aliran monthly?

40 Pages·2012·7.87 MB·English

ANWAR ffiRAHIM:
PRIME MINISTER-TO-BE?
THE INCUMBENT THE CHALLENGER
In the hurly-burly of
the stampede for the
crown of UMNO Baru,
the main victims are
not Ghafar or Sanusi
or Pak Lah, but prin
ciples such as loyal
ty, friendship, ethics,
integrity and honour.
In its place has
emerged the ugly
traits of treachery,
ruthlessness, deceit
and slander, obser
ves NNP. UMNO Baru
has truly come of age
in the dirty world of
politics.
A/iran Monthly 1993:13 (9) Page 2
T
HE conte.st for the deputy that party members could support
p~sidency of Umno is as whoever they wished, but they had
good as over. Datuk Seri no right to tell the party veteran not
Anwar Ibrahim has bagged nomina to contest. Rafidah's admonition is
tions for the post from one division unlikely to go down well with
after another, leaving his opponent Anwar and his men, but hers was the
limpmg far behind in a race so un first voice of reason in the madness
even that it has left onlookers and that seems to have seized the party
some say, even the Prime Minister from the day Anwar announced his
dumbfounded. candidacy.
Political watchers had expected In retrospect, the August 23 press
the Finance Minister to sweep most conference spelt the beginning of the
of the nominations, but not by the end for Ghafar. It had the flair, polish
landslide that has devastated the in and chic that few Umno leaders
cumbent, Ghafar Baba. As the would have been able to carry off.
Aliran Monthly went to press, more The gathering was more a show of
The strident trio:
NAJIB RAZAK
Datuk Seri Rafidah Aziz has described
those demanding that Ghafar quit the con
test as lacking in "human values and
ethics" ... The woman minister rightly said
that party members could support
whoever they wished, but they had no
right to tell the party veteran not to con
test.
div1s1ons were holding their meet strength than anything else. Eight
ings and the trend set in the first Umno menteris besar and one chief
series of meetings seems to be con minister, nine out of 14 Umno
tinuing in Anwar's favour. cabinet ministers and 16 Umno
And as the nominations keep deputy ministers were present to
rolling into the challenger's camp, align themsehes to the man most
calls for the incumbent to withdraw likely to be Prime Minister.
have grown louder and harsher. The It was formidable, an Umno MUHAMMAD TAIB
most strident perhaps have come jurassic park, !-.Orne said, and was
from the trio who have so far secured meant to show lhe other side that "the
the most nominations for the three force is with Anwar". It was also a
"icc- president posts. They are ai!.D warning that if the other side did not
-...ud to be aspimnts to the Number withdraw, it would surely be
Two poM the eventual day that defeated since almost everybody
Anwar slides into the top seat. who was an Umno somebody had
Anwar, to his credit, has not sug hitched themselves to the winning
gested that Ghafar should step aside. ticket.
But then, he has no need to. There
TURNCOATS
are people to do the work for him and
thetr insolence has undeNandably But most interesting of all was
upset quarters withm the party. One the sight of those who used to belong
of them was Wan ita chairman Datuk to the other camp, who used to
Seri Rafidah Aziz \\.hO has descnbed criticise Anwar as a young upstart,
those demanding that Ghafar quit the who called him names like helicop
contest as lacking in "human values ter politician, ambitious northerner
and ethics". and other worse titles that would be MUHYIDDIN YASSIN
The woman minister rightly said unbecoming to repeat. For weeks,
Aliran Monthly 1993:13 (9) Page 3
there had been speculation and talk
that so-and-so or such-and-such a
person had crossed over or switched
camps. The heavyweight'> present
that morning confirmed some of the
worst suspicions.
