Armed Forces fund pays 16%; EPF only 5.8%

Anil Netto
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This is an excerpt of a report from The Star:
…Najib also announced that contributors to the Armed Forces Superannuation Fund (LTAT) would receive a 16% dividend and bonus payout, the highest since 1997. He said the LTAT would pay out 7% in dividends, 3% bonus and another 6% in special bonuses to its 120,000 contributors for 2007. “LTAT recorded a gross unaudited profit of RM606mil, a 29.2% increase compared to the RM468.9mil achieved in 2006,” he said, adding that the amount was the second highest since LTAT was established. The highest gross profit recorded was in 1996, when the fund made RM697.6mil.
And here is a reaction from a friend of mine:
So Najib announces a 16% dividend for LTAT. And EPF was only able to deliver 5.8% (for 2007)? ASB announced 8.5% a short while back. What does this tell us? That this is a government for all the people and, especially, the lower income? Or that this is a government of sectional interests? Or that this is simply an incompetent government, milking the EPF as a cheap source of funds for its multi-billion dollar schemes which do not appear to have been especially well thought through. Take SCORE (the Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy), for example. The first of the energy backbone for SCORE, namely Bakun, has seen a disaster of a resettlement, while the second proposed energy backbone, namely Murum, may well be the nail in the coffin of the Penan, who have been swept aside by plantation development. EPF is managed by the government, while ASB is managed by PNB and LTAT is a government statutory body. The largest fund in the country (EPF) turns in a totally lack-lustre performance against much smaller funds. The fund that’s the retirement income of, especially, lowly paid workers, gives them a miserable return compared to the likes of ASB or LTAT. Maybe EPF contributors should turn the fund over to the PNB, provided PNB can assure them that it will deliver dividends on par with ASB.

Roses for PM day – updates

Anil Netto
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[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMUy8BQveEg&rel=1] It looks like it is going to be another eventful day. Before going further, check out Subramaniam Pillay’s piece Hindraf rally: A plea of the dispossessed? on the reasons for the emergence of Hindraf and Makkal Sakthi. 9.02am – Receive a phone call informing me that a group of people from Penang heading to KL has been stopped at Selayang and armed police have taken away their ICs. The group apparently has been detained since 3.00am. All the stuff they brought – T-shirts, badges – have been confiscated. They were asked to give statements. Police took down their personal particulars. 10.05am – Massive jam around Dataran Merdeka. A group of Indian Malaysians are displaying a banner “No to ISA”. Tear gas has been used and traffic is being diverted. 10.12am – About 100 demonstrators including those detained at Selayang have been brought to Pulapol in Jalan Semarak, KL. Those with Makkal Sakthi T-shirts are being treated rather crudely. The detainees have been told that a magistrate will be coming to charge them, but they don’t know what the charge is. 10.30am – Lawyers are urgently needed at Pulapol to assist the detainees. 11.11am – Malaysiakini reports that 200 people have been detained after 300 people turned up for the gathering. Afternoon – The group detained in Selayang (about 60 of them?) are released. 8.00pm – TV3 and RTM1 report that nine people have been arrested under Section 27 of the Police Act. They include PKR’s S Manikavasagam and the event’s coordinator R Raguram. Bernama/NST quotes the KL police chief as saying, “We detained 124 people at first for participating in the assembly. They were released after their particulars were taken down.” 9.00pm – Over in Butterworth on mainland Penang, Samy Vellu’s car is surrounded by a group of about 60 Indian Malaysians angry over the police crackdown on the demonstrators, including women and children, in KL today. The group also locks the door of the Chinese school to prevent him from leaving. Police arrive later to escort him away. Earlier in the day, the MIC president reportedly was jeered when giving a speech at a meeting with Rukun Tetangga and Umno branch members in Chai Leng Park. Sunday, 17 February – Eight of the nine arrested are remanded, and one is released.

