August 06, 1999 
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| August 06, 1999 | atimes.com | |
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| Southeast Asia Malaysia's Mahathir, king of the castle By Anil Netto PENANG, Malaysia - Nestled on a terraced hillside, the elegant structure shimmers in the distance, its magnificent central dome catching the eye of passersby. The new residential mansion of Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad is nothing less than breathtaking, yet it has put Malaysia's leader on the defensive again, forcing him to exchange scathing remarks with the opposition. Derisively called ''mahligai'', or palace, by its critics, the mansion in fact is part of another colossal project, the Putrajaya, which is supposed to become the new administrative capital of Malaysia. Located south of Kuala Lumpur, the Putrajaya complex reportedly cost 20 billion ringgit ($5.26 billion) to complete. The mansion is said to have cost another $4.5 million, although the opposition says the real figure is closer to $53 million. While Malaysians may have gotten used to the so-called megaprojects of the Mahathir administration, the Putrajaya and the mahligai come at a time when the country is still recovering from the Asian economic crisis. And since the sacking and subsequent arrest of Deputy Premier Anwar Ibrahim in September 1998, Malaysia has been experiencing a sense of political disquiet, with more and more opposition politicians growing bolder about criticizing the government. Indeed, Mahathir has been hounded by Anwar himself in the last several months, by way of manifestos - most of them dwelling on megaprojects - smuggled out of his prison cell. Aside from the Putrajaya and the prime minister's mansion, these projects include the sprawling but under-used Kuala Lumpur International Airport and the under-occupied Petronas Twin Towers, the tallest buildings on the planet. The government has repeatedly said, however, that the megaprojects are part of its efforts to prepare for the future. Mahathir himself said recently that the Putrajaya would be the nation's new federal capital one day and that it was developed for the country's long-term benefit. ''The construction of Putrajaya is for the next 100 years,'' he said. ''The people should be proud of a capital that we built ourselves.'' The 73-year-old premier also lashed out at Anwar, his former protege and finance minister. Under Anwar, he said, ''the Finance Ministry never protested against Putrajaya, never mentioned that the government was building a mahligai and had never even protested against the 15 billion ringgit ($3.9 billion) Bakun Dam project. ''He went along and supported the government,'' said Mahathir. ''So, if it was a mahligai which was built, then it is because he allowed the money to be spent.'' Unfortunately for Mahathir, though, his new residence-cum-office stands in stark contrast to the tens of thousands of shabby plank and aluminium-roofed squatter houses that are hidden behind the glitter of city life. Malaysia has an acute shortage of low-cost housing, and government critics have had a field day hitting the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition over its seemingly flawed priorities. Critics have also pointed out that ''building for the future'' was the same argument used to justify the futuristic-looking Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), which replaced the smaller Subang international airport closer to the capital. Subang airport, officials said then, was ''bursting at its seams.'' Yet the $2.37 billion KLIA was built even as a new third terminal at Subang was completed. To its credit, the government is doing more than engaging in verbal tussles with its critics. Apparently stung by the mounting criticism over the prime minister's mansion in particular, Kuala Lumpur recently launched a nationwide drive to build more affordable houses in the run-up to the next general elections that must be held by mid-2000. Observers however expect the elections to be called in the next few months, and the government is showing noticeably more interest in poor marginal groups. But this has not stopped tongues from clucking. Opposition leader Lim Kit Siang, for one, has described the premier's mansion as ''bigger than the White House and 10 Downing Street put together.'' Government critic Kim Quek, for his part, recently wrote of the Putrajaya: ''The conceptual and overall design of the whole project looks more like an extravaganza showpiece than a profitable proposition. The infrastructure and landscaping costs are so high that it cannot hope to be financially viable.'' He also compared the ''building for future generations'' rationale for megaprojects to a newly married couple looking for a new house that would be big enough for not only their children, but also all their grandchildren. For Kim Quek, the only reason for these projects is ''the vanity of one person and the greed of cronies.'' Observers are already placing their bets that the megaprojects are bound to be among the key issues in the upcoming polls. As it is, the opposition Islamic Party (PAS) has vowed to auction off the mahligai should the opposition front win. (Inter Press Service) | |||||||||
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