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Some snippets from Anwar's home-coming speech Anwar speaks his mind on a range of subjects during his home-coming visit to Penang on 5 Nov 2004 Aliran Monthly Vol 24 (2004): Issue 10
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I don�t regret (my ordeal) because I did what I had to do. I had to work to clean up Malaysia from the scourge of corruption. We will cooperate with the government in wiping out corruption. The challenge is how to wipe out corruption and improve the economy so that it benefits even more Malaysians. Anwar cited the example of tenders that may cost RM30 million for instance, being inflated to RM50 million, with RM20 million given to friends. That RM20 million will not reach the people. If for everything you need to pay bribes, the cost of doing business goes up, he said. We are losing our competitiveness. On the whipping of migrant workers (If) we don�t want migrant workers without permits, okay. Send them back properly. But what happens now? They are caught, their money and handphones are stolen, they are whipped. If you don�t need them, fair (enough). Arrest them and send them back. (But) don�t do such things. When I was in the cabinet committee for foreign workers, I did not send a single person to jail. They were rounded up, sent to immigration and then sent back home. Not a single person was whipped. But now thousands of them have been whipped. I cannot accept this. Whether they are from Bangladesh, Indonesia or Myanmar, they are human beings. And we have been taught to respect human beings. In the Qur�an, we are taught respect for human beings. If you are Muslim and you don�t respect non-Muslims, you are not a good Muslim. On his "special treatment" in jail I don�t want to talk about my six-year �holiday� � some people come up to me and say �long time no see�. I reply, �I didn�t see anything (during those six years)!" Anwar criticised those who claim that he received VIP treatment in jail. What VIP treatment? You want to go and try it? Six years by yourself. In the evenings, I read the Koran. In the mornings, I sang in the bathroom, �Oh nona-ku, Azizah.� He said that when he asked for a doctor after he was brutally assaulted in custody, none came immediately: I may look healthy � but there is stuff inserted into my back now � so I have to be cautious, but that�s okay. I am still strong and can fight. I was beaten badly � I was the Deputy Prime Minister, you know! But now if you ask, are you angry? I would say what�s the point in being angry? Now, we need to look ahead. I fought before to safeguard the people�s interest. We want to invite our people to come together now and move forward. If he wants to condemn me, let him, I don�t care (in an apparent reference to Mahathir). I say we should forgive but not forget. We shouldn�t forget, because if we do, it will happen again. We don�t want it to happen to me, and we don�t want it to happen to anyone else. On political and civil rights We do not want oppression to be repeated. Not to me, not to anyone. If anyone were to complain about the dirty environment, that is his right as a citizen who wants the air and the water to be clean and it is not an offence in a democracy to raise these issues. He hit out at the suspension of MPs like Karpal and before him Fong Po Kuan: What sort of freedom is this? He was elected by the people of Bukit Gelugor. On the judiciary I was jailed for six years for corruption. What kind? Because I talked with the police. I talked with the police, I got hit with six years� jail. People steal RM200-500 million, that�s not considered corruption! The court is supposed to be free. But the whole world has said the courts are not free. The ICJ (The International Commission of Jurists) has said the judiciary is not free. But some ministers say the courts are free. They say, �No, we didn�t do anything. Anwar was found guilty by the courts.� Po-rah. On his special treatment in Germany and Saudi Arabia Anwar contrasted the way he was treated in Malaysia and the way he was treated abroad. The doctor (in Munich) told me: �No, I cannot take (money) from you because I know how much you suffered for so long. I know you are the victim of a political conspiracy, and that you didn�t deserve to go to jail.� In Germany, Anwar later put up at a hotel. He revealed that the hotel management, knowing his background, only charged him half-rate for his single room and then upgraded him to a large suite without extra charge. From Germany, Anwar was flown on a special plane to Saudi Arabia, where he was housed in a royal guest palace. Anwar observed wryly how he had moved �from the prison to the palace.� I am telling you this not because I want to tell you I am important; no, but I want to show you the value (of our struggle for six years); it has not been forgotten. There are people who value what we have done. He nonetheless praised the Malaysian prison wardens and those at the lock-ups who were kind and respectful towards him. On his plans What do we want to do now? First thing I want to know and understand and continue to work and struggle for my people. It�s not important that I have no (political) position. The important thing is the people�s problems must be put on centre-stage. I am working very hard but without a position. Those without positions must work hard. Not everyone can hold a position, but everyone must work. In a small way, I can contribute. I will meet leaders of the various opposition political parties and NGOs for the good of the country. If Dato Abdullah Badawi says he wants to do anything good, we can discuss and give him the support. If there is corruption in any place, we will advise him, to kick (the culprit) out quickly. On mega projects and development for the people It�s better for us to focus on the agenda of the people. If we want development, we don�t have to go to the extent of demolishing people�s homes. Nothing was done for eight years for the small traders, but during that time we spent tens of billions on mega projects, the longest, the tallest, the greatest. I don�t oppose big projects, but our priorities should be schools, healthcare facilities and public amenities. I looked around and saw some low-cost houses in Keramat. Those were the ones I built in 1996 and I asked where are the new ones? None. If we can spend hundreds of millions on wasteful projects and yet don�t build houses that cost a few thousand ringgit, how are we going to answer (the people)? We have the longest this, the tallest that, but the roof of the hawker centre I visited has not been repaired. We have the capacity. If we were a poor country like Bangladesh or Zimbabwe, ok no big deal. But we have the capacity to build. Can we let our country deteriorate? We can�t. Or allow the people�s problems to be sidelined? No, we cannot tolerate this. When I was Finance Minister, I didn't agree with the increases of highway toll. I asked the toll concessionaires to provide a detailed breakdown of their costs. If the rates go up, who will pay? You. You have to think and know what your rights are. No wonder the country has a deficit; we spent on all the big projects. I don�t want to talk too much - or else I masuk (might get detained). Now e-mail us and tell us what you think. Your comments might be published in the Letters section of our print magazine, Aliran Monthly. | |||||||||||||||
We do not want oppression to be repeated. Not to me, not to anyone. 