A Anwar’s Press Secretary responds: ANWAR IS SCRUPULQUS 0 Ascendency of 0 When AIDS 0 Politics of the new Malay struck my family alcohol Anwar's Press Secretary Responds: Anwar Is Scrupulous ANWAR'S FRIENDS Factionalism and Momly Politics In UMNO Bllru Ali ran's coverage of the run-up to the UMNO elections featured in the Aliran Monthly 1993:13(9) has upset certain quarters In the Ministry of Finance, which is headed by Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. Anwar's Press Secretary, Khalid Jaafar, in a 10-page response has taken Ali ran Monthly and its writers to task for allegedly ridiculing Anwar's credibility. We reproduce his letter In full. CONTENTS Anwar Is Scrupulous. .. 2; Money Politics and People In Public Office. .. 7; Letters ... 9; Critique of the U.S. Department of State on Human Rights Practices In 1992- Malaysla.. .1 5; Beef for Business, Peanuts for People... 17; When AIDS Struck My Famlly ... 19; Thinking Allowed ...20; Public Accountability & Bakun ... 23; The Politics of Alcohol. .. 28; Book Review ... 31; Current Concems... 31 ; Ascendency of the New Malay.. .40 Aliran MonJh/y 1993:13 ( JJ) Page 2 PEJABAT MENTEIU KEWANGAN, KHA.Z.ANAH MALAYSIA, Tdi/011: 2546ro), 2546066 JALANDUTA, Ttlttram: Tu.uun 50S92KUALAt.:.UMPUR. Tela: FEDTRY MA. 30242 Far 03-25S6264 "When one erects a throne to lies one erects a gallows to truth." "Slander, meanest spawn of Hell" t is with great reluctance that we respond to the articles appearing in the Ali ran Monthly I1993 :13(9). After careful consideration we choose to depart from the usual practice of our of- fice of not responding to articles or reports in the media concerning the person of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, his position as a Cabinet Minister, or in his capacity formerly as a vice- president of UMNO. Anwar, like many public personalities, has his own unfortunate share of occasional misrepresenta­ tion, misquotation or unfair treatment by the local and foreign press. But they do not call for reply, ex­ planation or rebuttal from our office. Aliran Monlhly1993:13 (11) Pagt 3 However, we have to make this case an exception pecuniary advantage dari kontralc tersebut" (I do not because it is not merely the credibility of Anwar is accuse the Minister of Finance and the Prime Minister of subjected to ridicule, but the dispar:lging remarks and gaining pecuniary advantage from the award of the coo­ conclusions made on UMNO and the Government. We tract). Vincent Tan is not an intimate friend (sahabat welcome criticism but not /carib) of the Minister ofFinance slander. And we believe your ar- and the award of the privatiza­ ticles have exceeded the bounds tion project is the prerogative of of fair comment. and honest and u ••• the motive is the Economic Planning Unit of decent criticism. the Prime Minister's Depart­ Edmund Terence Gomez's ar­ clear indeed, to ment and the Cabinet. ticle "Anwar's Friends: Fac­ The sewerage project was tiooamm and Money Politics iD portray Anwar as awarded to a consortium of UMNO Baru", is rich in accusa­ which the major interests are tion but empty of evidence, a a shady charac­ held by the Police Cooperatives pathetic case of a writer ruMing (20 percent) and armed forces amok. picking his victims as they ter, using his of- fund - Lembaga Tabung come by - the big, the small and Angkatan Tentera (20 percent). the insignificant. But the motive is fice as Minister of representing hundreds of clear indeed. to portray Anwar as thousands of policemen and ser­ a shady character, using his office Finance to dish vicemen. The Government as Minister of Finance to dish out should in fact be given the credit favours and contracts to his out favours and in awarding the project to such a cronies. consortium, which has the inter­ What Mr Gomez refuses to contracts to his ests of so many people who had understand is this: It is the duty of made many sacrifices for the the Govenunent to promote a cronies." peace and security of the vibrant business environment country. Undoubtedly Vincent which, among other things, re- Tan, through his company, also quires an understanding of the has a 17 percent stake in the needs of the business community. This could only be consortium, but only a myopic observer like Gomez achieved by closer rapport between the Government and would swallow the opposition's line that this was a "sell business groups. Thus Anwar makes no apology for out" on the part of the Government to Vincent Tan. having effective working relationships with the business If there is ingenuity that we could attribute to Gomez community in carrying out his duties as Minister of is his incorrigible ability to distort and to blacken modes Fmance. Any justified criticism against a Minister's be­ of business