It was a sort of a fait accompli for
Anwar. Prominent among those who
had only recently decided to seek
their fortune with the Finance Mini
ster were Minister of Inf(>rmation
Datuk Mohamed Rahmat,
Terengganu Menteri Besar Tan Sri
Wan Mokhtar Ahmad, Minister o(
Justice Syed Hamid Syed Albar and
Negeri Sembilan Menteri BesarTan
Sri Mohd lsa Abdul Samad. These
Ghafar stalwarts: SANUSI JUNID ABDULLAH BADAWI
were men once associated with the
Deputy Prime Minister Ghafar
Baba. The notable absentee was projected as stubborn, clinging on to They fear a media blitz at this stage
Ratidah, with whom Anwar is said power, reluctant to give way to new may put people off and backfire into
to have jarring differences over blood and generally, the source of a sympathy votes for Ghafar. Besides,
economic policy. The lady, potential split in the party. The vic too aggressive a campaign, given
everyone said of her absence, "has tim has been made to look like the their near-victorious position, would
guts". villian. Some think it is this rubbing only confinn those allegations
The bombshell though were the of salt into injury that is the cause of levelled against Anwar-that he does
Sabah faces. Ghafar' s baby, ap the cold fury so often discernible in not respect party veterans, that he is
peared to have swayed to the other Ghafar these days. greedy and impatient for power and
side for 19ofthe20Umnodivisions They have been able to do with a position.
Only recently, Anwar was
reported to have told an Umno
The incumbent has been made out to be
gathering in Kota Baru that he would
the one causing the contest by the very not be able to devote more time to
side that is the cause of the contest. meeting party grassrooto; as he had
his Ministry of Finance commit
Ghafar has been projected as stubborn,
ments as well as the Budget due on
clinging on to power, reluctant to give way October 29. In fact, the Budget and
to new blood and generally, the source of other economic issues will be fun
damental to the challenging camp's
a potential split in the party.
campaign strategy.
MAN OF VISION?
in Sabah decided to support Anwar. great deal of effect because the
Anwar's men had snatched the baby mainstream media, with the cross Anwar's support lies in the urban
from Ghat~rr' s cradle! Before the day over of Tok Mat, hm; come com Malay middle-class who view
was over, people were already talk pletely within the ambit of the politics a~ a means to an end that is
ing about the next Prime Minister of challenger's sphere of control. Some no longer delined purely by tradi
Malaysia being an "anak Pulau of the media still make a pretence of tional nationalistic values, but busi
Pi nang". giving even space to both sides, but ness opportunities as well. The
it is clear that whatever news carried economic platform serves him well
VICTIM OR VILUAN?
about Ghafar hm; a negative slant for he has quite unreservedly
Since then, the challenger has and sometimes, even carries an out projected himself as the candidate
completely turned the tables on the right slur. most competent to carry on the
incumbent. The incumbent has been In fact, Anwar's underlings are Prime Minister's vision of a fully
made out to be the one causing the said to have quietly approached industrialised society.
contest by the very ·side that is the media editors, urging them not to In that sense too, he has managed
cause of the contest. Ghafar has been over-play news regarding their boss. to create the impression that he en-
A/iran Monthly 1993:13 (9) Page 4
joys the blessings of Datuk Seri politicians like Tun Datu Mustapha until now has functioned vaguely in
Mahathir Mohamad. Political ob Datu Harun behind him. They do the name of promoting national
servers are of the opinion that have something in common though unity, but which all and sundry know
Mahathir, despite stating that he was - both are creatures of political ex as the propagandaagentoftheruling
against a contest and would not take pediency. party, especially in the countryside.
sides, seems to prefer Anwar as his The fact that Mustapha's Kemas' real function is perhaps one
successor. division is the only Sabah division of the "most open secrets" in the
This is unsurprising, they say, for behind Ghafar speaks poorly of country.
Mahathir had personally plucked Mahathir' s choice of him as Minister The campaign has also shown up
Anwar out from the non for Sabah Affairs. Mustapha may the generational gap that exists be
governmental wilderness to be have been put in charge of the Sab ah tween the two contestants, of how
groomed for more important things. field, but he has obviously lost con- things have changed since Ghafar
began life as a politician. Ghafar had
thought that he could roam the
Mahathir, despite stating that he was countryside at will, commanding
against a contest ... seems to prefer Anwar audiences and support a<; in the old
days when the time came. He must
as his successor.
