(12/10/00)

By Sonia Randhawa

In keeping with the twin traditions of student societies and Malaysian events, the seminar started late. Not an auspicious start for Malaysia in the New Millennium. Once started, however, it was worth the wait.

Events began with a safe, well-delivered speech from Tan Khoon Tee, president of Cambridge University Malaysia Society (Cumas). This was followed by an iteration of goodwill from the deputy vice-chancellor of the University, and an impressively flashy but contentless multimedia presentation tracing moments of Malaysia.

The Prime Minister was relaxed and in good humour, despite the handful of protesters stationed outside. He took the podium, receiving a warm welcome from the audience. Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad was to talk on the future of Malaysia over the next few decades, painting various scenarios, declining to act as a futurologist, but clearly indicating which of the alternatives he preferred.

The speech covered the history of Malaysia, the achievements of the Umno-led Barisan Nasional government from the days before Merdeka to the present, with projections of continued prosperity and stability in the future. Pas, however, was the main focus of his speech; a denunciation of its 'campaign of hate', an allegedly concerted effort to inculcate hatred in the minds of children and youths.

“The feeling of hatred becomes so deeply ingrained that actions [such as that of the Al'Maunah] become inevitable,” said Dr Mahathir. “We have to take action, put a stop to the hate campaigns. Shall we wait until a full-scale Muslim uprising takes place, or do we act now?”

The rhetoric on Pas was largely ignored by the student audience, whose questions covered a wide range of topics. The first question was asked by a fiery young woman studying in London. Her brusque manner was not appreciated by the organisers, and the 'question' was meandering. It covered the alleged use of the 'race card' by Umno, the Nipah and Coxsackie outbreaks, the Bakun dam, the imprisonment of then-DAP MP Lim Guan Eng, and the sacking of then-Lord President Tun Salleh Abas.

The Prime Minister addressed each point calmly, rarely evading the question. He did, however, occasionally trip up. “[If the Pas-led Kelantan government is not] providing good water supply,” he said, “it cannot consider itself a good government.” Obviously the water crisis of 1998 had slipped his memory and that of his audience.

The fiery young lady started a trend. Those asking questions, particularly those least appreciated by the speakers and despite repeated requests from successive chairs, did not give their names. Anonymity was the watchword for the day. Even students expressing broadly pro-government sentiments were wary about revealing their identity to the press. Those voicing less supportive opinions were far more paranoid, glancing warily over their shoulders for signs of Special Branch.

One of the more unexpected questions came from 'Angeline', who queried Dr Mahathir on the development of the arts in Malaysia. He made reference to his inability to comment, drawing attention to the success of the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra, but adding that the government was 'stressing science and technology'.

The day's programme included Tan Sri Dr Noordin Sopiee, chairman of ISIS, Tan Sri Datuk Dr Othman Yeop Abdullah, executive chairman of the Multimedia Development Corporation and Michael Kitson, an economics and politics lecturer at Cambridge. Dr Noordin took the lectern after the PM. Ready wit and a willingness to interrupt and be interrupted endeared this speaker to all sections of the audience. He was liked, even when what he was saying wasn't.

Dr Zeti Akhtar Aziz, governor of Bank Negara Malaysia, was passionate. During her speech, she was nervous, bogged down by figures, losing her audience in minutiae. In the dialogue, however, she blossomed. Freed from the multimedia presentation tools, she lashed out at one particularly pushy young man from MIT. “We have no comparative advantage in the financial sector,” she bitingly remarked when under fire for the supposed lack of vision in a limited financial market. “We want a market that will be efficient and optimal in achieving its objectives, not in competing with Hong Kong and Singapore.”

Most disappointing were the truisms of Datuk Dr Rais Yatim, a propaganda piece on dinosaur legislation left by the British and the lack of democracy in the West. During the dialogue, however, he did make some promising statements about the possible repeal of the Printing Presses & Publications Act and the Universities & University Colleges Act, and alluded to a revamp of the judiciary to take place 'next year'.

The students whom the speakers faced did not fit the mould described by the PM: blinded by hatred nursed from the kindergarten through the education system. Opinions from all sides of the political debate were considered, and there was as much support for the PM in the hall as there was angst against him. After he reiterated that he would not be standing down in the near future, a feeble cry of 'Hidup Mahathir' went round the room.

© 2000 AgendaMalaysia