It has been described as the weakest link when it comes
to security cooperation. The bitter lesson for Indonesia
is that security is not just a political issue.

Acting against Islamic radicals in the republic may cause
unhappiness among a large section of the voters but Indonesia
must realise that it will lose out economically if it does not.

It will take a year or more before tourists start
returning to Bali, once an island paradise. Thanks to
the bombers, the island's tourism industry – with arrival figures of up to five
million a year – is now in shambles.

The blasts killed more than 180 people, mostly foreign tourists,
on the island resort last week. The attacks took place in Kuta beach, a
playground for Australians who flock to its beaches for sun and surf. Among the
dead and wounded were Singaporeans, Britons, Americans, Swedes, Swiss and
Dutch.

If previously Indonesia was seen as a place where riots
occur almost daily, now it is seen as a nation threatened by organisations like
Jemaah Islamiah headed by Abu Bakar Ba'asyir.

He is wanted by Malaysia
and Singapore
authorities but lives freely in Indonesia
although its members have been arrested across the region. His deputy, Riduan
Isamuddin, also known as Hambali, is accused of being a long-time al-Qaeda
operative and also wanted by Malaysia
and Singapore.

In a bid to show it was serious about tackling terrorism,
Indonesian leaders hurriedly announced that they had names of individuals
connected to the attacks.

Defence Minister Matori Abdul Djalil denied that Jakarta
had been soft on militants but admitted for the first time that an al-Qaeda
network existed in Indonesia.

The world wants Indonesia
to clamp down on militant groups. There must be arrests and laws must be drawn
up to detain terrorist suspects. It does Jakarta
no good when Islamic radicals attack club patrons openly, in the name of
religion, and get away with it.

What Indonesia
needs is plenty of political will. Its neighbours are fed up with some
Indonesian politicians who flirt with these militant leaders to win elections.

It is a dangerous game and unless Indonesia
acts fast against these cowards, the region will suffer along. To many
Westerners, especially Americans, it makes no difference whether it is Singapore,
Malaysia or Indonesia.

All the South-East Asian countries are lumped together.
An incident such as the Bali blast will only put pressure
on an already slowing economy, particularly when Malaysia
is trying hard to attract foreign direct investments.

Indonesia
Vice-President Hamzah Haz, for example, blamed weak intelligence and poor
security measures for the Bali blast but we have not forgotten
that Hamzah had in the past denied the existence of a terrorist network in Indonesia.

In fact, Hamzah even visited detained militant leader
Jaafar Umar Thalib of the Laskar Jihad group, blamed for inciting violence
against Christians.

Indonesian leaders must understand that being tough with
terrorists need not necessarily mean compromising on political order. In both Malaysia
and Singapore,
the majority of the people have supported their governments in using
legislation to prevent political instability.

Indonesian politicians must now stop playing games. They
must give the government real power to go after these perpetrators while
security and anti-terror strategies have to be drawn up and implemented
immediately.

Ordinary Indonesians seem to be in a state of denial,
refusing to believe that their countrymen are capable of carrying out such a
despicable act.

Many believe that some foreign power was behind the
bombings. There was nothing sophisticated about the method used in the attack.
The Indonesia
media is doing an injustice to the war against terrorism by continuing to fan
this conspiracy theory.

The terrorists can claim they are fighting for a just
cause but when innocent lives are taken, they are merely lunatics, not holy
men. There can be no religious, political or moral justification for such
madness.

He was escorted by two airport policemen to a room where
he was held for three hours and interrogated because his name was on the
checklist. To their untrained eyes and ears, bin Jasin was close enough to bin
Laden. Their suspicion was further pricked when it was established that bin
Jasin was an "Islaam."

The former New Straits Times group chief editor said he
knew he was in trouble when he replied that he was a Muslim and not an
"Islaam."

Checking his passport, the FBI officer found it hard to
believe that Kadir, a "Malayan" – as the officer described his nationality –
could afford to travel to so many countries.

It didn't help that it was 6.20am
on a Sunday morning and that the FBI officer had to be rudely awoken from his
sleep at home to come over to the airport to meet Kadir bin Jasin from South-East
Asia – "known" for its links with the al-Qaeda terrorists.

Further suspicion was raised when the officer was told
that Kadir's son, who was studying in Iowa,
was taking up aeronautical engineering, which involves the mechanics of flying.

Only after a computer check with FBI records, revealing
that Kadir was not a terrorist, was he allowed to continue his journey.

