'false champions' and NGOs funding

[Guest guest]

The false champions- Sunday Times

By Firdaus Abdullah news

 

KUALA LUMPUR, June 1. — Describing them as " traitors to the nation and the

people " , Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad today lambasted foreign-funded local

non-governmental organisations for sabotaging national development projects.

 

The Prime Minister said some NGOs pretended to be championing environmental

causes when in fact their only aim was to impede national development and

the prosperity of Malaysians.

 

" It is sad to note that there are citizens of this nation who have no qualms

about painting a bad picture of their own nation. " They receive a lot of

benefits from our rapid development but their loyalty lies elsewhere.

 

" They are more concerned about their self-interest and the interests of

their group. " The Prime Minister was speaking at the investiture ceremony of

the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Syed Putra Jamalullail at

Istana Negara this morning in conjunction with his 59th birthday.

Questioning the actual motive of such groups, Dr Mahathir said their actions

included attempts to obstruct the supply of water and electricity as they

claimed that such developments would destroy the environment.

 

" However, they must realise that the countries which were giving financial

assistance to them had destroyed their own environment to obtain cheap water

and electricity supply to develop their economy.

 

" Malaysians who are willing to be exploited by such people are actually

traitors to their own country and people.

 

" While we should preserve our environment, we should not be extreme to the

extent of hindering economic growth. " Our country is yet to become a

fully-developed nation and we cannot afford to act as though we live in a

wealthy nation, " he said.

 

However, Dr Mahathir, who is also Finance Minister, said the country's

success in handling external economic pressure had in fact boosted public

confidence in the Government.

 

Dr Mahathir noted that such solidarity prevented attempts by irresponsible

groups within the society to hinder economic recovery.

 

 

Cover Story - Sunday Times

NGOs defend foreign funding

By SARBAN SINGH, ELIZABETH JOHN and ANIZA DAMIS specialreports

 

June 2: THE issue of foreign funding and non-governmental organisations came

under the spotlight when some local NGOs were accused of trying to " do the

country in " .

 

Ironically, it was a foreign organisation, the Institute of Public Affairs

(IPA), an Australian thinktank, that raised the issue, accusing three NGOs

of having received US$9,500 (RM36,100) from American sources to carry out

projects to oppose the RM9 billion Bakun hydroelectric dam project in

Sarawak.

 

Selling the country for a few thousand ringgit? Preposterous, say the NGOs.

 

There is no denying that foreign funding is sought, and received, but all

NGOs, not just the three which have been accused by IPA, say the donors they

approach are fully aware of the " no-strings-attached " condition.

 

National Council of Women's Organisation (NCWO) deputy president Ramani

Gurusamy says regular foreign donor organisations and funding agencies do

not have a policy to cause mischief.

 

She says there are recognised funding agencies that most NGOs approach when

local funds are insufficient for their projects.

 

" As far as the NCWO is concerned, we believe NGO funding is with no strings

attached. There are, however, strict guidelines to be followed which include

the submission of periodic financial and progress reports to donors. " The

Consumers Association of Penang (CAP) and Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM), two

of three organisations named by IPA, have built up a reputation over the

years they would fight hard to protect.

 

" We seek financing on our own terms. We do not allow anyone to dictate terms

to us, " says S.M. Mohd Idris, president of both organisations.

 

Both groups speak their mind on issues they strongly believe in, whether

they are at home or abroad.

 

The effects of the Bakun dam project, indiscriminate hill development, open

burning, conservation, consumer protection, profiteering, the evils of

tobacco and illicit liquor. The list of issues that CAP has taken up is

long.

 

Both CAP and SAM, says Idris, have criticised the North's globalisation and

liberalisation agenda which is detrimental to developing countries.

 

The monopolistic practice of the pharmaceutical giants that means exorbitant

prices for life-saving drugs has also come under attack by CAP and other

NGOs.

 

Whatever the noble cause, the NGOs need funding and they look for it at

home, mostly from the Government, and from abroad.

 

Many turn to foreign funding as there is just not enough money locally.

 

" From my experience and years of travelling and working in the South, NGOs

have to turn to external sources, " says Dr Chandra Muzaffar, president of

the International Movement for a Just World (JUST).

 

" It's not only a problem in Malaysia but all over the South. It is a reality

we cannot run away from. For the very poor countries, it is because they

have no financial base and cannot expect funding from an impoverished

population.

 

" For countries like Malaysia and Singapore, there is no culture of

philanthropy and only a very small number of individuals or groups support

societies like these out of their own volition. " Chandra, who also used to

head Aliran Kesedaran Negara (Aliran), one of the country's oldest human

rights group, says it is erroneous to say that funding bodies in the North

dictate terms in every instance.

