Posts (page 2)
I went for some retail therapy early in the morning yesterday at
MidValley and the Gardens. I was strolling along the first floor of the
Gardens and looked up and liked what I saw and I have captured the
scene in 3 different modes.
These are some of the pictures I took some months ago when I woke up earlier than usual. The cloud patterns reminded me of how the beach looks when the tide goes out.
Worth spending money on - In no particular order of importance:
1. A foreign university education - undergraduate or further
2. A notebook PC for easy access to information and keeping in touch with friends cost efficiently
3. A good Japanese meal
4. A good bottle of red wine
5. Donation to a charitable cause
6. A non-national car - since public transportation in KL and PJ sucks
7. A back up pair of eye glasses
8. A nice holiday in to a place in a different time zone where I can relax and undo work stress
9. Medical insurance
10. A decent mobile phone
11. Subscription to Malaysiakini news
Not worth spending money on - again, in no particular order of importance
1. Local printed newspapers (except The Edge)
2. Membership of any local political parties
3. Highway tolls
4. Proton cars
5. Streamyx subscription for its patchy and unreliable service
6. Dogs from pet shops
I recently watched Richard Dawkins' TV documentary " Religion: The Root of All Evil?" and listened to the audiobook version of "The God Delusion" by Richard Dawkins. There were many things which resonated with me in both these materials, chiefly, Christianity's abhorrence to questioning and challenging the inconsistencies in the Bible, its unbending dogma & its absolute refusal to acknowledge scientific truths of evolution, issues such as human sexuality and AIDS.
Some people may think that I have turned away from Christianity because of its condemnation of homosexuality but that isn't true. It is more than just that. I have always found Catholicism's veneration of the Virgin Mary but its prohibition against the ordination of women priests not only mind boggling, but also hypocritical. Fundamentalist Christians, especially those in the US, condemn abortion on the basis that life is sacred but have no compunction in murdering doctors who perform abortions. These fundamentalists do not care about the state of the mind of the mothers who terminate their pregnancies nor the families and friends of the murdered doctors. Is this what religion is about?
Here's an example of the Old Testament's position on women from the Book of Judges:
22 While they were enjoying themselves, some of the wicked men of the city surrounded the house. Pounding on the door, they shouted to the old man who owned the house, "Bring out the man who came to your house so we can have sex with him."
23 The owner of the house went outside and said to them, "No, my friends, don't be so vile. Since this man is my guest, don't do this disgraceful thing. 24 Look, here is my virgin daughter, and his concubine. I will bring them out to you now, and you can use them and do to them whatever you wish. But to this man, don't do such a disgraceful thing."
25 But the men would not listen to him. So the man took his concubine and sent her outside to them, and they raped her and abused her throughout the night, and at dawn they let her go. 26 At daybreak the woman went back to the house where her master was staying, fell down at the door and lay there until daylight.
Nice to know that the man was more willing to sacrifice his own daughter to be gang raped rather to allow his male guest to be sodomised.
I've been told that I cannot take the Bible literally, but at the same
time, I've lost count of the number of times I've been told "because
the Bible says so" when it comes to things like the Church's
condemnation of homosexuality, birth control and the creation of the
world. What criterion do we apply in deciding when to interpret the
Bible literally or otherwise?
Dawkins points out that if God is all powerful, why did he have to send his own son down to earth to be hideously tortured for all of our sins? Couldn't he have just forgiven us without Jesus being tortured? Who was God trying to impress? How do you answer that logically?
The Catholic Church's indefensible ban on the use of condom has doubtless exacerbated the spread of sexually transmitted infections such as AIDS in Africa. Indeed, Pat Robertson, the US evangelist who ran for presidency in the 1980's once said that AIDS is God's punishment not only on homosexuals, but on society at large for tolerating homosexuals. Where is the compassion, the kindness and the mercy which are said to be hallmarks of Christianity? It blows my mind how some people doubt the Darwin's theory of evolution and still believe that the world was created in 7 days.
My late grandfather, who had to convert to Catholicism upon marriage to my grandmother, once told me that faith meant blind believe, to believe without questioning. I've discovered that I cannot do this especially if believing in something which causes suffering to others.
There's a lot of weight in Richard Dawkins' assertion that religion is the cause of much suffering and troubles in the world today. If you look at every major war or conflict in the world today, much of it can be attributed to the dogmatic views of Christians, Jews and Muslims.