Kadir also made the mistake of using Chicago
as his US entry
point; it is one of the world's busiest airports with 72 million passengers in
2001 and has earned a reputation for delays and cancellations.

It took Kadir 45 minutes to clear immigration. In the
next six hours, he had to sit through two flight cancellations and had to
shuttle from one terminal to another before catching the connecting flight to Iowa.

Kadir is still sore and has sworn that he will never
travel to the US
"until they learn to differentiate between terrorists and Muslims."

Last week, Malaysians read about the shoddy treatment
accorded to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad and his deputy Datuk
Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi during their recent official visits to New
York and Los Angeles.

Dr Mahathir had said that US immigration officers were
"rude and rough" towards him when he was in New York,
adding that an officer who boarded the plane said in a rough manner that nobody
should move until everyone on board was checked.

Abdullah had disclosed that he was asked to remove his
shoes and belt at the Los Angeles Airport
for security check before he was allowed to fly to New
York to address the United Nations General Assembly.

On Wednesday, the US Embassy expressed regret for the
"inappropriate" treatment toward the two leaders: "The embassy sincerely
regrets any inconveniences or inappropriate treatment that senior Malaysian
government officials may have experienced during their visits to the US."

Now, if dignitaries like the PM and DPM, accompanied by
Foreign Ministry officials, have to put up with such brash treatment, imagine
ordinary Malaysians like you and me.

Malaysians understand that the world has changed in the
aftermath of Sept 11. Travelling rules have changed and it cannot be denied
that rules to ensure the safety of travellers need to be enforced.

Most travellers will not mind the little inconveniences,
for the greater good of all, but in enforcing these regulations there must be
some sensitivity and knowledge.

Officers of the law must undergo a minimum course on
religion, customs and geography, for example. In many parts of the US,
airport and security officials have little contact with foreigners.

When they have to deal with foreigners, there are often
uncertainties, especially if it involves a person in custody. There is often
some muscle flexing and a sense of superiority, especially if the person being
questioned is coloured. The situation becomes more complicated if the detainee
cannot speak English.

In all fairness, however, a Caucasian officer can
sometimes be more understanding than a fellow Asian. Those of us who travel to London
via Heathrow Airport
dread having to face an Asian immigration officer. While the white man is often
polite and cheerful, welcoming you to London,
the Asian officer would sometimes pose ridiculous questions.

Maybe these Asian officers merely want to prove to their
white superiors that they can perform well at their job.

At Heathrow a few days after Sept 11, a woman officer
confiscated my "ear-wax remover." She could not believe the thin metal piece
was made for that purpose, saying Caucasians used cotton buds to clean their
ears.

A demonstration convinced her that such a gadget works
but I still had to part with it, because "it can be used to pierce somebody's
eyes, young man."

Malaysians should seriously consider cuti cuti Malaysia
or neighbouring Asian countries for their holidays, at least for the time being
– it's better than being detained in a non-heated room for questioning.

The decision will affect mostly students, businessmen and
transit visitors as Canada
is not known to be an attractive tourist destination for Malaysians.

In trying to downplay the issue, Canadian High
Commissioner Jean McCloskey has explained that the move did not just affect Malaysia
but also Zimbabwe,
Hungary, South
Africa and several other countries.

Still, the timing of the decision is certainly
regrettable. Admittedly, it is the prerogative of the Canadian government to
review the situation but Malaysians cannot be blamed if they feel that the
decision is yet another example of stereotyping based on religion and culture.

The other blow was Malaysia's
dropping out from the list of FDI from its previous 22nd position. The FDI
Confidence Index reportedly said that uncertainty about the leadership
transition, fears of terrorism and the complex relationship between politics
and business had affected the country's attractiveness.

This is despite Malaysia
making progress in banking reform, corporate governance, improving its
infrastructure and having an estimated 4% gross domestic product growth rate
this year, the report acknowledged.

The only consolation is that Asean countries including Singapore
also experienced declines in investor attractiveness with the island republic
falling from 13 th to 22nd position in the index. It also moved out of the top
25 list of most attractive markets for American investors.

Political reasons aside, Asean countries are finding it
tough to compete against China
with multinational corporations shifting base to China.

China
is not just offering lower production costs but also market opportunities, a
more competitive position and even skilled workers in information technology
and engineering. Language used to be a minus point but the Chinese are learning
English fast.

