FEER/Danish Aid issues - we could handle it better!
Dr. Alamgir Hussain
Singapore!
e-mail: [email protected]

 

When the horrendous handling of the FEER article issue still attracting a lot of flaks, our Govt again went about the Danish Aid withdrawal issue in its most callous way, just what was expected from our political guardians? I just wonder if we are ever going learn the educated way of handling of things.

The banning of FEER and taking them to court immediately without giving any look into the allegations have only brought shame to the country in the international arena. Now we are again going to the length of challenging the Danish Govt to prove their allegations. I hope the Govt don�t go to the length of taking Danish Govt to court on defamation charges. I just wonder why we can�t just be a little more rational and learn to handle such issues in a civilized way.

I don�t believe just a FEER article can bring shame to our country if we are really not what as being reflected in the article, the truth is bound to prevail and we must have come out clean if appropriate steps being taken. It is rather the Govt�s unthoughtful reactions to these issues which is bringing added shame and unforeseen consequences, which can very grave, to our nation.

I don�t wish to give any knowledge to our Govt which is pointless anyway but I just want to cite a couple of examples which can, I think, make our Govt and people give a rethink to their attitude. Malaysia has long been targeted by the US as everybody knows and the post 9/11 period was definitely not smooth for Mahathir.

Two major allegations were made against Malaysia during that period which I believe were graver than the FEER allegation. Firstly Whitehouse sought to take over-n-covert actions in Malaysia (along with Indonesia), similar way in Afghanistan, alleging the presence of Al-Qaida cells inside their territory. What was Mahathir�s response, a cool one: We don�t think we need America�s assistance to fight terrorism; if they have any intelligence data we will definitely look into it.

Second allegation was, when the CBI investigation found out a Malaysian national was closely involved in the 9-11 attack, white house came out with this sensation-creating allegation that �Malaysia was the launching-pad for the Sept-11 attack�. Mahathir�s reply was again simple, �I don�t think just one person�s involvement makes Malaysia the launching-pad for the attack when all the terrorist got their training and everything inside the US�. Of course Malaysia had arrested the terrorist even before America found his link to the attack.

Even after such wild allegations, I believe Malaysia�s impression has only brightened to the world and even to Whitehouse after the Sept-11 tragedy and Mahathir getting frequent invitations and meetings with Mr Bush. I just wonder, if those kind of wild allegations were made against our country how our mindless Govt could have reacted! I just don�t understand why the judicious guardian of the country couldn�t initiate an investigation and ask FEER as well as the Danish Govt to assist in it instead of going for such wild and ferocious rejections of the allegations.

After the investigation if we were truly clean FEER and Danish Govt must have withdrawn their allegations and we could prove it to the world. Now I think every door has been closed to show our cleanness with unknown consequences to hang on over our shoulder. We need those money and aid and with such uncivilized behaviour on display, who is going to come to show sympathy to our country. It�s twenty first century and I think it�s time we learn some civility and rationality. Else we are doomed to be an isolated state like the Taliban�s Afghanistan, Saddam�s Iraq or Khomeini�s Iran. Do we afford that?

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Published at : http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mukto-mona/message/5491

http://www.e-mela.com/lekha/article/DanishAid_Alamgir041702.html

http://www.bangladesh-web.com/news/apr/18/g18042002.htm#A2