Ahad, 13 Februari 2011

Charles Santiago

Charles Santiago


Peoples’ Power, Mubarak and Sarawak State Elections.

Posted: 13 Feb 2011 07:05 PM PST

We saw images of people in Tahrir Square crying, laughing, kneeling and kissing the ground as news of Egypt’s dictator, Hosni Mubarak’s, resignation spread. Pro-democracy supporters around the world cheered on to celebrate a revolution.

The end of the 82-year-old man’s autocratic rule is a victory for peoples’ power. Three hundred people died in the quest for freedom. Essentially the protests were not just about escalating prices and poverty but signal the need for the people to regain their democratic rights and dignity

As a mother of two, Olfa Tantawi, writes – “This revolution is not just about poverty or need. The people on the streets are from all walks of life, rich and poor and are there because they want freedom. The people need a guarantee that whoever rules will at the end of the day, month, year go back to his home knowing that his initial identity is as an Egyptian citizen and not an everlasting ruler”.

I too celebrate this historic event, hoping it paves the way for a democratic rule in Egypt. Through sheer determination and willpower hundreds of thousands of protesters gave Mubarak, a man who had shamelessly done all of US and Israel’s bidding in return for billions in military aid, the boot.

Mubarak is gone. He has fled to Sharm-el-Sheikh, a Western-style holiday resort on the Red Sea.

But what exactly does the transition of power to the Supreme Council of the Egyptian Armed Forces mean? It simply means that Egypt, which has been under a state of emergency for the past 30 years, would continue to be ruled by the military.

On top of this, the role of Vice President Omar Suleiman is vague, to say the least. According to WikiLeaks and prominent army families in Egypt, Israel was lobbying Washington to ensure Suleiman was promoted to the presidency.

Suleiman was an army man just like Mubarak and collaborated with the CIA in extraordinary rendition programs during the United States war on terror. When Americans wanted to use the crudest torture techniques, their first stop was Egypt.

Former Nobel Peace Prize winner, Mohamed ElBaradei, has expressed confidence that the army would reach out to the wider spectrum of the Egyptian society and allow opposition parties the co-sharing of power for a transitional period.

This is too soon to tell. And furthermore who would curb the power of the army?

The people who took to the streets braving military tanks and live bullets had not just called for the departure of Mubarak, but also the formation of democratic institutions.

Therefore, the army must call for elections without undue delay. The people must be given the right to vote the next government in.

Egypt needs the establishment of a constitution that guarantees freedom and human rights and a civilian-led government voted in by the people, which would look into equal distribution of wealth, create employment opportunities and make health and education affordable for all.

While its clear that Egyptians would now embark on a path for democracy, millions outside their country are inspired by Mubarak’s toppling from power.

Freedom for Palestinians is no more academic but a future reality. It is now even more possible to pressure Israel to lift the blockade imposed on the Gaza strip, a restriction which has plunged 1.5 million people into abject poverty.

Children have no choice but to scavenge for food on the streets and hospitals are turning away the terminally ill due to the lack of hospitals beds and medical supplies.

The Israeli government has only allowed a trickle of food, medicine and fuel into Gaza.

But all this could change within the blink of an eye just like the fall of Mubarak.

Closer to home, we have also seen the affects of the Egyptian uprising. Malaysian prime minister Najib Tun Razak has warned that similar protests would not shake UMNO and the ruling Barisan Nasional government which protect cronies, allow for rampant corruption, marginalize the poor, care two hoots about judicial independence and use various laws to curb dissent and freedom of speech, expression and assembly in the country.

The fact that Najib has issued such a warning demonstrates he is afraid of peoples power. Malaysians are fed-up with the government which has hood-winked them for 53 years, played money politics to hold on to power and allowed for the abuse of power by the police and various government bodies.

The Egyptian revolution also gives a glimmer of hope for the people of Sarawak who have been oppressed under the tyranny of its billionaire chief minister Abdul Taib Mahmud.

Taib has also been around for 30 years and the aging politician and his Barisan Nasional cronies have amassed enormous wealth, while the people of Sarawak and the indigenous communities live in squalor.

The involvement of Taib and his family with logging companies has resulted in corruption, bribery and transfer pricing where the financial details of transnational logging companies, including Malaysian companies, are difficult to track.

In 2007, the Japan Times reported that nine Japanese shipping companies, which transported timber from Sarawk, had failed to report 1.1 billion yen in income over a period of seven years.