All this means that Malaysia
has to work harder to get back our businesses. It starts with our image and the
perception of foreigners towards Malaysia.

No amount of investment promotion trips will help us if
the world thinks that Malaysia
is a haven for terrorists. We do not want the world to assume that it's a place
for terrorists to meet or wannabe Osama bin Ladens to carry out training.

Our security forces must be commended for acting tough
against extremist groups and they deserve to be supported by all Malaysians.

But politicians like Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat and Datuk
Seri Hadi Awang are not helping us with their statements. Recently, Hadi's
statement on banning swimsuits on Terengganu beaches earned us a full page in
Time magazine.

Such controversial statements are giving the impression
that Malaysia
is slowly turning into another Afghanistan
and when Westerners see these magazines carrying pictures of these PAS leaders
with their goatees and turbans, they will think we are situated next to Kabul.

In the latest edition of Time, which carried a special
report on terrorism, Malaysia
was mentioned no less than five times in the report, which claimed that "the US
believed that Southeast Asia had the world's highest
concentration of al-Qaeda operatives outside Afghanistan
and Pakistan."

Such post-Sept 11 hysteria is part of the political
scenario that Malaysia
and other Muslim countries have to cope with. The US
will not consider that long before the attacks on the World Trade Centre in New
York, the Malaysian authorities had acted against
Islamic extremists who had links with Afghans.

The Kumpulan Militan Malaysia,
which included grassroots PAS leaders, had arms training and when they were
arrested under the Internal Security Act, there were protests from many,
including groups in the US.
It was the same with the Al-Ma'unah group which killed some policemen in their
arms heist.

These militants never had much chance to stay long
because of the alert surveillance. What the US
security agencies and media are not admitting is that the terrorists, including
those who crashed into the WTC, had their training on US
soil.

Many of the terrorists who have been detained since then
included US-born Arabs. By the same logic, can't we now argue that the US
is a training haven for terrorists? In fact, London
has continued to be the headquarters of many groups, including the Tamil
Tigers.

Tightening entry regulations into the US
and some Western countries may strengthen security but only a short-term
respite, if not a false sense of security, to these countries.

The root cause is the US
policy in West Asia, particularly the Palestinian-Israeli
conflict, and unless the US
adopts a fair and workable solution there, no amount of regulations will stop
Islamic militants from making the US
a target.

And Malaysia,
which is thousands of miles away from the US
and West Asia, has found itself a victim of ignorance.
But then, the Americans have always been lousy in geography. Never mind if
President George W. Bush has an MBA from Harvard.

When Kuala Lumpur
hosted the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in 1990, I was assigned by
my editors to be in the team to cover the event.

When I reported for work at the company headquarters in
Petaling Jaya, I was given the transfer letter on the spot. No wonder my
earlier queries on my accommodation were left unanswered!

After more than 10 years of working in Kuala
Lumpur, I have considered the city my home. Although I
have no regrets about moving to the city, I do miss my hometown and my family
members who live there.

I would grab any opportunity to balik kampung but the
trips over the past year have been disappointing. Talk about KL's traffic crawl
– Penang is no different now.

While traffic flow in KL has improved tremendously
because of the effective road system, Penang roads are
becoming increasingly clogged up.

Last week, the North section of The Star reported that
almost 1.2 million cars and motorcycles choke up the state's highways and
narrow streets.

According to Road Transport Department statistics, the
state has about 724,000 motorcycles and 459,000 cars, as of June this year.

The figures, while not surprising, are worrisome because Penang
– which is only 1,030 sq metres in size – ranks fourth in the country after KL
(2.2 million), Johor (1.5 million) and Selangor (1.3 million).

The average ratio of private vehicle ownership to the
population is almost one to one while in Selangor, with a population of 3.6
million, records a ratio of one vehicle to two persons.

Most Penangites have a car and a motorcycle (to travel
short distances) but unlike other states, the motorcyclists there ride in the
middle of the road. Quite often, the rider returns a menacingly look if someone
honks him or her for bad road manners.

Most Penangites prefer their own vehicles because the
public transport system is much to be desired. Minibuses have long been banned
in KL but, in Penang, they seem to have been given a new
lease of life.

Ironic as it may seem, the taxi sapu service is quite
efficient. The metered taxi drivers, finding it hard to compete with these
illegal taxis, have no choice but to haggle with the notoriously thrifty
Penangites over the rates.

It will be difficult for the state government to impose
restrictions on the roads, such as preventing single-occupancy vehicles from
entering restricted areas, but it should seriously work on improving the road
system.

