The tabloid, known for its sensationalism, had used this
headline in reference to Culture, Arts and Tourism Minister Datuk Sabbaruddin
Chik.

“Malaysian minister unrepentent even after Singapore points out fact,'' the
sub-head elaborated.

The newspaper had carried a full-page story on Sabbaruddin's statement that the
peninsula had been left out from the tour list for Rotary Club members.

Malaysians have reason to cry foul over the treatment of Malaysian news by the
Singapore media of late.

For reasons best known only to the government-controlled Singapore media,
reports on Malaysia have been consistently negative.

It's hard to dismiss these slants as isolated cases, let alone good
journalism.

Despite the open expressions of unhappiness by Malaysian leaders, the Singapore
media has chosen to continue its negative approach.

It's not that Malaysians are paranoid or sensitive. Neither is it because
Malaysian leaders have urged the local media to respond.

After all, it's the Malaysian media which has pointed out such negative reports
in the first place.

On Friday, the republic's Straits Times carried an article with the headline
“Media braces itself for KL's crackdown.''

The news item was about the resignation of Utusan Malaysia's editor-in-chief
Datuk Johan Jaaffar.

Admittedly, Johan's resignation has created a stir but it is certainly
preposterous to imagine Special Branch officers walking into editorial offices
demanding editors to step down.

In press jargon, the news item should best be spiked. The news item, filed by a
foreign news agency, had carried a statement from the New York-based Committee
to Protect Journalists.

The group had expressed fear that the resignation of Johan “after conflicts
with the Malaysian leadership may herald a press crackdown.''

There is, of course, no likelihood of such a crackdown. Editors, like all
employees, come and go.

Malaysian journalists, criticised for being docile, have suddenly become
critical and offensive overnight. Which is which?

We should also not ignore other aspects, besides journalism, in analysing the
resignation.

On the same day, the Singapore newspaper ran a story on the Commonwealth Games
titled “Computer woes top list 
Pre-games trials expose problems.''

Again, rather than rely on its KL-based correspondents, who should know the
situation better, the paper used a news agency report.

Such reports are a sequel to the numerous negative reporting since the opening
of the KL International Airport last month.

The Straits Times carried a full-page report on an e-mail sent by a reader
mocking the KLIA and drawing comparisons with Changi airport.

The reader, which sent a critical hour-by-hour observation of KLIA, ran down
Malaysia Airlines but praised the SIA counter.

We cannot deny that the opening of the airport had its share of flaws,
particularly the computer glitches, but let's not use the sledgehammer
treatment.

Malaysians, in particular, ought to realise that if they go overboard in their
criticism, we will end up becoming the biggest losers in the long-run.

Granted the stiff competition in the region, especially with Changi airport.
But let's not shoot ourselves in the foot, for it will be very difficult to
repair the damage.

Now that the KLIA is functioning well, the Singapore and other foreign media
which took delight in running it down should send their reporters to check if
they practise the principles of fair reporting.

Malaysians who have questioned the authorities over the foul-up on the first
day of KLIA's operations should also question why the foreign media has been
peculiarly silent now.

Or does it take a few rats scurrying around the KLIA for Malaysia to make it
into the pages of the foreign media?

We can expect more negative reporting from Singapore. One issue likely to crop
up will be the use of facilities at the Singapore port as Malaysia draws up
legislation to make it compulsory for cargo handlers to use the services of
local ports, particularly Port Klang.

A lot of money is involved. Over RM164bil worth of goods were sent by Malaysian
exporters through Singapore.

Not surprisingly, stories on Port Klang have been given prominence, including a
July 14 report headlined “Take back what's been stolen: Use Port
Klang.''

Interestingly, the Malaysian media chose to play down the report of two
students who contracted malaria at a Singapore resort. More than 185 cases of
malaria have been identified this year.

This is in contrast to the near-hysteria treatment by the Singapore media over
a bus accident at a hill resort in Malaysia a few years back.

There is only one way for Sabbaruddin Chik to handle such adverse reports  turn the other cheek on them.

The price of diamonds, according  to the poll, has dropped more than  half 
in places like New Delhi and 
Kuala Lumpur.

In Tokyo, the price of an 18-carat  gold
wedding band has fallen by  more than
77%.

That's not all. The cost of a wedding dress, tuxedo and limousine  rental, wedding cake and honeymoon suite at a
five-star hotel have  all plunged.

The poll may not be that accurate  since
it is measured against the 
greenback.

Most Asians have less money to  spend
these days because whatever  they have
saved is worth less.

Still, there is no doubt that the 
wedding package industry has become more competitive  which is 
good news for singles who believe 
in the institution of marriage.

