Features
In 2023, Malaysians have a right to see Anwar govern
By Krishantha Prasad Cooray
The year 2023 will be a challenging one for the whole world. Between economic uncertainty, stormy weather and the ravages of war, there is no country that does not face tough decisions and uncertainty in the year to come. Malaysia is no exception. But unlike many countries, Malaysia is fortunate enough to have a new government, with a new, mature leader who is respected and trusted worldwide. This is a privilege that few countries enjoy today.
But it is a small miracle that Malaysia emerged with this privilege, thanks solely to its new Prime Minister’s ability to unite political allies and enemies alike to work together and serve Malaysians. Unfortunately, it seems that some senior political leaders are intent to find ways to scuttle and sabotage the government at any cost.
The essence of democratic governance is that it puts the people in charge of their destiny. Political parties build platforms, take them to the people, and those with the most persuasive arguments are, rightly or wrongly, chosen by the people to govern. When they fail, it is again up to the people to decide whether it is worth giving them another chance, or whether it is time to try something new. In theory, such a Darwinian method of selecting rulers should tend towards better leadership. In practice, rulers often abuse their power to distort the process and in doing so, erode the sovereignty a democracy needs to succeed.
Malaysia has been a victim of this pattern for decades. Whatever else can be said about Yang Amat Berhormat Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim, no one can deny that successive governments moved mountains to repeatedly deny the Malaysian people a chance to decide on the merits of the policy platform that Ibrahim brought to the table. Whenever the prospect of him becoming a serious political contender arose, criminal charges or political “moves” materialized like clockwork, the actions of an elite few, to deny the will of the many.
When the bag of dirty tricks was finally empty, and when other parties had exhausted their options to stop him, Anwar finally achieved the impossible and secured a political victory that stunned his opponents.
The greatest risk that Malaysia faces in 2023 is that the same cabal of powerful people and vested interests that bent the law to keep Anwar from coming into office will now seek to scuttle his government out of spite, not with an alternative plan to form a government, but to politically paralyze Malaysia once again and blame it on Anwar.
Right now, his opponents have their work cut out for them. There is no of Anwar’s strength in parliament than the fact that the opposition went to such great lengths to block a roll call vote and prevent the government from showing Malaysia the extent of Anwar’s majority. If it was indeed a slim majority, the opposition would have had no reason to try and obscure that fact, let alone be so proud of having done so. The only fathomable reason for the opposition to be proud of having stopped a roll call vote is that they did not want the Malaysian people to see how many Parliamentarians Anwar had succeeded in bringing into his fold.
Some may celebrate this sort of political gamesmanship as a clever tactic to ‘outfox’ Anwar and deny him a chance to prove his numbers. But Anwar is not the real victim of this focus on gamesmanship, on ‘moves’, and on rule-by-sabotage. At a time like this, politics is not a game. For the poorest of the poor, it is a matter of life or death, of feast or famine. It does no favors to ordinary Malaysians whose faith in democracy is waning after successive hung Parliaments and paralyzed regimes.
Advocates of free speech often remind people that the right of free speech is not just about the right of someone to speak, but also about the right of the audience to hear what the speaker has to say. For decades, people found ways to deny Malaysians of their right to hear what Anwar Ibrahim had to say. Now, those same people, discredited by the electorate, must not be allowed to deny Malaysians a chance to see how Anwar would govern.
This is not just an Anwar Ibrahim moment. It is a Malaysian moment. If his government is paralyzed by another “move”, it is unlikely to be replaced in the short term, and the paralysis that follows will do unspeakable damage to the economy and Malaysia’s world standing. This is why ordinary Malaysians, more and more of whom are being exposed to what he has to say, are likely to follow Anwar and strengthen him, not weaken him.
This is why any serious attempt to scuttle the government is bound to backfire on those who try to cause such a calamity. This time, Malaysians will blame them for the bedlam that follows. They will not get to dictate who to blame, because it is clear to all who are willing to see that Anwar is a popular world leader and Malaysia’s best chance to rejuvenate the economy and retake the spotlight in the international order.
As Anwar has long been an outspoken victim of many of the injustices and inequalities that he aims to correct, Malaysians, foreign investors and statesmen are all building their confidence in the independence of the judiciary and the freedom of the press in Malaysia under a ruler who is sincere about such principles.
Even in his first month on the job, Anwar has moved governance in a direction unlike ever before seen in Malaysia. He has shunned luxuries, declared war on corruption and bureaucracy, put the spotlight on the untapped economic potential of East Malaysia. He is trying to transform the economy to focus on creating value, and do away with patronage networks and middlemen.
