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Statement by Dr Tan Seng Giaw, DAP National Vice-Chairman and MP for Kepong on the Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s speech, "Globalisation, Global Community and the United Nations" at the United Nations University, Tokyo, yesterday. 8.6.01.

The Malaysian Prime Minister Dato' Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad visits Japan often. On 7 June, 2001, he gave a speech at the United Nations University, Tokyo, raising international issues.

The Prime Minister comments on globalisation, borderless world, attacks on currencies, World Trade Organization, WTO, and United Nations, UN. He proposes an agency to collect taxes from the rich economies from which funds could be used to build infrastructure in poor countries.

To collect money from countries is difficult. Even the United States of America has been very slow in paying her dues to the UN. Last month, when US was not elected as a member of the UN Human Rights Committee, some senators ask for US’s reduction or refusal to pay the world body. If Dr Mahathir can work out a formula to make it enforceable, then poor countries will benefit.

AGENCIES FOR THE POOR

While the Prime Minister is paying attention to getting money from rich countries to pay poor countries, we hope he also looks again at the Malaysian poverty. Although the Government says that the incidence of poverty among Malaysians decreases from 8.7% in 1995 to 6.1% in 1997, it increases to 8.5% in 1998. This is based on traditional poverty lines. It does not include the effects of information and communications technology, ICT. Those who have new technologies such as computer do better than those who do not—the digital divide.

Now, the Government wants to eradicate poverty irrespective of race and region. This is correct. But, in its implementation, problems appear such as the definition of poverty, the identification of the poor, money politics, corruption and nepotism.

Dr Mahathir says,"Yes we admit that the governments of these (poor) countries were not the best governments in the world. There was corruption, there was cronyism, there was poor transparency.

"All these needed to be corrected. But must whole countries and economies be totally destroyed in order to carry out the corrections? Is there no other way, more humane way? Could we have not taken a little bit more time, preserving the economy as much as possible while we make the necessary corrections?" he asks.

True, we should not destroy whatever is good. But, we hope Dr Mahathir reviews the agencies for eradication of poverty. To ensure that we succeed in the National Vision Policy, we have to get rid of corruption, cronyism and opacity.

Dr Tan Seng Giaw