But in Asia, the Year of the Tiger  isn't
exactly an auspicious time to  get
hitched. With the economic uncertainty, it makes sense for couples to postpone
wedding plans.

The only “comfort'' for Asians is  that
currency speculators have attacked other economies, including  that of Australia and South Africa.

Last month, the Australian media  blamed
George Soros' US$20bil  Soros Funds
Management and the  US$16bil US-based
Tiger Management as among the 100 major 
hedge funds, which control at least 
US$100bil, for attacking the Australian dollar.

And Australian leaders such as  Prime
Minister John Howard have  begun to sound
like Datuk Seri Dr  Mahathir
Mohamad.

While others have labelled these 
currency traders as “evil forces'', 
Howard described them as “poorly informed illiterates''.

Even the Australian media,  which had
blamed Dr Mahathir for  speaking up
against currency speculators last year, are beginning to  sound like the Malaysian press.

One Australian newspaper has  advised its
readers not to travel  overseas,
especially to the United  States and
Europe.

Ironically, these same newspapers had reported that incompetency, bad
management and corruption had allowed currency traders to move in and attack
the ringgit.

They even lampooned Dr Mahathir's idea that currency trading  must be regulated, adding that he  had made it worse by speaking up.

The Australian Broadcasting  Corporation
blamed him for the  currency depreciation
in a documentary, Dr Mahathir: The Wounded Tiger.

Some Malaysians, who regarded  the local
press as docile, began to  believe
everything they read in  Western
publications and on the Internet.

But as the Australian dollar continued to fall over the last 18  months, the Australian media have  changed their tune.

Even Merrill Lynch, which sold  off its
Australian dollars, has been  rapped with
warnings it may lose  future trading
opportunities with  the Australian
Reserve Bank, the  equivalent of Bank Negara.

Currency traders have hit back  at
Howard, saying he runs the risk  of
creating a credibility problem  and
appearing to be out of control.

The Sydney Morning Herald  quoted a
currency analyst as saying that Howard had “no serious  understanding of policy direction''.

The reality of the situation is that 
there has been retrenchment in the 
tourism industry as fewer Asians 
visit Australia.

Demand from Asia for base metals has dropped, resulting in declining prices of
aluminium, copper,  lead and zinc.

And, according to the Australian 
Financial Review, the Australian 
dollar is expected to slide to a record low of US$0.55 in the next
few  months.

Love-struck Australians are unlikely to heed the bad omens expected in the Year
of the Tiger.

According to the FEER poll, it's  cheaper
to marry in Sydney or Canberra these days 
that is, if you  hold the
greenback.

When exchanging vows, Australians shouldn't forget the familiar  ring in their media reports these  days.

Adding to the sparks, rebel Penang leaders have joined in
the  fray with fingers pointing to the
existence of a Knock Out Kit Siang 
(KOKs) campaign.

Some say KOKS can also stand  for Knock
Out Karpal Singh, the  party's deputy
chairman.

It's a strange campaign. No one  wants to
accept responsibility although it has gone on for years, according to the
party.

No one has been named although  several
people have been quietly 
implicated.

That has not stopped the central 
executive council (CEC) from ordering all state committees to hold  meetings to discuss the KOKS issue.

Feathers have been ruffled as a  result.
The dissidents in Penang,  former state
chief Teoh Teik Huat  and vice-chairman
Gooi Hock Seng,  are as red as a cock's
comb.

At a CEC meeting last week, they  insisted
that Karpal Singh name  names, according
to party sources.

The KOKS issue, however, seems  to be one
topic the DAP leadership  does not mind
talking about as it  seems to have
sidetracked the controversy involving the removal of  the three DAP stalwarts.

But before anyone could make  out what
KOKS is all about, there is  now another
campaign known as  Knock Out Dr Chen
(KODC).

According to national chairman  Dr Chen
Man Hin, certain members want to get rid of him, too.

The doctor who regularly takes  part in
marathons has so far outrun  and
outclassed all his detractors.  Some have
quit, with one defecting  to another
party.

To add to the confusion, Wee and  his
friends have expressed support  for Dr
Chen openly after criticising  the
chairman for insisting they  apologise to
the party for their actions.

Some party leaders said that  such
campaigns were started by  young turks in
the party who had a  hand in the Knock
Out Old Leaders  (KOOLS) campaign in the
last party elections.

According to those implicated in  KOKS,
the same upstarts who  started KOOLS have
suddenly  pledged undying loyalty to the
veterans.