As he conceded at his very first press conference, this is not the hand of cards that Anwar wanted to play, but instead it is the coalition with which the King and Malaysian people are counting on him to succeed with.
The challenges this government must address are daunting. From cleaning up the public sector, grappling with the devastating impact of the floods, and unleashing the prosperity that will come from releasing the economic potential of every Malaysian, Anwar and his coalition have their work cut out for them. No opposition should give a government a free pass. But Malaysians deserve a mature opposition that will engage on an intellectual level with Anwar’s policy proposals. Where they disagree with his policies they can articulate and defend alternate views, insist on transparency and take a clear stance on issues – as Anwar has – that Malaysians can judge at the next election.
Malaysia has waited far too long to have the opportunity to try, if not the man Anwar Ibrahim, the political vision that he has incubated for so long. Some of his ambitions, such as curtailing waste and bloat in the public sector, may sound uncomfortable, but are inevitable if Malaysia is to realize the same prosperity and efficiency of its tiny neighbor, Singapore.
In 2023, Malaysians must insist that they get a chance to see whether the Prime Minister can realize his vision and his promises and deliver the prosperity and dignity that Malaysians deserve. Now that the fear mongering has failed to keep him from power or oust him, the people can see for themselves whether Anwar’s vision was dangerous enough to justify imprisoning him to keep him off the ballot. They can see if it makes a difference to have a leader at the helm who is taken seriously by the international community and who is well read on Islam, economics and international relations. Once he has had a chance to try and deliver on his promises, whether he has succeeded or failed will be for Malaysians to decide one day, at GE16.
Even though Anwar and his allies have managed so far to stay one step ahead of the opposition, every minute he is forced to spend on petty politics is a minute wasted that they could otherwise spent delivering on his promise to the King and the people to unite and govern Malaysians.
As unlikely as it may seem today, if the opposition somehow manages to pull off another underhand maneuver, and some other hotel lobby becomes the next “Sheraton” for a move to cut the government off at its knees and deny Anwar a chance to deliver, it is Malaysians who will lose, as they may never again have the chance to learn whether a truly transparent, egalitarian liberal democracy is the destiny that Malaysia deserves. And if Malaysians lose that opportunity, those who denied it to them may pay a hefty political price.
by Dr Gotabhya Ranasinghe
Senior Consultant Cardiologist
National Hospital Sri Lanka
When we sought a meeting with Hon Dr. Ramesh Pathirana, Minister of Health, he graciously cleared his busy schedule to accommodate us. Renowned for his attentive listening and deep understanding, Minister Pathirana is dedicated to advancing the health sector. His openness and transparency exemplify the qualities of an exemplary politician and minister.
Dr. Palitha Mahipala, the current Health Secretary, demonstrates both commendable enthusiasm and unwavering support. This combination of attributes makes him a highly compatible colleague for the esteemed Minister of Health.
Our discussion centered on a project that has been in the works for the past 30 years, one that no other minister had managed to advance.
Minister Pathirana, however, recognized the project’s significance and its potential to revolutionize care for heart patients.
The project involves the construction of a state-of-the-art facility at the premises of the National Hospital Colombo. The project’s location within the premises of the National Hospital underscores its importance and relevance to the healthcare infrastructure of the nation.
This facility will include a cardiology building and a tertiary care center, equipped with the latest technology to handle and treat all types of heart-related conditions and surgeries.
Securing funding was a major milestone for this initiative. Minister Pathirana successfully obtained approval for a $40 billion loan from the Asian Development Bank. With the funding in place, the foundation stone is scheduled to be laid in September this year, and construction will begin in January 2025.
This project guarantees a consistent and uninterrupted supply of stents and related medications for heart patients. As a result, patients will have timely access to essential medical supplies during their treatment and recovery. By securing these critical resources, the project aims to enhance patient outcomes, minimize treatment delays, and maintain the highest standards of cardiac care.
Upon its fruition, this monumental building will serve as a beacon of hope and healing, symbolizing the unwavering dedication to improving patient outcomes and fostering a healthier society.We anticipate a future marked by significant progress and positive outcomes in Sri Lanka’s cardiovascular treatment landscape within the foreseeable timeframe.
by Fr. Emmanuel Fernando, OMI
Jesuit Fr. Aloysius Pieris (affectionately called Fr. Aloy) celebrated his 90th birthday on April 9, 2024 and I, as the editor of our Oblate Journal, THE MISSIONARY OBLATE had gone to press by that time. Immediately I decided to publish an article, appreciating the untiring selfless services he continues to offer for inter-Faith dialogue, the renewal of the Catholic Church, his concern for the poor and the suffering Sri Lankan masses and to me, the present writer.
