dents and only a handful from the calls out for justice on behalf of the proved and that it be printed at the different colleges attended the oppressed groups. I would like to university press. Dialogue, which was scheduled for recall some of these activities: Realising that this meant censor 8.30 pm but only started at around ship and control, the Union used 11.00 pm with a very small nwnber SuaraSiswa similar methods to come out with the in attendance. Since the UCCA, students did second issue. UnfortWlatcly sub Another action was on a day not have an organ of true and Wlcen sequent representative councils al when an intellectual forum and a sored expression. The Council lowed themselves to be subject to cultural programme was scheduled decided to act rather than wait censorship and control. Today, to occur concurrently. The forum patiently for the application for a Suara Siswa is no more a true and was to be held in the Dewan Tunku students' newspaper to be approved. free avenue for student expression. Chancellor, a hall that can accom Donations were collected and modate 3000, whilst the cultwal the Council started working to put Orientation Week 1983 event was to be held in the Ex out the paper. As soon as it was One programme during this perimental Theatre, with a seating printed, the paper was distributed by orientation week was supposed to be capacity of about 500. slipping copies under the doors of a forum, where the Union was to get At the colleges, Wlion members students' rooms in residential hos two speakers and the Student Affairs and college leaders who made up the tels at night In the morning it was Department was to find two other orientation committee stressed to the distributed to those residing off speakers. The Union got their new students the importance of the campus as they arrived. speakers, but the Students' Affairs intellectual forum for the develop When office opened the Presi Department cancelled the forum on ment of students into critical, think dent of the Union, accompanied by the grounds that they could not ftnd ing individuals. On arrival at the representatives from his council speakers. This forum was replaced venue of the forum, it was dis presented a copy of the paper to the by a Dialogue Session with the covered that the Students' Affairs Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Students' Students' Affairs Department Department had exchanged venues Affairs). The fust issue was out and The Union reacted by mobilising of the programmes without consult the authorities were not pleased for support in the colleges among the ation or prior notice. Students were nothing could be done to stop it new students. On the day of the disgusted and protested. They approved the students' Dialogue, the students boycotted it The Fourth College students, for newspaper but imposed the condi- The issue was explained to the stu- example, immediately called for a vote and it was decided that they would boycott the programme and return to college to have their own programme. Back at the college, the students had a 'Speakers' Comer' whereby studenlc; came forward and spoke their minds about any issue of concern. Many expressed disgust at the way the authorities treated them. The Wliversity reacted by reducing the powers of the Wlion with regards to orientation in future. Since then, members of the orientation committee have been appointed not from college leaders and members of the Students' Representative Council South Korun student activist Rim Su Gyong croaaing the demilitarized' zone into the but from 'trouble-free' stu North, tor which ahe faced • prison term of ten yean. dents who do not pose a Alirtut MonJhly 1993:13 (4) Page 15 Negeri Sembilan and Penang, an effective study methods seminar for school students and a free tuition programme in Kampung Kerinchi, a nearby squatter (urban settlers) community, were some of the other ac tivities of the Union. The Union, in a cultural programme that portrayed many different dances of different cultures in our global village, l100 took the position that the dances of the different ethnic groups in Malaysia are also Malaysian dances. If Students Want To They Can Do It Our University •tudente are not even allowed to •ympathiz.e with political .,_rti.. l The Students' Repre- sent.ativeCouncil (Union) of threat $10,000. The other objection against 1982-83, by its actions and activities, Anita was that she was not a demonstrated that student activism Pesta Ria Kebajikan 1983 Malaysian. can be revived despite the various The Pesta is an annual event of The Students' Affairs Depart constraints - legal or otherwise. One the Students' Representative Coun ment intervened in order to increase failure of this Council was in not cil to raise money for the Students' the tension between both parties and being able to develop leaders who Welfare Fund. An organising com the most unforgivable thing that it would have carried on towards mittee was appointed by the Union did was to sign the contract with greater student activism in Malaysia. to carry out this project. Anita Sarawak, knowing very well It is true that students unions Conflict developed between the that the matter was still being dis today may have also lost touch with Union and the organising commit cussed and a sotuti'on had not been their predecessors resulting in a tee. The committee wanted to raise reached. bankruptcy of ideas on things that the rental for the stalls that were to This interference by the can be done. Hopefully this article be let out to students and student authorities was seen as an act of total will challenge student activists today groups but the Union opposed this. disrespect to the Union and it led to and give them some ideas on what The committee wanted to have a lion the Union voting to drop the Pesta can be done. dance during the opening ceremony Ria Kebaji.kan. This was an unprece There are always risks involved but the Union objected to this since dented act and in the end the in student activism but if one truly the lion dance would overshadow all Students' Affairs Department of the believes in something, one will go all other cultural dances and could University had to run the out to achieve it transcending all bar cause unwanted communal feelings. programme. riers. The Union, however, agreed to any The threat of expulsion is always other Chinese dance and also agreed Other Programmes in hanging over the heads of students, that the lion dance could be part of but should this deter students from the Pesta but on another day, not 1982-83 playing their effective role as advo during the opening ceremony. Forums on different topics like cates of the oppressed? The Committee wanted to get the role of students, the UCCA, the Should it stop them from being Anita Sarawak to perform at the Palestinian issue and the Vietnamese p311 of the process ofdetermining the Pesta Concert and the Graduation boat people were held. Inter future of our beloved Malaysia? Dinner. The Union opposed this be religious dialogues, a student leader This is the challenge posed to cause Anita wanted about $25,000, ship course, a media skills and students today. • whilst other popular artistes, like training course, exposure immersion Sudirman, were only asking for programmes (the 'Bakti Siswa') in Alirrm Molllhly 1993:13 (4) Page 16 LIFESTYLE FUTILE ATTRACTIONS The catch, of course, lies in the by implication, the use of credit The increasingly free and fact that the fruit of the credit card cards which facilitate the process- is easy use or credit cards has boom in Malaysia at present (in not so much against the credit system led to a growing concern reality part of a bigger and stronger itself (Griffm admitted it provided 'a