KOOLS or not, staying cool isn't a 
virtue in the opposition party these 
days where magnanimity has become a rare commodity.

Newsmen reporting on the dissension have received angry calls  from party leaders, threatening to  end friendships.

Many DAP leaders seem to have  lost their
sense of humour. That is  understandable,
considering the  pressure they face  and the unwanted publicity in the
media.

It is made worse by the fact that  their
estranged relationship involves party loyalists with over 20  years' experience.

The party is in danger of seeing a 
generation of experienced leaders 
being left out in the cold.

But given the voting trend, especially in urban areas where the  Rocket symbol is chosen rather  than the personalities of candidates, the
current uproar is unlikely to have much impact on the general election.

The dispute will probably drag  on until
the party congress on Aug  22 when
elections are held.

The possibility of secretary-general Lim Kit Siang losing the tussle  seems remote and in all likelihood  most of the rebels will not win a  CEC seat.

The dissidents will have to convince the party grassroots that  their presence will provide check  and balance.

The ruckus in the party has also 
provided an avenue for some has beens to make a comeback  by 
pledging support for the leadership 
which they had abandoned at some 
point.

One state leader, who went on  holiday in
a neighbouring country  during the 1995
general election to  avoid campaigning,
has proclaimed  himself a dedicated
leader now.

A Youth leader who had called  for
reforms a few years back, insinuating that veteran leaders  should be ousted, is singing a different
tune.

As they say in politics, there are  no
permanent friends or permanent enemies.

For the DAP, it is time to stop behaving like fighting cocks in order  to fend off charges of No Action  Talk Only during the runup to the  general election.

In the run-up to this year's Umno  general assembly, the foreign media had
stated boldly in their stories that Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir  Mohamad should step down.

There appears to be a concerted  effort
by the foreign media. The  Asian Wall
Street Journal, in its  June 12 edition,
made the strongest  attack against the
Prime Minister.

Dr Mahathir, it claimed, “is psychologically incapable of making  the adjustments necessary to chart  a recovery.''

The Prime Minister, it said, “can  best
serve Malaysia and secure his  legacy by
announcing immediately  his intention to
retire in the near  future. Dr Mahathir
should resist  the classic delusion of
indispensability that afflicts so many presidents and premiers, the urge
to  stay on indefinitely.''

Amid calls by Umno Youth leaders for party reforms, these foreign
correspondents had interpreted it to mean that the battle lines  were drawn and that the time was  ripe for the final push.

First, Suharto in Indonesia, now  Dr
Mahathir in Malaysia. After all,  what
can be more gleeful than to  see the fall
of Asia's most outspoken leader against Western neo-colonialism.

As the drum beat against nepotism, cronyism and collusion became louder, the
Western press  took it as a signal that
the Umno  grassroots would take a
strong  stand against Dr Mahathir at
the  assembly.

They were wrong. Their expectations fell flat. They struggled in exasperation
to “jazz up'' their stories  to make
their copies more sensational.

A low-key speech by Dr Mahathir  was
reported around the globe as 
“anti-Western lashing'' and “Western attacks.''

All the foreign reports were padded with references to the May 13  riots. After nearly 30 years, they  still refuse to let it rest.

There are a few pointers these  foreign
correspondents can pick up  after the
Umno general assembly.

For a start, the ability to speak  and
understand Bahasa Malaysia  and a better
appreciation of the  Malay culture will
help them gain  an insight into the
spirit of Umno.

The “Malayness'' in Umno is evident, with its large rural membership. The
washing of dirty linen in  public or
membuka pekung didada  would be met with
much disapproval.

As in every Umno general assembly, the speeches are laced with  pantun and syair  tools widely 
used by delegates to put forth their 
views and criticisms to the leadership.

While pantun is effectively used  to deal
with sensitive and delicate  issues,
syair, if presented well, can  tug at the
heartstrings of the most 
obstinate.

Such presentation would bring  laughter
from the audience, breaking the monotony of the proceedings. Foreign
correspondents who  expected tension were
perplexed at  the gaiety.

This subtle style of criticism,  which
even those among the younger generation may not understand, has survived the years.

An appreciation of such subtlety  and a
better understanding of  Umno politics
would have made the  foreign newsmen
realise why the  call against cronyism,
nepotism  and collusion was met with so
much  resistance.

These issues are not alien to  Umno
members but the way they  were
highlighted goes against  Umno
culture.

Kronisme, nepotisme, reformasi  are
borrowed (Indonesian) words  and hardly
used in the Bahasa Malaysia vocabulary. The fact that  they were widely used during the  recent political turmoil in Indonesia sent
wrong signals to the Umno 
leadership.

