anilnetto.com

BN’s give-and-take policy

Anil Netto

-

6 Jan 2008

Seems to me the BN has mastered the art of “give and take” in administering the nation.

Give: Letter officially approving the new publication permit of The Herald Catholic Weekly – without any condition, allowing it to publish in all languages. (Hooray!)

Take: Cabinet decision to bar The Herald from using the word “Allah”. (Alas, the earlier unconditional approval letter was too good to be true. So much for good sense prevailing; I should have known better.)

Imagine, the Cabinet is now dictating to the people what name they should use to refer to the Almighty. That name has now become a source of division. How sad that they want to divide people of the Abrahamic faiths over the term used for the Almighty! The Herald’s rationale for its usage of the word “Allah” in its Malay-language section was based on a point of language, but the Cabinet appears to have made what amounts to a political and theological decision to reinforce existing ethno-religious boundaries (“divide and rule”) ahead of a general election.

I guess this means The Herald will be forced to use the term “Tuhan” instead if it wants to keep its permit. What about all those Christians and Sikhs who have been using the word “Allah” to refer to the Almighty all along?

Another example of give and take:

Give: Relief to Malaysians by scrapping school fees and providing free text books for all. Free school education for all, apparently. (Hooray!)

Take: Cash from Malaysians by allowing schools to impose “donations” and other charges (PIBG, computer centre, etc), which can add up to anything from RM50 to close to RM200. (Again, should have known better, right?) Now they are saying that payments for these “donations” and other charges are only voluntary… but are they really? Will children (and parents) be free from all forms of subtle pressure (including peer pressure) to cough up the dough?

One primary schoolteacher told me there are three categories of fees (A, B and C) that a school can opt for. The lowest of these is category C, which amounts to RM23.50. This is for “other fees” such as charges for co-curriculum activities and exam papers. In her school, she said the average pupil would have to stump out around RM100 (which includes the cost of workbooks and exercise books) in all.

One more:

Give: Hope to the Abolish ISA Movement that if they had a permit they would be allowed to hold their candle-light vigil. In any case, give them a measly 20 minutes to hold their event (held last night).

Take: Their right to assemble peacefully by first rejecting their application for a permit and then turning the water cannons on them.

Meanwhile, check out this list of ISA detainees. ISA = I Say Abolish!

The grave sins of Chua Soi Lek

Anil Netto

-

3 Jan 2008

8

A friend of mine in the UK just sent me this message:

I particularly take the point about the growing effectiveness of blogging and the ways in which Youtube and other such sites are serving to spread the truth of ministerial corruption and opposition dissent.

I have a particular dislike of personalised politics, with individuals being humiliated and often hounded in public. We see so much of that scabrous reportage here, while a hypocritical media protect the war criminals and ignore the real politics of neoliberal destruction.

Of course, the media can also be selective in who they wish to scandalise. I suppose much of the Malaysian media would be itching to exploit the particulars of the Health Minister sex revelations, but constrained by ‘higher’ political interests.

Again, I suspect like you, I have no interest in seeing such people castigated for their ‘indiscretions’. The key point is whether the media are prepared to highlight and challenge the political ‘promiscuities’ of the actual ruling order.

Their obvious failure to do so is why there’s this kind of damning exposure of the elite online. As with the open jeering of Samy Vellu on Youtube, I think we’re seeing here a more subversive kind of action and statement of disregard for the whole ruling political class. That’s the important message…’

Yes, isn’t it strange that the personal sins and indiscretions of Chua Soi Lek – which undoubtedly would have a devastating effect on him and his family – should be given so much media coverage?

But what about the structural sins that Chua has presided over – the sweeping neo-liberal changes in the public health care system which has had an oppressive and more devastating impact on hundreds of thousands – no, millions – of Malaysians.

It seems like poetic justice that Chua’s downfall followed his explosive revelation on 1 January. If you remember, 1 January 2008 is the date announced in Budget 2008 for the Full-Paying Patients (FPP) scheme in government hospitals to come into effect. During the tabling of the 2008 Budget on 7 September 2007, it was announced that specialists in government hospitals would be encouraged to get involved in private treatment to raise their incomes under the FPP scheme.

