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Egypt: A memo to dictators everywhere

Anil Netto
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After what’s been happening in Egypt, I thought I would draft a memo to dictators and authoritarian leaders around the world to give them some free and unsolicited advice.

Inspiring photo of the day: Egyptian Christians protecting fellow Muslim protesters who were praying at Tahrir Square earlier today - Photo credit: ShawkattRaghib via twitter

Dear Mr Dictator/Authoritarian Leader

Recent events in Egypt, Tunisia, Yemen and elsewhere must be giving you sleepless nights or making you feel terribly uneasy.

May I offer a few tips so that you don’t see similar eruptions in your own countries:

Do not suppress dissent

Allow your people sufficient avenues and outlets to express their frustrations, anger, complaints and criticism. You don’t want their anger and frustration to be pent up. Think of these avenues as built-in safety valves. In this respect, free media and a functioning Parliament have a big role to play. Don’t forget to free up the state-run media as well. Get rid of all repressive laws, especially detention without trial, and bring back democracy quickly before it’s too late. Liberate your people!

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Egypt: The struggle for democracy

Anil Netto
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Live updates from Cairo and elsewhere in Egypt.

Strong cyclone to strike N Queensland

Anil Netto
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A “life-threatening” cyclone is expected to hit the coast of Northern Queensland, Australia at around 10.00pm. It comes in the wake of devastating floods which swamped large parts of Queensland recently.

Meanwhile, a colossal winter storm has struck the United States. It is expected to affect a third of the population. And over here in Malaysia, we have floods in the south of the peninsula. Climate change? sign of the times?

Updates from Cairns, north Queensland below:

The cost of illicit financial outflows

Anil Netto
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Many of us now know that Malaysia has lost RM889 billion in terms of illicit financial outflows from 2000 to 2008. But how much was the per capita average annual illicit outflow when compared to per capita GDP?

Independent observer Philip Khoo does the maths in a commentary for Aliran:

Most shocking of all, the illicit outflow from Malaysia cost the rakyat 17 per cent of per capita GDP, but less than 1 per cent in Egypt and Tunisia. In other words, that outflow could have potentially added up to 17 per cent of GDP, or made available up to US$1,200 for the betterment of every man, woman and child in the country, including non-citizens.

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Egypt was World Bank’s “top reformer”

Anil Netto
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By now, we are gradually becoming familiar with the poverty, unemployment (especially among youth) and income inequality in Egypt that seems to be fuelling the protests. But what is less well known is that Egypt, like Tunisia, had only recently been viewed as an ‘economic miracle’ after it wholeheartedly pursued standard IMF/World Bank ideas.

(Follow the ‘one million-strong’ gathering in Cairo ‘live’ over Aljazeera here.)

It’s funny that Hillary Clinton now says that Egypt has to”‘reform”. Only in August 2010, the Wall Street Journal reported that Egypt had become Washington’s economic favourite. And last year, the World Bank, in its ‘Doing Business 2010’ report gushingly (and embarrassingly) applauded Colombia and Egypt as the “top global reformers in four of the past seven years”. I kid you not. How wrong can you get? Unless they meant reforms to profit a small minority of the business elite.

Such IMF/World Bank ‘structural adjustment’ policies include privatisation, subsidy cuts, market ‘liberalisation’ and deregulation. Sound familiar?

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Penang’s farcical draft FOI Bill

Anil Netto
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Although many welcomed the Penang state government’s decision to enact a Freedom of Information Act, the release of a draft Bill has made a mockery of the people’s aspirations for more transparency and accountability.

Have a look at Sarajun Hoda’s analysis of the draft Bill on Aliran here:

The FOI Bill is surrounded by a million reasons stipulating why information ‘may’ not be given. Instead of asserting the opening up of access to information, it only speaks about conditions for not divulging information and even more excuses for impeding access. It finally sounds just as haughty, opaque and obfuscating as the Selangor Bill.

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Oil in Malaysia: Worrying trend

Anil Netto
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As petrol pump prices rise steadily (another increase in RON 97 price has just been reported), here’s a less well known trend: Malaysian oil production has been gradually falling since peaking in 2004.

This graph should be of concern to all Malaysians. Notice the production-consumption gap narrowing.

Graphic credit: http://www.eia.doe.gov

That’s why they are dishing out contracts for ‘enhanced’ oil recovery.

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Egypt: Writing’s on wall for Mubarak

Anil Netto
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Events unfolding in Egypt have gripped the attention of people all around the world. The writing is clearly on the wall for the US-backed dictator Mubarak.

Oddly enough, I was just watching a documentary on the last days of the Marcos regime (US-backed too) and there are some uncanny similarities. The United States only withdrew support for Marcos in the last minute when confronted with a huge display of People Power. The US government unceremoniously whisked him away to a safe haven in Hawaii. He thus escaped from justice and the wrath of the people of the Philippines.

It is also interesting to see that some of the looters, arsonists and ‘rioters’ are suspected to be police or other security personnel. (Robert Fisk provides an eye-witness account in ZNet.) If that’s true, then it shouldn’t come as a surprise as such ‘black ops’ tactics among security apparatus, not to mention agents provocateurs, are standard fare aimed at discrediting the protesters in the eyes of the rest of the public, who may be wavering or undecided. One activist interviewed over Aljazeera alleged that vigilantes had caught a looter(s) with a police ID(s) on him(them).

One popular tweet going around reads: “‘Egyptian Christians said they will guard the Muslims from the police while they on Friday Pray.’ Amazing solidarity.”

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Live – BN wins in Tenang

Anil Netto
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BN has defeated Pas in the Tenang by-election with a larger majority of 3,707. Voter turnout was revised downwards to 67 per cent. Live updates and discussion of the Tenang by-election outcome.

Photo of the day: A man said to be Muhyiddin wading through knee-deep floods in Tenang today as an aide shields him with an umbrella in case he gets even more drenched - Photo from twitpic

Live – Climax of Tenang campaign

Anil Netto
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Tonight is the final night of campaigning for the Tenang by-election tomorrow.

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