Amid debate on these issues,  Wanita Umno
chief Datuk Dr Zaharah Sulaiman pointed out that  Umno members should not forget  the term hipokrit.

It will be difficult for those who  press
for reformation in Umno to  live up to
their ideals if they have  also gained
greatly from their political connections.

However, the Western press misread the sentiments of Umno members.

Following the resignation of Suharto, they began drawing parallels  between Malaysia and Indonesia  but ignored the many differences  between the two countries. The political,
economic and population  make-up of
Malaysia and Indonesia  are poles
apart.

Besides the bank credit squeeze  and low
share prices, there is no astronomical price rise in Malaysian  consumer items.

There has been some misforgivings against the leadership for the  economic crunch but none of the  “clenched fist'' resentment which  can generate into hatred.

As the Malay adage goes, tak  kenal maka
tak cinta. Perhaps the  foreign media
should get to know  us better
first.

At one point, there was speculation that the Universiti
Malaya history graduate, with first-class honours, might make a political
comeback. That seems remote now. His image has been dented, made worse  by his bad English.

Another politician, Datuk
Musa  Aman, was placed on good behaviour
bond by the magistrate's court  for
breach of Australian currency  laws in
April. Musa, the Sabah Foundation director, is also Sabah Umno treasurer.

Last
week, another Malaysian  politician got
into trouble. The  Member of Parliament
was threatened with a suit by a Perth casino 
over a gambling debt of A$2mil. The debt was incurred over a  five-day period in December 1994  and January 1995 while the politician was a
licensed junket operator.

The amount was small, of course,  going
by Malaysian standards at a  time when it
was thought the good  times would roll on
forever.

But from documents made available, it seems that the MP found  himself caught in this financial  predicament because his cash flow  has been seriously affected by the  economic downturn.

The press has been trying to  reach him,
even hounding his party  boss for
comments when they  failed to contact
him.

Australian newspapers, usually  sparing a
single column in their  dailies for minor
Malaysian politicians, have gleefully played up 
such stories.

Barely 24 hours after the news  broke,
the casino said the MP had  agreed to
settle the debt, and that a 
“significant down payment'' had 
been made. The man has agreed to 
pay the balance in one lump sum 
within a stipulated time.

This case is a civil matter between the casino and the politician.

Being a non-Muslim, there's  nothing to
stop him from throwing  a wager, big or
small. The casino's  debt collector,
impressively calling  itself the Asean
Protection Services, has cleverly used the press  to recover the money.

There is no criminal element involved here. But there is, of course,  the question of morality and
transparency.

And politicians are the most susceptible, being the loudest preacher of the two
issues.

For the press, there's certainly a 
story  what more a member of  parliament and a senior leader of a  party, too.

And like all political scandals,  minor
or otherwise, there's always  a yarn and
a joke these days.

There is this one about how a  jury
reached a verdict in a trial involving a politician who contravened currency
laws.

As the jury deliberated over the  case,
an elderly woman asked:  “What's the
case really about? After a week's hearing, I am still lost  and confused.''

A young man offered his assistance, saying it was a simple case  about a “big shot'' who brought into  Australia a lot of money but just  didn't tell the authorities.

The woman, whose families were  among the
early British settlers to  Australia,
replied: “Is that all? Why  are we
wasting our time, we should  just free
him, ain't we all convicts  before,
too?''

Then there is the one about another politician who was travelling  in a group to Canberra from Kuala  Lumpur.

He was given a disembarkation  form to
fill when the flight took off.  The
politician, known for his poor  grasp of
English, started filling the  form when
the plane touched down  in the Australian
capital.

He struggled with the details,  and his
colleagues who were leaving the plane asked in great annoyance why he had not
filled the form  earlier.

“But the form says clearly fill in 
capital,'' the exasperated politician 
replied.

Bad English got the same politician all tangled up another time. He  wanted to place a call to Australia  but didn't know the time difference.

So he dialled 108 for the international operator. The busy operator  told him: “Just a minute, sir.''

The politician then directed the 
operator: “In that case, I will call 
Australia now.''

All the reported inconveniences  which
our Malaysian politicians  have to put up
with are unlikely to  deter them from
visiting the place.

By the admission of one politician, Australia is a great place. The  weather is nice, the people are  easy-going and it's certainly a good  place to invest.

Still, they ought to realise that it  is
not the politically-correct thing  to do
at this time.

Malaysians, who have been told  to do
everything local, are unlikely  to be
forgiving nor amused when  they read
about high-flying politicians getting into all kinds of trouble.