The Coalition Against Health Care Privatisation had expressed concern that:

• treating private patients would add to the workload of the specialists who are involved in this scheme.
• specialists involved in the FPP scheme would be forced to reduce their involvement in treating ordinary patients in the general hospitals because of a lack of time or energy.
• efforts in training and guiding housemen and doctors undergoing training to become specialists under the tutelage of specialists would be weakened because some of these specialists would be focusing their attention on the treatment of private patients.
• the FPP scheme would erode the incentive for government specialists to raise the performance of the units they lead because the “market” or “demand” for private treatment would only exist if the treatment in the regular clinics was always slow and unsatisfactory, thus prompting patients to seek treatment under the FPP scheme.

The Coalition had expressed the people’s demands as follows:

• Provide high quality government services for all levels of society. This objective should be regarded by the government as a noble responsibility. Government services should not be seen as just another sector that can be traded for profit.
• Acknowledge that policies to encourage private hospitals have weakened the public hospital system and given rise to a lack of confidence among the people in the safety and quality of treatment at government hospitals.
• Give priority to revamping the performance of government hospitals. Only 30 per cent of specialists in Malaysia still work in government hospitals whereas more than 70 per cent of patients who require hospitalisation are admitted to government hospitals.
• Create a Special Commission for health personnel so that they can receive better salaries. A salary scheme similar to that found in the National Heart Institute should be the basis of the new salary scheme. Other benefits should be introduced such as three months’ sabbatical leave every five years to allow government specialists the opportunity to improve their knowledge and expertise.
• Immediately cancel the FPP scheme because the scheme will jeopardise the quality care that can be obtained by various levels of society and the lower- and average-income group.(70 per cent of Malaysian families fall within this category as they receive monthly household incomes of less than RM3,500 per month!)
• The government should always be mindful of the fact that programmes based on free trade or free market principles will marginalise the 70 per cent of Malaysians who are not wealthy!
• Freeze the setting up of new private hospitals because they will pinch many more specialists and experienced nurses from the public hospitals.

How has Chua responded to these demands? Has he at all?

To be fair, Chua is not the only one to blame. Much of the direction probably comes from the Economic Planning Unit under the Prime Minister. In fact, the government has to bear the brunt of the responsibility for under-funding the public health care system. It allocates just over 2 per cent of GDP on health care – well short of WHO requirements of 5-6 per cent. No wonder our hospitals cannot afford to pay enough to our doctors and specialists to keep them in public service or ensure their working conditions and equipment are conducive to providing proper health care for all.

Another grave and oppressive measure was the decision to impose much higher fees for migrant workers – many of whom are exploited in our country – in government general hospitals. These are the very people who need affordable health care, when you consider their meagre wages.

Remember, the cries of the oppressed and the sick reach up to the heavens and God responds in his time with justice.

But what if the sins of the powerful have oppressed an entire nation and what if more than one person – perhaps the administration as a whole – is responsible for this? As another friend put it: “Isn’t it about time that someone wonders, if a minister has to resign for screwing a partner, then what should a government do for screwing a nation”?

2,000 gather in Penang to call for release of Hindraf Five

Anil Netto

-

2 Jan 2008

1

Some 2,000 Indian Malaysians gathered at the Waterfall Temple in Penang on New Year’s Day to pray and call for the release of the five Hindraf leaders held under the ISA.

A barber was in attendance at the temple premises to shave the heads of about 50 people, including one woman, who decided to go bald to emphasise their call for the release of the Hindraf Five.

One of those present told me that about 200 devotees carried paal kodum (milk pots), again as a sign of solidarity with the detained leaders.

A group of them later carried a banner with the words “PUBLIC NEED the TRUTH ANSWER direct from our beloved king. Release or charge the five ISA Detained Lawyers!”

Those present vowed that they would not give up until a solution was found.