 

In any case, foreign funding is not so easily available as many believe.

 

CAP and SAM have to generate much of their own funding as many foreign

donors are less interested in supporting groups in Malaysia.

 

Idris says the two NGOs have to sell publications, T-shirts, handicrafts and

other items. They also seek funds from United Nations agencies.

 

Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations deputy president N. Marimuthu

says local money funds all its projects.

 

Marimuthu is also the president of Era Konsumer, an organisation that gets

25 per cent of its budget from abroad. The main donors include the Japanese

Embassy and Canadian High Commission.

 

" I don't understand the fuss about getting foreign fundings, " says

Marimuthu.

 

" Even the Government and public universities sometimes get financial

assistance from foreign foundations to carry out research or social work. "

Pesticides Action Network Asia Pacific (Panap), the third NGO labelled as

anti-Bakun by IPA, draws attention to the billion in foreign investments.

Does this mean, says Panap executive director Sarojeni Rengam, that the

Malaysian Government is being dictated to? Sarojeni says they send project

proposals to organisations that may be interested to come in as sponsors.

 

" No one determines our policy or agenda, except for our constituents who are

farmers, women's movements and the global Pesticides Action Network body

which we belong to, " she says.

 

Panap foreign fund providers come from Germany, the Netherlands, the United

Kingdom, Japan, Canada and Thailand.

 

It is also not easy for Malaysian NGOs to get foreign funds.

 

" Foreign funders say we have the Petronas Twin Towers and KLIA, so they

think we are a country that doesn't need help, " says Malaysian AIDS Council

executive director Nik M. Fahmee. " But they don't look at it from the NGO

level. We do need help. " Malaysian AIDS Foundation (the fund-raising arm of

MAC) executive director Indra Kumari Nadchatram says Malaysians should take

responsibility for local projects.

 

Involving locals, she adds, means educating them about HIV/AIDS and showing

them that they should have an involvement in the matter.

 

Indra says they have long realised there are no free lunches in this world.

 

" Every individual or corporation wants something in return — publicity, to

be seen supporting certain causes, tax exemptions or just an assurance that

you are doing a good job.

 

" The issue is not just foreign funding but any funding where the donor wants

to impose his agenda. The question has to be: does this enhance or hamper

the value of our programme? If it hampers, then it (the donation) is not

worth it. " All NGOs, however, have this to day: at home or abroad, it's just

not easy to get money.

 

MAC receives funds from the Health Ministry but says it is hardly

sufficient. In 1999, they asked for RM988,000 and got RM78,000. In 2000,

they asked for RM1.6 million and got RM152,000; last year, they asked for

RM1.6 million and received RM115,000.

 

Every year, MAC needs a minimum of RM2 million to fund the projects of its

affiliates. But last year, it got less than RM600,000.

 

This meant they had to stop some projects, or the treatment programme for

HIV positive people or public education programmes would have to be put on

hold. This was just not thinkable.

 

Fortunately, MAC had some reserves, and they were able to make the

difference and the projects scheduled this year are being carried out. This

may not be the case next year, says Nik.

 

If left to choose between shutting down MAC projects and taking money from

foreign funders, says Nik, they will certainly accept foreign funding.

 

Funding in the North is easier, says Chandra, because of the concept of

philanthropy. People there make huge endowments, leaving millions to NGOs.

Sometimes, whole families bequeath a large sums to public-service groups.

 

In Malaysia, companies, organisations or individuals could be reluctant to

fund NGOs considered to have taken a confrontational stance against

government policies or issues.

 

" Locals may feel uneasy about supporting these cause-oriented organisations

while trying to maintain good relations with the Government, " Chandra says.

 

However, if foreign funding is stopped many NGOs doing good work will not be

able to function at all.

 

Chandra proposes an independent community chest be set up as a source from

which all NGOs could draw finances. This will eliminate much of the need to

turn to foreign funding and assuage fears that such funds may influence the

NGOs.

 

As MAC's Nik puts it: " Society should take responsibility for society. " On

whether there is a need for legislation to stop foreign funding, NCWO's

Ramani says: " A big no, because Malaysia has not reached the stage when

national and local funding can meet the financial needs of all NGOs. " Idris

says it will seriously affect the operations of many organisations should

the Government come up with such a law.

 

" Issue-based NGOs are serving crucial needs, especially for the marginalised

sectors of our community, " says Ramani, whose NCWO works to increase the

participation of women at decision-making levels and eliminate gender

discrimination.

 

CAP and SAM attend to at least 2,000 to 3,000 complaints yearly from

consumers, seeking redress from unscrupulous manufacturers, public bodies,

service providers and the like.

 

While there are generous Malaysians who appreciate NGOs and provide some

funding, there are many who do not understand the reason for NGOs, let alone

provide them with financial support.