The word now, of course, is when 
politicians travel Down Under, 
there is the fear of going down and 
under politically after that.

For many Malaysian men with  erectile dysfunction, it is, of  course, no laughing matter.

Like their brethren elsewhere  with
similar problems, they are  toasting over
the invention of the  remedy.

Aptly called wai kor  (great  brother) in Cantonese, Viagra has  been hailed by men all over the  world as the best invention this  century.

They can hardly be blamed for  their
frenziness. After all, they  have read
about the 70-year-old  American who
dumped his 61-year old lover after just two days on the  drug.

Revitalised and recharged, he  must have
decided to walk away in  search of
someone more exciting,  probably to make
up for his years  of deprivation.

Even former US presidential candidate Bob Dole admitted having  tried the drug after winning his  battle against prostate cancer.

In a recent television interview,  Dole
said “I wish I'd bought stock 
earlier.''

One newspaper reported that 60 
Malaysians had tested the drug and 
42 of the volunteers swore it was 
effective.

The 60, the report added, had taken part in clinical tests last year  when the manufacturer of the drug  was conducting tests in several  South-East Asian countries.

The uncomfirmed report, however, did not say who had testified to  the effectiveness of the drug  the 
men or their partners.

Another report said the little blue 
tablet was now available under the 
counter in Kelantan, especially 
along the border towns of Rantau 
Panjang and Pengkalan Kubor.

But there is reason to believe  that
these tablets are fakes, probably manufactured by small-town  quacks.

The Viagra pill, which is seemingly “safe'' 
with side-effects  ranging from a
headache to a  flushed face and “blue
vision'' purportedly caused by overuse 
is  being sold at between US$7
and  US$10.

Only the United States and Brazil  have
registered the drug, developed by the New York drug giant  Pfizer Inc.

Asked whether these pills had  been
smuggled into Malaysia,  Health Minister
Datuk Chua Jui  Meng said no official
report had  been received on the
matter.

“I have not set eyes yet on one  single
Viagra tablet although I've  heard so
much about it,'' he said.

The ministry is, in fact, investigating reports that the drug or its  imitation is being sold at between  RM30 and RM300 a pill.

Judging by the response from the  public,
news reports on the drug  certainly sell
newspapers.

For many Egyptian newspapers,  Viagra is
front-page material. Although banned in Egypt, the drug is  said to be easily available in Cairo.

It's the same in Malaysia. A colleague who wrote a satirical piece  on Viagra was swamped with calls  from desperate Malaysians who  wanted further information.

The drug has spawned many  jokes.

“Biar mati anak, jangan mati pucuk,'' said a Malay friend, playing  on the saying biar mati anak, jangan mati
adat.

Another joke tells of a Malaysian  who
was taking his first Viagra. In  his
haste, the excited chap found  the pill
stuck in his throat and immediately consulted his doctor.

The general practitoner, who did  not
even take a second look at his  patient, advised:
“Take lots of water, don't eat oily food, you just  have a stiff neck.''

Then there's the one about a  group of
pensioners who sat down  to grumble about
the country's economic woes and the water crisis.  Soon, Viagra became the topic of  conversation.

“My life is already hard enough.  I
don't need a Viagra,'' one of them  was
prompted to say.

Of sobre concern now is the  availability
of drug in Malaysia.  According to
industry sources, it  should be on sale
by the year's end.

There is no doubt that Viagra will  be a
gold mine for Pfizer. Its local  managing
director Razmi Rahmat  said he had lost
count on enquiries  received.

But no one is ready to say how  much
Malaysians would have to  fork out for
the drug, prompting  Chua to say “we would
rather have  no Viagra than to be
subjected to  (price)
exploitation.''

Urging Pfizer to be sensitive on 
pricing, he said the drug must be 
made affordable “because we are 
in an economic crisis.''

Malaysians who have been suffering from impotency for years  are unlikely to be as calm and rational as
Chua.

As the saying goes, man cannot  live on
bread and water alone. Economic crisis or not, certain things  must go on in life.

But Malaysians should not fuss  too much
over Viagra. We have had  tongkat ali for
years, and those who  have tried it say
it works.

It's still a Malaysian secret simply because we are not so good at  international marketing and promotions.
Perhaps Malaysians  should stick to
buying local products which can stand up to the test.

By then, the Malaysian officials and businessmen had
decided to sing the national anthem themselves.

The fiasco did not end there. As the Prime Minister spoke, a computer graphic
of Indonesia with its red-and-white flag appeared as backdrop.

After eight summits of the Group of 15, there is no doubt that the South is
still very much strangers to each other.