It was in 1988, when I was appointed Director of the Oblate Scholastics at Ampitiya by the then Oblate Provincial Fr. Anselm Silva, that I came to know Fr. Aloy more closely. Knowing well his expertise in matters spiritual, theological, Indological and pastoral, and with the collaborative spirit of my companion-formators, our Oblate Scholastics were sent to Tulana, the Research and Encounter Centre, Kelaniya, of which he is the Founder-Director, for ‘exposure-programmes’ on matters spiritual, biblical, theological and pastoral. Some of these dimensions according to my view and that of my companion-formators, were not available at the National Seminary, Ampitiya.
Ever since that time, our Oblate formators/ accompaniers at the Oblate Scholasticate, Ampitiya , have continued to send our Oblate Scholastics to Tulana Centre for deepening their insights and convictions regarding matters needed to serve the people in today’s context. Fr. Aloy also had tried very enthusiastically with the Oblate team headed by Frs. Oswald Firth and Clement Waidyasekara to begin a Theologate, directed by the Religious Congregations in Sri Lanka, for the contextual formation/ accompaniment of their members. It should very well be a desired goal of the Leaders / Provincials of the Religious Congregations.
Besides being a formator/accompanier at the Oblate Scholasticate, I was entrusted also with the task of editing and publishing our Oblate journal, ‘The Missionary Oblate’. To maintain the quality of the journal I continue to depend on Fr. Aloy for his thought-provoking and stimulating articles on Biblical Spirituality, Biblical Theology and Ecclesiology. I am very grateful to him for his generous assistance. Of late, his writings on renewal of the Church, initiated by Pope St. John XX111 and continued by Pope Francis through the Synodal path, published in our Oblate journal, enable our readers to focus their attention also on the needed renewal in the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka. Fr. Aloy appreciated very much the Synodal path adopted by the Jesuit Pope Francis for the renewal of the Church, rooted very much on prayerful discernment. In my Religious and presbyteral life, Fr.Aloy continues to be my spiritual animator / guide and ongoing formator / acccompanier.
Fr. Aloysius Pieris, BA Hons (Lond), LPh (SHC, India), STL (PFT, Naples), PhD (SLU/VC), ThD (Tilburg), D.Ltt (KU), has been one of the eminent Asian theologians well recognized internationally and one who has lectured and held visiting chairs in many universities both in the West and in the East. Many members of Religious Congregations from Asian countries have benefited from his lectures and guidance in the East Asian Pastoral Institute (EAPI) in Manila, Philippines. He had been a Theologian consulted by the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences for many years. During his professorship at the Gregorian University in Rome, he was called to be a member of a special group of advisers on other religions consulted by Pope Paul VI.
Fr. Aloy is the author of more than 30 books and well over 500 Research Papers. Some of his books and articles have been translated and published in several countries. Among those books, one can find the following: 1) The Genesis of an Asian Theology of Liberation (An Autobiographical Excursus on the Art of Theologising in Asia, 2) An Asian Theology of Liberation, 3) Providential Timeliness of Vatican 11 (a long-overdue halt to a scandalous millennium, 4) Give Vatican 11 a chance, 5) Leadership in the Church, 6) Relishing our faith in working for justice (Themes for study and discussion), 7) A Message meant mainly, not exclusively for Jesuits (Background information necessary for helping Francis renew the Church), 8) Lent in Lanka (Reflections and Resolutions, 9) Love meets wisdom (A Christian Experience of Buddhism, 10) Fire and Water 11) God’s Reign for God’s poor, 12) Our Unhiddden Agenda (How we Jesuits work, pray and form our men). He is also the Editor of two journals, Vagdevi, Journal of Religious Reflection and Dialogue, New Series.
Fr. Aloy has a BA in Pali and Sanskrit from the University of London and a Ph.D in Buddhist Philosophy from the University of Sri Lankan, Vidyodaya Campus. On Nov. 23, 2019, he was awarded the prestigious honorary Doctorate of Literature (D.Litt) by the Chancellor of the University of Kelaniya, the Most Venerable Welamitiyawe Dharmakirthi Sri Kusala Dhamma Thera.