Efforts by the authorities to ease traffic woes by coming
up with the Penang Outer Ring Road (PORR) project seem to have run into
obstacles.

The resistance comes primarily from concerns that old Penang,
with its leafy streets, would be gone.

Already, there are signs of the inner city dying. Most of
the pre-war houses in George Town
are now empty because of the imposition of quit rent.

Previously, the low rent had kept small businesses going,
providing employment and income. When the landlords increased the rents, many
preferred to close shop because it was no longer viable to continue running
their businesses.

The landlords now find no takers for their premises
despite renovating them. As a result, these shophouses stand empty.

Many of the shops in the city, where I used to buy my
books and clothes, have gone out of business.

Tourists would get the impression that all is not well.
After all, visitors want to browse in quaint-looking shops. They do not travel
for thousands of miles to shop in air-conditioned shopping complexes.

Politicians in Penang are arguing
whether the state deserves its Darul Sampah tag. The city needs to be cleaned
up but I don't think it has come to that stage. It is unfair to blame the state
government when the people should be more civic conscious first.

Fortunately, not everything in Penang
has deteriorated. After hearing complaints about the lack of quality food in
the state, I decided to check out some eating spots over the last few days.

For some of my friends in KL, they merely head for Gurney
Drive but Penangites will tell you that you have
to coffeeshop hop to eat the best dishes.

Penang is still a food haven,
without doubt. But something has to be done about its traffic system if the Pearl
of the Orient wants to keep its shine.

On Monday, the International Atomic Energy Agency said
there was no proof that Iraq
was making these bombs at a former site previously destroyed by United Nations'
inspectors.

The world also wants the United
States to prove that the Saddam regime has
links with the al-Qaeda or any other terrorist groups.

The United States
itself had worked with Mujahideen groups in Afghanistan
to fight the Russians previously, but with the new political scenario these
groups have been relegated from being freedom fighters to Islamic extremists.

Such hypocrisy is not unusual. What US
President George W. Bush is saying is that no other country should have nuclear
weapons except the United States
because the United States
is the good guy and the rest are bad guys.

Neither does he want the world to remember that since the
1991 Gulf War – in which the United States and its allies dropped 88,500 tonnes
of bombs on Iraqis – innocent children and the elderly have died because of the
embargo on medicine and equipment.

I am not being anti-US, neither am I an admirer of
Saddam. He is no different from Arab princes who treat their nation's wealth as
their personal property.

The United States
has painted Saddam as a rogue leader and a financier of terrorists to justify
its imminent attacks.

Less mentioned is the fact that Iraq
is a good catch because it has large reserves of oil and water.

Unlike other Arab countries that have few skilled
workers, Iraq
has a substantial number of scientists and engineers in most of West
Asia, with the exception of Israel.

Then there is local American politics. With US
congressional elections just around the corner, a war will help the
Republicans, if there are not too many body bags returning from the war front.
A well-executed air strike against Iraq,
with no ground combat, would certainly make Bush look good.

But the cost may be too high . It will certainly fuel
anger among the Arabs. There is already much antagonism against the United
States for its blind support of Israel
in its persecution of the Palestinians.

The bitterness against Tel Aviv will continue to fan
hatred against the United States
among the Arabs and Muslims in general.

The divide between the US
and Muslim  worlds will become bigger if
Bush decides to go to war with Iraq.
Muslim leaders who had previously supported Bush in  American fight against the al-Qaeda network
will no longer have the same enthusiasm.

In fact, an attack on Iraq
may make global terrorism more difficult to contain and could result in
retaliation against the United States.

As US
war drums continue to sound, the rest of the world should convince Iraq
to allow UN inspectors to re-inspect the country's technical facilities, which
the United States
has claimed to be nuclear installations.

It's not good enough for Iraq
to conduct a media tour of suspected sites because journalists are not experts.
If indeed Iraq
has nothing to hide, then it should be prepared to be more transparent.

The United States,
on its part, cannot talk about the rule of law and justice if it continues to
be unilateralist in its international policies. There has to be some order in
running world affairs and the United States
has a responsibility to act lawfully. It cannot ignore international public
opinion.

So far, only British Prime Minister Tony Blair has come
out to back Bush. It is one thing to be an ally of the United
States, but Blair need not be a lackey.

The United States will inflict more damage on the war
against terrorism if it makes the wrong move against Iraq – Bush should do more
listening instead of talking tough.

