Dr Ling held their attention further when  he narrated a recent visit to a disco in
Kuala  Lumpur to see for himself the
influence of  Ecstasy pills on
youths.

“The speakers in were big and loud. Its 
boom, boom, boom all the time (referring to  techno music).

“Everything shakes, the floor shakes, the 
youngsters shake their heads and backsides,'' he said, drawing laughter
from the  audience.

There was laughter again as Dr Ling assured the listeners that he was at the
disco  to personally see the situation
and “not to  drink or dance.''

The seriousness of the situation was underlined when Dr Ling warned the people
of  the consequence of such social
ills  a generation of Chinese youths
would be lost.

The implications are greater considering 
that the Chinese population is declining,  with most newly-wed Chinese couples
preferring to have only one or two children.

“We cannot have young people returning 
home at 6am or 7am and expect them to be 
productive at work or at school,'' Dr Ling  said.

His advice to errant businessmen is 
“make your money from other trades.'' 
Don't destroy the young which may include  their own children.

His concern is understandable. Besides 
health problems, especially among long term Ecstasy pill takers, a
myriad of social  woes will follow.

For the past few weeks, Dr Ling's main 
message when addressing the Chinese community is: let's fight the
scourge of Ecstasy  pills and
horse-racing slot machines together.

Travelling around the country, he has 
urged grassroots leaders to take on these  problems.

In urban areas, the concern of the party is 
Chinese youths taking Ecstasy pills at discos  while in small towns and villages, it is
the  draw of gaming machines.

It has been estimated that Chinese youths 
make up 90% of Ecstasy pill takers and 
those who gamble away on slot machines.

Dr Ling said the police had been ordered 
to clamp down on those who sell Ecstasy 
pills or operate the machines.

Deputy Home Minister Datuk Chor Chee 
Heung, who heads the MCA social problems 
committee, has been given the task to tackle  these problems.

So far, the results have been encouraging. 
In Raub and Kuantan, for example, a total of  481 slot machines had been sealed.

The next step is to make sure that these 
outlets stay closed. It is meaningless if the  gaming machines reappear when the heat  dissipates.

If villagers suspect the involvement of police officers and the local
authorities in  abetting gaming-machine
operators, then  they should lodge
reports with the Anti-Corruption Agency or alert the media.

The public can also write directly to Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri
Norian  Mai if they feel that enforcement
is slack in  their village or town.

These social problems have reached a level where drastic action is
needed.

A follow-up awareness campaign in the 
form of messages in videos and a road show  will boost the party's efforts further.

The MCA could organise exhibitions to inform the public about the harmful
effects of  Ecstasy pills and what can be
done to stop  this menace.

Closing down discos, night-spots and cybercafes is not the answer  proper enforcement by the authorities is more
effective.

For example, there are limited forms of 
entertainment and no discos in PAS-controlled Kelantan but the state has
one of the  highest number of drug abuse
and AIDs  cases.

Too much control, as everyone knows, can 
be bad. The only source of entertainment 
left for the young in Kelantan appears to be  infamous Golok  which is hardly recommended.

If the MCA, with the support of the authorities and the public, continues to
sustain  the momentum of its campaign
against Ecstasy pills and gaming machines, the battle  can be won.

These two concerns should be seen from a 
broader perspective. If left unchecked, the  rot will eventually spread to the other
communities.

One could have dismissed the protest with  a laugh except that the students had the  backing of PAS.

On Wednesday, PAS Youth chief Mahfuz 
Omar expressed support for the call to ban  the concerts, saying programmes which  could bring unsuitable behaviour must be  stopped.

The MP for Pokok Sena, who had previously espoused freedom of speech,
suddenly  wanted the Government to “censor''
programmes which might lead to unwarranted 
behaviour.

On the same day, the PAS-led Terengganu 
government announced it was going ahead 
with its plans to ban unisex hair salons.

State Executive Councillor Wan Abdul 
Muttalib Embong said hair salon operators  had until the end of the year to comply
with  the regulations or face the
consequences.

On Thursday, an annoucement was already posted on the Laman Reformasi website
urging students to gather at Universiti 
Malaya for the illegal assembly.

While some may talk about the right to 
stage a peaceful protest, they should be 
made aware of the language used in the 
poster.

The message urged students with semangat jihad (holy war spirit) to gather for
the  protest and that andaikan kita
terkorban  nanti, percayalah syahid
menanti kita (if we  die, then heaven
awaits us).