Ajahn Brahm and Richard Dawkins have a point in saying that children are too young to decide which religion they want to believe in until they're adults. Children are not allowed to vote, to drink alchohol or to marry until they are legal adults but why do they have their religion chosen for them before they are adults? I agree with Ajahn Brahm's view that there are 2 values which we need to impart to children - honesty and the ability to question. Yes, as a Catholic child I was taught that honesty was a good thing to have as part of the 10 Commandments, but I was not encouraged at all to question my religion on the basis that the Bible was written by men who were inspired by God. How do we know that for a fact? Were all of these blood thirsty passages inspired by a vengeful and jealous God?
Deuteronomy 13
6 If your very own brother, or your son or daughter, or the wife you love, or your closest friend secretly entices you, saying, "Let us go and worship other gods" (gods that neither you nor your fathers have known, 7 gods of the peoples around you, whether near or far, from one end of the land to the other), 8 do not yield to him or listen to him. Show him no pity. Do not spare him or shield him. 9 You must certainly put him to death. Your hand must be the first in putting him to death, and then the hands of all the people. 10 Stone him to death, because he tried to turn you away from the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. 11 Then all Israel will hear and be afraid, and no one among you will do such an evil thing again.
12 If you hear it said about one of the towns the LORD your God is giving you to live in 13 that wicked men have arisen among you and have led the people of their town astray, saying, "Let us go and worship other gods" (gods you have not known), 14 then you must inquire, probe and investigate it thoroughly. And if it is true and it has been proved that this detestable thing has been done among you, 15 you must certainly put to the sword all who live in that town. Destroy it completely, [a] both its people and its livestock. 16 Gather all the plunder of the town into the middle of the public square and completely burn the town and all its plunder as a whole burnt offering to the LORD your God. It is to remain a ruin forever, never to be rebuilt. 17 None of those condemned things [b] shall be found in your hands, so that the LORD will turn from his fierce anger; he will show you mercy, have compassion on you, and increase your numbers, as he promised on oath to your forefathers, 18 because you obey the LORD your God, keeping all his commands that I am giving you today and doing what is right in his eyes.
I don't agree that without religion, all hell, metaphorically and literally, will break loose; that people will rape, rob and murder. I think that there is an inherent recognition & understanding in us that harming another being is not good for us or the community. In Richard Dawkin's documentary, he interviews an academic from the London School of Economics who says that gorillas have been observed to help one another out because it benefits the group as a whole. Dawkins' assertion therefore is that being good, is an inherent nature of human beings as a result of evolution. Personally speaking, since moving further and further away from identifying myself as a Christian, I haven't found myself more inclined to steal or lie or to harm another living being. In fact, I have become more aware of my own behaviour, that what I do or don't do, affects those around me. I don't want to harm others because it makes me feel bad, not because I'm afraid of being punished by God, but because it doesn't make me feel happy.If a straight persons tells you he / she is married, would that person be considered to be flaunting his or her heterosexuality? Would a statement "Oh, I am married" elicit responses such as "Wah, he's / she's so open about her marital status!" or "I don't know why he / she had to say she is married, it's a private matter." Chances are, hearing that a straight person is married wouldn't cause anyone to bat an eyelid these days.
Reading some of the responses to Otto Fong's letter where he outed himself as a gay man, there are some folks who think that one's sexual orientation is a private matter which shouldn't be declared to the whole world. The only reason why people think it's a private matter is because these people being gay is wrong, otherwise, why would they think it's something which shouldn't be mentioned or announced in public? I think that people who say that one's sexual orientation shouldn't be declared in public as those who are homophobic and don't want to confront the issue that there are indeed non-heterosexuals in society. It's like having a mentally handicapped child who's the shame of a family. The fact that non-heterosexual people exists is not the problem, but society's indefensible prejudice and resistance towards accepting and respecting them in the same manner as they do for straight people which is the problem. Knowing that there is a gay person in their midsts may cause some people to reassess their prejudice against homosexuals and there are many who are not prepared to have their perspective of the status quo challenged.
It's one of those strange things that happen to you when you get older - you realise that you actually enjoy some of the things you didn't when you were younger. And by this I don't mean playing golf, well, not yet at least.
It might sound strange given that I used to work as a lawyer, but there was a time when I abhorred public speaking, mostly because I was and still am to a lesser extent, self-conscious of my own voice. But after going for several public speaking workshops and giving more than a couple of public talks which went really well, I surprised myself that I actually do enjoy connecting with the audience when I speak in public.
