12 theSun | FRIDAY FEBRUARY 13 2009

speak up!

letter
letters@thesundaily.com chy when they took to the streets to

Case for not cutting taxes

THE article “Spending big no way
to beat recession” (Feb 10), was
informative. I, however, disagree
with the writer on two points – that
the way to stimulate the economy
is to cut taxes, and that dishing
out big amounts of cash will
automatically cause inflation.
Every citizen should pay taxes.
The government runs the country
and supports its administration
which in turn allows business to be
conducted smoothly and profitably.
The higher the taxes, the better the
chances the government has to
administer the country properly
and to provide all the infrastruc-
tures and services for its citizens.
When the government can-
not collect enough taxes, it is
forced to take part in business, an
activity for which it is unsuited and
ill-prepared.
On the question that printing
more money will inevitably cause
higher inflation, this will only be
so if the new money is given
away for free. Money has a price,
which is either work or interest.
The American economy, and other
Western economies, are ailing not
because they spent exorbitantly in
the past, but because they did not
exchange a proportional amount of
labour for the rewards they were
asking. Not only did they want to
be paid too much for insufficient
work, they also demanded that
extra money be loaned to them
cheaply when their salaries were
no longer enough to buy the things
they wanted.
Money in itself has no value.
It is the things we want to buy
or the services we want to enjoy
that have real value. Therefore
the focus should be on producing
the amount and quality of work
that will give us the means (ie the
money) to get what we want.
This crisis is because people
have lowered their standards and
they refuse to think, work, and
produce enough value for money
so that the standard and quality of
life can start to rise again instead
of continuing to fall.
Marisa Demori
Ipoh
Lest we forget
STREET demonstrations
have always been a “no-
no” in this country but
thanks to a more tolerant
prime minister and ad-
ministration, public pro-
tests have been the next
big thing since Mawi.
However, this show
of emotion must be held
on the right platform and
the demonstrators must
be well-versed with the Down2Earth
issue as well as a little bit by Terence Fernandez which they automatically
of history. The last thing
we need is for the real
issues to be blurred by
personal and political agenda and for
confused protesters to go off-tangent
in raising their demands.
This is because at the end of the
day, instead of resolving the mat-
ter, we will be saddled with more
problems – perhaps graver than the
original issue which was the subject
of the protest in the first place.
So to all those baying for DAP na-
tional chairman Karpal Singh’s blood
for voicing his intention to sue the
Sultan of Perak, please be reminded
that the only reason Karpal can even
think of taking the ruler to court over
His Royal Highness’s decision not to
dissolve the state assembly is because
the previous government under Tun
Dr Mahathir Mohamad had made it
possible to do so.
It was the Mahathir administra-
tion which curbed the powers of the
rulers and created the special courts
to hear legal issues concerning the
monarchy. It was the Ma-
hathir administration and
the then legislature which
removed the immunity of
the rulers through the
Constitution (Amend-
ment) Bill 1983 which
also removed the power
to declare an emergency
from the Yang di-Pertuan
Agong and allowing the
King only a month to
assent to Bills – following
become law.
As head of religion,
individual sultan’s pre-
rogative to determine when Hari
Raya Aidilfitri is celebrated was also
removed after rulers in Perak, Kedah
and Pahang had (on separate occa-
sions) declared different dates from
the rest of country for the beginning
and ending of the fasting month.
Looking at the environment in
which this “assault” on the monarchy
was launched, Mahathir probably felt
it was a necessary evil. Even so, there
were many who had accused the
good doctor then of “menderhaka”.
Thus in the present scenario, as a
matter of principle – and I’m sure the
demonstrators are very principled
– these accusations of “menderhaka”
cannot be levelled against only Kar-
pal but also against all those who like
Karpal had challenged the authority
and supremacy of the Malay rulers.
And let us be reminded that even
Hindraf had carried posters of the
King, declaring loyalty to the monar-
seek equitable treatment for Indians.
It underscores the fact that the mon-
archy belongs to all Malaysians and
any racial undertones in declaring
support for the sultan is unwarranted,
dangerous and irresponsible.
Umno, especially, as the leader of
the ruling coalition and nucleus of the
executive would do well to educate
its members and defuse whatever
tensions and misunderstandings that
may arise.
Sufficice to say most if not ALL
Malaysians hold steadfastly to the
second principle of the Rukunegara -
“Kesetiaan kepada Raja dan Negara”
(Loyalty to King and Country).
****************************************
AS the Malay adage goes “sedikit-
sedikit, lama lama jadi bukit” (little
by little till you have a hill). In the
case of critics of the method in which
Perak changed hands, their patience
and perseverance over the past week
are now rewarded with two bukits.
As the Election Commission gears
up for two by-elections – one in Bukit
Gantang, Perak, and the other in
Bukit Selambau, Kedah – let’s hope
for a fair fight and that whoever wins
will not have the urge to hop to any
side, even if “offers” are too darn hard
to resist or “threats” are too serious
to ignore.
At the end of the day, nothing
compares to the support or the wrath
of the people. Just ask Hee Yit Fong,
whom I’m told is seriously mulling
quitting politics for good.
Terence is all for by-elections, not buy
elections. He is deputy editor (special
reports & investigations). Feedback:
terence@thesundaily.com