Writing’s on the wall for Samy Vellu

Anil Netto
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hostile reception for samy
Hostile reception: Police moving in to escort Samy Vellu to his car after he was surrounded by angry youths at a Tamil school groundbreaking ceremony in Petaling Jaya Wednesday. (Photo credit: The Star)
I nearly missed this picture in The Star. The MIC leader certainly doesn’t look too happy. In fact, he can’t go anywhere in public without a phalanx of security personnel these days. But the bigger question is why have the mainstream media such as The Star and the NST begun reporting such incidents? After all, a senior reporter of a major paper told me recently that once election season arrives, his paper cannot report stories detrimental to the ruling coalition. And yet, we now see reports casting a senior leader of one of the main parties in the ruling coalition in a bad light. Has the ruling coalition – and by extension, their media – finally realised that Samy Vellu is a liability? This is from The Star:
It was Samy Vellu’s second event after Parliament had been dissolved. The guest-of-honour at the ceremony was Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Khir Toyo who arrived 30 minutes later. Samy Vellu and Dr Khir were also present to give away allocation grants to Tamil schools and temples in the state, which has over 800 temples, many of them unregistered, and some dilapidated Tamil schools. Samy Vellu thanked Dr Khir for giving the Tamil schools a breath of fresh air. He also said he had requested for funds from the Second Finance Minister on Wednesday morning and received approval at 4.20pm the same day for RM30mil for Tamil schools. Touching on the proposed Seaport Tamil school he said, “I drew the school plan as I am an architect and I know what is good for the Indians.” He said the three-storey school would have 18 classrooms and toilet facilities on each floor and would be able to accommodate some 410 pupils. When Samy Vellu switched to Tamil, the event turned sour as the group of men who had earlier demonstrated began jeering and shouting “Makkal Sakhti” or People’s Power. A visibly upset Samy Vellu stopped his speech and said, “You can shout and shout until your throat tears but I’m not afraid of your tactics or anybody. “You do not represent the people but the crowd here is what People’s Power is,” he said, adding that there was no proof to their claims that the school had originally been allocated a larger plot of land. Samy Vellu said he expected such disturbances at his functions from now on and he would not be frightened. Dr Khir later explained that the original allocation for the Seaport school was 0.4ha and RM600,000 and it has been increased to RM1.2mil now Dr Khir was saddened to see some people in Selangor resorting to unruly behaviour at an official function and he took a swipe at the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) group. Dr Khir announced that he was giving actual cheques and not mock cheques of RM2mil to Tamil schools and RM1mil to Hindu temples in Selangor. Mohd Khir left before the school groundbreaking ceremony, which was performed by Samy Vellu under heavy police presence and he was later escorted to his car. The function also saw a huge turnout of aspiring MIC candidates who stood close to the stage and Samy Vellu’s car to make sure the party chief noticed them. According to an Umno member who was at the event, this was an unusual turn of events. “If this is an indication of how the campaign trail is going to be, it is not going to be a smooth one,” he said. Elders at the function applauded Samy Vellu for his might at getting things done for the community but it will take more than his valour to impress the youngsters.
Prime Minister Abdullah certainly added fuel to the speculation that Samy Vellu’s political days are numbered. This is from Malaysiakini’s report yesterday:
According to Bernama, the premier was bombarded with questions pertaining to Samy Vellu after chairing the Umno supreme council meeting in Kuala Lumpur. “I haven’t decided yet…maybe when the list comes, he (Samy Vellu) may not put his name on the list,” was Abdullah’s eyebrow raising response. Pressed further, he added: “I don’t know what’s going to be there (on the list), let me have a look first, so stop asking me because I haven’t seen the list yet.” Asked on Samy Vellu’s recent announcement that he would defend his Sungai Siput parliamentary seat, Abdullah conjured another puzzling response: “Anybody can say anything to the press, later on they do something else.”
I mean, the beleagured Samy Vellu is already in a shaky position. The last thing he needs before the general election is for the PM not to give him an unequivocal endorsement. So does that mean the writing is on the wall for the young office boy from Batu Arang, who grew up to become a drama actor, news reader, architect and self-styled “leader” of the Indian Malaysian community? He can’t do anything right these days – he is even heckled when opening a Tamil school. But Samy remains defiant, as reported in The Star:
Even an army will not stop me, says Samy Vellu
KUALA LUMPUR: Even an army will not be able to stop MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu from defending his Sungai Siput seat. “An army can come but I know how to fight it out,” he said of reports that the Opposition would be fielding a candidate against him. “I will defend woh foong (Cantonese for Sungai Siput),” said Samy Vellu, who has held the seat since 1974. He said he had the full support of the various communities in Sungai Siput and that he had built Tamil, Chinese and Malay schools, hospitals and community colleges in the constituency. “The people in Sungai Siput are with me. They are my strength. I have strived for them and served them. “I have made Sungai Siput a very beautiful town. Not only that, I have solved every problem of the community. I have made Sungai Siput a really good place to live in,” he said. Samy Vellu was confident there would be no Indian vote swing away from the Barisan Nasional. “The Indian voters are all at home and not in the streets,” he said referring to the recent Hindraf protest.
Obviously, he is digging in for the biggest fight of his political career, with polling day falling on his 72nd birthday.
Let us be under no illusions. Samy Vellu’s eventual exit from politics – though long overdue – should not be seen as the end of the matter. The BN may just jettison him out (when it realises that he is more of a liability) to strengthen its own grip on power. But it cannot end there. It’s the whole system of race-based politics that must be dismantled, and that’s going to be a whole lot harder. Indeed, Hindraf and Makkal Sakthi have exposed the myth of Indian Malaysians being a homogenised lot under the patronage of the MIC. Their struggle has highlighted the class differences in Malaysian society – a reflection of the yawning gap between the rich and the poor. As my friend and social scientist Farish Noor lucidly explains:
When Hindraf began mobilising its supporters in 2006 in defence of the Hindu temples that were being demolished all over the country, much of its criticism was directed towards Samy Vellu and the senior leadership of the MIC who they accused of betraying the Indian minority and not being able to stand up to the demands of the UMNO party that leads the ruling BN coalition. Linked to the Hindu temples issue were other complaints related to the MIC’s finances, its alleged failure to uplift the economic condition of the Hindus; its failure to defend Hindu culture, language and identity, etc. As a result of these complaints being aired in public, Hindraf had inadvertently exposed the class divisions that now exist within the membership of the MIC and the gulf of power, wealth and influence between the MIC leadership and the rest of the Indian minority community. This is ironic considering the fact that the MIC was originally set up by Indian activists like John Thivy, K. Ramanathan and Budh Singh in 1946 to defend the interests of the Indian working class and to struggle for economic and social equality in the first place. By emphasising the weakness and marginalisation of ordinary Malaysian-Indians and contrasting their lot to the opulence and luxury of those who claimed to be their leaders and spokesmen, Hindraf has actually introduced the fault-line of class difference within the Indian community itself, thereby rendering any simplistic attempts to homogenise the Malaysian-Indians as a singular political constituency more problematic. Here lies the paradox that Hindraf itself has introduced into the equation of Malaysian politics: On the one hand it is a communitarian and sectarian organisation that seeks to mobilise and consolidate the Indian minority in Malaysia on the basis of an exclusive racial and religious identity; but on the other hand it has succeeded in doing so by adopting the rhetoric and discourse of betrayal and neglect of the community by some of its own; namely the leaders of the MIC. Hindraf has therefore contributed to the problematisation of the category of ‘Indian-ness’ itself, making it consequently more difficult for both the MIC and the ruling National Front to maintain its divisive form of communal sectarian politics that has always relied upon the instrumental fiction of neatly divided and compartmentalised racial groupings. What Hindraf has done via its street demonstrations and campaigns to discredit the MIC leadership is to demonstrate that the Indian community is not a singular bloc that can be reduced to one essentialised stereotype or compartmentalised within neatly-defined and hermetically sealed borders. The responsibility, therefore, falls on the shoulders of the parties of the ruling National Front that have for so long maintained the culture and norms of divisive race and religion-based politics in the country. Malaysia is in need of a new politics that transcends racial and ethnic divisions, or at least one that recognises the complexity of the plural communities that reside in this country. One thing however is certain for now: Hindraf’s very presence on the political stage signals that some sections of the Malaysian-Indian community no longer see the MIC as the sole patron and protector of the Malaysian-Indians of Malaysia .

