Kenyataan Presiden PRM, dalam bahasa Menlayu dan Inggeris Statement by PRM President, in English and Malay

MAS BAILOUT? WHY NOT RESCUE SMALLHOLDERS TOO?

In whatever way Tun Daim Zainuddin tries to justify the purchase of MAS shares from Naluri, at RM8 per share (which is more than 100 percent of the share market price), the public is still not convinced that it is other than a bailout. Naluri is owned by Tan Sri Tajuddin Ramli. It may appear that Finance Ministry Inc. is bailing out Tajuddin, but in actual fact, it is suspected it may also be helping to bail out more powerful political figures for whom Tajuddin is known to act as a nominee.

A few months back, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad explained that MAS faced problems owing particularly to the economic downturn experienced by the Asian region beginning July 1997. But then he did not explain why other Asian airlines, such as the Singapore Airlines and Thai Airways survived pretty well under the same circumstances and continue to be doing pretty well till now.

Perhaps Mahathir and Daim should also explain two other things that might have added to MAS difficulties. First, MAS might have overstretched itself when it ordered to buy a number of state of the art Boeing planes costing billions of ringgit before the economic downturn. Second, MAS was practically forced to give up the lucrative annual flights during the pilgrimage seasons to Air Asia. Of course it is well known that one of the children of the Prime Minister has interests in Air Asia.

The Government or Finance Ministry has always been ever so keen to bail out ailing cronies or crony companies. Why are they not equally concerned about the plights of much less fortunate sections of the population? For example, the oil palm small-holders are now facing difficulties because the price of their produce has plunged from over RM300 per ton at the beginning of the economic downturn to merely RM80 per ton now.

The rubber tappers as well as rice farmers are also suffering from low prices and difficulty to dispose off their produce. Why is there no help from government to rescue them from their difficulties? Doesn’t Mahathir or Daim consider them worthwhile helping, when the elections are still far away, because the smallholders and farmers are not their cronies? But then, Mahathir claimed that all Malays are his cronies.

Dr Syed Husin Ali PRM President

19th January 2001

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MAS SAJA? MENGAPA TIDAK SELAMATKAN PEKEBUN KECIL JUGA?

Walau bagaimanapun Tun Daim cuba mempertahankan pembelian saham MAS dari Naluri, dengan harga RM8 satu saham (iaitu lebih 100 peratus daripada harga di pasaran saham), rakyat ramai masih yakin bahawa pembelian ini ialah satu usaha untuk menyelamatkan pihak tertentu. Naluri dimiliki oleh Tan Seri Tajuddin Ramli. Kementerian Kewangan Inc mungkin kelihatan seolah-olah hendak menyelamatkan Tajuddin. Akan tetapi, sebenarnya ia juga cuba hendak menyelamatkan tokoh-tokoh politik yang lebih berkuasa, kerana Tajuddin hanya merupakan “nominee” (wakil) mereka saja.

Beberapa bulan lalu, Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Mahathir Mohamad menjelaskan bahawa MAS menghadapi masalah terutama sekali akibat kemerosotan ekonomi yang dialami oleh Asia mulai bulan Julai 1997. Akan tetapi beliau tidak menerangkan pula mengapa syarikat-syarikat penerbangan Asia yang lain, seperti Singapore Airlines dan Thai Airways selamat dalam keadaan yang sama. Bahkan sampai sekarang mereka terus beroperasi dengan agak baik.

Sepatutnya Mahathir dan Daim perlu juga menjelaskan dua perkara lain yang mungkin telah menambahkan masalah MAS. Pertama, boleh jadi MAS bertindak lebih daripada yang patut apabila ia memesan untuk membeli beberapa buah kapal terbang Boeing yang terkini serta tercanggih dengan harga berbilion ringgit sebelum ekonomi merudum dulu. Kedua, MAS boleh dikata telah dipaksa untuk menyerahkan usaha membawa rombongan haji setiap tahun, yang sangat menguntungkan itu, kepada Air Asia. Seperti yang diketahui ramai, salah seorang anak Perdana Menteri mempunyai kepentingan dalam syarikat Air Asia itu.

Kerajaan atau Kementerian Kewangan nampaknya sentiasa terpanggil untuk menyelamatkan kroni-kroni dan syarikat-syarikat kroni mereka yang nazak. Mengapakah mereka tidak begitu mengambil berat terhadap nasib sebahagian besar rakyat yang jauh kurang bernasib baik? Umpamanya, pekebun kecil kelapa sawit sedang menghadapi berbagai-bagai kesulitan kerana harga kelapa sawit jatuh daripada RM300 satu ton sebelum kemelesetan ekonomi berlaku kepada RM80 satu ton sekarang?

Penoreh getah dan petani padi juga sedang menghadapi berbagai-bagai kesulitan berhubung harga rendah dan masalah untuk menjual hasil mereka. Mengapakah tidak ada pertolongan daripada kerajaan untuk menyelamatkan mereka daripada kesulitan yang mereka hadapi? Adakah Mahathir dan Daim merasakan petani serta pekebun kecil ini tidak perlu dibantu kerana pilihanraya masih jauh lagi dan mereka bukannya kroni? Akan tetapi, bukankah Mahathir pernah mendakwa bahawa semua orang Melayu kroni beliau?

Dr Syed Husin Ali Presiden PRM

19hb Januari 2001