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On the eve of World Human Rights Day, a string of arrests…

Anil Netto

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9 Dec 2007

Five lawyers and three activists were arrested this morning when they attempted to march in Kuala Lumpur ahead of World Human Rights Day tomorrow.

That they should be arrested while trying to uphold the right to freedom of assembly shows us just what the authorities think of human rights. It reveals utter contempt of basic rights by a morally bankrupt administration.

Those arrested were among 50 Malaysians marching to demand their basic rights. A huge press contingent of another 50 were on hand to cover the march.

The eight are:

Sivarasa Rasiah
N Surendran
Amer Hamzah
Eric Paulsen
Anthony Andu
Noorazah Othman
Latheefa Koya
And one other individual

Read Aliran president P Ramakrishnan’s statement here.

Apart from the eight, Bar Council human rights committee chairperson Edmund Bon has also been arrested for allegedly trying to prevent local authority personnel from removing banners outside the Bar Council’s headquarters in KL.

A Bar Council official told me that the banners had been placed on the exterior of their building, “clearly within our property”. Bon was arrested after he tried to prevent the authorities from taking away the banners.

How ridiculous the authorities look in the eyes of the world. For a government that is so concerned about its international image, this is not going to help.

Update: And now, Malayiakini reports that police have arrested Keadilan’s Tian Chua, Pas’ Mohamad Sabu and a dozen others, mainly from Pas’ Unit Amal, who took part in the 10 Nov Bersih rally.

All those arrested are lawyers, opposition activists and other concerned Malaysians who are worried about the erosion of democracy and human rights in Malaysia. People like Bon, Latheefa (whom I sometimes talk to when writing articles for IPS) and Amer Hamzah (who has contributed articles to Aliran Monthly), Eric Paulsen and Sivarasa represent the best of Malaysians and give us hope. They are courageous lawyers who are passionate about human rights, irrespective of ethnic and religious considerations. They champion the underdog and those whose rights have been trampled upon like real lawyers are supposed to do.

Latheefa has done some sterling work in championing the rights of migrant workers,

Amer Hamzah in highlighting the plight of refugees and asylum seekers,

Bon in promoting the cause of human rights among lawyers,

Sivarasa and Eric Paulsen in their exemplary campaigning on human rights issues.

These are true Malaysians we can all be proud of.

This morning at Sunday Mass, I couldn’t help thinking of ordinary Malaysians crying out for justice and an end to oppression and poverty. Today’s official scripture readings during the season of Advent (to prepare for the birth of Christ on Christmas) seemed particularly apt. It reveals a God who is deeply concerned about his people – especially the poor and the oppressed – and who wants them to be ruled with justice and peace.

In these times, when it has become so easy to use religion to create divisions among us, let us remind ourselves that we are children of the One God. No matter what our religious beliefs or affiliations, let us join hands and ask the Lord to release all those unjustly detained in Malaysia and to bring about justice and compassion in our land.

The priest, in his sermon this morning, said that justice would not come by itself. We have to go out and create justice in our everyday lives wherever we are.

At about the same time this morning, Latheefa, Bon, Amer Hamzah and the others were arrested for doing just that.

Isaiah

Chapter 11

1: But a shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse, and from his roots a bud shall blossom.
2: The spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him: a spirit of wisdom and of understanding, A spirit of counsel and of strength, a spirit of knowledge and of fear of the LORD,
3: and his delight shall be the fear of the LORD. Not by appearance shall he judge, nor by hearsay shall he decide,
4: But 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.
5: Justice shall be the band around his waist, and faithfulness a belt upon his hips.

Psalms

Chapter 72

1: Of Solomon.
2: 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,

7: That abundance may flourish in his days, great bounty, till the moon be no more.
8: May he rule from sea to sea, from the river to the ends of the earth.

12: For he rescues the poor when they cry out, the oppressed who have no one to help.
13: He shows pity to the needy and the poor and saves the lives of the poor.

17: May his name be blessed forever; as long as the sun, may his name endure. May the tribes of the earth give blessings with his name; may all the nations regard him as favoured.

Farmers lose autonomy as MNCs take control of agriculture

Anil Netto

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6 Dec 2007

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Farmers are under increasing pressure from multinational corporations, which in many parts of the world are planning to take control over the entire food production and distribution chain. This leaves farmers at the mercy of these MNCs for seeds, fertilisers, pesticides, sales and distribution.