Will the next US president say “No” to War and Occupation?

Anil Netto
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[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gwqEneBKUs&rel=1] Unlikely. You see, war is a profitable business in the United States. Apart from boosting weapons sale, it is also Big Business for mercenary private contractors and “reconstruction” companies, which stand to make huge profits. The United States spends close to US$1 trillion on “defence” and it has over 700 military bases around the world. Disruptions in global oil production – as a result of the chaos that war brings – keep the price of oil high. And this ensures record profits for the oil companies, which have close ties with the movers and shakers in Washington. The US administration also aims to seize strategic control of remaining oil reserves in the Middle East, Africa and Central Asia. But there is a glimmer of hope: that people will listen to the call of the anti-war movement to reject war and build a new world of peace and justice. The seeds have been planted in the United States and the stalks are sprouting, as you can see from this encouraging development, reported by Democracy NOW!:

Antiwar Candidate Donna Edwards Defeats Incumbent Rep. Albert Wynn in Key Maryland Primary

Antiwar Democrat Donna Edwards joins us to talk about her defeat of eight-term Congress member Albert Wynn in Tuesday’s primary vote. The Maryland race had been described as “a bellwether contest in the fight for the soul of the Democratic Party.” If Edwards wins in November, she’ll be the first African American woman elected to Congress from Maryland.
AMY GOODMAN: Senator Barack Obama swept the Potomac primaries Tuesday, beating Senator Hillary Clinton in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C. While much of the country is focused on the race for the presidential nomination, another primary in Maryland drew national attention. In the state’s Fourth Congressional District, Democratic activist Donna Edwards defeated eight-term incumbent Albert Wynn in a fiercely contested race. The race was a rematch of the 2006 primary election, when Wynn held onto his seat by a few thousand votes. This time around, Donna Edwards defeated Wynn by a wide margin, receiving about 60 percent of the vote, while Wynn got about 35 percent. The race has been described by The Nation magazine as “a bellwether contest in the fight for the soul of the Democratic Party.” Edwards ran a populist, antiwar campaign that drew support from national liberal groups. She criticized Wynn for his votes tied to Iraq and the housing crisis. If she wins in November, she will be the first African American congresswoman to represent Maryland. Donna Edwards joins us now on the phone from Maryland. Welcome to Democracy Now! DONNA EDWARDS: Hi, Amy. It’s great to be on Democracy Now! this morning. AMY GOODMAN: It’s good to have you with us. Well, despite the very severe weather, the polls were open, what, an extra hour and a half last night? DONNA EDWARDS: That’s exactly right. AMY GOODMAN: You have been declared the winner. Can you tell us what you think did it this time around? You lost to Wynn last time by a very small percentage. DONNA EDWARDS: Right. I mean, I lost in 2006 by a very narrow margin. But I think that this time we put together, you know, a campaign operation that really built on the momentum of 2006, carrying a message of, you know, the need to focus on working people, on healthcare, on getting out of the war in Iraq, on an education system that works for all our children. And people took that message, they believed the change was important and required, and they cast their votes yesterday, and it was an overwhelming victory. Read more

Samy Vellu in “top form”

Anil Netto
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[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_f0nr7vzh7I&rel=1] Here’s a clip of the man himself, obviously in “top form”. A lot of bravado. He says “the BN will win 100 per cent because this is one government in South-East Asia that truly fulfils its promises to the people”. Why, his opponents are “already dead” or they simply “don’t exist”. We shall see on polling day.

Samy Vellu walks out in a huff after students fail to humour him

Anil Netto
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Samy Vellu again. This time at an MIC-organised meet-the-students function at the City Bayview Hotel in Penang yesterday evening. Present were about 200 STPM Indian Malaysian students and college students from around Penang who were probably invited through Indian students’ societies. One source told me the students falied to humour and “cooperate” with Samy Vellu and they did not answer his exploratory questions properly. Apparently the students were invited for the briefing because they were supposed to be more “open-minded” and untainted by the Hindraf issue. Another source, whose daughter was present at the briefing, told me it was the STPM students – rather than the more subdued college students – who gave the MIC president a hard time. Needless to say, Samy was not impressed and stormed out of the hall after about 10 minutes, cutting short a session that was supposed to last much longer. As he walked out in a huff, students hooted to express their displeasure. Some used their mobile friends to call their friends so that they could listen in on the commotion, according to the second source. As I mentioned in an earlier posting, it’s not going to be easy for Samy to hold public talks or even closed-door briefings to the public. (Er, what’s this about government warnings to students not to get involved in politics?) Seems to me that the groundswell against Samy Vellu and the MIC is much larger than even the MIC president could have imagined.

Parliament dissolved: How can you trust such a leader?

Anil Netto
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So Parliament has been dissovled. And Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi has got off to the worst possible start over something as critical as the date for the dissolution of the Federal Parliament to pave the way for the 12th General Election. It was only yesterday that he denied that Parliament would be dissolved today. I mean, how can Malaysians trust such a leader? This was the Malaysiakini report yesterday:
PM: No Parliament dissolution tomorrow Feb 12, 08 9:50pm Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi today dismissed speculations that the Parliament would be dissolved tomorrow to pave way for the general election. “No, not tomorrow,” he told reporters after attending a function at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia this evening. He also dispelled the media’s queries if tomorrow’s cabinet meeting would be the last one before the election is called. “What makes you think it’s going to be the last cabinet meeting?” he asked. “The cabinet meeting will go on, go on and go on. You are the smart aleck, you all enjoy circulating the rumours,” he said with a smile.
Abdullah and Najib did not look as if they were brimming with confidence at the press conference. So why did the PM do it now? In my book, it all boils down to money i.e. the state of the economy. Apart from the Anwar factor, Abdullah must feel that the longer he waits for the polls, the worse the economy is likely to get – especially in the light of the US sub-prime financial crisis, which has snowballed into a full-blown economic crisis that could lead to banks going under in the West and bond insurers collapsing. This could lead to a prolonged recession – or even depression – in the United States, in turn affecting Malaysian exports to the United States. The United States accounts for a fifth of Malaysian exports. Oh, and they are probably itching to raise the oil price! Since Penang is supposed to be a “front-line” state, here is something for the Prime Minister and the Penang Chief Minister to chew on. It’s a letter from Ahmad Chik of the PGCC Campaign Group:

I refer to Goh Ban Lee’s very timely column in today’s Sun.