My source tells me that similiar gatherings and prayers were also held in other temples in the country – in Sungai Petani, Kulim and Kuala Lumpur.

Recurrent gatherings like these indicate that Malaysians have now become politically awakened – and all the old assumptions now do not hold.

This adds a cloud of uncertainty over the prospects of the ruling coalition as we enter an election year.

POLITICS-MALAYSIA: Election Year Fraught With Multiple Troubles

Analysis by Anil Netto

PENANG, Jan 2 (IPS) – Malaysia enters what is widely expected to be an election year with its ruling coalition looking its frailest in recent times. Economic grievances, inter-religious disputes and unfulfilled pledges have spawned growing disillusionment with the administration of Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi that could erode popular support for the ruling coalition.

Full article

Good news: Herald receives approval letter for new publishing permit!

Anil Netto

-

30 Dec 2007

16

Some good news at long last. Just got a call from The Herald editor, Fr Lawrence Andrew.

The Herald has received the approval letter for its new annual publishing permit – without any condition! Nothing mentioned about the use of the word “Allah”; and no order for it to drop its Malay-language section.

The approval letter for the new permit was hand-delivered to The Herald’s office today, on a Sunday. Imagine, a government dept working on a Sunday. 🙂

So that’s great news that good sense has prevailed. Better sense would be to abolish – for good! and for the good of the people – the requirement for publishers to apply for an annual publication permit. Yes, it’s time to scrap the Printing Presses and Publications Act.

Hopefully, such good sense will extend to other areas of public life.

Good sense is certainly a commodity in short supply around the world these days, as this disturbing development in the UK suggests:

Scott Maria Albrecht, Fr, Martin Newell and Sr. Susan Clarkson remain in custody at Watford Police station after being arrested at Northwood Military HQ at 9.00am this morning (28 Dec). Their anti-war witness involved the Northwood Headquarters sign being covered with red paint symbolising blood spilt in Iraq and Afghanistan by the daily grind of Northwood HQ. A respectful and dignified liturgy then unfolded as both soldiers/police and Catholic Workers listened to the names of the dead British military, Afghani and Iraq civilians, how old they were,when they died, when and how they died. The refrain “We remember you!” was sung after every name was read. Both resisters, military and soldiers acted with dignity throughout the proceedings.

At approx 5pm the Catholic Worker farmhouse containing London Catholic Workers Ciaron and Chris, three of the Albrecht children and a number of refugee guests was raided by 6 police officers. The plainclothes detectives, wearing anti-stab vests, appeared very sophisticated, highly educated etc. The search was extensive and concentrated on the master bedroom and study. The search was very thorough.

I attempted to engage two of the officers positioned in the kitchen in discussion pointing out that this seemed to bean exercise in overkill and waste of police resources in relation to minor charges of criminal damage. I suggested that surely they had enough evidence at the scene this morning to pursue their charges. After one officer offered examples of follow up investigations into the patterns of recividist shoplifters. I suggested this looked like a conspiracy fishing expedition. I got a reluctant nod from one of them.

The criminalisation of dissent, the misuse of conspiracy laws and the hyping up of nonviolent direct action into something sinister gathers apace in Britain. The war escalates in Iraq and Afghanistan and expands into Pakistan, Somalia, Lebanon. Civil liberties shrink and many who marched in 03 have disengaged. Where is this leading? We await the Maria Scott, Fr. Martin and Sr. Susan and the deliverance of us all from this madness.

Ciaron O’Reilly
London Catholic Worker
16 De Beauvoir Rd,
De Beauvoir Town
London N1 5SU
ENGLAND

Herald permit: Divide-and-rule rears its ugly head?

Anil Netto

-

24 Dec 2007

7

Publication permit in doubt: The Herald has provided prominent coverage of recent demonstrations and other human rights issues even as the mainstream media abdicate their responsibility

Four years ago, Christian Malaysians were overjoyed when Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi sent Christmas greetings to their various churches and congregations. It was an astute gesture that touched many Christians, and many of them voted in droves for the BN in the 2004 general election.

How times have changed.