have been largely unaware that
Anwar's network of organisations
They say that Anwar is clearly trol of his horses. Perhaps the ques and men had reached these destina
Mahathir's favourite in the cabinet tion should be: In the first place, did tions much earlier, persuading
otherwise, Ratidah would have he have any support from the other through ways and means quite
landed the plumjobofFinanceMin divisions to warrant being made beyond the imagination or means of
ister: Minister of Sabah Affairs? the incumbent. Anwar, unlike
But far more important is that Other victims of the media are Ghafar, has a strategy and he has the
more than 50 per cent of about 1, HOO Ghafar's loyal stalwarts, Foreign people and the means to implement
delegates, who will decide on who is Minister Datuk Abdullah Badawi it.
to become the deputy president, will and Agriculture Minister Datuk Seri THE REAL CAMPAIGN
mostly be those of age 45 and below, Sanusi Junid. Their camp's attempts
not very much older than the 46- to get some kind of campaign The period from now until the
year-old Anwar. They arc also likely machinery going in the rural areas · November 4 -as the delegates to the
to be urban-based, business-oriented wa'\ tom to shreds by the Anwar party assembly are elected-is likely
persons as opposed to the fanners friendly Press. to underscore just how complex and
and teachers who used to dominate sophisticated the struggle for politi
the party. Ghafar used to be one of ABUSE OF cal power and position has become.
the latter. GOVERNMENT It is when the delegates identities are
Then there are the non-Malay MACHINERY known that the campaign proper will
tycoons and businessmen who are start.
Meetings held with Kemas and
also said to have staked their finan Campaigners from both camps
cial futures to this rising star whose Risda government officers will then make individual and per
Ghafar's middlemen in reaching the
radical speeches as a student activist sonal approaches to each of the
rural gra-;sroots -had been projected
have not quite faded from some I ,800-odd delegates to win their
as an abuse of government personnel
memories. Some of them are alleged votes. This is when money politics is
to be more than willing to finance his and facilities for political ends. It likely to rear its hideous head. The
was precisely that except that the
campaign to the second top post in talk is that a certain camp is willing
giant abuser is none other than the
Umno though there is no evidence to to spend from RMI5,000 upwards
Barisan Nasional, especially during
tor each delegate, an amount that
confirm this.
general elections. Unfortunately,
would tally to the astonishing sum of
SLICK CAMPAIGN Ghafar, who had in the past used more than RM2.8 million.
Pitched against the slick cam these bodies without question and This, they say, is a conservative
without being questioned, ha<; found
paign being run by Anwar's "brash, estimate. Wealthy friends and as
young men", Ghafar seems to be the ground cut away beneath him sociates of the candidate are said to
plodding along with little direction, this time. be fighting to chip in to the fund for
let alone strategy. He has become a One good thing about the inci they know that this is an invesunent
political titanic, abandoned over dent was the questions raised over that will reap rich dividends. As for
night with only over-the-hill the role of Kemas, a body which the delegates, they will find themsel-
Aliran Monthly 1993:·13 (9) Page 5
ves much !'>Ought after from the mo lo\t the battle for the Umno crown,
ment their names are decided at the Anwar has never been more sure of
divisional AGM until the moment winning.
they ca~t their H>tes at the general
MAHATHIR THE
ao;o;embly The candidates will try to
meet them personally. There will be SPECTATOR
dinners and sometime!. even "gifts".
And in the midst of the chaos sits
They will be lavished with flfSt
Mahathir, hke some benign and wise
class treatment when they arrive in
man, seemingly far from the mad
Kuala Lumpur f()r the general as
ding crowd. Some observers, in fact,
sembly, staying at the poshest hotels.
think that Mahathir is to blame for
No expense~ will be spared for their SYED HAMID SYED ALBAR: what is happening in the party. The
comfort. and it IS said, even for extra Formerly with Ghafar Umno president had in the past been
curricular activities. All this will cost
unequivocal on the need for party
a bomb and, complain some Umno heads who will in turn see to it that unity, for continuity and tradition.
leader~ who do not have as many those who share his or her voting He had advised the party's
nch backers ao; others, will get more preference will become uelegates. second echelon to he patient and to
and more expensive with each as The widely-held vit!w i., that wait for their hour instead of causing
sembly a., delegates' expectations since all the menteris besar, and the contests that would only result in
grow higher and higher. chief minister and deputy cluef min bitter ruptures. In that case, ought he
ister in the case of MaJacca and not to have put his foot firmly down
MONEY POUTICS
Penang respectively, have thrown against a contest'! Instead, he ha!.