As a concerned Penang citizen I agree entirely with his views. No city in Malaysia needs local plans more than George Town, and yet for over 20 years this fundamental planning requirement has been delayed for one excuse or another. This omission amounts to nothing less than a failure of the state and local governments, and has had serious consequences: deterioration of the quality of life, unsustainable developments, destruction of valuable heritage enclaves, traffic congestion, loss of property owners’ rights and conflicts, leading to serious social and political problems.

The PGCC Campaign Group is extremely concerned and has made a strong appeal to the MPPP to impose a moratorium of all major developments in Penang until local plans have been gazetted. A post-card and letter writing campaign will be launched soon and we would invite other concerned groups to support us. We would also invite all prospective candidates for the coming election to take a stand on this important issue.

It is rumoured that local plans for Penang are in the works, but the process, which by law should be open and transparent, is shrouded in mystery and opacity. The public has not been consulted, does not know who is responsible or the status of the plans.

At this crucial time the public has to be kept informed, and as a start we would urge the MPPP President or YB Dato Teng Hock Nam, the EXCO member for local government, to make a comprehensive statement to clarify the situation as soon as possible.

Ahmad Chik

Malaysians should ask their political parties to state their position on such local plans. More than that, we should demand the return of local council elections so that our councillors can be held accountable to the public.

Apart from this, Malaysian workers must also ask the various parties what their stand is on the trade unions’ call for a minimum wage to be introduced. Remember, the MTUC has called for a minimum wage of RM900 and a cost of living allowance of RM300. Don’t talk about wiping out poverty when you can’t even introduce a minimum wage to stop the exploitation of workers.

The rising price of food and health care, the crime rate and freedom of religion are the major issues that Malaysians are concerned about. Some of these issues can be traced to the model of development we have pursued that emphasises top-down economic planning and the “liberalisation” of markets, which are increasingly dominated by huge corporations and wealthy shareholders. It is a model that has led to weaker protection of workers, thus widening the gap between the rich and the poor. It is also a system that promotes the exports of cash crops – displacing many farmers and smallholders – rather than organic, traditional farming of essential foodstuffs for the population.

But are the opposition parties capable of looking at alternative models of economic development – or are they too beholden to the deceptive lure of corporate-led globalisation (as opposed to people-centred globalisation)?

Makkal Sakthi drama at Penang CM’s office

Anil Netto
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[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nD0T-N9CTI&rel=1] Some 300 Indian Malaysians from the Makkal Sakthi (“People Power”) movement, many of them clad in their trademark orange, gathered at Komtar this morning in an attempt to meet Penang Chief Minister Koh Tsu Koon at his office. With them was five-year-old Vwaishnavi Waythamoorthy, the only daughter of one of the five detained Hindraf leaders, who brought along roses and a memorandum for Koh. The memo was to seek Koh’s intervention to ensure the safety of the crowd – that the police would not take action against them – at the planned gathering at Parliament on 16 February. The group intends to hand over “Valentine’s Day” roses to the Prime Minister and to seek the release of the Hindraf Five. Apparently, the group chose to see Koh because he is the “only non-bumi chief minister” in Malaysia. I feel Makkal Sakthi should not look at the world solely through ethnic lens. Lowly paid workers are often exploited by the super-rich business elite, which includes non-bumi tycoons who are very much part of the domination system. I mean, do you see any Indian Malaysian tycoons endorsing the MTUC’s call for a monthly minimum wage of RM900 and a cost of living allowance of RM300? A glance at the multi-ethnic cast of characters in the Lingam video scandal would be enough to tell us that things are pretty muhibbah up there in the elite circles of power and business – very cosy indeed. The sooner Makkal Sakthi sheds its ethnic worldview, the faster it can build bridges with marginalised Malaysians of all ethnic groups – and indeed non-Malaysian migrant workers, refugees and asylum seekers. Back to the story: One of Koh’s aides turned up to collect the memo from the crowd gathered at Komtar. He went in and signed the document to acknowledge receipt. But the crowd expressed displeasure: “We are not anchadi (five-foot way) people to be treated this way.” Taken aback, the aide invited five representatives from the crowd into the Penang state government’s offices. There, he apologised that the CM was unable to meet them due to other commitments, according to my source. The crowd below was not convinced that the Chief Minister was unavailable. Armed police and riot police turned up. Some in the crowd responded that they had come peacefully, that they were “flower people”. “We are unarmed so why do you come with guns?” they asked. Cries of “Makkal Sathi” pierced the air. Eventually the crowd dispersed peacefully. The movement is not about to go away in a hurry. I must add that these Makkal Sakthi folks are pretty savvy and creative in their means of drawing public attention to their cause and in highlighting the plight of the marginalised among Indian Malaysians. With Penang considered a front-line state in the coming general election, many Malaysians will be closely watching to see what impact the Makkal Sakthi phenomenon will have on voting patterns.

End of the road for biofuels?