Now, as we observe Christmas 2007, the mood in many churches is decidedly sombre. The Catholic Church has not yet received its new publication permit for its weekly Herald newspaper for the coming year, ostensibly because of its use of the term “Allah” to refer to God in its Malay-language section.

As a columnist for The Herald, I am deeply disappointed. The Herald’s use of the term “Allah” is nothing new; it has been using the word for years in its Bahasa Malaysia section. See the Aliran statement here.

In fact, “Christian Arabs of today have no other word for ‘God’ than ‘Allah'” (Wikipedia).

So why has this become an issue now?

This is similar to the issue of crucifixes in mission schools. In many mission schools, the crucifixes have long been taken down as local heads replaced the Christian La Salle brothers. So why did BN MPs resurrect this issue in Parliament recently?

I suspect it has something to do with playing the old game of divide-and-rule and trying to pit one group against the other to shore up support from their own constituencies. Especially at a time when the BN has to deal with a host of genuine grievances that threatens to erode support for the ruling coalition.

If there is one thing the BN fears more than anything else, it is the coming together of all the different ethnic groups in the country to demand justice.

In recent weeks, we have seen Malaysians of all ethnic groups demonstrating for justice and accountability. The BN’s PR and attempts at crisis management have been disastrous: it has succeeded in alienating, in turn, workers demanding a minimum wage, the lawyers, civil society groups clamouring for electoral reforms (backed mainly by Malays), Indian Malaysians and now, the Christians.

What better time, from the BN’s point view, to try and prevent all these Malaysians from coming together. So the coalition raises divisive issues. And it is so ironic that it is using a widely accepted term for God to divide His people.

Malaysians, don’t fall for this! Malays, Chinese, Indians, Kadazans, Ibans and others are our sisters and brothers. Muslims, Buddhists, Christians, Hindus, Sikhs, Taoists and others share noble universal spiritual values such as love, justice, renunciation and compassion for the poor and oppressed.

To use the term “Allah” (God) to divide groups takes the cake. Correct me if I am wrong: don’t Muslims believe that Jesus was a prophet of Allah?

The Bible says that when Jesus was suffering in anguish on the cross, he cried out: Eli Eli, lama sabachthani? (My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?)

Now, I ask you, what does Eli (or Eloi) sound like?

Anyway, I hear the church has already filed a case in court over the usage of the term “Allah” among other things.

I don’t normally put my Herald articles in full out here. But given the extraordinary circumstances, allow me to do just that. (This is an unedited version of the article that appears in the latest Herald, the last for 2007. After that, who knows…)

Dark times for Malaysia

by Anil Netto

So after weeks of preparing the ground and vilifying the Hindraf leaders, the Abdullah administration has used the ISA against them.

This is a backward step for democracy. It reveals an administration that has run out of ideas, that is even afraid of its own shadows, afraid of people on the move, unwilling to respect basic rights.

In recent weeks, top officials have said they would use the ISA as a “last resort”. That point has been reached. So, now what?

The crackdown began ironically on the eve of International Human Rights Day, when a string of lawyers, political activists and other concerned Malaysians were arrested. After them, the Bersih activists were targeted for arrests. And then came the ISA crackdown on the Hindraf leaders.

The swoop on the Hindraf leaders does not come as a surprise. For days, the government and its controlled media had been vilifying the movement with one-sided reporting and allegations not supported by evidence. Sycophantic newspaper columnists prepared the ground for the ISA crackdown by conveying the impression that Hindraf leaders were reckless and a threat to national security.

Some believe that certain words used or claims made by the Hindraf leaders bordered on exaggeration or were not particularly accurate.

But how were they able to mobilise so many Indian Malaysians? Simply because many of the the grievances could not be totally dismissed as without having any basis whatsoever, the Hindraf leaders were able to tap into a reservoir of discontent among the marginalised of the Indian Malaysian community.

The government may have presented official statistics that showed a low poverty rate among Indian Malaysians.