In the end, the farmers will lose their autonomy and independence and become integrated into the corporate system. It probably won’t be long before they are forced to accept genetically engineered crops – which could be introduced by stealth.

In Malaysia, keep a sharp eye on what is happening with Sime Darby and agriculture in the Northern Corridor Economic Region.

DEVELOPMENT: ‘MNCs Gaining Total Control Over Farming’
By Anil Netto

PENANG, Dec 6 (IPS) – Food security campaigners are now more concerned than ever that farmers are turning dependent on large multinational corporations (MNCs) for seeds, fertilisers, pesticides and other inputs while also becoming more vulnerable to pressures to produce genetically engineered crops.

Gathered here over the weekend, for the Pesticide Action Network (PAN)’s 25th anniversary, many expressed concern over the predatory nature of corporate agriculture and its attempts to corner the entire chain of food production from seeds to sales of food products. Full article

“The Light” and PGCC cast a shadow over Penang

Anil Netto

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4 Dec 2007

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What they showed you: Night view (towards George Town) of the PGCC’s “iconic towers” (Image from the official PGCC launch booklet)

What they didn’t show you: Add in 37 towers (Image editing by the PGCC Campaign Group)

Even before the PGCC can take off, another massive project, dubbed “The Light”, has been unveiled. The extra commercial space from this waterfront development could lead to a commercial property glut, if there isn’t already one in Penang. It could also “kill off” the PGCC project even before the latter has got off the ground, given that IJM is a far more established developer than the PGCC’s Equine/Abad Naluri. (But then again, Equine/Abad Naluri has already made a “killing” from the revaluation of the property following the authorities’ irresponsible and highly questionable conversion of the Turf Club land from open recreational area to mixed development use. Abad Naluri bought the property at RM43 per sq ft but after the conversion, the value has shot up to RM250-300psf – a staggering profit before the first bulldozer can even rumble in. Who said it’s difficult to become a billionaire!)

Yesterday, I was driving along the Jelutong coastal road, trying to spot the exact location of “The Light” project, when I spotted a small IJM signboard. It was located on the sea-front halfway between Tesco and the Penang Bridge, somewhere almost opposite the E-Gate complex, just north of the Penang Bridge. I could see some land reclamation work already in progress.

More “iconic towers”: What “The Light”, just north of the Penang Bridge, will look like (Image credit: IJM)

Oh, my word!: Model of “The Light” from a vantage point directly above the island side of the Penang Bridge, looking north towards George Town (Photo credit: IJM)

“The Light” is part of the Jelutong Expressway privatisation project, which IJM was involved in. The Penang state government must reveal the exact financial details and terms of the deal. How much did the expressway cost to build? And what exactly was agreed with IJM for undertaking that project? Did the deal take into consideration the current value for reclaimed land?

The first question which comes to mind is, how many low- and medium-cost houses will IJM build in this project? If I am not wrong, the entire land reclamation plan (not just for “The Light) calls for more than half of the homes (5,500 homes) to be low- and medium-cost while there will only be 4,600 “other residential units”.

So why is it there is no talk about such affordable housing in press reports, which leaves the reader to assume that “The Light” is only for the well-heeled. In fact, a Star report on the IJM website says: “There will also be waterfront homes with private jetties and high-end condominiums for those who can afford them. ” (emphasis mine) Another Star report says the residential component of “The Light” will comprise 1,000 luxurious low-rise, high-rise and landed residential homes over 42 acres and it will be a “gated community”. It raises the highly pertinent question: Development for whom? for whose benefit?

IJM Unveils RM6.5 Bln Residential, Commercial Development Project

PENANG, Nov 23 (Bernama) — IJM Properties Sdn Bhd is set to transform Penang into a world class economic and residential hub with the unveiling of its project, The Light Waterfront Penang.

IJM Corp Bhd chief executive officer/managing director, Datuk Krishnan Tan, said the RM6.5 billion mixed residential and commercial development was the island’s first integrated waterfront city and would be built on part of the 137 hectares of reclaimed land along Penang’s eastern coastline.

“The Light will feature 62ha of breathtaking development on the reclaimed land and will be developed in three phases,” he said at ceremony to unveil the project here today.