Anil Netto
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The science has finally confirmed what many people had already guessed: clearing land to produce biofuels will increase greenhouse emissions. In fact, it will take many years for the beneficial effects of using biofuels to compensate for the harmful effect of clearing the land. This is the most damning statistic, cited by the Wall Street Journal: “Draining and clearing peatlands in Malaysia and Indonesia to grow palm oil emits so much CO2 that palm biodiesel from those fields would have to be burned for more than 420 years to counteract it.” It’s all a far cry from the hype that first greeted the expansion into biofuels by the big Malaysian oil palm plantation firms not so long ago.
Biofuels May Hinder Antiglobal-Warming Efforts
Carbon Emissions Could Increase As Land-Use Shifts
By GAUTAM NAIK February 8, 2008; Page A4

While the U.S. and others race to expand the use and production of biofuels, two new studies suggest these gasoline alternatives actually will increase carbon-dioxide levels.

A study published in the latest issue of Science finds that corn-based ethanol, a type of biofuel pushed heavily in the U.S., will nearly double the output of greenhouse-gas emissions instead of reducing them by about one-fifth by some estimates. A separate paper in Science concludes that clearing native habitats to grow crops for biofuel generally will lead to more carbon emissions.

The findings are the latest to take aim at biofuels, which have already been blamed for pushing up prices of corn and other food crops, as well as straining water supplies. Read more

“You know-lah”

Anil Netto
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The other day, I was waiting for a train. It was late by more than half an hour and crowds were already milling around on the platform. An elderly couple stood nearby, wondering what was happening. Before long, the gentleman walked up to me and asked if it was usual for trains here to be delayed. He looked Chinese Malaysian – and yet he didn’t sound Malaysian. So I asked him if he was local. He said yes, he used to work with Pernas/Sime Darby, but not anymore. He and his spouse had left the country and had settled in Australia. I asked him why they had emigrated. His answer was telling. All he said, rather diplomatically, was, “You know-lah.” That “you know-lah” spoke volumes. And the sad part was, yes, I did know what he meant, without him having to say anything more. Of course, some leave for greener pastures, but many more leave for obvious reasons. Whenever we think of migrants, we tend to think of migrants coming in droves to work in Malaysia. But we often forget about Malaysians who have emigrated. According to the World Bank’s Migration and Remittances Factbook, the stock of emigrants from Malaysia stands at close to 1.5 million as at 2005. That’s 5.8 per cent of the country’s population. And that’s almost as high as the number of immigrants – 1.6 million – in Malaysia. (I presume this refers to documented immigrants only.) And 10.4 per cent of Malaysians with tertiary education are emigrating. While the government tells us there is a shortage of doctors in our general hospitals, it is alarming to note that 2,211 or 11.9 per cent of physicians trained in the country have emigrated. (I hope it’s not 11.9 per cent in the year 2000 alone!) MALAYSIA Emigration, 2005 • Stock of emigrants: 1,458,944 • Stock of emigrants as percentage of population: 5.8% • Top 10 destination countries: Singapore, Australia, Brunei, United States, United Kingdom, Canada, India, New Zealand, Japan, Germany. Skilled Emigration, 2000 • Emigration rate of tertiary educated: 10.4% • Emigration of physicians: 2,211 or 11.9% of physicians trained in the country Immigration, 2005 • Stock of immigrants: 1,639,138 • Stock of immigrants as percentage of population: 6.5% • Female as percentage of immigrants: 41.6% • Refugees as percentage of immigrants: 2.8% • Top 10 source countries: Indonesia, Philippines, China, India, Singapore, Thailand, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka. In comparison, the report for Indonesia shows that only 2 per cent of Indonesians with tertiary education emigrate from their country while only 1.3 per cent of physicians trained in Indonesia leave their homeland.

GM mosquitoes to be released in Malaysia on large scale?

Anil Netto
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Just spotted this Wired news report on an experiment with genetically modified mosquitoes – and the company “envisions releasing the insects in Malaysia on a large scale in three years”. Gulp!

Engineered Mosquitoes Could Wipe Out Dengue Fever

By Alexis Madrigal Email 01.23.08 | 1:05 PM
Oxitec’s technology modifies the genes of the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which causes both dengue and yellow fever and is largely found in the tropics. Image: Centers for Disease Control
Scientists at a British biotech company said they have evidence that their genetically modified mosquitoes, which are programmed for sudden, early death, can control the spread of dengue fever. Dengue is carried by mosquitoes and is the scourge of urban areas in the developing world, much as malaria is in rural regions. The company, Oxitec, said it can decimate mosquito populations by breeding genetically modified male mosquitoes, then releasing them to mate with wild females. Their offspring contain lethal genes that kill them young, before they can reproduce. Company officials told Wired News that their latest test results show that the genetically modified bugs can breed just as well as wild ones. “We will be able to control dengue through controlling the mosquitoes that transmit it, especially in large urban areas,” said the company’s chief scientist Luke Alphey. “Thereby protecting many, many millions of people from this disease.” Mosquitoes pass dengue fever to up to 100 million people each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Up to 5 million die. If the scientists can replicate their results in real field conditions, their technology could kill half of the next generation of dengue mosquitoes, which scientists say would significantly reduce the spread of the disease. If all goes well the company envisions releasing the insects in Malaysia on a large scale in three years. Oxitec’s latest research, which company scientists will present in February at the IX International Symposium on Vectors and Vector-borne Diseases in Puri, India, included an independent evaluation by Malaysia’s Institute for Medical Research, part of the country’s Ministry of Health, said S.S. Vasan, Oxitec’s head of public health, in an e-mail. The results showed that up to 50 percent of wild female mosquitoes mated with Oxitec’s genetically modified male mosquitoes.
And this is some reaction of concern in the same report:
But as with genetically modified crop companies like Monsanto, Oxitec could face a backlash from a wary public. Greenpeace, among others, oppose genetic engineering of organisms that could be released into the wild. “Releasing millions of genetically modified terminator mosquitoes into wild ecosystems amounts to a reckless and uncontrolled experiment with a risky technology,” said Jim Thomas, of the ETC Group, a technology watchdog. “Oxitec’s (project) abandons all pretense of containment or possible recall. I wonder what sort of liability they are willing to assume if something goes wrong?” Thomas also questioned Oxitec’s core technology — a regulatory switch that uses tetracycline. “The assumption is that the insects will not encounter tetracycline in the wild and yet tetracycline, naturally derived from a soil bacteria, is widely used in agriculture,” Thomas said. “Genetically engineered insects for pest control are a literal disaster waiting to happen,” said Ronnie Cummins, director of the Organic Consumers Association, in an e-mail.
I just want to add, if the Malaysian authorities are really serious about controlling dengue fever, what about more traditional – and cost effective – measures of wiping out dengue fever such as removing their possible breeding grounds? Are we saying that the usual preventive methods of ensuring there is no stagnant water lying around and fogging affected areas are not effective? Why don’t we first do something about all those clogged drains full of stagnant water – so common in Malaysia – which are the perfect breeding grounds for mosquitoes? (I had a bad dream the other night of someone pulling out discarded furniture – I think it was an old chair! – that was clogging up a drain.) And why has this project not been brought to the attention of the Malaysian public if it’s true, as the report says, that the Malaysian Institute for Medical Research is involved? Here is a report from the Oxitec website showing that such a proposal is indeed being considered:

News

2 October, 2007 Oxitec and IMR conduct an Intensive Workshop on Aedes Mosquitoes
Oxitec and the WHO Collaborating Centre for Vectors based at the Institute for Medical Research (IMR) have successfully concluded an “Intensive Workshop on Wild Type and Genetically Modified Aedes Mosquitoes”. This 7-day intensive workshop was conducted from 26th September to 2nd October 2007 in IMR’s campus in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. IMR is the research arm of the Ministry of the Health Malaysia.
Should we allow a company to use Malaysia as a laboratory for such experiments? Who knows what unseen impact this will have on our ecological balance. I would be extremely cautious – and worried – about this initiative.

After stalling RM25bil project, PGCC Campaign Group calls for Local Plans in Penang

Anil Netto
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PGCC press conference
Fresh from their success in stalling the PGCC project, the civil society PGCC Campaign Group held a press conference yesterday to put forward their position and demands. Essentially, the civil society groups are asking for Local Plans to be prepared first – with full public participation – before any development can be approved. Once the Local Plans are finalised, any major development should have a detailed EIA, which should also include a traffic report and a flood risk assessment. These detailed EIAs should be prepared by competent, independent consultants. Here is the full press statement: Penang government should put Local Plans in place before allowing further development in Penang The PGCC Campaign Group would like to make clear its position on the proposal to develop the Turf Club land. Before all else we would like to emphasise that, contrary to some press reports, the opposition to this project did not come solely or even primarily from the residents of Jesselton. Most of the anger came from ordinary Penang folks, and it was widespread; bridging all racial, generational and income groups. We are grateful that the CM has put a temporary halt to it, and without being churlish we hope it is not a mere election ploy. Be it as it may, we wish to state in unequivocal terms that the Chief Minister, no matter how well meaning or how well experienced he is, is not the person to determine how the site should be developed. The international team of experts that Dato Patrick Lim is assembling, no matter how eminent, also has no right to dictate what should be built on this lovely site. The only group that has the sole right to make that decision is the people of Penang. The site is so big and prominent as a landmark that it belongs to all of us. Any development there will change the face of the Island and will have far reaching consequences (social, cultural and traffic) for all of us for generations to come. Every pre-requisite of good democratic governance requires that the public (and not just the immediate neighbours) should be consulted. This is why local plans are required under the Town & Country Planning Act, which give an opportunity for every member of the public to give their views and participate in the decision-making of what the details of development in the area in question should look like. The Local Plan is an essential planning document, and it is our stand that no plan should even be considered before a Local Plan is finalised. At the same time we wish to be assured that the Local Plan will be done fully in the spirit of the Act; that the public will be consulted at all stages; that their views will be given proper consideration; and the Planning Committee will operate transparently. This principle of involving public participation at every level of decision-making is further underscored by the commitment of the Malaysian government to the Rio Declaration and Agenda 21 which was the outcome of the Rio Summit in 1992. We will resist very strongly any attempt to develop the Turf Club land without a Local Plan or to subvert the planning process or the Local Plan by reducing them to a series of pro forma exercises. In addition, the State Government should expedite Local Plans for the whole of Penang, prior to further developments in the State, given experience of the PGCC and other haphazard developments which are taking place. Following the finalisation of the Local Plan, we also request the State, the Municipal Council of Penang (MPPP) and the Department of Environment (DOE) require project proponents of any major developments to prepare a detailed EIA, including a traffic report and a flood risk assessment. These studies should be done by reputable and independent consultants chosen by the MPPP and DOE (and not by the project proponent). In this regard, we were most outraged that the DOE in the case of the PGCC project, had approved a preliminary EIA without a consideration of the traffic study and without an opportunity for public review and consultation. The DOE ought to have insisted upon a detailed EIA, given the nature and scale of the project. Dato Patrick Lim has in several public statements said that he wants to be a responsible developer and has given the assurance that he will abide by all local and international guidelines to create a sustainable project that will be acceptable to all. If he is genuine, and is not just making a public relations statement, he should not object to any of our proposals in the public interest. In summary, our position is this:
  • There should be no development until a Local Plan is in place for the Penang Turf Club site.
  • In addition, the State Government should expedite Local Plans for the whole of Penang, prior to further developments to ensure proper and effective planning.
  • The Local Plans should be done transparently with full public participation.
  • Detailed EIA, including a traffic report and a flood risk assessment, by competent and independent consultants are required for any development in the present and future Turf Club area once the local plans are finalised.
We will be extremely upset by any attempt to circumvent any of the above recommendations. Ahmad Bin Chik for and on behalf of the PGCC Campaign Group
  • Consumers Association of Penang (CAP)
  • Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM)
  • Penang Heritage Trust (PHT)
  • Aliran
  • Malaysian Nature Society (MNS)
  • Suara Rakyat Malaysia (Suaram)
  • Citizens For Public Transport (Cepat)
  • Jesselton Heights Residents Association
  • Residents Association of Jesselton
  • Tanjung Bungah Residents Association
  • Badan Warisan Malaysia
  • Friends of the Penang Botanic Gardens