that the system is directly 'megatrend' in the development of useful tool in the American banking and fmance institutions economy') but against.the abuses of contributing to economic worldwide) can only be reaped and consumer credit. ills, like inflation. SOH tasted in the problematical 'long According to Griffm, these ENG LIM reports on the tenn' future. abuses toolc the form of 'short-term, controversy at home and The fact remains - credit cards relatively high-interest personal mean big business because there is abroad. credit,' most of it used to finance and has been a growing demand for 'convenience' products and ser them in Malaysia in recent years. vices. rom the investment point of The demand, of course, comes from Arguing his case in the context view, credits cards represent that tantalisingly common yet of 1971 realities,Griffm'smaincon Fbig news in Malaysia. One has elusive creature called the Cus tention was as foUows: 'Laws or no only to read the dailies 01" do a head tomer. By dictum, the customer is laws, even legitimate firms are now count of the nwnber of new and dif always right - and woe betide any using myriad devices to hide from ferent credit cards being 'promoted' economist or whoever who dares to their customers the real costs of Jocally to realise the reason. doubtorquerysuch 'springs' of tried using credit I firmly believe that In simple tenns, credit cards rep and tested wisdom ... getting rid of credit abuses would be resent big business to listed and un However, there recently arose a of inestimable benefit to honest listed companies alike because, spate of public comments and reac businessmen. FOI"tunately, there is accOI"ding to industry experts, the tions in Malaysia which tended to something everybody can do about nwnber of cards issued (and thus the imply that the free and easy use of the proliferating menace. Limit number and value of purchases credit cards is a source of ills and buying-on credit' made through them) is growing at woes, including rising inflation, Thus, according to Griffm, it is the meteoric rate of 40 per cent a group (or 'economic') exploitation, the prevalence of 'credit abuses' (in year! and poverty and underdevelopment. cluding the use of techniques and (FO£ the record, the estimated Significantly, a 'survey' of the devices to hide or disguise the real nwnber of credit cards in use by phenomenon indicates that much of cost of credit from credit-using con Malaysian consumers now is around the adverse views of the credit card sumers) that fosters the growth of one million. Chung Khiaw Bank system have been fuelled by jungle-Like conditions in the credit recently indicated that up to early 'landmark' books and critiques Like market. AI Griffin's Cr~dit 1 ungl~ (Regnery. August 1991, the nwnber of credit RISING TIDE OF GREED card holders was around 450,000. 1971) and Terry Galanoy's Charg~ Last. but not least. one business It! (Putnam, 1980). Insofar as credit card promotecs writer recently estimated the average The pitch and tone of these in Malaysia today encourage buying value of conswner credit used by studies can best be gauged by the on credit and/O£ 'conspire' to use card holders in Malaysia at sub-headings they carry: •An eye devices which disguise the real cost RM254.50 per month). opening indictment of the consumer of credit. they are guilty of Griffin's credit industry' (in the case of •indictment' against their opera BIG BUSINESS Griffm'$; hoolc}, and 'Inside the tions. As a brood generalisation, one credit card conspiracy'. In this connection, it is no doubt can argue that. in a free and open Without going into details, it can pertinent to note that, speaking in society like Malaysia. what is good be pointed out that (in the case of Washington (USA) late last month, fO£ the credit card business must be Griffm's book), the 'indictment' (Sept. 1991) US Treasury Secretary good fO£ every one else. against consumer credit- and thus, Nicholas Brady decried the 'rising Alinul MOIIIIely 1993:13 (4) Pa1•17 tide of greed' in financial markets. However, Brady was careful to warn against 'excessive regulation' to checlc such trends and tendencies. Ma-e specifacally written about the credit card system, Galanoy's Charge It! identifies easy credit 'as the · single strongest cause of the double-digjt inflation that is an all too familiar spectre in our lives.' Discussing the situation as he knew it some l 0 yeats ago, Galanoy believed that the conswner-debt cwn inflation crisis might worsen. Despite timely government ac tion to cwb the destructive credit trend, the banks now have greater licence to 'enslave' conswners and their money 'and to increase' their already obscene profits on (their clients') credit cards,' Galanoy ar gued. Taking up a theme once trum peted by Vance Packard (in Tht Naked Society), Galanoy added that, in addition to altering the economic system drastically, the credit card was seriously invading the privacy of groups and individuals. CREDIT CARD ADDICTION The habits, attitudes and per Dial histories of each credit user is in the computer banks, accessible at the touch of a button. Most chilling of all, Galanoy's book outlines the bankers' dream for what he called Lifebank- 'a near-fu ture system that will put everything you own, including your ability to survive, into one account, totally controlled by the moncyman. • Credit cards reprMent big busln... to lnv•tors. Writing with an insider's What was true and com dumbstruck by the 'familiar ring' to knowledge of the credit card 'con monplace in America, of course, lS many of the issues raised. troversy,' Galanoy provides valu fast becoming bUe and com The credit card issue is by no able insights into such developments monplace in countries like Malaysia means a new and exceptional one. as 'the battle of the bank cards' today. There is much that is happening in (which was waged by Mastercard 1berein lies the relevance of Malaysia today that can be better and VISA 'as much against con 'attacks' against credit abuse and, understood and discussed in a fair swner interest as against each other') more specifically, the credit card light if the correct perspectives are and into such aspects of the industry system as typified by the accounts brought into play. as credit card fraud and crime 'as written by Griffm and Galanoy in The present 'swvey' as wcU as America's latest national ail recent years. Despite the passage of ~esented above is aimed at produc ment- credit card addiction.' time, one cannot help but be ing such perspectives. • AlitwJe MOiflltlyl993:13 (4) Pt~ge 18 many of us loaahe ow MPs and saaae a.mblymcn, much less hold them in high eslcem? The only times lhat !JOIIle of (U' MPs lR not making fools of lhemselves in Priament is when they are not present. Sometimes, one does not know whether to be lhankful or~ when MPs play hooky from Parliament The OUcf also claimed lhal the 1erm Yang Btrhormot was nccess.y because Parliament's Standing Orders states lhat an MP must be addressed as Yang Btrhonnat instead of his or ta name. The miSOOS offered by him to retain the Yan1 Btrhormal ll'e 10 ~ of the hypocrisy lhat surrounds the political ring within which ow MPs d:n:e to their masac:r's tune. LEOPARDS CUNG • If MPs can amend the ONTO SPOTS • Coostibdion. there's no reason why they cannot amend the Standing It kx*s like the ruling 1WtY. Orders. A change would only mean specifically Umno Baru. has lhal tbe MP would be addre$sed as INIUiged 10 cut the RoyaMy down 10 Ahli Dari (name of constituency) size wilh whal the PKtY has claimed inslead of the hoity-klity (and quit.e 10 be the ow:rwhdming suppxt of undeserving) Yang Berbormat Ahli the pnp•lation. But we will nevu Oari such-and-such a constituency. know wiD