The G15 comprises Algeria, Egypt, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, Zimbabwe, Argentina,
Brazil, Chile, Jamaica, Mexico, Peru, Venezuela, Malaysia, Indonesia, India and
Sri Lanka.

Government officials and businessmen may know Malaysia intimately but many
ordinary Egyptians still had problems pin-pointing our geographical location.
This, despite the fact that there are over 3,500 Malaysian students in Egypt,
mostly at the Al Azhar University in Cairo.

The Egyptian man-in-the-street who is aware of Malaysia is often surprised when
told that it has a multi-racial and multi-religious society.

For some Egyptians, the only contact they have of Malaysia are the students at
Al Azhar.

“You mean you have Buddhists and Christians in Malaysia?'' an Egyptian taxi
driver asked.

Taxi drivers may not be the best indicator of Egyptian perception but they are
the first contact for visitors.

In Khartoum, at the Chinese-built Friendship Hall, Chinese songs were played as
background music during the banquent for Dr Mahathir.

“We thought Malaysians would be more familiar with Chinese tunes. China is
near to Malaysia, after all. It's the closest thing we have on Asia,'' a
Sudanese official explained.

The next evening, during a dinner hosted by Sudanese businessmen for Dr
Mahathir at the same venue, seven Sudanese musicians entertained the crowd by
playing the pipa, guzheng and other instruments.

Welcome President Mahathir, some of the billboards in downtown Khartoum
errorneously read.

But no one can fault the Sudanese for not doing their best. They rolled out the
red carpet, and their hospitality was the best ever, agreed Malaysian officials
and journalists who often travelled with Dr Mahathir on overseas trips.

Protocol officers waited at Khartoum airport for the Malaysian journalists who
arrived at 4am, and ushered them to the VIP lounge where hot coffee was served
as their passports were stamped.

The incidents in Egypt and Sudan reinforce further the need for South-South
cooperation. Developing countries still have little knowledge of their
potential and how much they can gain from each other.

Many continue to rely on traditional trading partners  mostly in the West.

In 1995, 10 member countries of the G15 were among the top 50 leading exporters
and importers in world mechanise trade.

Collectively, member countries accounted for US$365.3bil or 10% of world
mechanise exports and US$372.6bil of imports.

G15 trade with the rest of the world has also showed strong growth. Between
1990 and 1995, exports grew by 68% which was 15% more than the world average,
according to a report.

Yet, trade exchange between member countries stood at 9% in 1990  a shocking fact which many G15 members did
not realise until revealed.

The problem is that developing countries are often perceived as suppliers of
raw materials to industrialised nations.

It is a myth which many developing countries themselves have accepted, mostly
due to ignorance, lack of information and bad publicity by Western news
agencies, which newspapers in the South rely on for international news.

So, it is an eye-opener for most businessmen from G15 nations whenever the parallel
business forum and exhibition are held.

Contacts are made, networking forged and deals are sealed. As many of these
businessmen travel to G15 meetings with their heads of government, their
credibility is strengthened.

The Malaysian-initiated bilateral payments arrangements with central banks
ensuring a proper system of payment between businessmen has seen trade
soared.

For Malaysia, trade with Latin American countries, for example, has increased
by 300%.

Many Egyptians and Sudanese are beginning to realise that besides palm oil,
Malaysia manufactures electronic goods.

The market is vast when we take into account the fact that G15 countries make
up 30% of the world's population.

In Cairo, Dr Mahathir opened the showroom for Perodua, which has been selling
like hot cakes  the first shipment was
sold out within a week.

While in a taxi in Cairo, the driver showed me three faded photographs taken in
London.

“See this? My girlfriend. Very pretty, ah? London very nice,'' he said, and
then switched countries.

“I know Malaysia. Very nice people. Very good. Tell me, where is Malaysia?
North, south, east, west? What countries next to Malaysia?''

Traffic lights in Cairo appear to be  merely for decoration, and the use of  horn seems compulsory.

Almost all vehicles, especially the 
city's 74,000 taxis, look like they 
should be in a junkyard but their 
brakes work perfectly.

Motorists don't believe in air-conditioning, which means if you are a car  salesman here you won't be able to  depend on selling optional accessories.

Despite the scorching sun, which  reached
41C over the past week, no  one seems to
be complaining  except  Malaysians.

Grim-faced senior aides of Prime 
Minister Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad travelling in one van had
to  remove their jackets each time
they  got into the vehicle.

Taxi drivers, often with one hand on  the
wheel and a cigarette in the other,  do
not seem to be affected by the  city's
polluted air.

And Cairo's motorists often disregard the one-way-street sign; a one way street
can suddenly become two way.

