"We Built This City (Country) on Rock and Roll"

A Kadir Jasin

[Komen menggunakan pengenalan anonymous tidak akan dilayan. Sila gunakan nama sebenar atau nama samaran yang sesuai. Ulasan yang mengandungi unsur fitnah, hasutan, perkauman dan bahasa kesat tidak akan disiarkan.]

BANYAK pembesar negara kini berada di luar negara mengiringi Perdana Menteri dalam lawatan ke Rusia, Bosnia-Hervegovina dan Itali.

Seorang usahawan Melayu global yang terserempak dengan mereka di Bosnia-Herzegovina mengantar SMS berikut:

“You should ask who is running the country. Almost half of Cabinet Ministers and MBs follow Pak Lah to Russia, Bosnia and Italy.”

Dalam bahasa Malaysia (ya, bahasa Malaysia dan bukan lagi bahasa Melayu) ia bermaksud “Anda patut bertanya siapa yang menguruskan negara. Hampir separuh menteri kabinet dan Menteri Besar mengiringi Pak Lah ke Rusia, Bosnia dan Itali.”

Saya terfikir menjawab soalannya dengan merujuk kepada lirik lagu “We Built This City” nyanyian kumpulan Starship yang berbunyi, antara lain:

“We built this city, we built this city on rock an' roll
Built this city, we built this city on rock an' roll.”

Kalau sesebuah bandar raya atau negara dibina atas landasan rock and roll seperti dalam lagu Starship itu, tiadalah perlu pemimpin dan pembesar. Yang perlu kita menghayati rock and roll.

Setelah meminta bantuan daripada beberapa pihak rasmi dan tidak rasmi, di dalam dan luar negara, saya mengumpulkan maklumat berikut. Namun perlu secara kategorikal saya menyatakan bahawa maklumat ini tertakluk kepada perubahan dan pembetulan.

Menteri ada tujuh atau lapan orang. Antaranya Rafidah Aziz, Samy Vellu, Syed Hamid Albar, Shafie Apdal, Jamaluddin Jarjis, Khalid Nordin dan Zainuddin Maidin.

Menteri besar dan ketua menteri pula adalah Tajol Rosli Ghazali (Perak), Mahdzir Khalid (Kedah) , Adnan Yaakob (Pahang) dan Ali Rustam (Melaka). Saya tidak dapat mengesahkan jika benar bahawa Idris Jusoh (Terengganu) pun turut sama atau berada di Eropah Selatan.

Khabarnya tidak semua menteri, menteri besar, ketua menteri dan timbalan menteri mengekori Perdana Menteri ke semua destinasi. Lain negara yang dilawati, lain pula perwakilan pembesarnya.

Dimaklumkan juga ada seorang dua menteri besar kecil hati kerana tidak dijemput menyertai rombongan Perdana Menteri.

Pada hemat saya, Menteri Besar Johor, Abdul Ghani Othman, patut turut sama supaya dia boleh mempromosikan WPI/IDR kepada pelabur Rusia, Itali dan Bosnia.

Tetapi sumber-sumber mengatakan dia sama ada tidak dijemput atau tidak dapat ikut serta kerana Johor kini mengalami “krisis” jenayah yang agak teruk -- sampai berlaku tunjuk perasaan oleh rakyat jelata yang menuntut perlindungan.

Saya tidak berani mengatakan sama ada bilangan pembesar yang mengekori Perdana Menteri itu kecil atau besar. Mungkin bilangan itu biasa bagi delegasi Perdana Menteri, mungkin kecil dan mungkin juga besar.

Kecil atau besar adalah perbandingan. Ia relatif kepada ukuran dan perbandingan yang digunakan.

Misalnya, relatif kepada yang mana lebih mendesak -- hakikat bahawa pesakit hospital kerajaan dari Perlis, Kedah dan Pulau Pinang terpaksa berkongsi sebuah mesin MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) dan empat orang pakar radiologi sehingga menyebabkan tempoh menunggu sehingga tiga bulan atau rombongan PM yang besar.