But what was the monthly household income level used to calculate that poverty rate? The 2.9 per cent poverty rate for Indian Malaysians in 2004 was based on a ridiculously low poverty line level of RM543 monthly household income. And that was before the latest round of petrol and food price hikes.

Would RM543 – or even the new Poverty Line Income levels of RM687 and RM698 for urban and rural areas – be enough for families to afford decent housing, health care, a balanced diet and proper education?

This column has on many occasions insisted that the official threshold for measuring poverty is too low and unrealistic. Even a senior MIER research official has reportedly admitted that a monthly salary of RM1,200 to RM1,500 is not sufficient for urban dwellers, “given that house rentals alone cost about half of these amounts in the cities”.

I challenge our policy makers to raise a family on say, RM800 a month (above the poverty level income) for a year, before they dismiss the problem of poverty in Malaysia so tritely.

Samy Vellu was reported as saying that that the average monthly household income of Indian families was RM3,456 compared with the national average of RM3,022. Try telling that to the urban pioneers and the ex-plantation workers about to be evicted from their homes. How much is the price of a low-cost flat these days? And are there enough to go around in the first place?

Everyone now knows that the gap between the rich and poor of all ethnic groups is so wide – one of the largest in Asia – that average household income figures (whether by ethnic group or in overall terms) are virtually meaningless. Thus, the figure of RM3,456 probably includes the incomes of the Ananda Krishnans, the Tony Fernandeses, the rich Indian doctors, lawyers and other professionals among the 7 per cent Indian Malaysian population. Similarly for the other ethnic groups.

That said, Hindraf should adopt a more inclusive approach to its struggle. When one angry Hindraf supporter phoned me the other day, I reminded him that the struggle for justice should not be viewed from a purely ethnic perspective – for the issues of marginalisation, exploitation and oppression cut across all ethnic groups. I reminded him of the Penan displaced from their native customary land, the poor indigenous communities living in the interior areas of Sabah and Sarawak, and the struggling Malays on the east coast of the peninsula – who ironically remain poor despite the considerable offshore oil reserves in these regions.

The wages of workers – especially the Malay and Indian Malaysian blue-collar workers – have been depressed by a policy of importing cheap migrant labour to increase the profits of the corporate class (comprising all ethnic groups). I believe it is also the top-down approach to economic policy making – which favours the large connected corporations – that is responsible for so much of the marginalisation we see today.

The Hindraf leaders, like many others before them, do not deserve the unjust ISA. Nobody does – for nobody should be detained without trial. Detaining the Hindraf leaders and other critics under this harsh law will not resolve the underlying causes of the disenchantment among the public. It will not solve the grievances expressed. Many will view the crackdown as aimed at suppressing legitimate dissent ahead of the coming general election.

On the day the crackdown began (9 Dec), the readings from the Sunday Mass spoke of a God deeply concerned that his people, especially the poor and the oppressed, shall be ruled with Justice.

… he shall judge the poor with justice, and decide aright for the land’s afflicted. He shall strike the ruthless with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall slay the wicked.

Justice shall be the band around his waist, and faithfulness a belt upon his hips. (Isaiah 11:4-5)

And from the Psalms:

O God, give your judgment to the king; your justice to the son of kings; That he may govern your people with justice, your oppressed with right judgment, That abundance may flourish in his days, great bounty, till the moon be no more. For he rescues the poor when they cry out, the oppressed who have no one to help. He shows pity to the needy and the poor and saves the lives of the poor. (Psalms 72:2,7,12-13)

Samy Vellu booed on “live” TV; are his political days numbered?

Anil Netto

-

23 Dec 2007

43

MIC president Samy Vellu was booed and publicly humiliated when he turned up to officiate at the Aattam 100 Vagai 3 (100 types of dance) performance at the Penang International Sports Arena (Pisa) last night.

Sources tell me the crowd of 2,000-3,000 shouted obscenities at him including “po-dah” (the rude version of “get lost”) and he didn’t get a chance to complete his speech. One source told me he was surprised to hear that the women in the audience appeared more aggressive in admonishing Samy.