He said under phase one, covering 17ha, six parcels of high-end waterfront residences, comprising 1,186 units, would be developed.

“The development is expected to be completed in three to five years,” he said.

Tan said under phase two, a commercial and retail city, comprising Gateway Towers, hotels, signature offices, showrooms, banquet and conference facilities, cultural hall, visitor centre and waterfront amphitheatre would be developed on 41.7ha.

“One unique feature of the city is the floating stage and a floating restaurant. The entire city will also be interconnected by water taxis,” he said.

He said The Light would also feature three ha of seafront park under phase three of the development.

Tan said the project, which will developed by IJM Properties Sdn Bhd’s subsidiary, Jelutong Development Sdn Bhd, was expected to be completed in 2017.

“Land reclamation is in progress and construction will start by the end of next year,” he said.

http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/v3/news_lite.php?id=298086

All in, 325 acres are to be developed (including 275 acres to be reclaimed) along the entire Jelutong Expressway coastline. The total net built-up area (residential, commercial, industrial) comes to a breathtaking 28 million acres. Which brings us to the question: how much is the state government getting from IJM out of this?

Do we really need all these types of massive development projects catering to the elite and the well-heeled? What’s with all these “iconic towers” anyway, almost as if we are sticking two fingers out to the world? Do we honestly believe that other Malaysians and tourists are dying to see more skyscrapers, that they will come all the way to see our “iconic towers”?

Here’s what one urban planning expert has to say about these massive projects:

Unfortunately the developers keep on missing the point, or rather their eyes have been blinded by $$$$$! The best urban places in the world that attract millions of tourists (e.g. Venice or Siena in Italy and Curitiba in Brazil) are places with authentic, unique charms in their people, culture, vernacular architecture and natural assets – not empty spaces with high-rise towers and so-called world class shopping complexes. After some decades, La Defense is still nowhere close to good old Paris in terms of sense and spirit of place! Tourists and locals enjoy old Parisian quarters and streets, not sterile spaces in La Defense!

Both the Light and PGCC are not desirable forms of development. Most local Penangites (people in the street like us) won’t gain a bit from them. Having one is a nightmare, having two is “I-can’t-think- of-a-suitable- adjective”! Why do our developers not have any sense of what more sustainable and liveable development should be like? Why does our local authority not reject development proposals like these and put forward a vision and masterplan to make Penang the world capital for sustainable and liveable development? These are not theoretical questions; many world renown architects and masterplanners have successfully designed development projects that are more sustainable and liveable in other countries. Sustainability and liveability are as practical as they may sound theoretical.

Penang should not follow the footsteps of Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore and the like. Penang should be just Penang in its most original, sustainable and liveable manner and it is this quality that will eventually bring tourists in.

I think he makes a lot of sense, don’t you? More than that, it is this original, liveable Penang for ordinary people that has endeared itself to Penangites, other Malaysians and tourists for generations. Not the highways, “iconic towers” and the massive shopping malls. But the simple life-style: the charming streets of George Town, full of character, lined with majestic heritage trees… life on the slow-lane… public spaces for ordinary people such as the Esplanade promenade and the newly renovated hawker centre there… the historical shophouses, complete with peeling plaster… the old family-run businesses and coffee-shops offering hawker food – which draw people from all over the country and beyond…

Ahh… the stuff of childhood memories and dreams. Once that is gone, it will be lost forever, as Singapore has found out too late. Is it too late to save Penang from marauding developers?

Just a reminder: Have you registered as a voter?

Anil Netto

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2 Dec 2007

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Make sure you check your voter registration details. Click here to verify.

Umno state assembly member criticises PGCC project

Anil Netto

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1 Dec 2007

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This is an actual picture of the Turf Club land and the surrounding low-rise properties. (Photo credit: PGCC Campaign Group)

This is what it would look like with towers… gulp! The towers here are replicas of 37 existing towers from all over George Town transplanted to the Turf Club site (The wonders of image editing by the PGCC Campaign Group!)

This is what they showed you – view of George Town (image from the official PGCC launch booklet)

What they didn’t show you – the view with 37 towers added in (Image editing: PGCC Campaign Group)

It is not just the PGCC Campaign Group and ordinary Penangites who are critical of the Penang Global City Centre project. Now, the Umno state assembly member from Bertam, Datuk Hilmi Abdul Rashid says the project is too costly.