Corporate takeover of agriculture gathers pace

Anil Netto
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More worrying developments regarding the corporate takeover of agriculture. Nestle is eyeing the commercialisation of traditional red rice varieties in Sarawak. It is also trying to promote contract farming – perhaps something similar to what Sime Darby has in mind for the Northern Corridor. It is presumptuous that these huge multinational corporations think they can teach traditional farmers, who have vast experience growing traditional seed varieties, a thing or two about good farming practices. What they will very likely do is make the farmers more dependent on agricultural inputs such as patented or hybrid seeds, fertilisers, and pesticides. The farmers will lose their independence in terms of the decision making over appropriate farming methods. There are also moves to develop hybrid rice in Sarawak. Check out this disturbing assessment from Grain.org here.

Mainstream media poised to turn into BN propaganda channels

Anil Netto
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It has already started. I mean, the propaganda over the mainstream media. This time we can expect it to be worse, given that the Barisan Nasional is going to face stiff contests in many areas. So what are we to do? It does get sickening as polling day approaches when whatever remaining journalistic ethics are thrown out of the window. The mainstream media, on the whole, are then transformed into full-blown propaganda organs of the ruling coalition. Corporate propaganda is also likely to make its presence felt as certain large firms all but openly endorse the ruling coalition through not-too-subtle advertisements. MEDIA-MALAYSIA: Call To Boycott Newspapers For Biased Reporting By Anil Netto PENANG, Jan 31 (IPS) – Fed up with what they see as biased and distorted reporting, a group of concerned Malaysians has launched a campaign urging the public to boycott newspapers ahead of a general election widely expected in March. The mainstream print media are largely controlled by ruling coalition parties or business interests close to them. Though already pro-establishment in their reporting, they usually turn into full-blown propaganda tools of the ruling coalition in the days leading up to a general election, say critics. The call for a ”Paper-less Tuesday” — calling on the public to abstain from newspapers on Tuesdays, for a start — was launched on Monday by a working committee under the ‘People’s Parliament’ initiative. Full article

Drop in donations for Batu Caves supports eye-witness impressions of turnout

Anil Netto
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The Batu Caves temple authorities have made public their takings for this year’s Thaipusam celebrations. Malaysiakini reported that the temple collected only RM1.04 million this year compared to RM1.8 million last year – that’s a 42 per cent plunge in takings. (That’s assuming all the money has been properly accounted for.) This corroborates the impressions of eye-witness sources who told me there was a 30-50 per cent drop in the attendance when they visited the Batu Caves temple early on Thaipusam morning.

Lingam inquiry: Cowing civil society into silence?

Anil Netto
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So the Commission of Inquiry thinks that Aliran’s statement on the refusal of the Commission to call in certain witnesses is “on the verge” of contempt. That is so sad. They expect civil society to sit back and stomach the sort of testimony that is being offered in total silence while potentially important witnesses are left on the sidelines. In an interview with Malaysiakini, Lingam’s youngest brother, Rajendram (the one that the Commission does not want to hear), summed up the state of the proceedings as follows:
Exactly what kind of lies is Lingam allegedly saying to the commission? You mentioned he has been lying to the royal commission about Thirunama’s mental health. All these Tuns and Tan Sris and Dato Seris, my opinion is to save your own bl**dy skins. Simple. There’s a few things I don’t like. Assassins, cowards, and tainted angels. You make a hundred million, they’ll come and shake your hand. They want a share of the pie. They’ll use you and cannibalise you. Now they tak tahu (don’t know) you, lah. Tak tahu. I tak tahu. Dia mabuk. India mabuk. (He’s drunk. The Indian’s drunk). Ya lah. So you’re saying it’s not just Dato Lingam who’s telling lies? Use your imagination. You all are learned. You read ‘Animal Farm’ (book by George Orwell). You read all these books. Don’t you all? I’m sure you had good teachers. One person, Lingam – just an advocate and solicitor. He’s signing the judgment, you see? Is he signing the judgment? Who’s holding judgement? What happened to (late journalist) MGG Pillai’s case? You’ve been rejected as a witness at the royal commission. Do you feel disappointed? I feel disappointed, but I think the end of the matter is, I think I’ve said it. I’ll repeat myself. The bench must have integrity. People who serve the country and do justice, follow the rule of law. Then only can you call upon the bar on … The advocate and solicitor will toe the line. To have professionalism, to have ethics. You’re corrupted … Your master is corrupted, what more an advocate. They also will join in. Everyone will beat the drum.
One hopes that the Commission will be able to connect the dots and look at the larger picture (which, incidentally, almost all thinking Malaysians can see) revealing the real state of the judiciary.

Suharto dies with blood on his hands – but did he really improve the economy?