Earlier this evening, I spoke at a toastmaster's club at the invitation of a friend who is a member of that club. I talked about branding and trade marks, which are topics still close to my heart despite being out of legal practice. I had great fun telling the audience about how strong brands are like people in that they have personalities which differentiated them from their competitors. I knew I made a connection when they seemed genuinely intrigued by the concept of brand genericide and what made marks distinctive. Later on, a lady from the audience came up to me to say that she will never look at trade marks in the same light again. It's nice to know what you say have that effect on people - the ability to change the way they see things.
- Found this on a friend's blog and was very moved by its courage and sincerity. May we all have the courage to be true to ourselves.
- An open letter to all by teacher, Otto Fong.
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Blog taken down due to intense scrutiny and pressure from the Singaporean Ministry of Education (MOE).
Otto Fong in RI
I am Otto Fong. I have been teaching Science in Raffles Institution for the last eight years.
Being a teacher has been the most rewarding part of my professional life thus far. My students continue to amaze me daily with their wit, maturity, independent thinking and leadership. It is very fulfilling that I am a part of an institution that moulds the future generation of Singapore’s leaders.
Leaders are people who can rise above the tide of popular opinion, people who are guided by the conviction of rightness and justice and in being so guided, lead others towards that right path.
Recent events leading to my action
Recent events have made me decide to write this open letter. In April this year, Minister Mentor Mr Lee Kuan Yew – one of the school’s greatest alumni – called homosexuality a “genetic variation”, questioning the validity of criminalising gay sex. In July, MP Baey Yam Keng expressed support for the repeal of Section 377A of the penal code (which criminalises gay sex acts). In August, Malaysian columnist and ordained pastor Oyoung Wenfeng released his inspiring new Mandarin book “Tong Gen Sheng”, encouraging gay men and women to come out of the closet.
A few evenings later, I attended a forum organised by People Like Us on gay teachers and students. A few brave twenty-something guys asked, “Why has there been so little guidance available to me as a gay teenager?” It was a question that I had asked myself often, growing up.
When I became a teacher in 1999, I looked back on the good guidance my own teachers gave me as a template, and tried to be a better teacher to my students. Besides teaching them Science, I spent considerable effort in imparting good social values: give up your seats to the needy, save the handicapped parking lot for those in wheelchairs and their caretakers, respect people regardless of profession or social status.
How hate is perpetuated
Yet, in the eight years I have taught, I have done little for that small group of students who are gay. When the religious group Focus on the Family masqueraded as sex guidance counselors and gave a talk full of misinformation about homosexuality to our students, I was furious but kept my mouth shut.
When my niece returned from school saying, “Gays are disgusting!” I knew she learnt that hatred from a classmate, who had in turn absorbed that hatred from a parent. I knew that this hatred has been perpetrated for generations. But hatred grew out of fear, and hatred, as a line in a movie goes, “leads to the Dark Side.” This is the same environment of hatred I grew up in, as a gay teenager and student.
Until Section 377A* is repealed, there will be precious little the Ministry of Education can do to help these students. As a teacher, I am bound by my professional duty to follow the directives of my superiors.
While these events helped crystallize my decision to come out of the closet, my motivation remains deeply personal.
My family and I
As far back as primary six, I have been aware of my attraction towards classmates of the same sex. For those who argued about nurturing factors of the family, my brother and sister grew up under the same parents and remained heterosexuals despite growing up with me in close proximity.
As a teenager, I was very quick to sense society’s aversion towards the ‘sissies’ in my classes. I worked hard to distance myself from them. While I was successful in modifying my outward behavior, my sexual orientation remained unchanged. My denial gnawed at me, and the suppression of my true self resulted in self-destructive behavior during my overseas university years.
Fortunately, my American fraternity mates were supportive. I began to see a counselor who helped me accept myself for who and what I am.
Returning to Singapore, I came out to my family. My father, mother, brother and sister, out of love for their son and brother, walked the long road to acceptance. It was not easy for them, but they loved me before I came out, and they love me after. When I finally settled down with my longtime companion (we have been together for more than nine years), my entire family made sure my nieces and nephews included us in their lives. I loved my family too much to keep them in the dark, to deny them the chance to really know me. And they loved me too much to let some old prejudice tear our family apart.
I kept my sexual orientation a secret at work, and only a handful of my colleagues knew about me.
I don’t want to be a bonsai tree
Not counting my childhood, I have spent more than twenty years in the professional closet. I am nearing my fourth decade on Earth. While I have had some successes in life, I am not content to be just average. As I have often told my students, “Why be average when you can be your best?”