It continued that the protest was necessary because demi maruah Islam,
dengan  darah kami terkorban (for the
sake of Islam's dignity, our blood should be sacrified).

These battle cries can be easily dismissed 
as mere rhetoric but in the wake of a hate  campaign against the Government, this  show of anger should be taken
seriously.

Members of the Al-Ma'unah deviantionist 
group, for example, had attempted to blow  up the Carlsberg brewery in Shah Alam on  July 3. A similar attempt was made at
the  Batu Caves Indian temple.

Such signs of intolerance and insensitivity 
by certain groups, in the name of religion,  are disturbing.

PAS and its supporters have shown that 
they want to play moral guardians by imposing their values on other
Malaysians.

Young minds have been encouraged to  hate
the government in the name of restoring justice and democracy.

Yet, when PAS gained power in two states, 
religious authocracy is imposed on others.

The greatest crime, however, is to help the 
Islamist party become stronger.

The DAP, for example, has tried hard to 
present PAS as a tolerant party purportedly  good for democracy. For the sake of
political  expediency, it has appealed to
the Chinese  community to give PAS a
chance despite the  inherent
implications.

At the same time, the DAP has been forced 
to come out with embarrassing press statements to dissociate itself from
the extremism of PAS.

Last week, DAP secretary-general Kerk 
Kim Hock placed on record its objection 
against the call to ban the pop concerts and  unisex hair salons.

Before that, Kerk, the MP for Kota Melaka, had to say the party believed that
the  arms heist was not staged as alleged
by others in the opposition front.

PAS leaders, particularly Kelantan Mentri 
Besar Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat, had described the incident as a sandiwara
(drama).

Kerk obviously understood the sentiments 
of non-Muslims. It would have been political  suicide had the DAP maintained its silence  when the MCA has spoken up strongly.

The strength of the DAP has eroded since 
its partnership with PAS in last year's general election. It refuses to
cut the link despite strong reservations at grassroots level  and even among some top leaders.

The continued relationship will only hurt 
the DAP further because PAS will never 
change its policies.

Some may question the Government for 
linking PAS with the Al Ma'unah group but  no one can deny that the deviants were  strong supporters.

Terengganu PAS has confirmed that one  of
those involved in the standoff was an active division Youth leader.

The Pagoh PAS division of Johor confirmed on Friday that its branch in Kampung
Batu 28 was headed by a Al Ma'unah 
follower. The former soldier had also acted  as a polling agent for PAS in last year's
elections.

These admissions have been made by PAS 
grassroots leaders themselves. There is no  reason not to believe the PAS link.

The political trend in Malaysia is worrying 
as opposing sides step up their animosity.

Although the elections have just been concluded, there appears to be a refusal
on the  part of the losers to accept the
results.

Knowing that the Government has a credibility problem, the Opposition has
questioned and planted doubts even in clear-cut 
cases.

There is no longer a grey area. Some academicians, who teach students to
question  the Government, readily accept
information  from the Opposition as the
truth.

If PAS speaks of a conspiracy theory, then 
it must be so. No thought is given to the fact  that these persons are also politicians
with  ambitions.

The reformasi websites, for example, have 
urged its supporters to take to the streets  again on Aug 4 when the court delivers
its  verdict on the sodomy case against
Datuk  Seri Amwar Ibrahim.

Disenchanted Malaysians should not let 
their emotions cloud their sentiments by 
supporting PAS.

There is no place for anarchy, extremism 
and the politics of hatred in Malaysia.

When the news first broke out that the  group was involved in a standoff with
the  police and army, there were those
who refused to believe it, dismissing it as a “mere  decoy operation''.

On July 6, One DAP politician issued a 
statement asking whether the police and 
army  “are tied up in the Bukit
Jenalik operation''.

As it dawned on them that a real fight was 
on hand, there were suggestions, implicit or  otherwise, that the crisis was planned,
like  the Hollywood movie “Wag The Dog''
about  a politician who created a rescue
situation to  boost his popularity.

On Thursday, a Parti Keadilan Nasional 
leader even said: “It is not clear whether the  two non-Muslim security officers were
actually murdered in such a gruesome manner 
as reported in the media.''

He continued: “even if they were, the motive has not been established. It is
wrong to  conclude it was because they
were non-Muslims.''

The tone of such statements has become 
the standard line on the Internet, particularly one news website which
continues to run  letters filled with
such insinuations.