But he has a good track record. With the support of
generous Malaysians, the money would usually pour in.

Once the medical treatment is over, Chong would call a
press conference for the patient to thank the people. Any excess money would
then be passed on to the next needy patient.

Often, the money comes from anonymous donors. No
questions are asked.

Those involved in non-government organisations would tell
you that funds are hard to come by these days, especially from the
corporations.

On the other hand, there are publicity seekers who want
their pictures to appear in print for donating a paltry sum.

People seeking help often head straight for a newspaper
office to tell their plight. Most are genuine cases but it is standard
procedure for editors to insist on medical records and referrals from doctors.

The media would not directly raise funds for them but
would advise them to approach a reputable organisation or person, like Chong,
to highlight their case.

As in all fund raising, a proper account is usually then
opened to ensure some form of accountability.

Like all fund-raising efforts, there would always be
abuses.

There is no foolproof system. Even the Rural Development
Ministry-run programme for the hardcore poor has been allegedly subjected to
corruption.

Generally, the public trusts social organisations more
than government agencies in the collection and distribution of donations.

Medical treatment, especially in complicated cases, has
become so expensive that professionals earning between RM6,000 and RM8,000 a
month would have difficulty meeting the expenses.

I know of one engineer who needs RM600,000 for an
operation in the United States
to save his three-month-old child who has a heart condition. The expert in Malaysia
has written off the case but, like any parent, the engineer is fighting to save
his child's life.

In the US,
he could stay for free in a hostel, run by a fast-food chain, next to the
hospital to cut down on expenses. All he needs to do is to help clean up the
hostel. He wonders why such facilities cannot be made available here.

The engineer has been going around seeking financial help
from relatives. The family income has suffered because his wife has to give up
her job as they take turns to continue the battle for their child's life.

The proposal by Health Minister Datuk Chua Jui Meng that
appeals for donations to treat severe cases be referred to the ministry's
director-general for screening and evaluation is well-intended.

Chua is correct in suggesting that the public has
complained of lack of transparency in utilising donations.

He said the media would have to refer cases to the
director-general who would examine the case and look at whether the government
hospitals had the expertise to treat the patient.

If the treatment or operation could not be performed
locally, the director-general would then give the go-ahead for the patient to
go abroad.

Based on this, the director-general would then inform the
media whether it could do a fund-raising campaign for the case concerned, Chua
said.

The method makes sense. Unknown to many, the Selayang
hospital and the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
hospital in Cheras, for instance, are easily better equipped than many private
hospitals.

And who says government staff is less caring? I know of a
Malay woman doctor, Dr Salmah Nordin at the Taman Ehsan government clinic in
Kepong, who skipped lunch to treat a Chinese patient for suspected liver
problems – and the other staff patiently waited for her to complete her
thorough treatment.

Such dedication speaks well of the many overworked and
under-paid doctors in government medical facilities.

Chua's proposal, however, needs some fine-tuning to
ensure practicality. One wonders whether the committee headed by the
director-general has the time and means to investigate all cases referred to
them.

Malaysians do not want government red tape to delay
urgent cases. Then, there is the question of accountability on the part of the
committee.

In fact, most Malaysians are not even aware of the RM5mil
in the National Health Welfare Fund. If journalists are not familiar with this
fund, what more the ordinary folk?

The proposal for the media to refer all cases to the
director-general also has no legal basis.

Perhaps a better solution would be to set up a community
chest, run by reputable individuals and supported by the government and private
sector. The agency can be run by full-time social workers and prominent figures
while the public can volunteer to carry out follow-up work.

Malaysians can also opt to make monthly deductions from
their wages, with the support of their employers and the Inland Revenue
Department. A proper annual report can then be presented to ensure
accountability.

There will always be a few dishonest people who exploit
the generosity of Malaysians, but don't allow them to curb our willingness to
lend a helping hand.

There are plenty of reasons to celebrate. While some
Malaysians may take national day for granted, there are thousands of foreigners
who want to remain in our country.

Sorry, we cannot allow you to join in the party because
there is no more room.

It's a lot of foreigners when they make up 10% of the
population of 22 million people in a small country. We understand the majority
want to stay in Malaysia
because there are plenty of jobs but we just cannot accommodate them.

Yes, we know of volcanic eruptions in Indonesia
and the Philippines.
And we heard it's dangerous to walk in the streets because of the crime rate in
these two countries.