Relatif kepada perbelanjaan yang dikeluarkan dengan faedah yang diraih seperti kemasukan pelaburan dan perluasan pasaran untuk barangan negara.

Relatif kepada Kabinet mega yang mempunyai 30 anggota, rombongan Perdana Menteri yang mengandungi tujuh atau lapan menteri itu tidaklah besar.

Nota kaki: Mantan Perdana Menteri Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad juga ke Bosnia-Herzegovina. Khabarnya dia tiba di Sarajevo, ibu negara berkenaan, sejam sebelum atau selepas Perdana Menteri bertolak ke Itali.

Mantan PM itu menghadiri mesyuarat perasmian Global Alliance for Partnership in Infrastructure Development (GAPID).

Pakatan ini bertujuan menggabungkan kepakaran negara-negara Islam dalam bidang pembangunan infrastruktur untuk membantu membangunkan masyarakat Islam di seluruh dunia.

Ia adalah inisiatif sektor swasta Malaysia dengan kerjasama rakan-rakan kongsi mereka dari seluruh dunia, khasnya negara-negara Islam. Ia disokong oleh Bank Pembangunan Islam (IDB).

UPDATE, 28 JUN

13 Lawatan Ke Luar Negara Dalam Masa 6 Bulan

(Utusan Malaysia) --Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi telah melakukan 13 lawatan rasmi dan kerja ke luar negara dalam tempoh enam bulan pertama tahun ini.

Jumlah delegasi yang mengikuti Perdana Menteri dalam lawatan beliau itu adalah seramai 434 orang.

Menteri Luar, Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar berkata, lawatan beliau (Abdullah) ke luar negara itu merangkumi usaha untuk memajukan kepentingan Malaysia di arena antarabangsa, serantau dan dua hala.

Tambahnya, lawatan Perdana Menteri itu termasuklah usaha untuk mempromosikan perdagangan, pelaburan dan mengeratkan kerjasama dalam semua bidang.

‘‘Selain itu, Perdana Menteri ke luar negara untuk menghadiri persidangan antarabangsa kerana beliau merupakan Pengerusi Pertubuhan Persidangan Islam (OIC) dan Pergerakan Negara Berkecuali (NAM).

‘‘Beliau juga menghadiri mesyuarat ketua-ketua kerajaan ASEAN, Komanwel dan APEC,” katanya.

Syed Hamid berkata demikian dalam jawapan bertulis kepada soalan Fong Po Kuan (DAP-Batu Gajah) pada persidangan Dewan Rakyat, hari ini.

Menurut beliau, lawatan Perdana Menteri amat dialu-alu oleh pemimpin negara asing dan rakan sejawatan Abdullah untuk membincangkan pelbagai isu.

Tambahnya, kepimpinan negara ini amat dihargai dan Malaysia dilihat sebagai berupaya membentuk persepsi masyarakat antarabangsa untuk mengambil pendekatan sederhana melalui kaedah permuafakatan dalam mencari kedamaian sejagat.

‘‘Lawatan berteraskan kerjasama ekonomi telah menyumbang kepada pencapaian kedudukan Malaysia sebagai negara perdagangan yang ke-19 terbesar dunia,” katanya.

Menurut Syed Hamid, lawatan rasmi dan kerja Perdana Menteri kebiasaannya diiringi oleh beberapa Menteri Kabinet yang relevan dengan bidang yang ingin diadakan kerjasama ketika melawat sesuatu negara itu.

DEB Sedang Tenat Atau Sudah Ditalkinkan?

A Kadir Jasin

[Komen menggunakan pengenalan anonymous tidak akan dilayan. Sila gunakan nama sebenar atau nama samaran yang sesuai. Ulasan yang mengandungi unsur fitnah, hasutan, perkauman dan bahasa kesat tidak akan disiarkan.]

BEBERAPA saat sebelum khatib Masjid Negara membaca khutbah Jumaat 15 Jun memuji “pemimpin negara” kerana menaikkan gaji kakitangan awam, seorang eksekutif kanan sebuah bank berbisik kepada saya.