Incidentally. it is interesting to their support behind Anwar, the elected to be "neutml" and even now,
note that Gh.1far's camp and people general tendency will be for most of when clear rifts are deepening amid
like Sanus1 and Pak Lah have been the divisions to do likewise. old feuds, he i., strangely silent and
the most vocal regarding the use of seermngly undisturbed.
A SPILT IN THE MAKING
money politics It is a totally unethi
Some say he ha<; never felt com
cal practice wh1ch hac; cast a loath From all mdication!., it doe!. not fortable with Ghafar since his
some hale around politics and seem likely that Ghafar \\ill (Mahathir's) heart attack. At that
polit11:1<1ns Other-. who have been wi!hdraw from !he race de,pite tus lllne, there were rumours that Ghafar
quoted vo1c1ng similar disquiet in still single digit number of nomllla and those affiliated to him had got
dude Syed Hamid, who is eyeing the tions compared to the treble figure together to plan for any even
Youth Ch1efs post, and the am commanded by Anwar. Each tualities. Since then enough water
bitious Datulo.. Seri Najib Razak who nomination from the divisiOnS has pasSC!d unuer the bridge to make
hopes to move from Youth chief to comes with 10 votes for the Anwar his preferred choice of suc
being one of the vice-presidents. nominee, a new party regulation cessor. Anwar, being only 46, would
The other deputy president hope which Ghafar must now regret bit not be in '>uch a huny to take over
ful h<LS been \!rangely silent on terly for endorsing since he will be from him or at least, that is what he
money politics, wh1ch is surely the likely victim. likes to think. And that more or less
frowned upon m Islam and quite un In fact, Anwar's men have c.lU!>t! sealed Ghafar's destiny.
lo..nown to Malay politics until a few for worry if Ghafar mdeed goe!> And in the hurly-burly of the
year... ago ln\tead, he prefers to hit ahead with the tight. The contC'>t w iII stampede for the coveted pa-;s to
out at thoc;e malung "all kinds of definitely cause a split of •.,om. in the Umno cro\\n, the main victims are
allegations" aga1n!.t lum, at the party and in the process wealo..en the not Ghafar or Sanusi or Pak Lah, but
'\urat-<.urat layang" flying about. party to the advantage ot Semangat cherished principles such as loyalty,
But arc Umno general assembly 46 and PAS. There may even be fnendship, ethics, integrity and
dekgatt!s so na1ve and susceptible? cross-over!. to the1.e oppo!.ition par honour In its place has emerged the
Would they not be able to savour the tics which would be embarrassing ugly trait<; of treachery, ruthlessnes!.,
extravagant treatment while it lasts, for Umno deceit and slander People,
and at the end of it all, choose the If tlus happen!.. the bl.1me m1ght politician ... in particular, seem to
candidate! they bdit!ve in? Many of fall on An>.\ar for going .1gam't party have no qualms selling themselves
the delegates are euucated. with tradition, for being too impat1ent to .md perhaps even their soul just to
minus of the1r own, but what usually wait hi!. turn, accu'>atlon-. once stay Ill power. In that sense, Umno
happens i-. that if the state Umno levelled against a certain Kelantan has truly come of age in the world of
chief wpports a certain candidate, prince. The only difference here politics. •
then he will work on the division would be that, unlike the pnnce who
Aliran Monthly 1993:13 (9) Page 6
HEART TO HEART
Wlat comes from the lips reaches the ear. what comes from the heart reaches the heart." -Arab Proverb
Cnunbs FroiD Vienna
World Human Rights Conference Violates Human Rights
I would like to ask
you to place your
selves in the fol
lowing scenario:
You have been in
vited (more or less) to
attend what former US
President Jimmy
Carter described as the
"world's most impor
tant conference the
world has ever known
in 25 years" - the
World Conference on
Human Rights in Vien
na, Austria-right in the
heart of Europe.
You get all excited,
not so much for the op
portunity to see Europe
for the first time but
more so to be in the "I found it very difficult to approach any of the activists around me -they seemed to be
midst of a global com more concerned about their own issues and agendas."
munity of peoples -of
selfless and dedicated only just begun! designs!) The next day I informed
people otherwi~e known a..<; "human I was separated while on transit the organisers that this would not do.
rights activists" who would tight and in London by taking an earlier flight Then they put me in what they
literally give their very lives for the to Vienna. At the airport in Austria I described as a "hotel tit for Kings"
cause they believe in! discovered my wheelchair was and said I would be all right.