They say the politicians in Jakarta
and Manila talk too much. We have
them here too, but they are less irrational, perhaps. No, we don't have movie
heroes and beauty queens who get voted into political office.

I am sure many Malaysians would like to see some glamour
in our Parliament but most of us are not prepared to risk our votes on a bimbo
or a drunkard.

One Filipino politician has asked his government to
reclaim Sabah from Malaysia.
We all thought it was no longer an issue but it's like the late President
Marcos – both are dead but yet to be buried, as far as some elite Filipinos are
concerned.

The Filipino press has always been feisty. For the
Indonesian journalists, the newfound freedom has been a blessing after years of
being shackled.

Who cares about accuracy? Nobody is going to ask about
accountability if they run unsubstantiated reports of deaths in detention
camps. Attribution and confirmation don't seem to exist because the competition
is just too hot.

Besides, with the foreign wire agencies so much against Malaysia,
the Western press would just lap it up and repeat these unfounded allegations to
the world. And who would want to sue these publications that are not even
selling enough to pay their reporters?

We are a lucky country, for all the whining some of us
make. We may have our differences but we are tolerant and rational. We know how
to turn down the volume each time a debate gets too loud.

We seek solutions at the negotiation table to resolve our
problems. That was how we achieved our independence from the British.

Our leaders, representing the major races, fought for
independence through negotiations and not by shedding blood in the streets.

Despite criticism against our style of democracy, our
leaders have run Malaysia
well. Without doubt, we can still improve ourselves and I am sure, given time,
we will.

Sometimes, we are a little too hard on ourselves. It's
simply because most of us have never gone through really hard times.

As a nation, we have our share of setbacks but we have
never suffered greatly. We have always managed, even in the darkest moments, to
pull ourselves up.

After 45 years of independence, we can proudly say that
we have done well in many aspects. That is enough reason to celebrate.

Amien should, in fact, take responsibility for the high
unemployment level in Indonesia
instead of running down its neighbour.

After all, the man who started the reformasi movement in Indonesia,
with the support of the United States
then, was instrumental in pushing for economic and political reforms in Indonesia.

Through the fiasco of measures from the International
Monetary Fund and the government, thousands of Indonesians were thrown out of
their jobs when companies closed.

Instead of warning Malaysia,
Indonesian leaders like Amien should bear the responsibility of what is
happening to their people.

If Indonesians had been badly treated in Malaysia,
our authorities would not have theirs hands full stopping the inflow of illegal
immigrants.

With 10% of Malaysia's
22 million people comprising foreigners, mostly Indonesians, we have reached a
point where we can no longer accept more foreigners.

But Amien has missed the point – the law applies to all
illegal immigrants and not just Indonesians. It so happens that Indonesians
form the majority.

Malaysia
has continued to be a magnet for Indonesians beca-use they know there is no
future in their homeland. They know their politicians will not bring any real
changes to their country. Strangely, Amien has kept silent on Singapore,
which has similar laws, including whipping.

On our part, we need to seriously amend laws to revoke
the permanent resident status of foreigners who are caught for being involved
in criminal activities.

Last week, it was reported that the government could not
simply revoke the status because the law did not allow it. If the report is
correct, then we are saying that the many arrested Indonesian criminals with
Malaysian PR status would continue to keep that privilege.

It certainly makes a mockery of the whole exercise.

It also brings into question how much investigation has
been carried out of the applicant's background by Malaysian authorities in
approving the PR status.

A similar criticism, as expected, came from Bangladesh.

The country's English language daily, The New Paper, in a
front-page commentary also criticised Malaysia.

"What is hurting and shameful is that the illegal immigrants,
many of whom may have been just victims of cheating and exploitation of the
unscrupulous recruiting agents within Malaysia,
will be subject to beating and jail for offences for which they were not really
responsible.

"We have a good relationship with Malaysia
and that is why it is particularly disturbing that those illegal immigrants
from Bangladesh
who were engaged in construction and other fields should not have been
regularised," said the paper.

Without doubt, the foreigners who suffered the most are
the poor, those who have sold off what's left of their possessions to make
their trip here in search of a better life.

But whatever the circumstances, there is no excuse for
entering a country illegally. The punishment meted out by Malaysian authorities
is not for ordinary workers only but also the employers.

Government officials found to have worked with such
syndicates should also be punished to serve as a reminder about the need to
stay away from corruption.