Young women must claim their space

by Juana Jaafar is in town to lend a hand at the
Musawah meeting in Kuala Lumpur
UNIVERSITY students this weekend. Musawah is a global
are still waiting for the movement for equality and justice
Universities and Univer- in the Muslim family. The meeting
sity Colleges Act to be will see some 200 Muslim scholars
abolished, or at least and activists from 49 countries
amended to suit the 21st come together to launch the move-
century. The Act has been ment and discuss ideas on how to
used to curb student reform Muslim family law.
activities, particularly to Hadil arrived from Cairo in
prevent student involve- December to assist the organisers
ment in party politics. Freespace with Arabic translations for their
However, over the years Where young views rule meeting materials as well as to
the Act has acquired strategise on integrating young
new jurisdictions to include student participation in women into the movement.
organisations and movements with broader interests. “It’s important for young women
The result is a generation of removed and apathetic to have experience in activism, in
young Malaysians. this case, in the Islamic context.
Meanwhile, a 23-year-old Egyptian girl finds her- Our experiences and challenges
self in the thick of action in Malaysia. Hadil El-Khouly may differ from the older genera-
tion, for example on issues relating
to identity and acceptance within
the Muslim community. A body like
Musawah can also promote multi-
generational dialogue,” she said.
As a student at Cairo Univer-
sity from which she graduated in
law, Hadil was active in student
organisations promoting equality
and justice for women. At 18, she
threw herself into the “real world”
working with the Centre for Egyp-
tian Women’s Legal Assistance.
“Starting work young forced me to
manage my time between school
and work. But the experience was
liberating,” she said.
She said the women’s move-
ment in Egypt is, as a whole, a
visible and strong one. The student
organisation she was involved in
promoted equality and justice for
women, but was conscious not to
exclude men. Their activities would
ride on the general human rights
platform (where women’s rights
are an integral part) which included
male students. Women in the Arab
world are reluctant to identify with
the English term “feminist” even
though they have an active wom-
en’s rights movement.
As writer Tala Al-Ramahi said in
the UAE-based publication The Na-
tion, even progressive Arab women
“would be weary of the word, most
probably because it carries with
it Westernised connotations of
what a woman is expected to be.”
They would prefer to identify with
the kind of activism that is more
relevant to their own cultural
context. Moreover, another major
criticism of “feminist” groups is
that they tend to hold dialogues
only among themselves.
Hadil said that for the cause to
succeed, women’s groups cannot
afford to isolate men. After all,
when it comes to legislation men
would have to vote for women’s
rights too. That is precisely what
Musawah is trying to achieve:
reform in legislation. Muslim
family law in many countries has
not changed from the classical
legal framework. This framework
does not take into consideration
the daily realities of Muslim women
today. Malaysia, for example, is a
good case study.
While Malaysia remains one
of the more progressive Muslim
countries, its position as a leading
nation in providing just Muslim
family laws has been surpassed
by countries like Morocco, Turkey
and Tunisia. We can claim back
our position in the Muslim world
by supporting Musawah’s inter-
national law reform movement to
end discrimination against Muslim
women across the globe.
Hadil sees immense potential
for our country to play a major
role in the movement. Malaysia’s
strength, she said, is in the diver-
sity of her people. She said young
Malaysians must have the desire
to be part of the decision-making
process and young women espe-
cially, must integrate and dare to
take risks. Most importantly, they
must claim their space because no
one will give it to them freely.
Juana is a regular Malaysian. Com-
ments: letters@thesundaily.com.