Prisoners of Con<,cience ... "lost" somewhere in London There This time my wheelchair could
Women against Violence . People was no one to meet me at the airport. not get through the bathroom door
for Justice, Integrity and Freedom Fortunately after the airport kindly and so I had to sit on a rolling-chair
The theme for the Vtcnna Con lent me their wheelchair which and be dragged in and out of the
ference was set-"Human Rtghts for showed signs of wear and tear, I toilet and bathroom everytime I
All" managed to befriend a Singaporean needed to use it. The next day I was
Weeks go by as you wait for your aboard Auo;tria Airhnes who helped told by the organisers that a mistake
confirmation tickets, then you final me to the Austria Centre. had taken place - and that the so
ly dash off to the airport upon receiv There ... utter chaos! After hours called "King's hotel" was not under
ing your ti~kets "just in the nick of of waiting in queues, hungry and their budget. The bill came up to
time" - 10 hours before your tltght, tired. I was finally given a hotel RM800.00 a night and I was told that
courtesy of the "fast, efficient and room There were 3 steps to the lift. I had to pay for it. Ifl chose not to, I
reliable senices of Dill,". The lift was <;O small that I had to could get arrested and ~pend the
You breathe a sigh of relief &,mantle part<> of my wheelchair to night in jail. I told them I had no such
aboard British Airways after dis enter the lift. money and warned them that if they
covering some Malaysi<m fnends In my room there w,IS one step arrested me, my government would
aboard. You say to yourself, "Thank leading to my bed, separating me surely take up my case. (Malaysia -
goodncs~!", but the nightmare has from the toilet. (Talk about smart champion of human rights?!! Fancy
Aliran Monthly 1993:13 (9) Page 7
that.) After 3 hours of waiting, they oriented" but they were very in in front of us so that they (the
finally told me, "Okay, this time dividualistic on caring and uncon hungry- photographers) can get
we' II pay for it-but make sure YOU cerned about others. I often got the hlm". It was then that it became clear
don't do this again." feeling that the:: pc:up!t: againsttonure to me that the role ot the disabled
So I was sent back to my ftrst would only pay attention to me if I was only a token and a farce.
room where to take a bath, I had to myself were tortured physically in Disabled People's International
crawl onto the floor of the shower some way -and yet in many ways I whose delegates had to cut short
room whlch had dangerous glass was undergoing a great deal of tor their stay also because of the lack of
doors which could cut me if I were ture! facilities were outraged at the inac-
not extra-careful. I was cessibility and mar
totally dependent on the ginalisation issues con
help of a Malaysian I cerning the disabled at the
•
befriended at the Con J NGO forums. DPI said,
ference who volunteered ~' f ~ "Unfortunately, we found
to stay with me. It was a that, even within the
great pressure for both of human rights community,
us. He had to deal with his Human Rights for all
busy schedule and I who were acrually human
was quite an independent rights for SOME. Viola
person at home felt tions of disabled people's
trapped in a cage in my human rights were almost
hotel room. totally ignored."
There were no Indeed disabled
transport facilities from people are the poorest of
the hotel to the Austria the poor in every society
Center. The underground and country. Malaysians
train was not accessible are currently being enter
and I had no choice but to tained to "Jura'i.Sic Park"
use a taxi which came up and can afford to engage
to RM I 00.00 per day at themselves in discussions
my expense. AJter argu about how to bring
ing and persisting with dinosaurs back to life.
the organisers for days, The truth of the matter is,
they finally agreed to ab DISABLED PERSONS
"DISABLED PERSONS ARE VIRTUALLY LIVING IN A
'>Orb the charges. JURASSIC AGE -no access to schools, hospitals, cinemas, ARE VIRTUALLY
(Everyone was give free supermarkets, churches, temples and mosques, and toilets." LIVING IN A JURAS
train passes but it did not SIC AGE - no access to
matter to the organisers' I also observed that many ac schools, hospitals,
that I could not board the trains. As tivists were not only ignorant about cinemac;, supermarkets, churches,
far as they were concerned it wa-; other people, their cultures and their temples and mosques, and toilets.