“If it is too expensive, no locals or companies will be able to afford any of the commercial lots. In the end, the project will fail because there will be no buyers, or no tenants if the lots are leased out at a very high rate,” he was quoted as saying in theSun (27 November 2007).

He said five years down the road, the government may have to step in to save the project and force government agencies and departments to take up lots there. (Like they did for Komtar?)

“I am not against development as we need investments to generate income but we must monitor the investments to ensure they are not at the expense of the public,” he said.

Wise words, Hilmi. Of course, there is also the need to save the green lung that is the Turf Club land and ideally turn it into a Penang state park as a legacy for future generations. Now that would be really zero carbon and sooooo eco-friendly!

Look who’s breathing down Patrick’s neck…

Anil Netto

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30 Nov 2007

3

Priceless moment: A bemused Patrick Lim, the developer of the Penang Global City Centre, turns to look at heritage conservationist Loh-Lim Lin Lee as she presents the PGCC Campaign Group’s grave concerns about his mega project during the Penang Local Government Consultative Forum on 23 November. On Patrick’s right is Nasrine Seraji, the PGCC master planner. Seated behind the pair are half a dozen activists and others critical of the PGCC, including environmentalist Gurmit Singh (in blue shirt) who mocked the proposal to put up wind turbines, pointing out that the country just doesn’t have enough wind for it to work. Lots of hot air, yes… but just not enough wind, sorry guys! (Photo credit: PHT)

One of the questions raised was: “Carbon-0 is really carbon off-setting or carbon trading, isn’t it? Buy carbon reduction projects elsewhere (and) leave all the carbon emissions of PGCC in Penang?”

Patrick replied, “I don’t know about the carbon off-setting you are talking about.”

But on page 19 of the glossy PGCC launch booklet, it is clearly stated:

After efforts to reduce energy requirements and maximize renewable energy sources are exhausted, carbon offsetting can neutralise the remaining emissions associated with the city to achieve carbon zero status.

Can Media Prima take on Malaysia Today and Malaysiakini?

Anil Netto

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29 Nov 2007

5

This is a piece I wrote for Asia Times about Media Prima’s intention to plunge into the Internet in a big way, ostensibly to diversify its revenue base and tap into on-line advertising revenue. Telekom Malaysia is spending billions to prepare the ground with high-speed broadband around the country. Though the main focus of Media Prima – which owns TV3, ntv7, 8TV and TV9; yes all the private stations! – appears to be entertainment, it also recognises that news is going to be crucial. Will the combined resources of Harian Metro (the country’s top selling newspaper), Berita Harian and New Straits Times prove more than a match for independent websites such as Malaysia Today and Malaysiakini?

Malaysian media giant grasps for Internet
By Anil Netto

PENANG – The media battle for Malaysian hearts and minds, pitting the government-controlled print and electronic media against critical Internet websites and blogs, is heating up in the run-up to general elections. Now, Malaysia’s largest private media conglomerate, Media Prima, has unveiled big investment plans to generate Internet content, a revenue diversification strategy aimed at getting a larger slice of the growing on-line advertising pie. For the full article, click here.

When human rights activists let their hair down…

Anil Netto

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29 Nov 2007

2

aliran singers

The Aliran Singers re-united and in full flow!

Aliran turns 30: A heart-warming celebration of justice

It was all so different from the official Merdeka celebrations, monopolised and dominated by members of the ruling coalition, recalls Anil Netto, of a night to remember. Full article

Why not support the cause of human rights and justice by subscribing to Aliran Monthly, Malaysia’s leading independent English-language current affairs journal.

Penang Global City Centre: Spot the difference!

Anil Netto

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28 Nov 2007

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This is the PGCC (based on Equine’s model of the 38 towers) (Patrick Lim is on the right)

And this isn’t? (The PGCC campaign group’s model of the PGCC which PGCC master planner Nasrine Seraji says is based on a “misunderstanding of the masterplan”) (photo credit: Sin Chew from Nasrine’s powerpoint presentation)

Err, pardon me… but what is the difference between the two?