Katanya, di dalam suatu majlis anjuran Kelab Perniagaan Kuala Lumpur (Kuala Lumpur Business Club), seorang pembesar negara yang sangat besar berkata Dasar Ekonomi Baru (DEB) akan dihapuskan.

Mengikut cerita beliau yang disampaikan secara tergesa-gesa kerana khatib akan memulakan khutbah memuji pemerintah, seorang eksekutif asing bertanya kepada pembesar yang sangat besar itu apakah syarat pemilikan Bumiputera yang dikecualikan di Wilayah Pembangunan Iskandar (IDR) akan diperluaskan ke seluruh negara jika IDR berjaya.

Pembesar yang sangat besar itu, menurut eksekutif bank terbesar di Persekutuan Malaysia itu berkata: “Jawapan ringkasnya adalah ya.”

Saya macam tidak percaya apa yang saya dengar. Mungkin saya tidak memberi cukup perhatian kerana tidak mahu berkata-kata ketika khatib membaca khutbah atau mungkin juga kerana pendengaran saya sudah menjadi mangsa usia.

Tetapi masakan seorang yang saya kenal begitu lama dan saya nampak setiap kali saya ke Masjid Negara untuk sembahyang Jumaat sanggup berbohong dan membuat fitnah di dalam masjid?

Selepas solat Jumaat saya ke Bangsar untuk berjumpa dua orang wartawan yang tiada lagi bermajikan dan saya mengulangi apa yang dimaklumkan kepada saya di Masjid Negara.

Secara spontan kedua-dua mereka mengeluarkan telefon selular masing-masing dan menunjukkan mesej sistem pesanan ringkas (SMS) yang berbunyi:

“At a multi-racial multi-national KL business Club dinner, when asked if the IDR would be a model in the dismantling of the NEP in the whole country, the -- (I am deleting his identity) got an approving applause when he said, “The short answer is YES.”

Dalam bahasa Malaysia (ya bahasa Malaysia bukan lagi bahasa Melayu) ia bermaksud: Di majlis makan malam pelbagai kaum dan negara anjuran Kelab Perniagaan KL, apabila ditanya jika IDR akan menjadi contoh perobohan DEB di seluruh negara (pembesar paling besar yang dimaksudkan itu) mendapat tepukan persetujuan apabila dia berkata, “Jawapan ringkasnya adalah ya.”

Kalau dakwaan ini benar dan pembesar paling besar itu mengotakan apa yang dikatakannya, maka tiadalah lagi kuota pemilikan hartanah sekurang-kurangnya 30 peratus untuk Bumiputera.

Bermula dengan IDR akan wujudlah kawasan-kawasan eksklusif, mewah, kosmopolitan dan internasional di mana kepentingan kaum majoriti iaitu Bumiputera tidak lagi menjadi pertimbangan atau mendapat perlindungan.

Aneh seaneh-anehnya kerana sehari dua sebelum itu Bernama melaporkan Menteri Kewangan Kedua, Nor Mohamed Yakcop, sebagai berkata bahawa DEB terus relevan kerana matlamatnya ialah membasmi kemiskinan tanpa mengira kaum.

"The spirit of the NEP must be kept alive, as its aim, among others, is to eradicate poverty among all races," he said during a live interview over RTM1.

Walaupun tempoh DEB sudah lama berlalu, tetapi matlamat pokoknya seperti membasmi kemiskinan dan menyusun semula masyarakat tetap diteruskan sama ada di dalam Dasar Pembangunan Nasional atau Dasar Pembangunan Wawasan sekarang.

Tetapi dengan kenyataan terbaru ini, apakah bermakna bahawa ciri-ciri DEB tidak akan dilaksanakan lagi?

Atau apakah ada dua versi kepada dasar pemerintah negara kini iaitu satu versi eksklusif untuk khalayak eksklusif seperti anggota Kelab Perniagaan Kuala Lumpur dan satu lagi versi untuk rakyat totok yang dihebahkan melalui RTM?