Do you know what a bonsai tree is? A bonsai tree is an imitation of a real tree. It is kept in a small pot with limited nutrients, trimmed constantly to fit someone else’s whim. It looks like a real tree, except it can’t do many things a real tree can. It cannot provide shelter, it cannot find food on its own; its life and death are totally reliant on its owner. It is the plant version of the 3-inch Chinese bound foot for women: useless and painful.
Being in the closet, pretending to be straight, trimming our true selves to suit the whims and expectations of others, is just like being a human bonsai tree. By staying in the closet, we cannot even hope to be average, much less above and beyond average.
I felt that in order to reach my fullest potential as a useful human being, I must first fully accept myself, and face the world honestly. I have lived long enough to know that what I am is not a disease, an aberration or a mental illness.
Hate is not a religious value
Many people have cited many ‘reasons’ for hating homosexuals, just as many people tried to justify their views that the Earth was flat, that the darker skinned should always be inferior, and that women should subjugate their lives to men. The teachings of the world’s great religious traditions offer many words of wisdom, but the interpretations of their human followers are not infallible. As Jesus said in his Sermon on the Mount (yes, a personal Bible was given to me by a great lady and I honored her by reading the book), we must love our neighbors as ourselves. It is a simple teaching, but one that’s rarely followed by those who seek to oppress people different from themselves. The path to enlightenment always faces stubborn resistance. As Mahatma Gandhi said, “First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you...”
There are some people who are using homosexuality to advance their personal ambitions vis a vis religion. They claim that the homosexual ‘agenda’ is to make the whole world gay and threaten the stability of the family. Yet, let us examine the evidence: Denmark, Norway and Sweden, the first countries to legalise gay marriage, are more stable than ever – their population has not been converted by gays and their heterosexual divorce rates have even decreased since gays have been afforded legal rights. (William N. Eskridge, Jr and Darren R. Spedale, Oxford University Press, 2006).
The only agenda gay people have is to be able to live with the same rights and dignity as our heterosexual brothers and sisters. Our very vocal opponents are the ones actively preying on innocent people, recruiting them to their cause by spreading fear and misinformation. I hope thinking people will quickly see that it is this small group of vocal objectionists who have a more dangerous agenda, that their fight with gay people has nothing to do with what’s right or wrong, but is merely a litmus test of their political influence. For peace and prosperity to continue, Singapore must always uphold secularism, where each different segment of the population respects the beliefs and rights of the others.
Can a country with no natural resources afford to drive away its own citizens?
There is a very pragmatic reason that you should support the rights and dignity of gay Singaporeans: in this globally-competitive era, Singapore needs her gay sons and daughters, just as we need our Singaporean Muslims, Buddhists, Christians, Hindus, immigrants, men and women, old folks and young. Most importantly, we need those gay sons and daughters because those gay sons and daughters are Singaporean Muslims, Buddhists, Christians, Hindus, immigrants, men and women, old folks and young. Can a country without natural resources continue to flourish when it starts to drive away its own children?
As I said before, leaders are people who are guided by the conviction of rightness and justice and in being so guided, lead others towards that right path.
I am still a teacher. My main purpose and joy is to teach our youngest citizens, the same ones who will be the leaders of our nation tomorrow. But, I feel I am shortchanging both society and myself by staying in the closet. I must be true to myself. If my colleagues and students, both gay and straight, see that being true to one’s own self has great value, perhaps we can produce a new generation who is truly courageous. A new generation of young people who are proud to be themselves, no matter what difference they have from their classmates. Then I will have succeeded in providing them a better education than I had the opportunity to receive during my years in school.
So here’s what I am, and I am a friend in need at the moment
So here it is: I, Otto Fong, have always been and always will be a gay man. When you ask about my spouse, I will say he is a man. I am as proud being gay as you are proud being straight. I am not, as some people like to label gays, a pedophile, a child molester, a pervert or sexual deviant. I did not choose to be gay, just like heterosexuals did not choose to be straight. I am not going to hell (not for being gay anyway).
I am not going back in the closet. When you ask me who I am, I will answer: I am a son, a brother, a long-time companion, an uncle, a teacher, a classmate, a colleague, a part of your community, a HDB dweller, a Singaporean. And I am also gay.
I would like to enjoy the respect that all other Singaporeans enjoy. I will not let the closet bind my feet, because I am made to sprint. I am not interested in being a bonsai tree, my DNA is programmed to climb higher. My heart aspires to reach my fullest potential as a human being.