we, Jiven what the Press Don't our MPs realise that such is like. The positM side of lhe a:colades only serve 10 cmaance deloyaliling of (U' Royalty will, them from the rakyat? They may be tqJcfully. result in ama savinp more ~plable to the rakyat for ow nalional coffers and a more without such meaningless titles (and dernocrabc IOCicty. Particularly inherited from the British welcome il the doing away of aD imperialisls that we drove out at thole complicafed addresses and lhal!) clinging to their names. ccut a.auaac thai used 10 be .,...... ,. If the Backbenchei'S are so required of lowly commoners lk desperate for ~ they are Ill. being Samy Vellu. Good hea"VenS! unlikely to get it by merely stringing However, whal's aood enoup But aood oo you Samyl) 1 tide before lheir names. They will for lhe lrillocracy is appRIIIIy not Anyway, the OUet said lhere have to wen hard for iL Moreover, JOOd enouah for the politician going ~ nothing am-Islamic aboua the even thoush they may continue to be by M wadi of the OUet of lhe tide. Thai's fair enough, but I'm Uftssed wilh fancy tides in Blctbenchen Oub, Shahidan afraid I shall have 10 lake issue wi&h Parliament. there is really nothing to tca.inL He Wll repoded 10 have his claim that the sU!CJfinn is abo 1 stop us from calling them all manner llid IIIII MPI were not ..,ucua.ty form of respect and discipline oo ow of names ouasidc of Parliament. keen on *oppina the r .., part for ow political~ Berltotwll thll a. come 10 be To assume lhat the avaqe __, 10 their names upon poli&icilm. who onehow manages ••• becoming a Wdkil rtlkyal. (To be fair, to make it to Parliament every fow IIMIIIBiria'l Na1iona1 MPs were to five years. ha. ow respect is really in fawur of lhe cRp. one of them too much. Doesn't he know how 10 A.lirtut Mottdtly 1993:13 (4) PGt•19 SUBANG SECURITY lhe Minister as usual had his ••• andunetic aD muddled while others HAMPERS said lhat UMNO Baru had APPLE-POUSHERS UIINOBARU 8RJ8relllly not paid enough 10 induce more proecstas. Yet others Several Minista's llld VIPs, ARITHMETIC: said that Chose who rqxmdly anxious 10 see off Dr M to some 200=1,000s -=ceJ*'d the inducement decided to obscure and newly libcraaed Middle go shopping instead. Frankly, I think Euaqle rqJUblic, wae really nettled Once apin, the name of the the po Alirrue MOtfllcl1 1993:13 (4) Page 20 Kelantm. meaning is still largely WlCiear to disturbing to read. When he is not p-edicting crowd anyone except her), but to Ghafar, Many parents ooquestioningly sizes, he is alleging paJace the move was more like being hit in resor1ed to "bribery" in ordf.r to ease interference in the civil service. As a the head by a golf ball. their children into the JnClice. They politician, he should know who the To make matters worse, it seems would give a ringgit if their kids worst meddlers in the wa'kings of the few Usno chaps who eventually f~ted for a whole day and fifty sen the civil 9eiVice are. What the decided to join Umno Baru.instead if they lasted half a day. Surely, this Minister is doing amounts to of jumping onto the coalition very spiritual p-actice of the faith instigating and rabble-rousing. bandwagon with PBS were said to ought not to be equated with money. Sw-ely this is the sort of a:tivity be "Anwar's men" and that it was Moreover it would merely instill in normally associaaed with petty Anwar who had persuaded them to these young minds that all actions. lrouble-makers, toadies. slavish stick with Umno Baru. Anwar, it whether for man or God. are parallel minions, the worst sort of agent would appear, has scored a moral to the more material things in life. provocateur, mischief-makers and victory in Umno Baru Sabah, and rabble-rousers. Those with a more important. won the ftrst rowxl rnemay thought the fiasco ol a raUy in the battle fa the deputy ••• had shades of Sernarak - that huge presidency. The positive side of aU people's movement that moved this is lhat Ghafar may soon be THE EARLY WORM nowhere. playing golf for every remaining day Meanwhile, the Deputy PM was of his life. GETS THE RSH? reported as saying that the monarchy would kill itself off if it persisted in playing politics. His warning ought • • • to apply to politicians who persist in playing dirty politics. But one wonders though whether any ON THE ROAD TO warning from the Deputy PM is MATERIALISM? wOOh its space in prinl It is said that around the cmaer is the most terrible Thailand's Education Ministry political struggle that the poor man has published a textbook to teach is likely to face in his life. Despite school children about the dangers of recent reports to the contrary an conupeion. The book aimed to tell impatient northerner might still students how the evils of corruption challenge him for the deputy can damage society. The only thing presidency ofUmno Baruand in that marring such a commendable move sense the position of Deputy PM. on the part of Thai education And to make matters worse, he is officials is the Ministry •s current scarred by a golf scandal and more entmglement in a map scandal 1lle MB of a cer1ain Slale was recently, the cross-Qvers in Sabah involving huge kickOOI::ks paid for caught fiShing ·- for votes? One have been the political pits for him. the purchase of schooldesks and would think it a bit early even for the You see, Ghafar also heads chairs. Cakap tak serupa bikin, as Umno Baru general assembly that is Sabah Umno Baru which means, he our locals would say. at the end of this year. The man looks has to build it up to some semblance When will grown-ups ever learn quite desperate actually. For one ol challenge to PBS. Part of the that it is pointless telling children to thing, he was using a very, very long effort includes enswing that Usno do this or not to do that unless they pole. And for another, the way he stays close with Umno Barn. Thus, behave similarly. Grown-ups are was going about it is certainly not the cross-over fiasco to PBS by often responsible for inculcating the one that any real f.IShetmen would several key Usoomembers was a big malerialisbc streak that seems to wish to be caught dead doing. But blow to his prestige in the party, to penneaae all aspects of our society. the worst part was that all the fish hisreputation as a Mr Fax- It-All and For instance, a recent article on little were lrying to avoid him. Is that an to his political future. Rafldah Aziz kids just staning to Call during the omen or what? compared the Usno aossover to a Ramadan and learning about the stab in the chest (she has probably meaning of abQinence as a sign o( created a new metaphor whose their devotion and faith was quite ••• Alinue MolflltlJ 1993:13 (4) Page 21 1984AND convnwlity service. controUed media is giving him and Such a harsh and insensitive way his case a great deal of publicity. CULWRAL ofmteqnting the law gives us some The claimant to the Kelantan REVOLunON IN indication of the way the stale is throne has also }XOOlised 10 be a non ONE heading. The normally tame Straits politician if he is made Icing and in Times was defensive in its lame saying so, sounded exactly like a Singlp(e's own liltJe Cultural excuse that publicity would be an politician. And while Umno Baru Revolution, that was how the effective deterrent And various uses the rakyal s name in vain, the incident was dubbed. It 1\awened government figurt8 agreed on aspirant to the throne appe3'S to be when 10 litklbugs from the instilling a sense of shame in the using his father's name in vain. He Republic were compelled by the litterbugs. If that's the case, a local said his decision to contest the court to pick up rubbish in a pubiX: writer pointed out, why not JD3de Kelantan throne was done "for my area in front of curious onlookers rapists, child abusers