Saya kurang pasti jika media massa arus perdana akur melaporkan ucapan dan soal jawab di majlis makan malam dan dialog Kelab Perniagaan Kuala Lumpur itu. Kalau ada pelawat dan pembahas yang terbaca laporan itu, sila maklumkan.

UPDATE, JUNE 23

BERNAMA today quoted Deputy Prime Minister Mohd Najib Abdul Razak today (June 23) as expressing regret over Ambassador and Head of European Commission Delegation to Malaysia Theirry Rommel’s comments on the New Economic Policy (NEP).

“Normally, an ambassador or envoy does not comment on the affairs of the country to which they are accredited.

“This has been the practice because when we comment on the policies adopted by the country concerned, it means we are interfering in the affairs of the host country,” Najib said.

He said Rommel had contradicted the diplomatic practice and principles adopted by Malaysia.

Najib did not rule out the possibility of lodging an official protest against Rommel’s comments.

“Wait first, I will seek the opinion of Wisma Putra (Foreign Ministry),” he added.

However, Najib believed that what Rommel raised yesterday was refutable.

“What was raised can certainly be disputed in terms of the facts,” he said.

UPDATE, JUNE 22

(Associated Press) -- Europe's top envoy to Malaysia Thursday urged the government to roll back its affirmative action policy for majority Malays, saying it is discriminatory and amounts to protectionism against foreign companies.

In unusually frank comments that ignored diplomatic niceties, Thierry Rommel openly criticized Malaysia's 37-year-old New Economic Policy, or NEP, that gives a host of privileges in jobs, education, business and other areas to ethnic Malays.

"In a dominant part of the domestic economy, there is no level playing field for foreign companies," Rommel, the ambassador and head of the European Commission Delegation to Malaysia, said in a speech to local and foreign businessmen.

UPDATE, June 18

For the benefit of those who are unfamiliar with the NEP and to further enhance our discussion on the subject, allow me to publish a brief assessment of the policy jointly authored by three persons who are closely associated it since its inception namely (Tan Sri ) Just Faarland, Jack Parkingson and Dr Rais Saniman.

This assessment is contained in a book entitled “Growth and Ethnic Inequality – Malaysia’s New Economic Policy” first published in 1990 by C. Hurst & Company (Publishers) Ltd, London and in 2003 by Utusan Publications & Distributors Sdn Bhd.

It reads:

The NEP has never been fully explained and understood. It has, therefore, been embroiled in controversy ever since its introduction after the racial riots of May 13, 1969.

The perception in some circles is that it is a policy of discrimination against the non-indigenous Malaysian population. The reality, as the evidence shows, is quite the opposite. Under the NEP regime the non-indigenous population moved forward economically a much greater distance than did the Bumiputras.

By the Social Bargain of 1957, citizenship was granted literally overnight by a stroke of a pen to a million non-citizens, while the development of an ethnically-balanced economy demanded gradual change over a long haul, running into generations.

This book, which also contains six of the original documents which formed the foundation of the NEP, for the first time ever published anywhere, attempts to put record straight to the public at large.

The NEP, a comprehensive socioeconomic policy, is intended to build Malaysian national unity in diversity following the rupture of 1969, a sad episode in the history of otherwise good ethnic relations in this country.

The underlying strategy of the NEP is to built an ethnically-balanced economy by fostering greater productivity and modernization under a free market regime and an open economy, while simultaneously engaging in social engineering to distribute more equitably the increments of the fruits of development between the Malaysian ethnic groups.

Its focus is on raising the productivity and active participation of the Bumiputras without depriving the economically advanced non-indigenous population of their economic and social rights.

Since its implementation in 1969 and despite its imperfections, but consistent with the United Nations International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, Malaysia has reduced poverty, achieved one of the highest rates of economic growth in the world on a sustained basis and – in periods when the NEP was firmly implemented – restructured the production and income patterns to gradually contain, even reduce, ethnic economic disparity.

The evidence shows that the two main objectives of growth and ethnic economic balance of the NEP have been mutually reinforcing, even though if pushed beyond a point, they may become competitive rather than complementary.

The NEP has proved itself to be a viable policy for Malaysia. It has maintained political stability, thereby strengthening civil society, the rule of law, democracy and human rights in the country.