If you're a visitor and driving, never assume an Egyptian is turning  right as indicated  it's possible he is  turning left.

The highway code is presumably  not
compulsory for driving tests, if  the
road manners of the drivers are  anything
to go by.

The locals are a vocal lot and are  often
engaged in shouting matches  with the
traffic police.

Taxis come to a screeching halt  wherever
they like. My driver, Mohamed, reassured me it was all right  to stop on a bridge during peak hours  for a shot of River Nile.

“Don't worry. You can do anything  you
want in Cairo. No traffic rules,''  he
smiled as he fidgeted with my camera.

Despite the chaotic traffic system, I  am
told there are hardly any fights  between
motorists.

Neither do they quarrel in the middle of the road over a minor accident.  Just drive off and pay for your own  repairs.

Taxi drivers were surprised to hear 
about Malaysian road bullies. They 
don't carry hockey sticks in their vehicles, only cassette tapes of the
latest  belly-dancing pop songs.

Parking in Cairo is another headache. There is no multi-storey parking.

With 1.6 million private cars in the 
city, it's not surprising that there is a  shortage of parking lots. Nobody  seems to have an answer to the problem.

Street urchins eke out a living demanding money from taxi drivers who  park near shopping areas. In most  cases, the passengers are asked to pay  the children.

Some of these children sell newspapers and bread at road junctions. Others wipe
the dusty windscreens of taxis and cars for a “small fee.''

If you choose to catch a bus, you'd  have
to be agile. Most of the city's  7,500
buses do not stop long enough  for
passengers to get on board safely.

Another road sign that is a mere 
decoration is the zebra crossing. You 
can wait all you want, no motorist will 
stop for pedestrians. You have to 
sprint across.

Bad driving is not just confined to  the
city. During a trip out of town, the 
taxi driver told me I wouldn't have 
problems enjoying the countryside.

He said the trip would be smooth  because
of the freeways.

The “freeways'' turned out to be  dusty
roads, and we had to stop several times while donkeys, sheep and  camels crossed the road.

Taxi driver Mohamed wanted to  know if
one could drive from Kuala  Lumpur to
Singapore.

“Do you have such roads in Malaysia? Can you drive to Singapore? Is it  far?'' asked Mohamed, whose only excursion
out of Egypt was a trip to Saudi Arabia.

He would probably knock himself  out if
ever he gets to drive in Malaysia.

For first-time Malaysian visitors to  Egypt,
my advice is don't “just walk  like an
Egyptian''  you may have to  drive like one to get around Cairo.

“We used to have at least 30 customers. Now, I am lucky
if I get 10  tourists walking into my
shop,'' he  lamented.

A gloom has settled over Egypt  which
earns over US$3bil a year  from
tourism.

Like Malaysia, Egypt suffers bad  press
from the Western media.

Tourist guides and taxi drivers  called
the incident “an accident''  but jobs
have been lost as Egypt  struggles to woo
back tourists.

The Egyptian Government has  stepped up
security around tourist  spots and hotels
in response to the  pledge by the
determined and well organised guerilla groups to keep  foreigners away.

In downtown Cairo, security  forces guard
the museum where  two members of an armed
group  killed nine German tourists in a  bus attack last September.

But the Western press is not to be 
blamed entirely. For decades, government intervention led to
artificially sustained supply of good 
news. The result was loss of credibility.

Exaggerated and misleading  news by the
Western press on  Egypt was swallowed by
the locals.

When the Egyptian press became  freer a
few years back, there was a  sudden rush
to meet pent-up demand for bad news.

The sad part, according to local 
journalists, is that a surprising 
amount of decent good news never 
reaches the public.

The media has pointed their fingers at the government, saying that  public relations exercises have not  been cleverly carried out.

For example, tourists all over the  world
are told to watch out for  traders and
taxi drivers who fleece  their customers
while hotel employees are said to be notorious in  asking for tips.

Egypt has its positive side but  has
failed to exploit it. The world  hardly
knows that it has a very low  crime rate
for a big city.

Such news items never see print  because
the police do not release  crime
statistics.

Known for its perpetual smog,  Egypt has
ordered the use of only  lead-free petrol
but it has strangely  chosen to do so
with almost monastic secrecy, as one reporter described it.

Another news item which has not  been
publicised to the world is the  building
of Egypt's metro railway  line by digging
under the River  Nile. A small feat,
perhaps, but certainly a good story.

For the first time, Egypt is a  creditor
nation with reserves of  US$20.05bil. Its
budget deficit has  shrunk from 24% to
1.5%, making  it a nation to watch
economically.