Various excuses have been made to justify 
the action of these murderers, including that   it was a desperate attempt against the
Governmment in a seemingly stifled political 
atmosphere.

The partisan politics adopted by some to 
take advantage of the tragedy to score political points is highly
dangerous.

Their anti-government sentiments should 
not be allowed to cloud their judgments of  such terrorist groups.

The head of policeman R.Sagadevan was 
blown off while Ranger Mathew anak Medan 
had his legs shot to pieces and yet we are  casting aspersions, asking whether these  tortures really took place.

Interviews with immediate families of the 
followers revealed that they had spoken 
about “re-uniting'' with them in heaven and  their rights to take away the lives of
“non  believers''.

It is the height of irresponsibility when 
politicians, who talk about justice, compassion and human rights
unashamely, raise  suspicions  to arouse hatred.

We can challenged the actions of the Government, even the manner it handled its
security system.

But let's not get too carried away with our 
accusations and recriminations.

It will be a tragedy, if some of us, with a  quarrel to pick with the Government,
unwittingly encourage these fanatics.

Let's not lose sight of the real issue 
a  band of dangerous and unstable
people staging an arms heist, taking away two innocent  lives and preaching hatred.

We can have our different political inclinations but  no one must condone the violence committed by
Amin Razali and his followers.

In all fairness to PAS, it is unlikely that 
the party leadership is fully aware of the activities of all its
members.

It has distanced itself from the group, insisting that cult movements
associated with  killings, are the
antithesis of PAS.

Still, at least one of the 27 followers was a 
PAS Youth leader while one of the vehicles  used by the gang reportedly carried PAS  flags and documents.

But this is not enough to implicate the Islamist party.

PAS president Datuk Fadzil Noor has refused to conduct any internal probe,
which  he ought to reconsider in the
midst of the  controversy.

If Al Ma'unah followers have been detected in the police, army and civil
service, how  can Fadzil guarantee that
there are none in  PAS.

Last week, Singapore's Straits Times reported that during the party's general
assembly in Terengganu, posters of Ibrahim 
Libya were openly sold.

The Memali incident in Kedah, which occured in November 1985, saw 18 people,
including four policemen, killed in a violent 
clash between security forces and followers  of Ibrahim Mahmud, known as Ibrahim Yahya.

The newspaper wrote “that not everyone, 
though, is prepared to buy the PAS line or  believe that the party will not attempt
to  score political points by praising
the Al  Ma'unah gang members as freedom
fighters''.

The newspaper may be judgemental in its 
report but it reflects the perception of many  Malaysians, particularly non-Muslims,
that  PAS needs to do more than just
expressing  its sadness over the incident
and distancing  itself from Al
Ma'unah.

Surely a commitment by Fadzil to flush 
out Al Ma'unah misfits, if there are any in  PAS, would be reassuring to many, including  its allies in the opposition front.

It is thus commendable on the part of Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah
Ahmad Badawi to propose sitting down with 
PAS to discuss curbing deviationist movements in the country.

The proposed White Paper, when it is tabled in Parliament, would certainly
shed  more light on the activities of the
group.

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri 
Dr Mahathir Mohamad is also expected to 
reveal more details over television.

But what is more important is that Malaysians, who consider themselves rational
and  right thinking, should condemn acts
of terrorism and murder.

The real heroes are those who have sacrificied their lives in defending the
country to  make it safe for us and our
children.

It is not those who preach violence, go on a 
path of destruction and killing innocent lives  in the name of God.

Let us be honest and bold enough to go beyond petty politics and personal
agenda.

Wake up, Malaysians, there is no place for 
religious zealots in this country.

Among the appeals were for 25 students  who obtained 10A's, 58 with 9A's, 80
with  8A's, 79 with 7A's, 87 with 6A's
and 60 with  5A's.

Malaysians are fully aware that competition is stiff for the limited places in
local  universities, particular for
science courses.  The situation is
aggravated by the quota system to help bumiputra students, especially  those from the rural areas.

However, it is difficult for anyone to explain how top students can't get a
place in  university.

It is unlikely to be government policy to 
reject these brilliant students; possibly, it is  more the actions of over-zealous
officials.

Such actions, however, put the Government in bad light as it would be seen as
unjust.

We do not want opposition-minded academicians to sabotage government efforts
to  educate our young.

Last week, Deputy Education Minister Datuk Hon Choon Kim said that all the
10A's  students who have appealed to UTM
would  be favourably considered and
“most likely''  be accepted because of
their good grades.