The experience of the NEP in Malaysia may have relevance also for other societies worldwide with problems of multiethnic economic rivalry and competition.

Singapore Straits Times Publishes My Response

A Kadir Jasin

[The following is the reproduction of my response to the Straits Times which was published by the newspaper today, June 12. I e-mailed my letter to them on June 5. The letter was published almost in totality.]

[Anonymous comments will not be posted. Please use your real name or a suitable pseudonym. Please avoid seditious, defamatory and libellous statements. And, if possible, don’t call anybody bodoh (stupid) ok!]

THE ISKANDAR DEVELOPMENT REGION
PM Lee is taken very seriously

By A. Kadir Jasin, For The Straits Times

KUALA LUMPUR - The following is a response to a June 1 column, The Paranoia Of Suspicious Minds, by Senior Writer Janadas Devan.

IN HIS column, Mr Janadas Devan posed the following question: 'So how is it possible for someone like Mr A. Kadir Jasin, a former group editor-in-chief of Malaysia's New Straits Times Press, to suggest that the Malaysia-Singapore (Joint Ministerial Committee on the Iskandar Development Region) may affect Malaysia's sovereignty?'

I am talking about sovereignty in the broad general term. I cannot recall any previous instance when a national project situated in Malaysia's sovereign territory had the ministerial-level participation of a foreign government.

Unlike the Malaysia-Thai Joint Development Area in Kelantan for the exploitation of oil and gas resources, the Iskandar Development Region, to my understanding, is not a joint-development area. It is in Malaysian territory and is meant to attract not only Singaporeans but also investors everywhere.

By my definition, sovereignty encompasses the element of pride and dignity (maruah). It cannot be very dignified for a sovereign nation to have a minister from another country involved in a state-sponsored national project.

Your writer further stated: 'It cannot possibly be because he thinks (Mr Lee Hsien Loong's) use of the word 'consultative' means that the JMC will be a bilateral 'operations council'. Mr Kadir, a crisp writer in English, is too smart to believe such nonsense.

'But he, like many others in Malaysia, has raised this canard because, one, it carries a political percentage on the ground, and two, because they genuinely fear globalisation. The ridiculous fuss over the JMC's purpose is a stand-in for a generalised fear that the policies that must be put in place to ensure the IDR's success will threaten entrenched privileged domestic groups.'

Yes, I take Mr Lee very seriously because I believe that the Singapore Prime Minister, being a crisp speaker of English and an articulate person, would not make a mistake of using such an important term as 'consultative'. To my simple mind, Mr Lee had understood the Joint Ministerial Committee to be a consultative mechanism.

In short, the Malaysian Government, through the JMC, is consulting the Singapore Government on the development of the IDR. Unlike your writer, I do not take Mr Lee's words to be nonsense.

And even if, as your writer put it, I raised this canard because, one, it carries a political percentage on the ground, and two, because they (I) genuinely fear globalisation, what is so terribly wrong about that?

This is politics. The IDR is Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's major political decision - a gamble almost. He openly declared that the project was his brainchild. That it was his original idea. As such, to get the Singapore Government involved in whatever form is a political decision.

I do not intend to engage in hair-splitting with your writer on his very strong accusation that 'they (I) fear globalisation'.

I do not fear globalisation. But it is good to have fear. Fear is in itself a motivation. There is a difference between fearing globalisation and being careful about it.

Malaysia, like Singapore, is what it is today - multiracial, multireligious, multicultural and multilingual, and fairly successful - because it embraced globalisation long before the term became a mantra.

Surely your writer is not about to deny that Malaysia is ethnically diverse because it has never closed its doors to outsider influences and to immigration.

But your writer has chosen to ignore the fact that not only peoples but also governments are becoming more circumspect about the degree to which they should open their borders to globalisation.

Your writer further asserted: 'The ridiculous fuss over the JMC's purpose is a stand-in for a generalised fear that the policies that must be put in place to ensure the IDR's success will threaten entrenched privileged domestic groups.'