Fr. Aloy continues to be a promoter of Gospel values and virtues. Justice as a constitutive dimension of love and social concern for the downtrodden masses are very much noted in his life and work. He had very much appreciated the commitment of the late Fr. Joseph (Joe) Fernando, the National Director of the Social and Economic Centre (SEDEC) for the poor.
In Sri Lanka, a few religious Congregations – the Good Shepherd Sisters, the Christian Brothers, the Marist Brothers and the Oblates – have invited him to animate their members especially during their Provincial Congresses, Chapters and International Conferences. The mainline Christian Churches also have sought his advice and followed his seminars. I, for one, regret very much, that the Sri Lankan authorities of the Catholic Church –today’s Hierarchy—- have not sought Fr.
Aloy’s expertise for the renewal of the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka and thus have not benefited from the immense store of wisdom and insight that he can offer to our local Church while the Sri Lankan bishops who governed the Catholic church in the immediate aftermath of the Second Vatican Council (Edmund Fernando OMI, Anthony de Saram, Leo Nanayakkara OSB, Frank Marcus Fernando, Paul Perera,) visited him and consulted him on many matters. Among the Tamil Bishops, Bishop Rayappu Joseph was keeping close contact with him and Bishop J. Deogupillai hosted him and his team visiting him after the horrible Black July massacre of Tamils.
Sri Lanka-Singapore Free Trade Agreement
By Gomi Senadhira
senadhiragomi@gmail.com
“You might tell fairy tales, but the progress of a country cannot be achieved through such narratives. A country cannot be developed by making false promises. The country moved backward because of the electoral promises made by political parties throughout time. We have witnessed that the ultimate result of this is the country becoming bankrupt. Unfortunately, many segments of the population have not come to realize this yet.” – President Ranil Wickremesinghe, 2024 Budget speech
Any Sri Lankan would agree with the above words of President Wickremesinghe on the false promises our politicians and officials make and the fairy tales they narrate which bankrupted this country. So, to understand this, let’s look at one such fairy tale with lots of false promises; Ranil Wickremesinghe’s greatest achievement in the area of international trade and investment promotion during the Yahapalana period, Sri Lanka-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (SLSFTA).
It is appropriate and timely to do it now as Finance Minister Wickremesinghe has just presented to parliament a bill on the National Policy on Economic Transformation which includes the establishment of an Office for International Trade and the Sri Lanka Institute of Economics and International Trade.
Was SLSFTA a “Cleverly negotiated Free Trade Agreement” as stated by the (former) Minister of Development Strategies and International Trade Malik Samarawickrama during the Parliamentary Debate on the SLSFTA in July 2018, or a colossal blunder covered up with lies, false promises, and fairy tales? After SLSFTA was signed there were a number of fairy tales published on this agreement by the Ministry of Development Strategies and International, Institute of Policy Studies, and others.
However, for this article, I would like to limit my comments to the speech by Minister Samarawickrama during the Parliamentary Debate, and the two most important areas in the agreement which were covered up with lies, fairy tales, and false promises, namely: revenue loss for Sri Lanka and Investment from Singapore. On the other important area, “Waste products dumping” I do not want to comment here as I have written extensively on the issue.
1. The revenue loss
During the Parliamentary Debate in July 2018, Minister Samarawickrama stated “…. let me reiterate that this FTA with Singapore has been very cleverly negotiated by us…. The liberalisation programme under this FTA has been carefully designed to have the least impact on domestic industry and revenue collection. We have included all revenue sensitive items in the negative list of items which will not be subject to removal of tariff. Therefore, 97.8% revenue from Customs duty is protected. Our tariff liberalisation will take place over a period of 12-15 years! In fact, the revenue earned through tariffs on goods imported from Singapore last year was Rs. 35 billion.
The revenue loss for over the next 15 years due to the FTA is only Rs. 733 million– which when annualised, on average, is just Rs. 51 million. That is just 0.14% per year! So anyone who claims the Singapore FTA causes revenue loss to the Government cannot do basic arithmetic! Mr. Speaker, in conclusion, I call on my fellow members of this House – don’t mislead the public with baseless criticism that is not grounded in facts. Don’t look at petty politics and use these issues for your own political survival.”
I was surprised to read the minister’s speech because an article published in January 2018 in “The Straits Times“, based on information released by the Singaporean Negotiators stated, “…. With the FTA, tariff savings for Singapore exports are estimated to hit $10 million annually“.