He correctly pointed out that these students could still enter Lower Six as an
option  if they failed to secure places
in these two  universities. And they
would have another  chance of getting
into university.

But why should the cream of the crop be 
subjected to this discrimination?

The Government has emphasised much on 
excellence in education. Our academicians  should uphold this directive strictly.

Surely they must realise that Malaysia 
could lose these top students to foreign universities. It is well known
that Singapore offers scholarships and places to such applicants.

In many cases, these students remained 
overseas upon completing their studies. Ultimately, this would be a loss
to our country.

It is sad that our university administrators 
are insensitive to the implications of their  actions.

By all means reject applicants with average results to maintain standards, but
no one  can disregard the best of the
best.

The MCA should be commended for trying 
to ensure that these deserving students get  into university.

The UTM and UPM officials have no cause 
for concern in taking in these top students.  No one in his right mind can possibly
argue  against their acceptance.

And if accepted, steps must be taken to ensure that they are not enrolled in
obscure  courses.

Recently, concern over the standards of 
some of our institutions of higher learning  was raised, even by Prime Minister Datuk  Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

The pursuit of academic excellence must 
be sole responsibility of our academicians.  Malaysians will judge them for their
scholarly work, particularly their research and 
publications.

It's time they spend less time on politics 
and devote their attention to providing the  best for our young minds.

The following day, Chief Secretary to the  Government Tan Sri Abdul Halim Ali said  that from now on protocol would be set
aside  at functions to enable leaders and
government officials to get to know the public better.

He said the people should be allowed to sit 
with the leaders, even with the Prime Minister himself.

The directive, he said, had been conveyed 
to the heads of department so that leaders  could interact with the people and get
to  know their problems directly.

The decision is long overdue. Organisers 
of public functions, involving government  leaders, often waste valuable time on
elaborate and tedious welcoming ceremonies.

These time-consuming ceremonies are not  just expensive and unproductive but
trivial  at times.

More often that not, school children have 
to take part in these ceremonies. Dressed up  in the various costumes representing the  country's ethnic groups, they sometimes  have to wait for hours for the VIP to turn
up.

I recall being at a function a few years 
back in Limbang, Sarawak, where a Lun 
Bawang schoolgirl stood barefeet in the hot  sun waiting for a VIP to arrive.

Standing on the tarred road, the blistering 
heat was too much for her. I urged her to put  on her shoes or wait in the shade.

But like all students who fear offending 
their teachers, she refused, preferring to  suffer quietly.

The VIP, when he finally arrived, hardly 
noticed her, quickening his pace to make up  for lost time.

In all fairness, the VIP should not be 
blamed. The fault lies with the organisers  who, in trying to please the
powers-that-be,  often spare little
thought for people like the 
schoolgirl.

That aside, the rakyat should not be subjected to boring and long-winded
speeches.  The stage should be left to
the key speaker.

It should not be an occasion of extravagant 
adulation; leaders should get to the point.

It would help if the speakers do away with 
the tiresome practice of making references  to all the Tan Sris, Datuks, Datins and
Yang  Berhormats present as a prelude to
the  speech.

Is it any wonder that we often see Malaysians falling asleep when a VIP is
speaking?

As with most Malaysian functions, the 
VIPs and the guests usually end up having a  meal.

Reporters are familiar with scenes of 
VIPs attempting to sit nearest to their party  boss, presumably to show that they are
the  favoured ones. Others assume that by
sitting  next to the big shot, the
chances of appearing in the news would be better.

Unfortunately, the ones who really matter  
the common folk  are unable to
mingle  with the leaders. Often, they are
relegated to  forming queues outside the
hall where they  jostle to shake the
VIP's hand.

Ironically, these are the people who usually treasure the little gesture by the
VIP.

Fellow VIPs need not be seated together 
since they meet most of the time.

If the Umno supreme council meeting in 
Ipoh is to be a precedent, each council members should be assigned to a
table so that the  leaders can hear for
themselves what the  grassroots have to
say.

Organisers of public events should also refrain from subjecting their guests to
performing ridiculous tasks for the sake of photo opportunities which most
Malaysians are  no longer impressed
with.

At the end of the day, our leaders should 
realise that the simple things in life are often the best.

Negri Sembilan Mentri Besar  Tan Sri Mohamed Isa Abdul Samad  claimed that the opposition had  asked the Malay voters whether  they preferred a kuil (Hindu temple) or
masjid (mosque) in their  area.