I am least concerned about the 'entrenched privileged domestic groups', whoever they may be. These groups are well-to-do and mobile. Even as we speak, some of them are investing billions of US dollars in Singapore's mega gaming projects or are transferring the control of their assets to Singapore.

My concern is for the majority, who are still poor and are unable to compete in a laissez-faire economic environment. Incidentally, these very same people form the core support for the present government.

The writer is a former group editor-in-chief of Malaysia's New Straits Times Press.

Footnote: While debating this subject, readers may want to give some thought to the “shocking” expose by the New Straits Times that Guocoland (Malaysia) Bhd, a company controlled by billionaire Tan Sri Quek Leng Chan, has made a bid to relocate University Malaya from Petaling Jaya to Sepang.

Quoting sources, the daily on June 12 said as part of the plan, GuocoLand will take the iconic site of the country’s oldest university and develop it into a commercial and residential township.

The proposal is based on Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s private finance initiative (PFI) announced during the launching of the 9th Malaysia Plan last year.

(For full report, please visit the comment window of this blog).

UPDATE, June 15

According to The Business Times, the business section of the New Straits Times, GuocoLand had denied making a bid to have UM relocated
to Sepang.

The company, however, said in a statement to Bursa Malaysia that it was exploring opportunities to enhance shareholder value.

(Full report in the comment window).

Selamat Berbahagia PM dan Datin Seri Jeanne

A Kadir Jasin

[Komen menggunakan pengenalan anonymous tidak akan dilayan. Sila gunakan nama sebenar atau nama samaran yang sesuai. Ulasan yang mengandungi unsur fitnah, hasutan, perkauman dan bahasa kesat tidak akan disiarkan.]

[Anonymous comments will not be posted. Please use your real name or a suitable pseudonym. Please avoid seditious, defamatory and libellous statements. And, if possible, don’t call anybody bodoh (stupid) ok!]

NOW that the Prime Minister had duly wedded Jeanne Abdullah, who according to a Bernama report, is duly referred to as “Datin Seri”, I would like to formally join other well wishers in wishing them “selamat pengantin baru”.

Sumber: Sunday Star ( AP )

I don’t think any of us should miss this opportunity. Peluang sebegini tidak berlaku setiap hari, setiap bulan atau setiap tahun. It’s not everyday that our PM gets married.

As I have said in my brief comment in the comment window of the previous posting, “saya setuju 100 peratus” with his decision to remarry.

But I had not posted this interesting event earlier because I wanted to be absolutely sure that the marriage took place. There had been previous occasions when the PM cancelled important events at the last minute on the pretext that he was too busy to attend.

This is what I said in the comment window, which I would now like to share with the rest of the visitors. It was posted on June 8. I said:

“Saya setuju 100 peratus asalkan ia tidak mengganggu tugas PM sebagai pentadbir nombor satu negara dan membazirkan wang negara. PM has his household vote and for as long as he keeps within the allocated budget, we should not have any problem with his wedding.

"Of course this is a unique situation. This is the first time in our Merdeka history that the PM marries while in office. We also take note of the fact that his previous wife, Kak Endon, passed away when he is in office.

"He needs companion, and marriage dismisses whatever suspicion we may have of his private life. We should be happy for him and his bride-to-be. Let's hope that she becomes a worthy companion to the PM; someone who brings him credit and NOT causing him discredit. Pak Lah chooses her and we elected Pak Lah. That's the deal.”

With so many “songel” wives of ministers and other pembesar (VIPs) causing constant headache and indignation among the rakyat, it is important that we remind our pembesar that we elected them and NOT their spouses.

Kita pilih mereka sebagai wakil kita di Parlimen dan Dewan Undangan Negeri. Kita tidak pilih isteri, anak, menantu atau konco-konco mereka. Itu pilihan peribadi mereka.

Menurut Bernama, kenyataan Jabatan Perdana Menteri yang dikeluarkan kepadanya menyatakan bahawa PM dan Jeanne diijabkabulkan oleh Imam Masjid Putrajaya, Abd Manaf Mat, pada pukul 2.50 petang.