I hope, dear friends and colleagues, that you look back and remember what I am, and see that I am not someone you fear. I am essentially the same person – flawed, imperfect, but brought up properly by two loving parents to lead a productive, beneficial and meaningful life. My friends and family love me for who I am, and I hope you can too. I come out to you with as much hope and trepidation as when I first come out to my mother and father. Your support and understanding are very important to me at this moment.
Thank you, may you prosper in health and soul.
I disagree with the government's regrettable but wholly predictable decision to block the establishment of a church which welcomes a group of people who are not only almost universally ostracised by other churches in Malaysia but also by society at large. In their usual display of ignorance of a multi dimensional and complex issue such as human sexuality, the government via the Tourism Minister and Malaysia's National Evangelical Christian Fellowship have sexualised homosexuality by erroneously reducing the gay community to people who have sex with others of the same sex. The non-heterosexual community is so much more than that - they are human beings who have the right to and need for communal spiritual fulfillment, guidance and celebration as who they are. The freedom to worship is a fundamental and inalienable human right which can't be denied just because of one's sexual orientation
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The government will block a plan by the country's first and only openly gay pastor to establish a church embracing homosexuals, bisexuals and transsexuals, a minister said today.
"We have no intention of being portrayed the same way like other cities such as Bangkok or those other cities in that league," Tengku Adnan said, apparently referring to the Thai capital's sex industry. "We are here to be seen as a multicultural country with people who are good, excellent followers of their respective religions," Tengku Adnan added. Homosexuality falls under a Malaysian law prohibiting sodomy, which is punishable by up to 20 years in prison and whipping. Underground service Ouyang's plan to start the church had stirred anxiety, Reverend Wong Kin Kong, the secretary general of Malaysia's National Evangelical Christian Fellowship, said last week.This was "because Christians do not want others to assume they condone such a thing," he said. But Ouyang remained unfazed and urged a congregation of about 80 people - including his male partner - to "reclaim faith and celebrate our sexuality" in an underground service on Sunday. "For some of us, especially our gay brothers and sisters, we have experienced first hand that Christianity has been used to persecute minorities," Ouyang told the Sunday service, according to press reports. |
Reverend Ouyang Wen Feng, an ethnic Chinese Malaysian ordained in the US, caused controversy after saying he wanted to set up the church by 2010. - learn to speak English and other major languages such as Japanese, French and Italian - many traders in Ubud market seemed to switch between these 3 languages when bargaining with the tourists there. On the other hand, Malaysia continues to live in denial that we don't need to step up our efforts to improve and encourage the use of English in business. Malaysian employers complain that local graduates' grasp of written and spoken English are so poor that they are not employable. But despite the worrying number of unemployed local graduates with little or no English language skills, the Malaysian government continues to stick its head in the sand and bang on the nationalistic drum that to promote any other language besides Bahasa Malaysia would be unpatriotic. How patriotic would it be for Malaysians to lose out to foreign competitors just because we can't communicate effectively? It's ok to lose the contract or deal because we couldn't communicate with our business counterparts, but hey, at least we're patriotic, damn it!!
- produce goods which the people want and follow design trends - I was surprised to note that I didn't come across the sale of any counterfeit goods while I was in Ubud. There didn't seem to be any fake Pradas, Rolexes or Gucci handbags. All of the traders in Ubud market I came across were selling beautiful hand beaded woven baskets, wood carvings, batik, home decorations, mosaic plates and hand painted furniture. There were so many home decoration items which I wanted to take home with me but couldn't unless I hired a container. Seeing all these wonderful and attractive products, I realised that the Balinese people produced things which the market wanted. Unlike Proton, which be one of the few, if not the only car company in the world still producing its first generation car model 23 years after its launch. Nobody really wants to buy the Proton Saga if they had a choice but Proton, due to its lack of new models, are still selling models which are easily 10 years old. They try to make a few minor modifications here and there to the lights and body work, and say it's a model upgrade. What an insult to the Malaysian consumer.
So while Malaysia may be a more developed country than Indonesia, there're some pretty simple but important lessons which the people there have realised and implemented but Malaysia continues to live in the delusion that we can get by without.
I know I shouldn't be because he's shown himself to be quite loopy lately, but I was completely flabbergasted when I read the piece below while waiting for some friends to turn up for dinner tonight. Essentially, what Dr M is reported to have said in Langkawi in the Star report below was:
- poor countries should also ask for compensation for the “loss of our brilliant students, our Intellectual Properties (IPs)
- poor countries had to “empty
their pockets” just to get drugs for HIV/AIDS that they could not
afford.