The opposition, he alleged, had  also
told the voters that the Malays  should
only vote for a Malay candidate.

It will be difficult for Isa to  prove
his allegations as opposition 
campaigners are unlikely to use 
these tactics openly.

But it is clear that the opposition  had
decided to field Kassim to capitalise on the high number of Malay voters.

While the decision could well be  a
clever tactical move, it has also  put to
the test Keadilan's claim of  being
multi-racial and non-communal.

In last year's general election,  the
opposition fielded N. Gobalakrishnan on a Keadilan ticket. Although he lost,
the spirit of multi racialism was, at least, reflected.

Many issues will crop up during  the
campaigning, but what is more  important
here is the concept of  power-sharing
among the various  races in this country,
which has  been taken for granted
lately.

The politics of accommodation  and
consensus in Malaysia has  made this
country special and  unique.

None of the 192 parliamentary 
constituencies is an Indian-majority area, but the belief in power
sharing has allowed the community to have a minister, a deputy and  two parliamentary secretaries  from its list of seven MPs and 15  state assemblymen.

This is to ensure that every minority group, no matter how small  they are, are represented in Dewan  Rakyat and Dewan Negara.

Malaysian society is plural, and  its
politics will always be complicated. There will always be moments of
frustration, but the spirit  of
consensus, if constantly upheld,  will
allow problems to be amicably 
resolved.

The Alliance and subsequently  the
Barisan Nasional may be made  up of
communal-based parties, but  it has been
able to bargain, compromise and accommodate in a  non-communal fashion.

It has its flaws, but it has been  proven
to be effective in holding  this
multi-racial and multi-religious country together because of  its moderation.

In past general elections, MCA 
candidates had stood in Malay-majority areas and won with the support of
Malay votes because the  Malays were more
comfortable  with the MCA than the
DAP.

Last year, the Chinese supported  Umno
candidates, throwing out  even Chinese
DAP candidates, for  various reasons.

They had confidence in the leadership of Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir  Mohamad, the economic recovery,  the cohesiveness of the MCA, the  fear of an Islamic state, and the  strong belief that only the Barisan  can hold the country together.

The bottomline is that the majority, irrespective of their ethnicity,  believed that only the Barisan  could work, even when the credibility of the
coalition was at its  lowest.

This pragmatic approach, including the component parties'  ability to strike durable compromises, has
been the Barisan's winning formula.

Thus, right from the beginning  when the
Teluk Kemang seat fell  vacant, the
understanding among  the component
parties was that the  seat would go to
MIC. The racial  composition of the
constituency  was never an issue.

The concept of accommodation  needs to be
re-emphasised from  time to time. Even
Barisan leaders,  especially the younger
ones, do not  fully appreciate its
magnitude at  times.

The Gerakan and MCA grassroots, for example, must appreciate that even when
Umno had more  state seats than the two
parties in  Penang, the chief minister's
post  automatically went to a
Chinese.

It was a non-negotiable issue and  the
Barisan leadership, including  those from
Umno, did not bow to  pressure,
particularly in 1995.

The same scenario has taken  place in
Sabah. Dr Mahathir has  correctly
insisted that the rotation  of the chief
minister's post must  continue although
Umno has the  most number of seats.

Despite continuing pressure  from the
Sabah Umno rank and  file, the prime
minister has refused to budge.

That aside, younger Umno leaders must also understand the need  to reward other communities in the  wake of efforts by PAS to win their  support.

Similarly, the other Barisan  component
parties must be prepared to forego their posts in the  event their parties perform badly  in future elections should they demand more
now.

The politics of compromises  must be
fully appreciated by everyone. It is a win-win game but no  one ethnic group is supposed to be  fully satisfied.

Over the years, there has been  less
emphasis on communalism,  but the reality
is that it has not  gone away.

In the case of the Teluk Kemang 
by-election campaigning, racial 
and religious slurs have come into 
play.

The voters of Teluk Kemang  need to send
a reminder that racial  play, in whatever
form or manifestation, is unacceptable.

Like any parent, she was obviously proud that her
daughter had  done well and wanted to
share her  accomplishment with anyone
who  cared to listen.

Her daughter must have secured  a place
in ITM on her own merit.  The scholarship
was presumably  given based on her scholastic
and  financial positions.

It's unlikely that her father, a 
full-time party worker who had 
failed in all his political outings, is 
financially well-off. Given his 
prominence, her friends and ITM 
officials would have known about 
her family background.