Bear in mind, this was a cultural event and not a political forum, so it would have been attended by a diverse crowd of Indian Malaysians – who have now become politically awakened as never before.

The event was supposed to be telecast “live” by Astro Vaanavil (Channel 201) and beamed to India, Singapore, Mauritius and Sri Lanka. Apart from Astro, the media partners supporting the dance show were Sri Lanka Rupavhini (TV) Corporation, Jaya TV India, Mauritius Broadcasting Corporation and Media-Corp TV12 Singapore Pte. Ltd. So Samy’s image in the region would have suffered more than a little dent.

Earlier yesterday, Samy Vellu was huddled with Penang MIC division heads in a closed-door meeting at the Equatorial Hotel near Pisa, probably discussing the Hindraf developments. I gather that 40-50 outsiders, probably Hindraf supporters, were prevented from nearing the hotel during the day.

Such is the anger on the ground among Indian Malaysians that Samy Vellu’s political days could well be numbered. In fact, I would say he has become a major political liability for the BN – but then who else have they got in the MIC? Then again, it’s not any single individual that Indian Malaysians are upset about (though Samy is probably the focal point of their frustration in view of scandals such as the Maika fiasco) – it’s the whole system they are railing against: the sense of being economically marginalised and disempowered for so long (in the same way that many other Malaysians of other ethnic groups are).

If at the last general election, the MIC delivered 80-90 per cent of the Indian Malaysian vote to the Barisan, several Indian Malaysians I have met are predicting that this time the MIC would be hard-pressed to deliver even 10 per cent.

That may be wishful thinking – and an underestimation of the BN “machinery” and mastery of racial politicking – but all indications are that the MIC is going to suffer a serious setback at the polls. (It doesn’t take a genius to figure that out!) And that could spell trouble for the BN in a string of constituencies, especially in areas where the majorities were wafer-thin in the 2004 general election.

Meanwhile, Anwar Ibrahim has been hitting the hustings in Penang over the weekend, holding a series of talks and forums in the state. From what I hear, he has been drawing significant multi-ethnic turnouts at some of these events including a session with Indian Malaysian squatters in Bukit Gelugor who are facing eviction. He promised them that, if elected, he would try and do something about their plight.

He appears to be having some impact, working the ground. Have a look at this Malaysiakini videoclip to see the rapport he has struck with Indian Malaysians at an earlier rally in Jalan Kebun, Klang on 14 Dec attended by 4,000 people.

The BN has good reason to be worried. All of a sudden, cracks are appearing in the BN fold and the juggernaut appears to be creaking. Will Samy dare to show up at any other public event in the future? Stay tuned…

Why are Malaysians so restless these days?

Anil Netto

-

18 Dec 2007

6

What is fuelling the protests and rallies and candlelight vigils and prayer gatherings?

If we look at the Hindraf protest, it would be easy to conclude that the main issue is ethnic and religious discrimination, which has left many Indian Malaysians feeling disgruntled.

But then again, it is not only Indian Malaysians who have protested. In the case of the Bersih rally, large number of Malay Malaysians, many of them low-income, have also turned up to voice their unhappiness.

Prior to that, during the MTUC demonstrations to demand a monthly minimum wage of RM900 and a cost of living allowance of RM300, the vast majority of those who protested were also Malay Malaysians.

There is a common denominator in all three of these protests. The majority of those who protested were from the low-income group. Why was this, I wondered. Could it have something to do with the wide gulf between the rich and the poor in Malaysia – a disparity which is the highest in the region? And if so, what has contributed to this huge divide, which cuts across all ethnic groups in Malaysia?

From my conversations with various people, I narrowed it down to two factors:

abuse of affirmative action policies under the New Economic Policy to benefit a small group of the elite, their cronies (from all ethnic groups) and their favoured corporations;

neo-liberal policies that have favoured a select group of well-connected individuals and corporations while undermining the working class. In the process, a new underclass has emerged, which is struggling to make ends meet;

and, this is something that Rustam Sani suggested, a betrayal of political leadership – promises of reforms unfulfilled (remember how the Abdullah administration promised so much, raising the bar of expectations higher); a vision unrealised (whatever happened to all the hype of Vision 2020? We were supposed to be heading to the Promised Land of 2020, Bangsa Malaysia and all that)…

No wonder ordinary people are disillusioned and disgruntled. That is why, I believe, there is an air of restlessness in Malaysian society today as more and more Malaysians demand justice and accountability.