Continue

Bersih and Hindraf gatherings: An awakening of the marginalised

Anil Netto

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25 Nov 2007

27

Two huge protest gatherings – or attempted gatherings – in the space of 15 days in the heart of Kuala Lumpur. Amazing! But what does this tell us? A few things, actually:

More and more Malaysians are casting off their fear of the repressive powers of the state. That was abundantly clear in the Bersih gathering calling for electoral reforms on 10 Nov, when 50,000 Malaysians converged in the heart of KL despite the warnings, the intimidation, the riot police and their water cannons…. and now 20,000-30,000 at the Hindraf demonstration.

In both gatherings, it appears that the majority of those who were determined to show up were the disempowered and the disenfranchised and the marginalised. In other words, those left out from the development process.

Positive GDP growth every year has not resulted in equitable development for all – rather, the wealth generated from economic growth has been concentrated in the hands of the upper class. To make matters worse, the system is now mired in corruption while affirmative action policies have not reached many of those who most need them.

Many appear to be retreating to a fundamentalist worldview of religion out of disillusionment with the oppressive state, a sense of loss of identity due to the pervasive, homogenising effect of global corporate culture, and dissatisfaction that the fruit of economic growth has not been equitably distributed. Real participatory democracy has not been tried and found to be wanting. It has not been tried at all!

Sadly, many Malaysians are still shackled by a communal world-view – largely due to years of being indoctrinated by a system of racial politics. They are still unable to extend their hands in solidarity with all those who are suffering, irrespective of ethnicity and religion. This was less evident in the Bersih gathering, which probably had a greater multi-ethnic representation (though the majority were Muslim-Malays). But in the Hindraf gathering, it appears that nearly all of those turning up were ethnic Indians/Hindus.

The marginalised Indians, Malays, the Penan, the Orang Asli, and the exploited migrant workers still find it difficult to find common cause with one another. We need to break free from the barriers that divide the oppressed in our country.

It is largely the poorer Indians who were likely to have been at the Hindraf gathering, just as it was largely Malays from the lower-income group that took part in the Bersih demonstration. Those at the Hindraf gathering may be unable to trace the roots of their own disillusionment and could be putting on the cloak of Hindu rights, finding solace in the security of their religion. In the same way, many poorer Malays, rebelling against a corrupt and exploitative system, are probably finding comfort in the embrace of conservative Islam.

Maybe a common ethnicity and a sense of being discriminated against – and now a shared experience of a perceived sense of persecution (the result of temple demolitions and controversial sharia-related cases) – has been more successful in rallying the Indians together. In a sense, this is a pity because it suggests we are still trapped in a world-view that perceives suffering and marginalisation through ethnic or religious lenses.

There are shortcomings in such a world-view. It ignores the exploitative nature of our economic system, in which a few (of all ethnic groups) with access to capital and connections lord it over the masses. For instance, why have richer Malays, Chinese, and Indians not showed up at these rallies? It is really because they have benefited from the system and they do not want to revamp something that has served them with wealth and position, titles and status, and the comforts of life.

The exploitative dimension of corporate-led globalisation, which has concentrated wealth in the hands of this small group, has driven many ordinary Malaysians to despair. The introduction of neo-liberal policies, the slashing of taxes for the rich along with the removal of subsidies for basic goods and services – education, health care, fuel, higher education – have all made life more stressful, not only for the lower-income group but increasingly the middle-class.

The suppression of local wages through a policy of importing migrant workers, the lack of a minimum wage, a weak trade union movement (only now coming to life), and racial and religious divisions have all meant that workers (of all ethnic groups) have been unable to achieve the critical mass needed to cast off the chains of exploitation that tie them down.

I believe what we are witnessing now is the awakening of the economically marginalised and disempowered who are rebelling against the system, which has seen Big Business profiting at the expense of the people. I doubt there were many wealthy Hindus/ethnic Indians from the posh neighbourhoods of, for instance, Damansara and Bangsar at the Hindraf protest today… just as you didn’t see the wealthy bumiputera elite at the Bersih gathering on 10 Nov.

Although it is heartening that the marginalised are stirring, it is important that we realise that their suffering cuts across ethnic barriers and has some common roots. Many have simply been pushed to the periphery by our model of development, which is relentlessly driven by Big Business tied closely to the vested interests of the political elite.

More Malaysians must wake up from their slumber – and join hands with one another!