The country's security is our priority. There is no place
for greedy officials who are prepared to put the nation's stability at risk.

In fact, the Bangladeshi newspaper charged that the
"recruiting agents were also aided by a section of corrupt Malaysian officials
without whose support they could not have been able to send these people in.

"While these hapless people are punished, those who
exploited them – the recruiting agents and corrupt officials – remain outside
the reach of justice.

"There are reports of Malaysian employers being in league
with these agents as they could employ these people at low wages," it added.

While this newspaper did not back these allegations with
evidence, we should not take them lightly. Many of us, in fact, have heard of
such allegations although not many are prepared to come forward to substantiate
them.

Indonesia
and Bangladesh
are certainly unhappy with the deportations but Malaysia
merely wants foreign workers to work here with proper documents.

Our country certainly needs foreign labour but an orderly
and transparent system is required to ensure that only genuine workers are
allowed into the country.

Playing to the gallery, Jacob skipped bilateral talks
between Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Indonesian President
Megawati Sukarnoputri in Bali last week and flew to Jakarta
instead in ''disgust,'' according to press reports.

Two months ago, Jacob had attacked Trade and Industry Minister Rini Soewandi
whom he accused of discouraging investment by siding excessively with
labour.

Without doubt, the deportation exercise against illegal workers has generated
emotional response from the Indonesian media.

Megawati described the issue as a ''top hit'' while the republic's media
continued its hostile stance towards Malaysia.

So it came as no surprise when a deal between Malaysia
and Indonesia
over procedures in the deportation of illegal Indonesian workers could not be
signed during the talks.

Malaysian Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar downplayed the issue,
saying ''it was not finalised.''

Besides blaming Hassan, Jacob also accused the Indonesian Ambassador to Malaysia,
saying he had ''done nothing to help the workers.''

The Indonesian Foreign Minister has hit back, saying Jacob had failed to come
up with proposals that would have resulted in both sides signing a memorandum
of understanding.

The Jakarta Post, in its front page report on Friday, claimed that ''thousands
of illegal workers were arriving in various parts of the country from Malaysia,
mostly in poor circumstances.''

''Many came home penniless while others had bruises after suffering caning at
the hands of Malaysian officials, a harsh punishment imposed under the new
immigration law, which came into effect on Aug 1.''

That is, of course, inaccurate. Until Friday, seven foreigners had been ordered
to be caned for entering the country illegally. Of the group, only one is an
Indonesian.

One Indonesian TV station, quoting a worker staying in Malaysia,
even alleged that his children had been refused schooling after 20 years in Malaysia.

I find that hard to believe. The common complaint by Malaysians is that
Indonesians, unlike other nationalities, seemed to be able to secure their
permanent resident status rather easily.

So much so that many of us are furious when we read of Indonesians, with PR
status, getting arrested for serious crimes.

There are many well-qualified and law-abiding foreigners, especially those
married to Malaysians, who have problems just extending their stay in this country.

Dr Mahathir has correctly said that Malaysians are feeling ''uneasy'' over the
presence of foreigners in Malaysia,
who now comprise 10% of its 22 million population.

It may be a little inconvenient and even costly, in terms of production costs,
following the amnesty programme but national interest is more important.

We need to balance the interest of the country and that of the private sector.
Never forget that cheap labour comes with a heavy cost.

I think Malaysian taxpayers are already burdened with foreigners who use our
hospitals, schools and other facilities.

Diseases such as tuberculosis which had been wiped out have returned to this
country with the foreign workers.

Then, there is the security cost which Malaysians have to put up with. There
are Indonesians who want to earn an honest living here but there are also many
who commit serious crimes.

The Malay petty traders in Chow Kit have been displaced long ago by the
aggressive Indonesians.

The true cost of using foreign labour, in reality, has not been properly
quantified. For far too long, we have been lenient in allowing the entry of
unskilled foreign workers from Indonesia
and Bangladesh.

Employers, used to making money by paying lower wages to foreigners, should not
ignore these hidden costs.

As the courts punish illegal immigrants who defy the law, every step must be
taken to guard our coastline.

The Home Ministry is reportedly waiting for the delivery of more sophisticated
boats, which is commendable.

At the same time, the authorities must act against black sheep in agencies who
allegedly demand money from foreigners at roadsides, construction sites and
plantations.

These foreigners are often too timid to report such extortions to the Anti
Corruption Agency but many employers have heard of such stories and because
these allegations are not reported and substantiated, these culprits are
allowed to escape unpunished and perhaps encouraged to carry on with their
corrupt practices.