The report also said that the money was paid as kickbacks to Sarawak officials via a Hong Kong agent linked to Taib’s family.

To keep his income from the timber industry, Taib’s administration has ignored the rape of the Penan women by workers and timber company bosses.

Due to heavy logging less that 10% of Sarawak’s primary forests remain, wiping out the ancestral lands of indigenous communities.

Taib continues to make money through Cahaya Mata Sarawak Berhad, a company controlled by his family, which was awarded government contracts to maintain and construct roads in Sarawak, upgrade airports and supply roofing materials for low-cost housing projects.

Furthermore, a total of 51 dams may be constructed by 2037, further displacing indigenous communities.

But despite rampant corruption, flagrant abuse of power and personal assets that run into billions of dollars, Taib refuses to budge from power. Quoting Malaysiakini’s report, Taib has said he would step down if there is someone qualified to take over.

Maybe he means someone equally corrupt; someone who’s loyalty to Taib could be bought. This is shameful.

But all is not lost. The Sarawak state polls would be held soon. Inspired by the revolution in Egypt lets hope that the people of Sarawak would use their voting power to rise up against Taib and instead vote in a transparent and accountable government.

Charles Santiago

Member of Parliament, Klang.


பொருட்களின் விலை ஏற்றம் பாமர மக்களுக்குச் சுமை.

Posted: 13 Feb 2011 06:34 PM PST

மூலம் :- மலேசிய நண்பன்

 


பொருள்களின் விலையேற்றத்தால் பாதிக்கப்படும் மக்களுக்கு உதவ வழிகாண்பீர், சார்ல்ஸ்

Posted: 13 Feb 2011 06:18 PM PST

மூலம்  :- மலேசியாஇன்று    11 Feb | செய்தி.

அண்மையில், சீனி, எண்ணெய், எரி வாயு போன்ற முக்கியமான பொருள்களின் விலை படிப்படியாக ஏற்றம் கண்டு வருகின்றன. இதனால் குறைந்த வருமானம் ஈட்டும் மக்கள் பெரும் பாதிப்புக்குள்ளாகியுள்ளனர்.

பொருளாதார மந்த நிலையினால் ஏற்பட்டுள்ள இந்த விலையேற்றத்தை ஏற்றுக்கொள்ள முடியாது என்று டிஎபி கிள்ளான் நாடாளுமன்ற உறுப்பினர் சார்ல்ஸ் சந்தியாகு கூறுகிறார்.

"மக்கள் அவதிக்குள்ளாகியிருக்கும் இக்கட்டத்தில் மக்களுக்கு தேவைப்படும் உதவித் தொகையைக் குறைக்க அரசாங்கம் திட்டமிட்டிருப்பதும் ஏற்றுக்கொள்ள முடியாத ஒன்று", சார்ல்ஸ் கூறுகிறார்.

அந்த உதவித் தொகை நிறுத்தப்பட்டால் அல்லது குறைக்கப்பட்டால் அது குறைந்த வருமானம் பெறும்  மக்களுக்கு பேரிடியாக இருக்கும் என்றாரவர்.

நாட்டு மக்களில் 34 விழுக்காடினர் ரிம720 மட்டுமே ஊதியமாகப் பெறுகின்றனர் என்பதைச் சுட்டிக் காட்டிய அவர், இதனைக் கொண்டு அதிகரித்துக்கொண்டிருக்கும் பொருள்களின் விலையேற்றத்தை அவர்களால் எப்படிச் சமாளிக்க முடியும் என்று வினவினார்.

குறைந்த வருமானம் பெறும் மக்களின் நலன்களைப் பாதுகாப்பது அரசாங்கத்தின் கடமையாகும் என்பதை வலியுறுத்திய சார்ல்ஸ், அரசாங்கம் உடனடியாக இரு முக்கிய நடவடிக்கைகளை எடுக்க வேண்டும் என்றார்.

"தொழிலாளர்களின் குறைந்தபட்ச சம்பளத்தை ரிம1,500 ஆக நிர்ணயிக்க வேண்டும். மேலும், உதவித் தொகை வழங்குவது தொடர வேண்டும்." இந்நடவடிக்கைகளின் வழிதான் மக்களின் சுமையை ஓரளவுக்கு குறைக்க முடியும் என்றாரவர்.


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