 

" When CAP first began operations in 1970, we were scoffed at, " says Idris.

 

" Today, we have a Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs, a

Consumer Protection Act and now people even receive awards for consumer

work.

 

" The same was the case when CAP and SAM began to voice concern about the

environment. We were viewed as being anti-development. Today, we have a

ministry which deals with environment-related matters and environment laws. "

 

 

Special Report - Sunday Times

Funding arranged strictly between parties concerned

specialreport

 

June 2: FOREIGN organisations are not required to inform their governments

or ours if they fund the activities of any organisation in Malaysia.

 

Checks with several embassies showed that funding arrangements were strictly

between the parties concerned.

 

However, some countries provide funding, directly or indirectly, by

underwriting the cost of seminars or programmes, or paying the allowance of

volunteers.

 

US Embassy Press officer Frank Whitaker says his Government does not monitor

NGOs within the country or abroad.

 

" However, the US Government had, in the past, funded certain events, mainly

seminars, including those on entrepreneurship and investigative journalism, "

he says.

 

German Embassy First Secretary Annette Severy says German organisations or

NGOs providing funds to other institutions or NGOs abroad are not required

to inform the embassy.

 

Sweden's Ambassador to Malaysia Bruno S. Beijer says NGOs in his country are

not obliged to inform the embassy of any contacts they have abroad.

 

A spokesman for the Australian High Commission says they are not aware of

any Malaysian NGOs receiving funds from organisations in Australia.

 

Danish Embassy Counsellor Susanne Linnet Nissen says the Danish and

Malaysian Governments have cooperated in the enviromental field since 1994.

 

Nissen says the Danish Government, in a bilateral environmental assistance

programme to Malaysia, has supported three programmes towards sustainable

development between 1994 and 1998, 1999 and 2001 as well as 2002 and 2006.

 

" Through the Danish-Malaysian environmental co-operation programme, funding

has been made available to NGO projects that complement and supplement

government projects. " Most of these projects are in areas such as waste

reduction and recycling, energy and water conservation, cleanliness of

streams and rivers and to increasing enviromental awareness.

 

British High Commission Second Secretary (political/public diplomacy) Nicola

C. Bowling says there are no records of how many Malaysian NGOs receive

funding from organisations in Britain.

 

However, the British Government has sponsored a number of projects over the

years, which were carried out by Malaysian NGOs.

 

Bowling says the projects for which it currently provides funding were in

the areas of environment and human rights.

 

" We do not have a specific funding allocation for Malaysia. We have to bid

with all other British missions for money from the Environment and Human

Rights Project Funds administered by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in

London. " The French Embassy says funding from Paris comes indirectly,

whereby the allowances of French volunteers assigned to Malaysia are paid

for by Paris.

 

 

Editorial _ New Straits Times - 3 June 2002

Hot on the NGO money trail

news

 

June 3: THE good thing about non-governmental organisations is their ability

to reach the parts of society that governments cannot or fail to reach.

During the 1990s an increasing proportion of foreign aid to developing

countries went to NGOs in order to bypass the limitations of host

governments and channel assistance directly to target groups. All that money

meant that these " grassroots " outfits have proliferated like soil bacteria

in a petri dish.

 

Some NGOs, such as Greenpeace and Amnesty International, have reached the

top of the tree for mostly sound reasons. Their example, and the evolving

philosophy that the poor and disadvantaged must be helped to help

themselves, put a political bee in the NGOs' bonnet. Because they operate

outside of government, they are not accountable in the way that elected

governments are. And because they are paid for a purpose, they don't have to

look beyond the specific parameters of their individual missions.

 

That is the bad thing about NGOs: money, organisation and skills in the

pursuit of cramped, minority agendas. For all their sloganeering, some NGOs

are secretive and grease their work with the sort of slush funding that is

almost worthy of the Cold War CIA. Foreign-financed NGO-led special-interest

protest groups that subvert government policies or projects are therefore

highly suspect. If they had enough popular appeal, they would have been able

both to raise money locally and influence government decisions positively.

 

If you smell a rat, follow the money. That is as true of NGO financing as

any other form of corruption. Bona- fide NGOs should disclose their money

trails in full and let the Malaysian public make up its own mind about the

honesty and integrity of their good intentions.

 

The NGO movement has grown to cover all kinds of nutty causes, including

those that are cleverly cloaked to suppress poorer nations from attaining

the material gains of development. More sinister motives are not far-

fetched. Only the fecklessly naive can take the support of worthy aims by

foreign benefactors at face value. Malaysians and their NGOs should beware

of subornation by foreign interests and watch out for Greeks bearing gifts.

 

 

 

 

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