and murdelers late father". Must we drag the dead and even more curious media crews. too? into this theatre of the absurd? The Some on-lookers even made fun oC In the footsteps of this present leadership of Umno Baru, it the litlerbugs. The event was embarrassing episode came the ~is not only causing disunity subsequently splashed on the front sacking of a lecturer by the National llllong the Malays, but discord pages of newspapers and primetime University of Singapore for among family members or the TV. The lJili'OiW from many outraged allegedly misusing S$226. The Kelantan royal house. Singaporeans (a sign lhat despite victim, who went on a hunger strike, Anyway,the poor chap- he runs what the government says. there are claimed that the real reason for the some family business in Kuala still people who can think for sack wa§ his participation in last Lumpur - can hardly be blamed for themselves in Singapu-e) was December's by~lections as a aspiring to less tiresome work. He tremenOOus. candidaae for the ~tion. The would Sl.U'ely prefer k> spend his They thought the harsh univmiry. the lecturer claimed. had days golfmg, yachting, mocoring, punishment and the wide publicity dug deep for a cause and frustrated holidaying abrood, or whatever it is was totally unwarranted Fa many by none decided to seale on a couple that the royal boys and girls spend SingaporeatS, the event txuught 10 of hlnk'ed dollars that could not be their waking hours at In fact. if he mind the madness of the Cultural accounted for. does manage to clamber onto the Revolution when so-called throne, he would be wise to spend counter-revolutionarieS were his days abroad since the tOOlml, ridiculed. humilialed and ••• Kelanaanese are unlikely 10 lake paraded through the Slrects 10 the lcindly to any KL-~ boos and jeers of on-loolcers. PRETENDERS TO replacement of their beloved sultan. Parallels drawn to the excesses of THE THRONE? Apart from the beleaguered stllc OJ.inese Convnunism were not of Kelantan an elderly gentleman in another ea.\1 coast state is also wveasonable as the offenders were One would have thought that the claiming the throne there 10 be his also compelled 10 don neon- green royalty having slipped so far down although there is no longer much vests pinled with the wools the social hierarchy,there would be forest left in the State to log. Indeed. Corrective Work Order. very few who still coveted !heir everyone is expecting a similar The "Red Guard" experiment in pngtion in society. AJJ~mently not. claim to emanate further south on this most capitalistic of societies left There seems to be quite a number account of a post cowt intrigue that a bad Ia* in the closed mouths of clamowing to be suJcan. In the case had all the ingredients or a 900p the average Singaporean. Moreover. of the Kelanlan royal house, a opera - dying royal, docile heir that the audoities are now installing Businessman Who Longs To Be apparent, ambitious close The Indonesian military was reported to have asked the public not 10 send flowers when congratulating newly promoted officers. The offJCers, it seems, prefer money, so the public if they wished 10 share their joy with these officers, have been asked to send money which could be "used for social purposes". Parliamentary sessions would be schoolchildren. To look on the 1he saying, "say it with flowers", useful in helping the sllldents to see, bright side, it is quite likely that after apparently does not hold with the learn and Wlderstand how visiting Parlliment, the students, if Indonesian military. Money, it democracy works in our country as they are bright enough, will decide would appear, speaks louder than some of them may become to go into anything but politics when blooms. poHticians when they grow up. they grow up. byNNP The pooc kids. They may return A.liratt MOIIIIUy1993:13 (4) P118• 23 Ethnic Relations Indigenousness A question of politics and social justice Similarly. recognizing the Malays as people in the region moved about Indigenousness, DR TAN indigenous does not mean dis freely without any consideration of, CHEE BENG notes, is a qualifying the Chinese and Indians or restriction by national boun relative and vague concept in Malaysia as rightful citizens of the daries, which were created only as a country. result of the formation of the modem which is often politically One should not politicize the nation state. defined. issue of indigenousness. It is mis We have Thai people in the leading and meaningless to quarrel northern states of Peninsular over who are more indigenous or Malaysia. They are indigenous to he question of indigenousness who among the citizens are more this region and should be considered takes on an added significance "immigrant". ~ indigenous people of Malaysia. Twith political implications in It is "in bad taste" to argue, as has In Sarawak, the Iban, the K.ayan and view of the recent attempts by cer been done by SOOle, that Chinese the Kenyah had migrated from the tain ethnic minority groups in the citizens of Malaysia are "im (present) Indonesian side of Borneo Peninsula to join UMNO. migrants" in relation to the Malays. (Kalimantan). Nonetheless they are The tenn "indigenous" is a rela or Malays are also "immigrants" in indigenous to the region and con tive concept In general, the in relation to the Orang Asli. sidered indigenous peoples of digenous people are people whose Such arguments in this multi Malaysia. history and civilization are bound to ethnic country can only lead to dis In fact the ancestors of most the land on which they still live. "In trust and hostility between ethnic Malays came from outside the digenous people" as a category is groups. present-day Malaysian state. This made distinct historically by the Indigenousness is a historical does not make the present-day presence of settlers who came later. consideration, and it is also for the Malays less indigenous - they are Thus the Malays in Malaysia are convenience of reference. It should indigenous to the Malay ar indigenous to the land in relation to not be a claim to more rights. chipelago, and it does not matter the Chinese and Indians. Malay In a democratic nation-state, whether their ancestors actually civilization developed in the Malay every citizen is equal before the law. lived in the land of present-day archipelago. No category of people can claim to Malaysia or not. However, in the When the Chinese and Indians have more rights. modem Malaysian state, new im carne from China and India, the One must understand that af migrants including those from the Malays already had their indigenous fmnative programmes (such as Malay Archipelago (for instance system of government here, and the through the use of quotas) are meant Swnatra) are considered im Chinese and Indian migrants had to to provide help to people (especially migrants, not citizens, until they are deal with the Malay chiefs and minorities) who have been made dis granted their citizenship JXIPCI'S. rulers, until the British colon.i.zed the advantaged economically and even Indigenousness is really a rela land directly and indirectly. politcally in relation to the other eth tive and vague concept v.hich is Of COUJ'Se. if one goes back in nic groups as a cono;equence of cer often politically defined. depending time, most people were immigrants, tain historical developments. Such on which ethnic group holds more or at least, are thought to be so. The help is a privilege, not a right - it is political power. In Taiv.'all. for ex earliest inhabitants whose descen important to bear this in mind ample, the Austronesian- speaking dants still exist today in Peninsular indigenous minorities ha\'e always Malaysia are the aborigines called Indigenousness and been referred to