RIGHTS-MALAYSIA: ‘Neo-Liberal Policies Fuelling Protests, Not Race’
Analysis by Anil Netto

PENANG, Dec 18 (IPS) – After a series of street demonstrations in recent weeks top analysts and activists say the government is not tackling the economic roots of grievances among marginalised Malaysians, but appears stuck in its old mould of race-based thinking.

Full article

Activists hold candle-light vigil in Penang on a dark day for democracy

Anil Netto

-

13 Dec 2007

8

Some two dozen activists and other concerned Malaysians held a candlelight vigil in central George Town, Penang to uphold the right to freedom of assembly on a day which saw five Hindraf leaders detained under the ISA.

The small crowd, which included Aliran and Suaram members, gathered at 8.50pm at the Penang Road/Kimberley Road junction, under the watchful eyes of Big Brother. A couple of dozen police personnel were present, too close for comfort. According to a source at the scene, quite a few others in plainclothes were loitering about, apart from about 20 reporters covering the event.

The police did not allow those gathered to use a loud-hailer or to read out their declaration in three languages. They even blamed them for causing traffic congestion! So, the small crowd was ordered to disperse but not before these concerned Malaysian broke out in song – “We shall overcome”.

Total vigil time allowed – 20 minutes.

As the Aliran executive committee said, in a statement condemning the ISA arrests, the BN has criminalised all our freedoms.

We cannot walk as a group, we cannot put up a banner on our own building, we cannot have access to information, we cannot challenge any ministerial decisions in any court of law, we cannot have a reasonable campaign period prior to election, we cannot have equal radio and TV time for all registered political parties to reach out to citizens to explain party policies, we cannot have a licence as a matter of right to publish. Our basic fundamental rights and freedoms have all been taken away through subsidiary laws and regulations. We are reminded by what was said way back in 163 BC: Extreme law is often extreme injustice.

But we shall overcome.

No matter how dark the night might be, all it takes is a single candle to break through the darkness.

Imagine, the authorities are afraid of a candle-light vigil! That says a lot. It suggests a government that is afraid of its own shadows – shadows dancing on the wall, as the people pour into the streets, like a sea of candles, flames flickering and illuminating the dark, musty corridors of power.

The ISA arrests today mark a new low in the administration of Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi. It is the first time that Abdullah has used the ISA against prominent critics of his adminstration. It also reveals that the government has run out of ideas, unable or unwilling to tackle the root causes of the problems that plague the people.

Earlier this evening, I received a phone call from an angry Indian Malaysian – furious with the ISA arrests, angry with the government-controlled media and certain columnists who have demonised Hindraf or played down their grievances, frustrated with the more affluent non-Tamil Indian Malaysians (Punjabis, Gujeratis, Malayalis, etc) for not sympathising with Tamil Malaysians. He told me there are many other Indian Malaysians who are ready to follow the Hindraf Five into the Kamunting detention centre.

His tone was one of anger and defiance. He could not accept that the Hindraf leaders’ poor choice of words had weakened the way they had articulated their legitimate grievances and exposed them to criticism.

From what he said, it appears that the Hindraf movement is largely Tamil-based and includes sympathisers from a small group of wealthier Tamil Malaysians. Even though these sympathisers may be better off now, they remember how hard it was for them to escape from the cycle of poverty, he said.

I suggested to him that the movement should broaden its worldview to perceive the struggle for justice in broader, more multi-ethnic terms – for the issues of marginalisation, exploitation and oppression cut across all ethnic groups. I reminded him of the Penan displaced from their native customary land, the poor indigenous communities living in the interior areas of Sabah and Sarawak, and the Malays on the east coast of the peninsula – who ironically remain poor despite the considerable offshore oil reserves in these regions.