Anil Netto
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He had a lot of blood on his hands. A mass murderer. But he was held in high esteem by Western leaders (and Asean leaders too: they were practically falling over one another to pay tribute to him). Why? More than 500,000 – perhaps close to a million – were massacred in the mid-1960s, as a result of a purge on suspected communists and sympathisers, which also targeted peasants. The CIA even chipped in by supplying a list of people it wanted eliminated, as John Pilger describes:
The US embassy in Jakarta supplied Suharto with a “zap list” of Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) members and crossed off the names when they were killed or captured. Roland Challis, the BBC’s south east Asia correspondent at the time, told me how the British government was secretly involved in this slaughter. “British warships escorted a ship full of Indonesian troops down the Malacca Straits so they could take part in the terrible holocaust,” he said. “I and other correspondents were unaware of this at the time… There was a deal, you see.”
Then came the invasion of East Timor, which led to a loss of some 180,000 lives. This was carried out with a wink and a nod from then President Ford and his Secretary of State Henry Kissinger. Tens of thousands of Indonesians were also killed in places like Aceh and West Papua. Mainstream foreign commentators tend to say, well, okay, he was responsible for mass murder, but look, he improved and modernised the Indonesian economy – as if that could somehow compensate for mass murder. But really, did he improve the lot of Indonesia’s poor? Many of the poor over there don’t seem to think so. Listen to Allan Nairn, an award-winning journalist who has reported from Indonesia, speaking on Democracy Now! on the reaction to Suharto’s death:
Well, among the people in the poor compounds where I was, I guess the reaction was summed up by one woman who works in the market. She sells vegetables and cakes in one of the traditional markets. And she said, “Oh, Suharto, he died of overeating. He ate too much money. He ate so much that there wasn’t enough left for anybody else to eat.” People didn’t care, or they said good riddance. That seems to be the reaction among the poor. But among those who made money off of Suharto, there seems to be some sadness. There also seems to be some sadness for the US ambassador. That quote you read defending Suharto, that’s the same argument that was used to defend Stalin. They said, oh, he killed a lot of people, but he developed the country economically. So if you buy that logic, the US should have been defending Stalin, as well. In fact, if you compare Indonesia this day to Malaysia, a neighboring country which started out at the same economic level, after Suharto and the army got done with Indonesia, wages in Indonesia are about a sixth of what they are in Malaysia. There was growth in the sense—in Indonesia, in the sense of multinationals like Exxon coming in and taking the gas. People were coming in and taking the gold, new mines coming in and taking out their minerals, creating an export platform for Nike, etc. But in terms of lives of the poor—hunger, life expectancy, health, nutrition—people in Malaysia ended up doing much better, because there they took away power from the army, they put restrictions on the multinationals, and they had a different form of development. So the idea that Suharto’s mass murders were somehow balanced by economic progress he gave to the people is just factually incorrect, and it’s not surprising that poor people don’t seem bothered by his passing.
And I just want to add, if Suharto’s economic performance was that impressive, why then has there been a continuing exodus of poor Indonesians leaving their shores in search of jobs abroad – jobs that are often dirty, dangerous and degrading – leaving them pitifully vulnerable to exploitation? John Pilger describes what the deal was, and why exactly Suharto was held in high esteem by Western leaders:
The deal was that Indonesia under Suharto would offer up what Richard Nixon had called “the richest hoard of natural resources, the greatest prize in south-east Asia”. In November 1967, the greatest prize was handed out at a remarkable three-day conference sponsored by the Time-Life Corporation in Geneva. Led by David Rockefeller, all the corporate giants were represented: the major oil companies and banks, General Motors, Imperial Chemical Industries, British American Tobacco, Siemens and US Steel and many others. Across the table sat Suharto’s US-trained economists who agreed to the corporate takeover of their country, sector by sector. The Freeport company got a mountain of copper in West Papua. A US/ European consortium got the nickel. The giant Alcoa company got the biggest slice of Indonesia’s bauxite. America, Japanese and French companies got the tropical forests of Sumatra. When the plunder was complete, President Lyndon Johnson sent his congratulations on “a magnificent story of opportunity seen and promise awakened”. Thirty years later, with the genocide in East Timor also complete, the World Bank described the Suharto dictatorship as a “model pupil”.

Vincent Tan denies he is influential; so tell us about the Sports Toto privatisation…

Anil Netto
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Malaysiakini has just reported that Vincent Tan has denied that he had much influence under the Mahathir administration:
He also said that it was a “real joke” to suggest that Mahathir consulted him on the appointment of judges as indicated in a video clip which featured lawyer VK Lingam. “If I am so influential, I would have gotten many government projects but I didn’t,” he said.
Little influence, huh. One thing comes to mind: the privatisation of Sports Toto. Take a look at the Berjaya website:
The history of Sports Toto began in 1969 when it was incorporated to run the Toto betting business. It was essentially the Government’s effort to raise funds to promote and develop sports, youth and cultural activities.
Sports Toto was privatised in 1985 when its Chief Executive Officer, Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Vincent Tan Chee Yioun, through his private company acquired 70% of the paid-up capital.
It was one of the first privatisations under the Mahathir administration and it was done without open tender (Searle, Riddle of Malaysian Capitalism). State-run Sports Toto had recorded a profit of $7.03 million in the 12 months prior to the privatisation. So why the need to privatise in the first place? At that time, Mahathir justified the privatisation by saying that “the idea came from a private sector group and it would have been unfair if their unique proposal had been accepted by the government and then awarded to someone else.” What “unique proposal” to take over a profitable state-run lottery? Today, Berjaya Sports Toto is the cash cow of the Berjaya group. On another note, Vincent Tan should also tell us what he plans to do with theSun, until now the most independent English-language newspaper in Malaysia, and the reason for the timing of his takeover.

Joke of the week

Anil Netto
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So far, Malaysians have been entertained by the almost farcical proceedings of the commission of inquiry into the Lingam tape. Come on, we all know the real state of the judiciary. But the joke of the week must be in the Malaysiakini headline just now. I burst out laughing when I read it. “Dr M fears corruption in general election“ Apparently, he fears money politics and vote-buying tactics will be deployed to stem the ruling coalition’s losses. He cannot be serious. I remember some serious splashing out of “development” grants and announcements of development projects during election campaigns of the Mahathir era. Absolutely no understanding of how a caretaker government should behave in the run-up to the polls. So pardon me while I try to stop laughing. But of course, the Abdullah administration is unlikely to be any better. Just look at how much money was splashed around during the Ijok by-election campaign. It even prompted Samy Vellu to marvel, “Ten years’ development was delivered in 10 days.” Talk about vote buying!

Lingam drops another bombshell in new video

Anil Netto
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[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8L_ZdMi5O08&rel=1] This is truly scandalous and implicates another former top judge. Lingam also talks about his New Zealand holiday with Eusoff Chin.
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