by the .Han. people Orang Asli. Citizenship (the mainstream "Chinese·) as ·hiu Recognizing this historical fact Malaysia is a nation-state. people" (shandi mln=u) or ·hill does not mean disqualifying the Before the formation of the modem brothers and sisters· (shanbao). Malays as indigenous people. nation-state a few decades ago, Today these minorities 'llr"aTit the Han Alinut Mondtly 1993:13 (4) P111e 24 the auspices of the Jabatan Hal Ehwal Orang As/i (with all its im plications) and the lack of legal protection for their land ownership, have made the thinking ones among them to examine their own bumiputera status. While their need for special aid is speltoutin the Aboriginal Peoples Act and the Statement of Policy Regarding the Administration of the Aboriginal Peoples of the Federa Semlli children leafing through the Monthly. The a.,.cial poaition of the tion of Malaya (1961), their special Or1111g Aali hu not been apelt out clearly in the Constitution. position is not spell out clearly in the Constitution itself. Chinese to refer to them as Thus bumiputera in Malaysian Article 153 of the Constitution yuanzhumin or aborigines{m politics is de(med by the Malay mentions about safeguarding "the digenous people. This is legitimate elites, especially the leaders of special position of the Malays and and seems a simple matter, but it has UMNO (United Malay National Or natives of any of the States of Sabah met with resistance from the Han ganization), the dominant political and Sarawak", but the Orang Asli are politicians and even scholars who party whose membership is Malay not mentioned. see this claim on the part of the except for a minority of non-Malay It is only in Article 8 Clause 5C minorities as involving redefining bumiputera from Sabah. that there is indirect reference to the the historical Chinese presence in Of course, the formation of privileges for Orang Asli. Essential Taiwan. Malaysia affects the Malay-centric ly refering to the questioo of view of bumiputera for the majority equality, Article 8 Clause 5C also Bumiputra, Malay and of the indigenous people in Sarawak states that the article does not in Politics and Sabah are not ethnic Malays and validate or prohibit "any p-ovision In Malaysia, the concept of many are not Muslims. Neverthe for the protection, well-being or ad bumiputera has been politically, less, in the Semenanjung, vancement of the aboriginal peoples legally and socially significant since bumiputera remains closely as of the Malay Peninsula (including Independence and especially since sociated with ethnic Malays and by the reservation of land) or the reser the introduction of the New implication, Muslims. vation to aborigines of a reasonable proportion of suitable positions in Economic Policy in 1971. Thai Malaysians and Orang Bumiputera means "sons of the the public service". soil", and bumiputera are of course Asli In other words indigenousness indigenous people. But bumiputera Thai Malays~s are indigenous, has been linked to the concept of has been politically defined, and it as explained above, but they have bumiputera,which is in turn as has become an important ideology of not been fully recognized as sociated with Malay nationalist the Malay nationalists. As bumiputera, leading one scholar to thinking. Thus we have the odd bumiputera status involves having describe them as "native but not situation of some categories of access to certain socio-economic bumiputera". people who are natives but not for privileges in the distribution of However, since they have been mally bumiputera. resources and opportunities between allowed to buy Amanah Saham Na Sabah and Sarawak Natives bumiputera and non- bumiputera, it tional (ASN) shares which are, In Sabah, the tenn Pribumi was has become a crucial concept in the strictly speaking, for the introduced during Datuk Harris political economy of Malaysia. The bumiputera, they seem to have been Salleh 's tenn as Chief Minister to Malay elites tend to equate given some informal recognition as refer to all the indigenous people bumiputera with Malays only, and bumiputera. Nevertheless, their irrespective of ethnic origins. the public in Peninsular Malaysia status as non· Malay bumiputera This new category was used in also tend to equate bumiputera with remains ambiguous. the 1980 Census and was formally Malays and Malayness, and the On the other hand the Orang Asli adopted by the state government in tenns bumiputera and non are, or at least are asswned to be, 1982. This was a most unwise move bumiputera are taken to mean bumiputera. However their con for it emphasised the boundary be "Malays and non- Malays". tinued separate administration under tween the indigenous people and the Alinm Molfthly 1993:13 (4) Page 25 people considered as not indigenous with either the Kadazan AUra MOifiJIJJ 1993:13 (4) Pore 26 Amanah SahamNaliona/ and to join make them ambiguous as The historical homeland of the UMNO. bumiputera. It should also be P~guese Eurasians and Baba is At present both the Thai and the remembered that both the Thai and Melak.a. So too for the Chitty. Their Ptxtuguese Eurasians have been al the Portuguese Eurasians are small unique identities and cultures lowed to buy the ASN but not the minorities, and their presence does developed locally. In this sense they Baba. It is interesting to note that not at all threaten Malay interests, are indigenous to Melaka. Similarly certain Portuguese Eurasian and whether as bumiputera Alltwlt MoNitl:~ 1993:13 (4) Page 27 VALUE OF DISSENT RIGHT AND WRONG Not balancing games lions are there? by the Chief Secretary to the TheAliran Monthly of The mind of an ordinary m llUnu• Monlhly 1993:13 (4) Page 28 his deputy and Parliament "for their has persecuted and killed the Pales detennination to defend and protect tinians for the last 44 years? the people from the bullying per If that were the criterion, then petrated by some members of the thousands of Israelis who support royalty." Was that another "anti the "Peace Now" movement must be Barisan Nasional" tirade? "anti-Israel". Similarly, Maxim I am beginning to wonder what Ghilan, the author of How lsrad Fernandez has been reading? Per Lost Its Soul (Penguin), a Jew who haps he has read everything but that went to Palestine in 1944 and left his memories are conveniently and Israel in 1969 for good, must be deliberately selective? "anti-Israel". Fernandez's advice to Aliran is Similarly, the 90-year-<>ld ~ien that it ought in futwe to "praise the tist and philosopher Professor Barisan for a change ... " This is Yeshayahu Leibwitz, of Hebrew utterly ridiculous. Why should any University who turned down the Is organization or person praise the rctCl Prize, the most prestigious Barisan just for the sake of "for a award for a civilian in Israel, last change"? Alir81'1 Pr•ldent Dr Ariffin Om.r year, and who has said that Israel h .. only ~tly lauded the must "liberate itself from this curse Not Balancing Games government on two crucial l ..u ... of dominating other people" and that Public and international affairs Israeli soldiers in the occupied ter are not some balancing games but criticised the OIC at public meetings ritories risk becoming "Judoo are matters ofright and wrong. Ifand where the media were present. 