But his frustration and anger over the grievances was so palpable that he could not see beyond ethnic boundaries for now – though he did tell me he would like to see the Bersih and Hindraf movements coming together.

Meanwhile, there is a crisis of democracy – a crisis because the BN government has become increasingly afraid of people on the move. It has resorted to brandishing the familiar ISA, which by its own admission, would only be used as a “last resort”. That “last resort” point has been reached. Now what?

Wielding the big stick and sweeping issues under the Putrajaya rug

Anil Netto

-

11 Dec 2007

5

More arrests today. This time largely targeting the Bersih group and the Hindraf leaders.

I have lost track of the number of people arrested, released, re-arrested, denied bail, charged with illegal assembly, “causing mischief”, “attempted murder”, sedition… All this while the Attorney General personally appears in court and tries to deny people bail.

What on earth is the administration of Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi trying to do? Doesn’t he know this does not reflect well on him – and on Malaysia? It reveals insecurity, lack of confidence, and an unwillingness to really analyse the root causes of the unhappiness and disenchantment.

Perhaps that unwillingness to analyse the issues indicates that they already know what the underlying grievances are – and it’s not a pretty picture for it would point squarely to the BN, their cronies and the system that promote vested corporate interests. It would reveal that workers in the country are struggling to make ends meet largely due to the policy of importing cheap labour( thus depressing overall wages), along with all the neo-liberal policies introduced such as privatisation. It would show that schools in rural areas have been neglected, the ranks of the unemployed bloated, social ills mounting, our economic model of top-down economic growth proving unsustainable, corruption rampant…

So it is far easier to wield the big stick so that these issues can be swept under the carpet ahead of the general election. In the process, they are aided by the mainstream media, which has embarked on a relentless campaign to vilify and demonise Bersih and Hindraf.

In the end, it is the country that suffers while the ruling elites and their vested interests make hay while the sun shines (and even then, with all the haze and smog, it is not shining as brightly as before).

These are sad and bleak times for Malaysia.

MALAYSIA: Arrests of Peaceful Protestors Mar Rights Day
By Anil Netto

PENANG, Dec 10 (IPS) – Malaysia is observing World Human Rights Day under a cloud, as the administration of Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi, rattled by a series of street protests over the last month, launches a tough crackdown against peaceful demonstrators.

Sunday was marred by a string of 23 arrests involving human rights lawyers, activists and opposition politicians.

Full article

Climate change: Too little, too late?

Anil Netto

-

10 Dec 2007

1

This snippet from a World Development Movement blog entry from the UN Framework Conference on Climate Change in Bali got me worried – as it should you too. While we carry on our lives as usual, we remain blissfully unaware that the very survival of our planet is at stake.

”The science says that with an 80 per cent cut in carbon emissions — the absolute upper limit that is even being considered here by the politicians — we have a 50/50 chance of keeping the rise in average global temperatures to 2 degrees Celsius beyond pre-industrial levels.”

”Think about that for a second. The absolute maximum effort many governments are prepared to make will give us a worse chance of success than if we were playing Russian roulette. That’s insane!”

The key issue we are not tackling is our consumerist, materialistic life-styles fuelled by policies that promote relentless economic growth. We have been indoctrinated into believing that our economies must grow ad infinitum – never mind if it threatens the survival of our planet.

We MUST change our life-styles and cut back on greed and consumerism, to lead simpler lives. And we must protect the environment and preserve our existing green spaces from so-called “development” projects that enrich the coffers of large corporations.

CLIMATE CHANGE: No Deal in Sight at Bali
Analysis by Anil Netto

PENANG, Malaysia, Dec 10 (IPS) – As a major United Nations ‘framework convention’ on climate change (UNFCCC) crossed into its second half on Monday, the official view is one of optimism that progress has been made in laying the ”building blocks” for a future agreement.

But others say the discussions are hopelessly deadlocked and that proposals could fall far short of the drastic emission cuts required to curb global warming.

Full article