What baloney.
On the first point, I don't believe anyone "steals" our brilliant students - that's a juvenile and laughable view to a more serious brain drain problem which the government has yet to realise its impact on the long term prospect of this country. Everyone can make choices; if you are a brilliant Malaysian student in a foreign university with say, excellent grades and you're either offered a job in that country or a further scholarship to do research work with some of the leading minds in your field - why shouldn't you take it? Why should anyone compensate your country which didn't allow you to study in your local university anyway due the kulitfication policies? Malaysia certainly didn't want them in their local universities, so I really don't see why anyone should compensate the country for "stealing" our brilliant students.
What's there to come home to in Malaysia, where there's no serious or earnest scientific or other academic research? Where else except in Malaysia does a national university celebrate its 200+ ranking in the Times Higher Education Supplement ranking, instead of doing some serious investigation on how and why they have slipped so low in the rankings. Furthermore, there's no meritocracy in Malaysia and if anyone had a choice, Malaysia wouldn't be the first choice of an internationally recognised centres of higher education. Speaking from the perspective of a not so brilliant person, if I had the chance of studying or working abroad in a country which practices more meritocracy, had a better education system and less discrimination, why shouldn't I take it? After all, my country never tires nor forgets to remind its non Bumi citizens that we're second class citizens who have to grin and bear the affirmative action policies and can "go back from where we came from" as an ex Minister once famously announced if we didn't like it here.
Dr M claims that Western countries steals our IPs - when was the last time he walked down Petaling Street or strolled through Low Yat Plaza? If such rampant and blatant counterfeiting of intellectual property rights is not daylight robbery, I don't know what is.
As for the high drug prices for AIDS, yes, there's some justification for drug companies to recoup their investment in the research and development of these new drugs, but since Badawi said Dr M has more experience in these IP issues than he does, then Dr M should have also known that the Malaysian Patents Act contains provisions for the government to implement compulsory licensing on an inventor. Compulsory licensing enables other parties besides the inventor to produce the drug and hence does away with the ability and the monopoly of the drug company to
demand a high price for the drug. Thailand's government has implemented compulsory licensing for drugs used to treat HIV and heart disease, see Thailand takes on drug industry and may be winning and a court in India has upheld the right of drug companies there to produce generic drugs see Indian law on generic drugs is upheld. Indian companies provide 84 percent of the drugs to fight AIDS that
Médecins Sans Frontières supplies to patients worldwide. They also
provide more than 25 percent of other essential drugs used by the
organization.
My question is simple - why hasn't the Malaysian government taken similar measures since the legal framework is there for them to implement compulsory licensing? As usual, it's a case of "cakap banyak" (lip service) with little substance and follow up initiatives.
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Report from The Star 8 August 2007 http://www.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/8/8/nation/18525604&sec=nation
Dr M: Charge Western nations
LANGKAWI: Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has suggested that countries should start charging developed nations for the intellectual properties “that have been robbed from us.”
The former prime minister told delegates at the Langkawi International Dialogue that developed nations did not pay a single cent when they “whisked away” brilliant students but poor countries had to “empty their pockets” just to get drugs for HIV/AIDS that they could not afford.
Dr Mahathir took the microphone to air his views after a delegate had expressed frustration over difficulties in getting hold of drugs for HIV/AIDS because they were “too expensive for less developed countries in Africa to provide to the millions of sufferers.”
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi then said that he would like Dr Mahathir, who was a delegate at the LID, to say a few words “as he is experienced in dealing with the issue.”
Dr Mahathir went on to say that if companies from developed countries claimed that drug prices had to be high to compensate for their research work, then poor countries should also ask for compensation for the “loss of our brilliant students, our Intellectual Properties (IPs), to them.”
“As always, I have a radical solution,” he said and drew laughter from the Prime Minister and the floor.
“They (companies) say millions of dollars were spent on research, experiments and what not until the right drugs for HIV/AIDS were found. They claim that they need to recover the expenses by fixing a high price for the drugs. Fair enough.
“But our countries spent money educating our people, right from kindergarten to university and after spending that much of money, only a handful are brilliant.
“Yet, they come and grab our IPs to work in their countries without paying us anything, whereas for their IP, we have to pay and the poor cannot avail themselves of the drugs when it is they who really need them.
“It would be good if we can work together and apply whatever little pressure. A lot of little pressure can make big pressure. We have to keep on hammering on this,” he said.
Dr Mahathir said he had spoken on the matter during his visits to many countries but was met with “absolute silence.”