1lle Nazis", must be "anti-Israel"? when the Barisan NasionaJ deserves fact that such criticisms were not A British newspaper must be to be praised, then it should be reported is ncx my fault; I neither "anti-Israel" when it criticised the praised. This applies similarly to the own nor control the media. Israeli government's expulsion of United States, the West, Israel, the 415 Palestinians last December by PLO and the OIC. Anti Western? Anti lsrtu!l? saying, "For sheer foolishness the Conve~ly, whenever they do In fairness though, I must men operation is hard to beat"? unfair or even inhuman things, they tion that the New Straits Times of "Anti-Western"? Poor Agatha should be criticised or condemned. I October 18, 1992 did carry my letter Christie, arguably the greatest for one would never praise the which, (in response to a special ar mystery writer of all time, must Barisan Nasional for the Internal ticle in theN~ England JoUI7Ull of qualify for being so when she talked Security Act, for instance. Would Medicine written by 12 experts and in her autobiography, about "the Fernandez? published on September 24, 1992 slightly more concealed nepotism Like many other Malaysians, I pointing out that more than 46,900 and 'old boys' club' of the Western have strongly condemned the children in Iraq died between democracies". Barisan NasionaJ's thundering January and August 1991 as a result Claude Cheysson, a Conner silence on the Indonesian occupation of the GulfWar and trade sanctions). French Foreign Minister and now of East Timor, where since Decem said: "When thousands of people the Chainnan of the Socialist Caucus ber 1975, more than 200,000 people have been killed and thousands more in the European Parliament, must - a third of the whole population are being killed with each passing have been "anti-Western" when he there - have been massacred. month in Iraq and NAM and the OIC said in the Reporter newspaper of Fernandez himself has very aptly dare not speak up, then they are use Paris that the West was practising a asked the Malaysian government "if less to the Third World and the Mus "collective ~oundrel action" against we can be so vocal over Bosnia, why lim world." the people of Iraq by way of sanc was there silence when hundreds by the way, the highly respected tions. were massacred in East Timor?" New England Journal ofMtdicillt is E M Forster, the great English There we are, East Tunor is an issue an American publication. By telling novelist, must have been "anti on which we simply cannot paise the wood a tragic and horrific truth, Western" when he expressed the the Barisan Nasional for the mere was it being "anti-American" and haunting fear that modem Western sake of praising the Barisan "anti-Western"? civilization was where indeed every Nasional. "Anti-Israel"? How? Simply by thing existed and nothing had value. I cannot agree more with Fernan criticising Israel as an aggressively Graham Greene, another great dez over the impotence of the OIC nationalistic, IXWffiilitary and es English novelist, must also have with regard to Bosnia. I have sentially undemocratic nation that been guilty of the crime of being Aliralt Mondaly 1993:13 (4) Pllge 29 "anti-Western" when he said in 1964 DuBois and Martin Luther King, Jr. George Shultz be when he reveals that "The long, slow slide into bar be when they condemned racism in the criminal extent Reagan was in barism of the western wodd seems America and the Vietnam War; volved in the Iran-contra scandal, in to have quickened", and when he • TIME magazine be when it his book Turmoil and Triumph: My said in 1969 that "The convenience pointed out in its April27, 1992 issue Years as Secretary ofState; of the major pow~ now is all and that the sins and crimes of the CIA • Walter Isaacson be when he morality counts for nothing in inter and others were conveniently pinned accuses Henry Kissinger, in his book national politics". on to Libya over the bombing of Pan Kissinger: A Biography, of decep Am 103; tion by omission, flattery, economy Anti AIIU!rican? • NEWSWEEK magazine be with the truth and blurring of points Greene must have qualified for when it accused US President in dispute; being "anti-American" andaplacein George Bush and the Pentagon of • The FBI be when it recently hcU for his 1979 view of " ... my lying about the shooting down by an revealed that most bias crimes have abhorrence of the American liberal American warship of an Iranian been committed against the Blacks conscience whose results I have seen civilian aircrafton July3,1988, in its in America; at work in Mexico, Vietnam, Haiti July 13, 1992 cover story entitled • Famous author Gore Vidal be and Chile". 'SEA OF LIES'; when he said, in the January 11, 1993 Would Fernandez be kind issue of NEWSWEEK, that enough to help us place "Public and "We are beyond law, which is George OrweU in the right not WlUSual for an empire; Wl level of purgatory for saying international affairs are not fortunately, we are also beyond that Pax Britannica was noth some balancing games but common sense"; ing but a Pox Britannjca? • Jimmy Carter be, for And Bertrand RusseU, the are matters of right and saying in his book Why Not The great philosopher-mathe wrong" Best?, just before he became matician, must have been president. that in "such areas as "anti-American" for, among • Noam Cllomsky, Professtt of Pakistan, Cllile, Cambodia and Viet other things, writing a book called Linguistics at the MIT, be when he nam, our govenunent's foreign War Crimes in Vietnam? published his damning indictment of policy has not exemplified any com Tom Bower must have been US foreign policy in his book Deter mitment to moral principle", but that "anti-American" when he wrote in ring Democracy; it had involved "varying degrees of the April 2, 1987 issue of The Us • Griffm Tarpley and Anton secrecy and outright lying"; and, last tener, published by the BBC in Lon Chaitkin be when they published but not least, don, that US President Reagan their book George Bush: The Un • Bill Clinton be, when he deliberately distorted intelligence authorized Biography which ex protested against the Vietnam War reports to justify his air raids against posed Bush's politics of hypocrisy; in the late 1960s and when he Libya on April 15, 1986? • Lance Morrow be when he criticised George Bush during the How do Americans qualify as wrote in the May 11, 1992 issue of campaign last year for not doing being "anti-American"? By simply TIME that "America is in certain enough to help Bosnia. exercising the democratic and ways a country out of control: drugs, Talking of Bosnia. the failure of thoroughly civilised right of criticis crime, what has become a morally the OIC does not exonerate the ing some policies and actions of the borderless wandering"; United Nations for not stopping Ser American govenunent? If that were • Allan Nevins, Henry Steele bian aggression, death camps and so, then "anti-American" must: Commager and Jeffrey Morris be rape camps. After all Bosnia is a • Dee Brown be when he pul> when they criticise, in their bestsell member of the UN. lished his damning critique of the ing A Pocket History of the United Confidence Trick genocide of millions of Native Stales, US Presidents Nixon, Ford, Americans in his book Bury My Carter, Reagan and Bush; As for the United States. didn't Heart at Wounded Knee; • HARPER'S magazine be when George Bush, in his 1991 State of the *Vine Deloria. Jr. be when he it points out in its March 1993 issue Union message to Congress and the said, in his book Custer Died For that all the ten largest US military American people, talk: about the Your Sins: An Indian Manifesto, that contracta's had contributed towards "long-held promise of a new world the "Indian wars of the past should the current US Defence Secretary order - where brutality will go Wl rightly be regarded as the first Les Aspin's last congressional cam rewarded, and aggression will meet foreign wars of American history"; paign; collective resistance"? • African-American leaders like • Former Secretary of State But, as we know only too weU A.Utu Monlhly 1993:13 (4) Par• 30 c.n tM Barisan be pralnd lor ita atand on tM Eaat Timor isaue? now, Bush's new world order was dent, the US delivered US$233 mil Coming back to Bosnia, the and is a gigantic confidence trick. lion in commercial arms exports to Asian Wall Strut Journal said IU geopolitical reasons, he was only Indonesia under the FMS editorially on February 15, 1993: interested to break the bones of the programme, and approved more "The truly awful decisions were Iraqis. The 19-year-old brutality and than twice that amount for the future. made a year or two ago by the aggression in Cyprus will go on We see how Bush rewarded brutality Europeans and the Bush administrd· being rewarded because Turkey is, and resisted aggression. Shall we tion, which will have to answer to as in the woo:ls of the UK F AUnut Monlhl! 