There's an important lesson for  Malaysia
here. The budget cut on  our government
machinery should  not affect the workings
of our information officers in foreign missions.

They have to cultivate good relations with the foreign media. Regular meetings,
lunches and friendship all takes time and, of course,  money.

Journalists want to be kept in  touch
constantly and not called up  only when
they are needed.

Malaysia needs the support of  the
foreign media. When they print  a
misleading news item, we should  insist
that our side of the story be  printed
with equal prominence.

Take the case of the impression  that the
haze has clouded the Malaysian sky.

By now, we should have informed the media from Commonwealth countries that the
haze is  merely confined to Miri  and that 
Kuala Lumpur is far away.

With most countries depending  on Western
news agencies for their  foreign news, we
cannot afford  such negative
impressions.

An update on Malaysia, including  the
run-up to the Commonwealth  Games, must
be despatched to give  the true
picture.

Let's not be fooled by all the talk 
about some runners staying away 
from long-distance events purportedly because of the haze. Fact is,  none of them stand a chance  against the African runners, especially those
from Kenya. That's the  clearer picture.

Complaints of the bus companies  serving only profitable routes are  growing.

MP for Senai Datuk Lim Si Cheng  cited
the case of a bus commuter  from
Damansara Utama taking  more than two
hours to reach Puduraya.

“He had to wait a long time for  the
bus. The trip to the city centre  took
about the same time as the  journey to
Johor Baru, where the  commuter wanted to
go,'' Lim told  the Dewan Rakyat last
week.

Among the many commuters who  called or
wrote in to The Star were  Jill Ling of
Taman Megah in Petaling Jaya and her seven friends.

“The economic downturn has  been tough
on wage-earners, but  over the past three
weeks our quality of life has been going downhill  because of the bus service.

“Through no fault of ours, we  have had
to wake up earlier to get  to work and it
takes longer to return home.

“What used to be a 45-minute  journey
now takes almost two  hours,'' wrote
Ling, who takes the  No.28 Intrakota bus
to work.

Noting the hours of unproductivity spent waiting for a bus, she  fears the consequences of turning  up late for work.

Ling and friends had erroneously 
addressed a copy of the letter to 
the Transport Ministry. It is not the 
Transport Ministry but the Entrepreneur Development Ministry  that is responsible for the issuing  of permits to bus and taxi operators.

The purview of the Commercial  Vehicles
Licensing Board comes  under minister
Datuk Mustapa Mohamed, and the board has the power to issue or revoke the
licenses of  bus and taxi
operators.

Mustapa is aware of the grouses  of city
folk and has issued several  warnings to the
two bus companies.

Fed up with bearing the brunt of  public
anger, Intrakota complained  that it has
been losing RM2.5mil a  month.

At one point, its managing director Mohyee Wardy pointed out that  Intrakota was not a welfare body.

Commuters cannot deny that the  concept
of bringing in Intrakota  was a good
move. Its air-conditioned buses and well-dressed drivers  made travelling more pleasant.

But it has some short-comings, 
especially frequency. Its big buses 
can take 100 passengers each compared to 30 for a mini-bus  but the 
mini-buses had better frequency.

Still, companies which have taken over public service-oriented  jobs must be prepared for criticism  from the people.

Privatisation was introduced to  improve
efficiency but if these  companies cannot
perform, then  they are not offering
better service.

>From the outset, they should accept the fact that profitability is  not always possible in some areas.

Cross-subsidy will have to be  part of
the package, as in the case  of
developers who reluctantly build 
low-cost houses.

For Intrakota, it means it cannot  refuse
to service routes which it  perceives as
less profitable. Its duties are crucial because it services  the nation's capital.

Although there are two other bus 
companies in the Klang Valley, Intrakota and Park May have bigger  stakes.

These bus operators cannot claim  that
they were not given enough  time to
prepare for the phasing out  of
mini-buses.

One way out of this rot is competition. If necessary, more bus permits should
be given out.

At the same time, enforcement  has to be
stepped up. Laws and  warnings come to
nought if they  are merely for
decoration.

The light rail transport is part of  the
city's plan to improve public 
transportation but with the economic slowdown, there are fears  that the project may be delayed.

The fastest and cheapest option  at this
point is bus transportation.

With thousands of local and foreign tourists converging on Kuala  Lumpur for the Commonwealth  Games, the last impression we  want to give is bad service.

All companies, big or small, must  learn
to be efficient  and remember that they
exist because of the  customer.

The king of the road should not  be the
big business which controls  the city
buses but Joe Rakyat who  pays for the
service.