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Pulau Tioman villagers are furious at a crony's destruction of their island

THE PRIME MINISTER'S CRONY, TAN SRI Vincent Tan, gets what he wants. Dato' Seri Mahathir Mohamed, cannot do enough for him. He wanted a casino in Bukit Tinggi. He got it. He misused it. He was forgiven. Even when it turned into a political problem for the BN-run Pahang state government. Pulau Tioman is turned into a duty free island to benefit Tan Sri Vincent who, in the name of development, busily rapes the island. He wanted to turn into a regional gambling centre. The government builds an airport estimated at RM500 million. The people living on the island, mostly fishermen, could do with a few amenities like a health clinic and a school or two. But that is not as important as an airport for a crony. The MP for Rompin, which includes Pulau Tioman, is also the second finance minister. He bends over backwards to provide more than the crony's needs.

That this is an environmental disaster in the making is ignored by all, including those who should be concerned about it. The villagers say the desecration of their ancient fishing lands, but could do little about it. Their MP would push them away. How dare they interfere in this development in their name. That he comes to the island in the company of Tan Sri Vincent or on his account is enough for the villagers to not raise any matters which could redound on them. But patience has its limits. Even the worm would turn. More dramatically it is reported in the UMNO-controlled New Straits Times. It is for any number of reasons - the new Prime Minister flexes his muscles, general election is in the air and however small the Malay voters every vote counts, PAS could step in and challenge UMNO in its heartland, there is doubt if he could transform into athe Pak Lah crony, whatever - but the reasons do not matter.

This is what its reporter, Ridzwan Abdullah, wrote on 18 October: "Like most of the locals, the slow but evident change eer since their 'pulau', as they affectionately call the island, was given duty free status on 01 September last year. There were celebrations, yet, but that was the beginning. Then came the heavy machinery, the materials and he workers followed by the blasting of rocks from the hills. And finally the barge on Monday that destroyed some 30 to 40 square meters of coral lying in the Marine Park, a protected area just 200 metres from Wak's beach resort (for the backpacker and those who cannot afford the arm and a leg demanded at the Vincent Tan resort). That was probably when the locals lost their cool. In a show of solidarity, some of them grouped together and reported the incursion to the authorities."

The 3,000 villagers, simple wage-earners and self-employed fishermen, have formed a committee to make public the damage this "fast project" development caused them. "Please don't be fooled by our simple appearance and lifestyle ... we know how precious the corals are, they are out assets," said a villager who had turned up at the resort for a cup of coffee. The villagers are confused, the report added, at this "blatant disregard of the law" in the name of development. The locals in the island wanted to prosper, but not at the expense of its environment and their slow and reserved lifestyle. "We want development, yes, but done in the right way and at the right place." The report concludes: "The signs are that Tioman folks are not prepared just yet, and perhaps, do not want, their "pulau" to be another overly commercialised island."

The report does not say what the development is about, whether it is for a marina or that work had begun for the airport, but it must ring warning bells in the corporate headquarters of Tan Sri Vincent. If the natives are not prepared to have it, he is in trouble. With PAS breathing down UMNO's neck, with the new prime minister wanting his own cronies than his predecessor's, this sudden concern for the environment could be fanned by any UMNO political group, PAS, or those opposed to Dr Jamaluddin Jarjis or other UMNO leader whom Pak Lah must destroy to establish his credentials as UMNO president and Prime Minister. The government authorities have not reacted to the report. It cannot so long as Pak Lah is not Prime Minister. UMNO cannot afford to alienate Pulau Tioman voters - not when even UMNO leaders fear a determined PAS onslaught on the state that could cause it to lose control in the general election.

The UMNO vice president and Malaysian defence minister, Dato' Seri Najib Tun Razak, cannot afford to sit back. He believes he is deputy prime minister under Pak Lah. Any setback in Pahang destroys his place in the line, and puts his promotion at risk. This of course assumes he would be returned to Parliament - he should with 4,500 new voters in uniform, but as Dato' Mustapha Mohamed found out to his cost in Jeli, they do not always support the BN candidate. So this revolt of the untrodden in Pulau Tioman is one he could not be happy with. It would, I expect, a matter of time before the BN government decides that the risk is too great so a Mahathir crony could do as he wants in the middle of nowhere, without adequate checks and balances, for a business man to do as he pleases. If this is backed up with a ground swell of opposition, even Dr Mahathir would have had to relent. The Bukit Tinggi casino is no more because UMNO decided the risk was not worth it.

This belief that development, unrestrained and in the pursuit of wealth beyond greed, is for the good if a crony is behind it is spurious at best. But Dr Mahathir insisted upon it, most saw it as a money-making proposition, ignored the larger issues and jumped into the fray. Those left out of it, usually those whose lands were taken - often at a pittance - could do little but gnash their teeth. That may not be for ever. Today, interested groups organise the villagers. The women would not have got the vote if the suffragettes had not campaigned for it, workers their trade union rights if they were not organised, nothing comes free, and every gain is often after a hard fight. It is to protect the business man that Malaysia does not allow workers in several industries to organise themselves. The government would kick the worker and the villager in the teeth so a crony could get into debt and destroy their land. They have no recompense. But the Pulau Tioman villagers proved that when you push them into a corner, they would rise up to protest and force the intruder to change. Let us see how the government would respond to this.

M.G.G. Pillai
pillai@streamyx.com