1993:1J (4) Pore 31 protests. One of those who played an BOOK REVIEW active role in trying to mobilise public opinion in the US to prevent the war, and when it started, to stop it, was Ramsey Clark, a fonner US THE FIRE THIS TIME: Attorney General. Clark went on a fact finding mis US War Crimes In The Gulf sion to Iraq at the height of the war By Ramsey Clark when the US was staging 3 Aliron Molllhly 1993:13 (4) Page 32 Crew memben wltMN the leunch of • computar-guided mlnlle towarda a target In Iraq: The popular approval of the Amari can people of their government' • acta of aggr.. aion spells a grNt thrNt to wor1d peace. atrocities committed against ordi against the Iraqi government Ac ligence reports on Iranian troop nary Iraqis. The last chapter contains cording to the Pike Report. issued by movements and supplied tJuough "a working paper for peace so that the House Select Committee on In their friends, Egypt, Kuwait and those who care can light a candle teligence, "neither the foreign head Saudi Arabia, billions of dollars rathec than curse the darkness". of state (Shah) nor the President and worth of arms. The US strategy was In a trenchant analysis of US in Dr Kissinger desired a victory for to get Iran and Iraq embroiled in a l.elvention in the Gulf area since the our clients (the Kw"ds). They merely protracted war which would drain fifties, the author explodes the myth hoped to ensLUe that the insurgents their resources and weaken them. A created by the US government. and would be capable of maintaining a Reagan administration official told echoed by the Western media. that level ofhostilities high enough to sap the New Y ark Times that they Iraq caused the Gulf War by invad the resources of the neighbouring "wanted to avoid victory by both ing Kuwait state (Iraq). "When the Kurds and sides". Henry Kissinger is reported Iraq has been the target of US Iraq agreed to settle their dispute by to have said "I hope they lcill each covert activities since 1958 when a agreeing to share conlrol of the dis other". nationalist revolution led by Abdel puted Shan-Al-Arab, the US and the With the conclusion of the Iran Karim Kassim overthrew the pro Shah cut off their aid to the Kurds Iraq war in 1988 the US targeted Iraq British Hashimite monarchy. Kas and abandoned them. Questioned on as its enemy in the gulf region and sim challenged the Western oil the fate of the Kurds, Kissinger ex started a military build up there. In companies monopoly of Arab oil plained, "Covert operations should 1990, before Iraq occupied Kuwait, and helped to found OPEC. The US not be confused with missionary the US military conducted war responded by plotting the overthrow waR:". games based on an Iraqi invasion of and assassination of Kassirn. In 1963 After the success of the Islamic Kuwait. Kassim was overthrown and brutally Revolution in Iran under the leader At the same time, the US en murdered in a CIA-backed coup. ship of Imam Khomcini in 1979, the couraged Kuwait to wage economic When Saddam Hussain's Bathist US, using its clients in the Arab warfare against Iraq by overproduc Party nationalised the US/British World, encouraged Iraq to attack ing and bringing down the price of owned Iraqi Petroleum Company in Iran. For the US, the Islamic Revolu oil. Kuwait became increasingly bel 1972 under the slogan "Arab oil for tion represented a challenge to ligerent, apparently under US prod the Arabs", the Nixon Administra western domination and conlrol of ding, and obstructed every attempt to tion with the assistance of the Shah the Gulf and West Asia. settle their dispute tJuough negotia of Iran, instigated the Kw"ds to rebel The US provided Irnq with in tel- tions. Alinut Mol'flhly 1993:13 (4) P11ge 33 countries and forceful annexation of territories. As Clark writes: "From the beginning, the Europeans in America often found their freedom from the barrel of a gun and the subversion of facL FJe ments among them tlueatened every border and took what they wanted by force. The list of US military inter ventions and annexations by f Alinut MO#IIItly 1993:13 (4) P11ge 34 longer capable of being account able to its citizens as well as being no longer capable of defending it •POLITICS selfin an open debate and allowing public scrutiny into its actions. Preventive detention cannot be •RELI Alinut MOfflllly 1993:13 (4) Page 35 excuse that it is "impossible" for Bank Negara to disclose more in formation on the loss without fur ther jeopardising the country's interests is an extremely lame one. Contrary to the Minister's at tempt to jest about the matter in Parliament, the RM 9.3 billion loss is a serious matter. The sum amounts to one-third of the nation's foreign exchange and gold reserves. Likewise, contrary to his at tempt to suggest that the issue is bei~g ~ghlighted principally by foreign mterests or media, in fact many patriotic Malaysians are concerned. Consider for instance the rumours still widely circulat ing throughout the country espe cially in financial circles after the NOTICE OF BANK NEGARA 'S Minister himself had proclaimed "satisfaction" with the Bank's ex DEREGISTRATION RM 9.3 BILLION planation. LOSS: WHITHER The fact oflosses as such is not TO SEMANGAT 46 an issue here. Nor is the issue A1iran vie..,. with concern the ACCOUNTABILITY? primarily about looking for iuuance of a notice of deregistra scapegoats. A1iran is extremely concerned tion to Semangat 46 on the that Bank Negara's RM 9.3 billion • One important issue is the grounda that the party had used foreign exchange loss in 1992 has magnitude and the canue the word UMNO belli de Semangat been treated so light-heartedly by of the loss. Even if Bank 46 in ita banner and newsletters the Finance Minister. In spite of Negara's profit-seeking in during ita annual general meeting the fact that many fundamental the forex market was policy, in Kota Baru, Kelantan on questions remain unanswered, the size ofits loss points to a January 3. A1iran is of the opinion Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has major failure in checks that if any infringement of the declared that he is "satisfied" with and controla - both within rulea and regulations within the the central bank's explanation. His the Bank, and between the Societies Act had taken place a warning should have been iBBued first before the threat of deregistration. Announcement Since the government is of the Limited stocks only opinion that the matter is between Bound copies ol past yean• AI iran Monthly, at RMlO.OO per book the Registrar and Semangat 46, it and Majalab Aliran, at RM8.00 per book would be advisable for the govern (lllssues per book for eacb year) ment to ensure that certain proper guidelinee should be followed in AURAN MONTHLY (English) such matters. It is imperative for the government to act fairly or else Vol. 7 (1987) 'nc:k your orders in the appropriate it may well be posllible that UMNO 0 0 Vol. 8 (1988) boX• and •nd thi• form and payment to: itaelfmay be i88Ued with a letter of AURAN DISTRIBUTION BUREAU deregistration for not using the 0 Vol. 9 (1989) 0 Vol10(1990) P0 8os 1049 word Baru in ita publications and 10130 Peaaq banners u it is registered as 0 Vol. 11 (1991) UMNOBaru. 