The government's action against illegal foreign workers can only be successful
and sustained if the public and private sectors seriously do their part to make
it work.

Not too long ago, I attended a wedding where he was the
master of ceremony. The listeners, comprising family members and friends, who
attended the occasion were obviously very proud of him.

He has been the most successful person in his small village where most of the
residents are labourers, hawkers and factory workers.

The young man was quite impressive in his public speaking until he attempted to
speak in English. I understood that he had always scored A's in his English
paper in public examinations but his oral expression of the language did not
reflect the results he achieved.

He could not speak a sentence in English correctly. In short, it was an
embarrassment, although most of the Hokkien-speaking listeners were not aware
of it.

I cringed at the thought that this upstart might one day represent Malaysia
at medical conferences overseas and present working papers.

Unless he seriously makes an effort to improve himself in the language, he
would be speaking broken English forever.

The fact is that students, irrespective of race, would never be able to fare
well in English unless they converse in the language with one another or within
the family.

This medical student comes from a home where no English is spoken and Wah Loi
Toi, the Chinese channel in Astro, is the family's only window to the world –
which unfortunately means China,
Hong Kong and Taiwan.

In contrast, the pupils at some Chinese schools, such as Puay Chai primary
school and Catholic High School in Petaling Jaya, speak to one other in English
outside their classes because English is widely used at home.

Moreover, English is taught in Year One in many Klang
Valley schools while most Chinese
schools, especially those in new villages, begin this subject in Year Three.
So, it is not unreasonable to say that learning English has been a struggle,
too, for Chinese school students as it has been for those from national schools.

But it cannot be denied that Chinese school students have always excelled in
Mathematics and Science because of the strong foundation at primary level. Most
parents and teachers attribute this to the use of the Chinese language because
the drilling, in remembering the multiples and formulas, is done in a
''sing-song'' manner.

Parents with children in Chinese schools understand the need to improve the
standard of English but they are concerned as to whether using English would
affect the successful method of teaching these two subjects.

In 2000, Chinese primary schools scored 91.2% passes in the Year Six
examination against 75.2% in national schools and 73.9% in Tamil schools. For
Science, it was 83.8% against 77.5% in national schools and 73.8% in Tamil
schools. In the case of English, it was 63.3% in Chinese schools, 56.7% in
national schools and 45.6% in Tamil schools, reflecting the need to improve the
language in all three systems.

The government has correctly decided that a political solution be sought to
deal with the issue. It is best that Barisan Nasional leaders from the MCA,
Gerakan, Sarawak United People's Party and the Sabah Progressive Party sit down
with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad and his deputy Datuk Seri
Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to decide on the best solution.

The vernacular newspapers should not attempt to give any emotional twist to the
issue. We should be clear that the government's intention is simple – to
improve the proficiency of English in schools – and Malaysians fully support
the idea.

The question now is how the educators should carry out this plan to improve
English in schools without affecting a teaching method that is widely acclaimed
to be successful in Chinese primary schools.

Unlike leaders of the Dong Jiao Jong education movement, who feared the use of
English would jeopardise the character of Chinese primary schools, most parents
who send their children to Chinese schools simply want their kids to perform
well without letting politics get in the way.

They realise that even at international level, it is acknowledged that Chinese
students out-perform American and British students when it comes to Science and
Mathematics.

The demand for places at Chinese primary schools has increased simply because many
parents, especially the English-educated ones, understand the need for their
children to be proficient in Chinese in view of the expanding China
and Taiwan
markets.

The economic pull is certainly stronger than the racial factor. Likewise, our
parents sent many of us to English schools previously because the
English-educated had better employment opportunities compared to those from
other mediums.

Well-to-do Chinese families sent their children to study in the United
Kingdom when the exchange rate was more
reasonable because degrees from Taiwan
universities were not recognised here. They were regarded as second-class
graduates because Taiwan
was then an economic backwater.

Should the Education Ministry decide finally that English must be used in the
teaching of Mathematics and Science in Chinese primary schools, then every
effort should be made to ensure its success.

The Education Ministry must go ahead with the move to emphasise the use of
English in schools. For a start, there must be an increase in English
lessons.

Like Bahasa Malaysia,
English should be a compulsory subject to pass in public examinations. Unless
it is required, students will never put their heart and soul into studying the
language, no matter how much we tell them about the global importance of
English.