As the annual tariff savings (that is the revenue loss for Sri Lanka) calculated by the Singaporean Negotiators, Singaporean $ 10 million (Sri Lankan rupees 1,200 million in 2018) was way above the rupees’ 733 million revenue loss for 15 years estimated by the Sri Lankan negotiators, it was clear to any observer that one of the parties to the agreement had not done the basic arithmetic!
Six years later, according to a report published by “The Morning” newspaper, speaking at the Committee on Public Finance (COPF) on 7th May 2024, Mr Samarawickrama’s chief trade negotiator K.J. Weerasinghehad had admitted “…. that forecasted revenue loss for the Government of Sri Lanka through the Singapore FTA is Rs. 450 million in 2023 and Rs. 1.3 billion in 2024.”
If these numbers are correct, as tariff liberalisation under the SLSFTA has just started, we will pass Rs 2 billion very soon. Then, the question is how Sri Lanka’s trade negotiators made such a colossal blunder. Didn’t they do their basic arithmetic? If they didn’t know how to do basic arithmetic they should have at least done their basic readings. For example, the headline of the article published in The Straits Times in January 2018 was “Singapore, Sri Lanka sign FTA, annual savings of $10m expected”.
Anyway, as Sri Lanka’s chief negotiator reiterated at the COPF meeting that “…. since 99% of the tariffs in Singapore have zero rates of duty, Sri Lanka has agreed on 80% tariff liberalisation over a period of 15 years while expecting Singapore investments to address the imbalance in trade,” let’s turn towards investment.
Investment from Singapore
In July 2018, speaking during the Parliamentary Debate on the FTA this is what Minister Malik Samarawickrama stated on investment from Singapore, “Already, thanks to this FTA, in just the past two-and-a-half months since the agreement came into effect we have received a proposal from Singapore for investment amounting to $ 14.8 billion in an oil refinery for export of petroleum products. In addition, we have proposals for a steel manufacturing plant for exports ($ 1 billion investment), flour milling plant ($ 50 million), sugar refinery ($ 200 million). This adds up to more than $ 16.05 billion in the pipeline on these projects alone.
And all of these projects will create thousands of more jobs for our people. In principle approval has already been granted by the BOI and the investors are awaiting the release of land the environmental approvals to commence the project.
I request the Opposition and those with vested interests to change their narrow-minded thinking and join us to develop our country. We must always look at what is best for the whole community, not just the few who may oppose. We owe it to our people to courageously take decisions that will change their lives for the better.”
According to the media report I quoted earlier, speaking at the Committee on Public Finance (COPF) Chief Negotiator Weerasinghe has admitted that Sri Lanka was not happy with overall Singapore investments that have come in the past few years in return for the trade liberalisation under the Singapore-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement. He has added that between 2021 and 2023 the total investment from Singapore had been around $162 million!
What happened to those projects worth $16 billion negotiated, thanks to the SLSFTA, in just the two-and-a-half months after the agreement came into effect and approved by the BOI? I do not know about the steel manufacturing plant for exports ($ 1 billion investment), flour milling plant ($ 50 million) and sugar refinery ($ 200 million).
However, story of the multibillion-dollar investment in the Petroleum Refinery unfolded in a manner that would qualify it as the best fairy tale with false promises presented by our politicians and the officials, prior to 2019 elections.
Though many Sri Lankans got to know, through the media which repeatedly highlighted a plethora of issues surrounding the project and the questionable credentials of the Singaporean investor, the construction work on the Mirrijiwela Oil Refinery along with the cement factory began on the24th of March 2019 with a bang and Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and his ministers along with the foreign and local dignitaries laid the foundation stones.
That was few months before the 2019 Presidential elections. Inaugurating the construction work Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said the projects will create thousands of job opportunities in the area and surrounding districts.
The oil refinery, which was to be built over 200 acres of land, with the capacity to refine 200,000 barrels of crude oil per day, was to generate US$7 billion of exports and create 1,500 direct and 3,000 indirect jobs. The construction of the refinery was to be completed in 44 months. Four years later, in August 2023 the Cabinet of Ministers approved the proposal presented by President Ranil Wickremesinghe to cancel the agreement with the investors of the refinery as the project has not been implemented! Can they explain to the country how much money was wasted to produce that fairy tale?
It is obvious that the President, ministers, and officials had made huge blunders and had deliberately misled the public and the parliament on the revenue loss and potential investment from SLSFTA with fairy tales and false promises.
As the president himself said, a country cannot be developed by making false promises or with fairy tales and these false promises and fairy tales had bankrupted the country. “Unfortunately, many segments of the population have not come to realize this yet”.
(The writer, a specialist and an activist on trade and development issues . )
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