But credit must be given to the 
Government and ITM for not discriminating against her.

In all likelihood, she is to share  her
father's political inclination  but it
would be terribly unjust had  she been
denied her scholarship  because of her
link with PAS, of  which she had no
control.

There are many students, both in  local
and foreign universities, who  are not
supportive of our government. It is certainly not a recent  phenomenon and our government  should not be unduly worried.

Even during the 60s, when the  Socialist
Club was allowed in Universiti Malaya, it attracted many  idealistic students who believed  they could change the world.

In recent years, as a result of Islamic revivalism, many supported  PAS in our local universities; non Muslims
would support the DAP  and Parti Rakyat
Malaysia.

But many students switch their  political
allegiance when they  graduate. Some do
so for selfish  and opportunistic
reasons, believing that they would have better 
prospects backing Umno, MCA or 
MIC.

Others genuinely believed that it  would
be more effective working  from within
the system than shouting themselves hoarse from outside.

In this context, not many would  agree
with Entrepreneur Development Minister Datuk Mohamed  Nazri Abdul Aziz for saying that  priority for Mara's education loans  would be given to Barisan Nasional  supporters.

He had said that in politics, priority must always be given to party
supporters.

Nazri reportedly said applications from others would only be  considered after this was done.

His statement, if correctly reported, is certainly regrettable.  One would have thought that loans  or scholarships are given out  based on meritocracy.

It will be alarming if the child of  an
opposition member is penalised  as a result
of his parent's political  beliefs.

Nazri should be more concerned  with
scholarship holders who fail  to repay
their loans or the possibility of rich parents getting loans  and scholarships for their kids, depriving
those who really need the  assistance.

There should be no political consideration because the money belongs to the
taxpayers.

A Parti Keadilan Nasional supporter, for example, is also a taxpayer and a
citizen. It is his constitutional right to enjoy the same  benefits as a Barisan man.

Nazri's stand is contrary to Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad's  recent reminder to Umno members not to
penalise opposition supporters, especially government  servants.

The Umno president had argued  that Umno
members should try to  win them back as
many were former Umno supporters.

Dr Mahathir's advice makes  sense as many
Malays turned  against the leadership on
a few  specific issues, such as the Datuk  Seri Anwar Ibrahim case.

These unhappy citizens turned to  PAS
recently simply because it is  an alternative
political vehicle to  voice their
grievances  and nothing more, much less
its radical policies.

With the same principle, the  PAS-led
Terengganu government  should not stop
Barisan supporters  from getting loans
and scholarships. The oil royalties belong to 
the people of Terengganu and not 
Mentri Besar Hadi Awang.

But Nazri is not entirely wrong.  The
Government expects its scholarship holders to concentrate on  their studies and not waste their  time in street demonstrations.

They should not be used by selfish politicians. If they fail in their  examinations, they should realise  that their political idols won't lift a  finger to help them.

A university dropout is useless  to
whatever political cause the student may want to champion later in  life.

The Education Ministry should  pay more
attention to university  lecturers, some
of whom use up  public money to pursue
post-graduate studies and then return home 
empty-handed.

Many of these academic failures,  who
have become harsh critics of  the
Government, never had to worry about being axed during the recession, unlike
those in the private  sector.

Not many of them appreciate  government
efforts in restoring  the economy, never
having worked  in the demanding
environment of  the private sector.

It cannot be denied that students  should
not be divorced entirely  from politics
as the campus must  allow
intellectually-stimulating  debates and
ideas to flourish.

Neither is politics the monopoly  of
politicians.

The concern of many Malaysians  is that a
large segment of our students and lecturers have become  too partisan and preoccupied with  politics, resulting in neglect for  their work.

Those who disagree with their  political
views in campus are  afraid to express
themselves for  fear of being
ostracised.

If a lecturer is paid to teach 
chemistry, he should just stick to 
it. He shouldn't waste time lecturing students on the purported
evils  of the government.

Nazri would probably get a better hearing if he acts against loan takers who can
no longer fulfill the  requirements and
criteria because  of their political
involvement.

More importantly, everyone  should be
given a chance to contribute to our beloved nation.

If money politics is mere fantasy, then Datuk Seri Dr
Mahathir Mohamad must have  been
ill-informed. There would have been no 
need for him to issue so many warnings before the party elections.

There was only talk, perhaps because no 
complaint was lodged or no one was caught  in the act.