"equal treatment".) struggles but quite frankly, they Please let us go back to the
At the Austria Center, it was very could not care le&. for anybody but basics, these are violations of our
difficult to have access to food. The themselves. It wa~ always their is human rights and until we leave our
counters were too high for patrons sues that were important and they rhetoric and change our attitude
using wheelchairs. Although my were prepared to go to any extent to towards disabled persons, human
Malaysian friends helped me get the force them down the throats of other righto; will only be relevant for the
food from the counter to the table - people. able-bodied for a long time to
they could not always be around to The only time that they were in come. •
assist me. terested in me was for their public
Anthony Sivabolan
I found it very difficult to ap demonstrations .... hen the govern Thanasayan
proach any of the activi'>ts around ment delegates attended the Con
Chief Coordinator
me - they seemed to be more con ference proper. I still remember
REACH: EDUCATING THE
cerned about their own issues and vividly the cry of one activist who
ABLE-BODIED & CARING FOR
agenda-;. I found many of the ac upon ~eeing me in one of the
THE HANDICAPPED
tivists present to be "action- demonstrations cried out, "Push him
Alira11 Mo11tllly 1993:13 (9) Page 8
With th.is in mind, I call for your
help to probe tnto the above.
Yeong Mun Choong
LAHA T, PERAK
Certain Asian
Nations
Misinterpreting
.. Right To
Development ..
In the recently concluded
Cave-in: Mining dents could not build their new human rights conference, some
home. Asian countries led by China
operations to blame?
The situation is further ag stressed that the rights of society
gravated by the indifferent attitude should take priority over the rights
My family and Tare rendered of the mining authority in not of the individual. According to
homeless while writing this letter adopting proper measures to some Asian leaders, since many
to you. The agony and mental safeguard the original existing South countries have gone through
anxiety my family and I have gone water level. The gradual drawing extreme poverty brought about by
through after the cave-in is beyond of underground water especially colonial rule. the right to develop
description. near a sandy plateau will eventual ment should take precedence.
Since the Labat Mine which is ly cause the upper crest to subside. While there is no denying that the
located near the verge of the vil Suffice to sugge~t the spate of right to development is a fun
lage began its operations a decade cave-in incidents were the result damental right, the type of
ago, cave-in incidents in th.is of deep mining operations current development that is pursued by
sandy plateau of the "ill age were a ly drawing large amounL'\ of water somt Eru.t Asian countries, its prin
normal phenomenon, a nightmare above the rock strata near this ciples and the long term effecLc; on
in the heart of many, tor the very zone. society as a whole should be made
reason that family member~ might Attempts to escape liability clear. Here are a few factors that
sink down during such mishap~. should be stopped. The life and need to be taken into account:
The state government clas well-being of each and every fami * The type of development that
sified th.is rone. with approximate ly in this zone is on the brink of is pursued by countries such a<>
ly 500 fam1hes, as a dangerous ruin. Malaysia and Singapore where the
cave-in zone. Attempts to evacuate To engage professionals to con rights of labour unions are tightly
this zone were proposed in the duct a probe into the incident is controlled negates the principles
past, but soon evaporated Without beyond the reach of the average of the right to development. The
the support of local residents. The villager. At this juncture. we are recent peasant riots in China is
residents could not reach a cono;en lacking the substantial evidence to also an example of the uneven
sus for many rea.-.ons. Compensa prove that the huge amount of development that is taking pl"ce.
tion of losses was among the many water consumption needed for The Chinese pea<;ants who make
issues that could not be resolved. such mining operations is in fact, up 80 per cent of the population
Until this uay, the state go.,ern coming from the reserves right are victims of the elites whose
ment only proposed subsidies of a under our feet. priorities are ba<>ed on the ac
few hundred ringgit as transporta For this very reason. I sincere cumulation of wealth.
tion expense<> and the distribution ly hope you will be able to render
When some Asian leaders ar
of a piece of housing lot without some assistance without this inde
gued that the rights of society
infrastructure of any k-ind in its pendent inquiry, the plight of the
should take precedence over the
proposed evacuation plan. Any residents shall remain the same in
rights of the individual, who do
kind of compensation for losses in years to come.
they mean? Are the majority of
curred remained a ~ensitive 1ssue; Justice should not only be
people just made of political
without thiS, a maJOrity of the resi- done, but mu!>t be seen to be done.