activity that is normal in a system of free haviour must be based on whether in the cow-se of the enterprise. On careful reading one could smell his con- relationships, the Minister has tempt towards business and engaged in any corrupt practices or entrepreneurship. abused his position for his own ad­ His treatment of Yayasan vantage or that of his relatives and "We would not Bumiputra PulauPinang's in­ cronies. In dealing with any volvement in business. espe­ businessman or business group, deny that the cially its partial ownership of Anwar has always been scrupulous public listed Setron. is a case about maintaining propriety and local media has in point. To him it is a revela­ transparency. tion of Anwar's link to the Gomez mentions Anwar's been friendly to corporate world, one among "fierce rebuttal" of Lim Kit Siang's many he seeks to "expose" to accusation that Tan Sri Vincent Tan Anwar." his reader, with passion one was awarded the national sewerage could only ascribe to religious pivatizalion project because of his zealots. friendship with the Minister of Finance. What Gomez The truth of the matter is that, what is a discovery to failed to mention was the most significant of all state­ Gomez, is a matter of public knowledge and very much ments made by Mr Lim during the exchange with the on public record. The foundation was formed in 1980 by Minister of Fmance in the Dewan Rakyat. I quote from Pulau Pinang UMNO, in accordance with the New the Hansard. "Saya tidak menuduh Yang Berhormat. Economic Policy. with the specific purpose, as stipulated Menteri Ktwangan dan Perdana Menteri mendopat in its Memorandum and Articles of Association, "to Alirrua Monlhly 1993:13 (11) Page 4 selectively acquire the reserved shares in enterprises on mitted to the University of Malaya last year, that betrayed trust for Pulau Pinang Malays". The founder chainnan of contempt towards the rise and success of new crops of the fowtdation was Datulc Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, by Bumiputem entrepreneurs in recent years. virtue of his position then as the Pulau Pinang UMNO Two: Gomez writes: "Strong rumours already abound liaison chief. Anwar became chainnan of the foundation that the bull run on the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange in 1988 when he took over the leadership of Penang during the early and middle parts of this year was UMNO that year from prccipi~ted by influen­ Datulc Abdullah. Anwar tial businessmen seek­ did not resign "following ing to mise funds for the disclosure of his in­ "Yayasan Bumiputra their political patrons to direct links to Setron" as garner support before Gomez would like to Pulau Pinang ... The the UMNO Baru elec­ believe, but did so on his tion in November." It is own accord upon his ap­ founder chairman of the pathetic that a success­ pointment as Minister of ful doctoral candidate Fmance so as to avoid a foundation was Datuk choose rumours to sup­ conflict of interest be­ port his thesis, than to tween the two positions. Abdullah Ahmad Badawi" exercise his analytical The above two ex­ skills in observing amples are sufficient, for market behaviour. If the rest mentioned in the there is any truth in the articles, are mutatis rumour, the market mutandis descriptions of would have collapsed Malaysian corporate bat­ after Anwar had ob­ tles and high finance, all tained a clear lead in too familiar in a free nominations or at least enterprise system, albeit immediately after viewed with anti-busi­ Ghafar's withdrawal. ness prejudices. On the contrary the Gomez made several market continues to other serious charges surge, rewriting its own which must not be left records. tmanSwered. I think Gomez is the Erst After pouring fll'St writer to have writ­ contempt towards Vin­ ten a book on UMNO's cent Tan, Ananda Krish­ involvement in the cor­ nan and other non-Bumi porate sector, tending to businessmen, Gomez give an alarming picture writes "The debates at of UMNO •s domina­ the 1992 UMNO Baru tion of the corporate (sic!) geneml assembly scene. Yet even if it is indicated not only the true that UMNO has tremendous presswe Ull been actively involved UMNO Baru leaders to in acquiring assets, the ensure the development amount acquired ap- of Bumiputera pears to be quite insig­ capitalism, but also the limited tolerance towards the rise nificant. It was Gomez himself who pointed out in his of new non-Bumiputera businessmen". I think it is still doctoral dissertation that "In July 1990, it was roughly fresh in the memory of the thousands of delegates and estimated that the value of shares owned by UMNO was observers at the assembly last year of the context of the almost RM4 billion, of which approximately RM2 bil­ question asked and only asked by one delegate.