Antara yang hadir adalah anak lelaki PM, Kamaluddin dan menantu lelakinya, Khairy Jamaluddin. Laporan Bernama tidak menyebut mengenai Nori, anak perempuan PM yang berupa isteri kepada Khairy.

According to Bernama, the PM and his wife thanked the people for their good wishes for a happy marriage.

UPDATE (Pembetulan)

Walaupun laporan Bernama tidak menyebut mengenai Nori, laporan akhbar arus perdana hari ini menunjukkan bahawa dia hadir majlis itu. Maaf.

Straits Times Says We Fear Globalisation

A Kadir Jasin

[Anonymous comments will not be posted. Please use your real name or a suitable pseudonym. Please avoid seditious, defamatory and libellous statements. And, if possible, don’t call anybody bodoh (stupid) ok!]

OUR fellow debater, thegreatteadrinkerdownsouth is kind enough to draw my attention to an article published in the Singapore Straits Times today, June 1.

Since the report mentioned our ongoing discussion on the cooperation between Malaysia and Singapore in the development the Iskandar Development Region (IDR), I would like to re-post the great tea drinker’s comment for general reading.

I thank the great tea drinker for alerting us. The following is his full and unedited comment, which also appears in the comment section of the posting entitled “When Diplomat Speaks Like Politician” dated May 19.

He said: “Salaam, Dato'Please be informed, in case that you don't already know, that Janadas Devan (the son of a late former President of Singapore) has written a stinging op-ed piece ("The paranoia of suspicious minds") which is published in the Spore Straits Times today, June 1.

He has postulated the thesis that the root of Spore's bilateral problems with Malaysia and Indonesia is caused by a disconnect between the thinking of Msian and Indonesian leaders (such as Pak Lah and SBY) and what a large segment of their population feels.And, Dato', he has specifically criticised you in his commentary.

I quote:"It is impossible to believe that educated Malaysians do not know that a 'consultative' body cannot possibly have executive powers. After all, Malaysia itself has had consultative bodies before - including the famous National Consultative Council (NCC).

"That was formed in January 1970, in the aftermath of the 1969 race riots, to involve various groups, including opposition parties, in the effort to find 'permanent solutions to our racial problems', as a contemporary report put it.

"Everyone, including opposition politicians, knew the NCC had no executive powers. That was vested in the National Operations Council, led by then-deputy prime minister Tun Abdul Razak. He was prepared to consult all and sundry, but nobody doubted that his willingness to do so did not imply his ceding control over 'operations'. No Malaysian, not even the non-English speaking ones, confused the National Consultative Council with the National Operations Council.

"So how is it possible for someone like Mr A. Kadir Jassin, a former group editor-in-chief of Malaysia's New Straits Times Press, to suggest that the Malaysia-Singapore JMC (Joint Ministerial Committee) may affect Malaysia's sovereignty?

"It cannot possibly be because he thinks Mr Lee's (Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong) use of the word 'consultative' means that the JMC will be a bilateral 'operations council'.

"Mr Kadir, a crisp writer in English, is too smart to believe such nonsense.

"But he, like many other in Malaysia, have raised this canard because, one, it carries a political percentage on the ground, and two, because they genuinely fear globalisation. The ridiculous fuss over the JMC's purpose is a stand-in for a generalised fear tht the policies that must be put in place to ensure the IDR's success will threaten entrenched privileged domestic groups......

"Prime Minister Abdullah and his senior colleagues understand what is at stake. They know that China and India are breathing down Asean's neck. They have a clear-sighted vision of how the IDR should succeed. But that understanding, knowledge and vision run counter to what plays on the ground. This is a contradiction that Singapore cannot possibly resolve, no matter how much goodwill it manifests. The IDR, if it thrives, will benefit both countries, but only Malaysians can ensure its success...."

And the great tea drinker asked: "Well, Dato' - can we expect a suitable riposte from you? Something that will be published unedited and unexpurgated in the Spore Straits Times?

"And, for the record, do you "genuinely fear globalisation"? Maybe this is another canard which you should forcefully rebut?”