Aliran Monthly 1993:13 (9) Page 9
elite\ and ou,inessmen? A development that is based many ways we can help. We have
The nght to dc\clopmcnt on the sovereignty of Asian states plenty. Do not be afraid. God will
only becomes meaningful when without the military presence of bless us and all the have-nots in
worker-;' and pea<;ants'right<> are foreign powers is more meaning the world.
taken into account in development ful.
Arif
policies. It is sad that some East Asian
BUKIT PIN ANG, KEDAH
states have forgotten the misery
• State principles and educa that was brought about by the US
tion policy that promotes military presence in the Philip
matenahsm to the fullness while pines, Vietnam and Korea. North Attack on Iraq:
ignonng universal values on Korea could be the next victim of
Confused US Foreign
human right\ make human beings brutal aggression by the US, if the
merely economic beings. US military presence remains in Policy
In the present world, where Asia.
the majority of people are suffer It is obvious that the policies The US military attack on the
ing from brutal war and exploita initiated by some Asian countries Iraqi intelligence headquarters was
tion, the people's ~olidarity to are based on the authoritarian truly an unwanted and bloody exer
protest against injustice through capitalist system. It's a system that cise in public relations as far as
democnllic channel<. i~ crucial. It symbolizes the obsession with US Ptesident Bill Clinton was con
is not right to say to the people power and wealth and uses the cerned. It JS no exaggeration to
that they ha"e to be wealthy philosophy that "the rights of say the missile attack on Iraq,
before the) can care and help society should take precedence under the pretext of avenging an
others over the rights of the individual" alleged assasination plot against
Democracy and human rights as a political tool. his predecessor was dubious and
based on ethical princaples are not The US military presence 1s im imprudent due to its timing and na
Western imposed values but in portant for certain countries in ture.
stead they lead to the sparitual Asia because any view and actJOn It lea\es one to ponder whether
development of \OCiety The lack which is contrary to the present the attack was aimed at combating
of balance between sparitual authoritarian capitalist system can terrorism, deternng aggression and
development and material develop then be crushed by military might. protecting American citizens or a
ment negates the principles of the Ronald AIL Benjamin Joseph pitiful attempt to save the
right to development. , IPOH President's plummeting popularity.
• Foreign policy that throws It i<> necessary to remind
out justice for the sake of tech oneself of the tremedous, albeit
nological knowledge is not the temporary, boost former US Presi
step in the right direction. The Bullying Tactics dent, George Bush, received -
diplomatic relations forged by upon the implementation of Opera
China and Singapore with the As far as the Americans are tion Desert Storm. This could have
Zioni-.t regime at the expense of concerned, the bullying tactics prompted Clinton to engage in
the suffering Palestines clearly will always be there. Cuba, Iraq, another West Asaan military adven
revcab the hypocritical 'iew that Libya, Iran and North Korea ture to give h im a similar boost
the interc'>L of society as a whole should get together to counter and earn himself the image of a
should take pnonty over in these tactics. tough leader in the eyes of the
di,idu<~h. Through the ages, God Al American public.
It i., -.ad that, in the recently mighty has destroyed such bullies. Constantly plagued by domes
concluded human rights con The bully with all its rockets, mi!> tic problems, Clinton probably
ference in Vienna, certain Asian siles and super planes will not hoped to restore the people's con
countnes looked on the rights of recognise the Almighty's great fidence in his leadcr<>hip at the risk
soctcty in their own states instead ness. We pray, day in and day out, of a dozen lives and the serious
of linking it in the global context. those responsible will be punished. posability of recreating another
The view that a US military The sooner, the better. war in the Gulf.
presence i'> vital in A~ia for Meanwhile, we must send food Is this America's version of a
growth and \lability is an insult to and medicine as well a<> clothes to New World Order; where the long
the exi~tmg clo~e cooperation be the needy in those countries who superpower conducts a reign of ter
tween Asian countries. are being bullied. There are so ror in which acts of terrorism
A/iran Monthly 1993:13 (9) Page 10