0 Vol. 12 (1992) Dr Aritrua Omor MAJALAH ALIRAN (Babasa Malaysia) Prtsident 7 Aprill993 o vo1. 1 (1991) 0 Vol. 2 (1992) :'.!!.:-:::-: Molfllaly 1993:13 (4) Page 36 Bank and the Minister of Finance. Did no one • not the governor, advisers and board memben of Bank Negara, the Mini .tar of Finance and the Prime Minister . know when to call a halt to the ''foray•" into the foreign ex change market? • A related iesue is the leu than candid handling of the affair. Not a word of it waa heard until it could no longer Reflections be contained at which point "damage control", not asati•• on the. factory explanation, was resorted to. •To put it limply, the iseues, Malays tan fundamentally, are about ac countability, the transparen cy of government, policy and Constitution cheeks and balances. The issue of accountability in particular i• especially pertinent. And not only because the govern ment pridu itself on being an ac An Aliran Publication countable one. The Central Bank of Malaysia a MUST Ordinance 1958 requires Bank Negara to •ubmit an account of for all thinking, caring Malaysians it• ast~ets and liabilities to the MinUter of Finance once every two week•. The law ';uso requires The topics addressed include: Bank Negara to keep the Minister informed of the monetary and • The Historical Background banking policy pursued or in • The Role of the Monarchy tended to be pursued by the Bank. Should the Minister disagree, he • The Role of the Judiciary has the power to issue binding directives on the Bank. Didn't the • The Role of Parliament Finance Minister know? And if he • The Role of the Executive did, why did he not act to put a halt to the accumulating losses earlier? • State and Federal Relations No fraud or criminal breach of • The Rule of Law trust has oecured. Nor is it being alleged. But the questions of the • Fundamental Liberties magnitude ofthe loss, the less than candid way the matter haa been • The Ethnic Dimension handled by Bank Negara and the • Islam in the Constitution Finance Minister, and the lack of accountability generally, remain. • An Overview Unlea• more information is forthcoming, it would appear that the immunity removed from our Please see page 8 for Orden form Sultans haa been transferred to the government. Price: RM10.00 E:reculivt CommiiUt Hurry! Offer valid while SMay 1993 stocks last! Alinut MtHtlltly 1993:13 (4) Page 37 Continued from back poQII•.• MALAYSIAN WOMEN: Struggfing at the Cro$$words. Women's work and the gender division oflabour Women in Malaysia accounted for half of the total population of 18 million in 1990. They make up one third of the total labour force of seven million. In official labour statistics. the rest of the women (two-thuds) are defined as "out of tJ~e labour force" even though the 40 percent who "lookafterthehousc" wort at home, Too ohen, the woman' a contribution on the hometront Is unrecognized. are involved in agricultural and sub sistence production, or are part-time studies have pointed out that Malay As such, men, especially those or unpaid workers in family busi village women own between 10 per from the richer strata, and not nesses. cent to 30 per cent of total land in the women, gain control of modern The non-recognition ofwomen· s community. Thi~ . despite the fact agriculhare as the fonner are taught contribution in these spheres under that tmder customary law (adat), new methods of production. values their labour and value in daughters and wives are entitled to society. half the property upon death and Industry Tite above situation is tied in divorce. In industry, the underlying with the notion of the gender The equal inheritance norm patriarchal values, which cut across division of labour in which produc could have been undermined by Is ethnicity, work hand in hand with tion (normally dcfJ.OCd as paid work) lamic law (/ara'id) which provides capital, lead to and justify dis is the purview of men, distinguished daughters one-third of inherited crimination in wages, gender hierar from reproduction (household work. property Contpared to two-thuds f Alinut Mondaly 1993:13 (4) P11ge 38 491 men (93 percent) in 1988. In the 1990 Cabinet there were one Chinese and four Malay women. Three are deputy ministers while two hold full ministerial rank. Of the 180 MPs, only 6.1% or eleven are women. The percentage of women in the state assemblies is even lower. In the political milieu, women genecally remain reliable and loyal supporters of their respective parties. Most of the political parties have a women's sectioo which is integrated into the party structures in such a way that it supp Malaysian Women: Struggling at the Crossroads fCX"m half the aulb'y's population pronouncemeniS and conservalive In December 1989 a and who are still disadvantaged, to interpuaaions of whal should be the Women's National Policy achieve their full potential." "correct women's role" in society. was approved by the In fact. this goal put fCX'Wifd by Hence women seem to be one of the NCWO has been adopted a11 one the pime largets in the tug-of...... Malaysian Cabinet. In this of the two basic goals of the National between being profitably used by article DR CECILIA NG Women's Policy, the other one capital and the rising tide ofldigious CHOON SIM, local being the integration of women in all fundamenlalism of all shades which academic and president of sectCX's of national development. preach that women's place should be AWAM (AD Women The sectCX's &1ed in the National in the domestic sphere, to be led by Women's Policy are health. educa the head of the household who is Action Society) elaborates tion and training, law, employment, invariably male. If at all women are on this policy and discusses politics. media. religion and cultW"e. to participate in the public arena, tbe extent to which some of Gender subordination exists at they should always be submJinale to the stated goals have been both the pemnaJ and structural men. achieved. leveJ, both of which are also condi Malaysian women today are at tioned by the development and cul the crossroads. and they have to tural trends in the country. The choose, indeed they must choose, the n 12 December 1989, the position of women in the family, palhs which will or will not uphold Women's National Policy community and society is no less their dignity' autonomy and respect Owas approved by the influenced by development in society. The nineties is a crucial Malaysian Cabinet. 14 years after sarategies, which in Malaysia favOW' decade to decide the natw'e and the taunchina of Intematiooal Women's Year in 1975 and the in lroduction of the Women's Decade in 1976. This 20-pagedocwnentemerged after signifiCanCe pessure at the in ternational level as weU as clamow from local women's groups to uplift the subordinale position of Malaysian women. A memorandum on the above policy from the National Council of Women's Orpnisaaions (NCWO), an wnbrella body of women NGOs, · ~---- clearly poiniS out that the poljcy goal w-.-,.,.,... .. a ...&nar: ~"and equity .. baMc: to should be "to ensure greaaer sharing, peaple ~ dewlopmenL equality in access to~ infor malion and ~ty and returns expM-Ied industrialisaai and ade direction of gender relations and in fCX" all wcmen and men. These goals penilence on multinational invest this, women's groups have an im of equality and equity, which are ments for greater economic growth. portant role to play in addressing the basic to people-«ienfed develop Women are not spRd the burning issues faced by women ment. should enable women, who onslaught of cultural and ldigious today. ConllnufK1 on page 31...