Money politics, it has been alleged, first 
surfaced during the 1993 party polls. Till today, candidates have
privately complained  of delegates who
demand money, contracts  and state
awards.

It would not be realistic to expect money 
politics to go away with warnings from the  president. For a start, Umno members
have  to change their mindset and rid
themselves  of the handout
mentality.

To think that money is required to do a 
good political job is a flawed assumption.

One delegate openly proposed that the 165 
divisions be allocated RM1mil each to enable them to conduct their
political activities  better.

The Kedah Youth leader was not the only 
one. A student, speaking on behalf of the  overseas Umno clubs, also asked for
money.

It has become so predictable. At every 
general assembly, even before she spoke, 
reporters following the debates at the media  centre all forecast correctly that she
would  ask for subsidy.

She revealed how Parti Keadilan Nasional 
campaigners, who appear to have the financial means, had travelled to
Europe to  preach reformasi.

The student blamed the Government's delay in sending their scholarship money as
a  cause for the Opposition gaining
support  among students overseas.

That's a lame excuse. One Barisan Nasional component party with an
overseas  club is so resourceful that it
runs a newsletter for Malaysians, fully sponsored by travel  agencies and phone companies.

The club also helps Malaysians who run 
foul of the law there or encounter money 
problems  all that without a
single sen  from party
headquarters.

Money is certainly needed to run the operations of a modern political party effectively.

Even the opposition parties, judging from 
the number of posters, banners and flags put  up during last year's polls, must have
spent  quite a bit.

But there is no guarantee that money will 
win votes, at least in a general election. It is  not a way to win the hearts and minds of
the  people.

The Kuomintang, reputed to be the richest 
party in the world, lost in the Taiwan election. It was the same with
cash-rich Golkar  in Indonesia.

Umno leaders have to lead by example if 
they want party members and the public to  believe that they are serious in
fighting  money politics.

They should stop flaunting their wealth, for 
one. A reporter cynically described the 
parking area at the Pan Pacific Hotel as having the “larget number of
luxury cars in the  smallest area in
Malaysia'' during the general assembly.

It'd be nice to see Protons in the area for a 
change.

After all, it takes two hands to clap. The  giver and the taker share equal blame.

Dr Mahathir's declaration of war against 
money politics is timely. On Wednesday, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi
will open  the Youth and Wanita
assemblies, followed  immediately by
voting.

All eyes will be on the tussle for the top 
Wanita post between incumbent Datuk Dr 
Zaharah Sulaiman and Datuk Seri Rafidah 
Aziz.

On Thursday, Dr Mahathir will open the 
general assembly proper where delegates 
will decide on the three vice-president's  posts, which are vied by nine
contenders.

Dr Mahathir and Abdullah have both won 
their respective posts unopposed. Acting 
Youth chief Datuk Hishamuddin Hussein, 
likewise, won without a challenge.

The target of these so-called demanding 
delegates, according to Umno insiders, are  the vice-president aspirants, where the  stakes are the highest. The winners are
seen  to be in line for the top party
leadership.

If delegates believe that they command a 
price, because of their voting power, then  they would spend money to get themselves  elected at branch and division levels.
Should  leaders at higher levels splurge
on these delegates, then they are merely endorsing money politics.

It is a vicious cycle because those who 
spend huge sums of money need to recoup 
their expenses.

It would not be surprising if those holding 
public office compromise their positions or  are prepared to accept kick-backs. There  must be an open display of disdain and
contempt against money politics.

Although the party elections would be the 
focus of the party and the media, many also  want to know the future directions of
Umno.

This year's general assembly is important 
because it is the first of the millennium and,  more importantly, the first since the
1999  general election.

There is immense interest in the assembly, not just among the Malays but
others  Malaysian because Umno is the
backbone of  the ruling Barisan
Nasional.

Critics of Umno have charged that the 
party has lost its credibility and an overhaul  is needed. They point out that there is
resentment against the leadership among the 
Malay community.

The result has been a split among the Malays, with many supporting PAS even if
they  are wary of the Islamist party's
extremism.

This issue is expected to be a focus in Dr 
Mahathir's address at the assembly.

Although Umno has come under intense 
criticism, many still accept the fact that the  party's strengths outweighs its flaws.

Its moderation and willingness to compromise have been its strong points.
Umno  should not be ashamed that it has
the support of non-Malays.

In fact, Umno has proven itself to be committed to self-renewal over the years.
Even  as PAS debate over whether
non-Muslims  should be associate members,
with no voting  rights, Umno has long
accepted non-Muslim  bumiputras from
Sabah as members with  equal
rights.

It also has shown great ingenuity in the 
formulation of the New Economic Policy, 
which has led to fairer distribution of wealth  and the strengtening of Malay-Sino
relations.

Dr Mahathir's expected emphasis on the 
substance of Islam, rather than its form, will  reassure many Malaysians that Umno has
no  intention of competing with PAS to
win Muslim votes.

The assembly offers the members the 
highest channel to carry out some soul searching. For a start, some
confidence building will help mend the post-election  dent.

Umno must accept the fact that it has to 
enhance its image at the grassroots through  more community-related work.

The “Datuk politician,'' in his corporate 
image and shiny Mercedes-Benz, may project the image of a successful
bumiputra but  it has also sent wrong
signals to the kampung voters.

Complaint bureaus, where the ordinary 
people can seek help, could be set up in 
housing areas so that the party will be accessible to the
grassroots.

If the successful Sanggang by-election 
campaign is to be a lesson, Umno leaders not  only need to make themselves relevant
but  they have to relate to the
sentiments of the  ordinary rakyat.

Elian is now with relatives in Miami, Florida, where he
has been  staying since his dramatic
rescue  at sea last November. His
mother  and 10 other Cubans died when
a  boat full of illegal immigrants
capsized in their attempt to reach 
Florida.

His father, Juan Miguel Gonzalez, who travelled to Washington  10 days ago, has been trying to  meet his son and break the impasse over the
boy's future.

Under ordinary circumstances,  it would
have been a simple case of  a reunion
between father and son.

But they have been unwittingly  caught in
a political fight involving  politicians
and powerful Cuban exiles.

These forces have shown little  concern
for the child in the name  of democracy
and justice.

In the emotional debate, no one  has
bothered to ask whether  Elian's father
is fit to raise the  child.

Instead, Cuban President Fidel  Castro's
policy has become the issue of the dispute. Castro, the argument goes, is
unfit  not his father. In Cuba, the
Americans are  being attacked for their
unfairness  and injustice.

In Miami, Elian's greatuncle, a  distant
relative, has the biggest  say on
American TV and newspapers.

The child has been videotaped  telling
his father he wants to stay  in the US.
While his relatives say  the video is
authentic, critics are  claiming that the
child was  coached.

American politicians have ironically tried to force the father to  defect.

Politics has taken centre stage, 
involving people who have no business in the issue, while denying
parental relationship.

The judiciary system has been  blatantly
abused and subverted by  politicians and
relatives to keep  Elian in the US. At
this point, the  court has barred Elian
from leaving.

Elian's lawyer goes on TV every  night,
using superlatives to claim  that Cubans
“walked around fearful and scared'' and that children  were unhappy in the communist ruled
island.

Being a lawyer, he has been convincing. Human rights activists  have nodded in support.

Elian may possibly have a better  future
in the US, one must concede, but six-year-olds do not bother about democracy
and communism. They just want to have a 
good time playing with other kids. 
Lots of children in Cuba are certainly happy.

Every child belongs to their parents  not
Castro, not Clinton and  certainly not
busybody activists.

The matter nothing to do with  politics
and everything to do with  simple values
like love and affection. These are what ordinary people talk and care about all
over the  world, not just in the US or
Cuba.

To strengthen their case, the 
anti-Castro campaigners are 
claiming that they “speak for the 
people.'' Like many politicians, 
they too have freely made such 
claims.

The fact is that they only represent a small section of the Cuban  community in the US. A survey has  shown that many Cubans in other  parts of the country are embarrassed by the
action of their brethrens.

The same people who speak  about the
right to protest peacefully have vowed to use force should  the authorities step in to take Elian  from his relatives.

And because these campaigners  are so
imposing, the majority in  Miami who
disagree are fearful of  expressing their
views.

It is a case of self-proclaimed 
democrats who suppress the rights 
of others to speak up, simply because they disagree.

In Cuba, the same political rhetoric is being played up. Elian has  been reduced to a political slogan  without a thought to the psychological damage
on the boy.

Political rallies are being held, 
sometimes in heavy rain, in Cuba 
with Cubans listening to boring 
politicians reading from prepared 
text. These's no escape  it's
also  on TV.

Elian and his father should go  home
soon. They should be together as father and son, and that's all  that matters.