By Stephen Ng
Malaysiakini
Oct 9, 2013

Collateral damage resulting from a race riot or a civil strife is too great a cost of human sufferings, the former Tenaga Nasional Bhd executive chairperson Ani Arope has warned.

“It should never be our political option,” he says in his book, ‘Memoirs of Tan Sri Ani Arope’.

The 81-year-old outspoken Malay statesman said although the issue of special rights for Malays and other bumiputeras is and will always be a delicate issue, he hopes to see the loopholes of the New Economy Policy plugged.

If these rights will benefit Malays and other bumiputeras who truly deserve, then Malaysians will view the whole matter in a different light,” he notes.

“However, it appears that these rights have been skewered to benefit the privileged Malays. The rural folk and those who really need help are getting the smallest of crumbs, if at all.”

Having grown up in the same era as the first four prime ministers, where he is critical of one of them, Ani raised a pertinent question, in the midst of today’s political scenario: ‘What’s the answer? At this challenging period, we do not need party loyalists, but people who are sensible, temperate, sober and well-judging persons to guide us through this tumultuous political time.’

The ‘darn generous’ act of Mahathir

For him, common sense prevails at all times. Ani is better known for being the true blue TNB man who resisted former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who brought in the independent power producers (IPPs) and engineered the terms and conditions in the power purchase agreement, which Ani calls “darn generous” for the IPPs.

Years later, when he revealed the true story behind his removal as executive chairperson of TNB, one of his Facebook fans, Shahriman wrote: “We are proud you stood up for our interests and took on Dr M at a point when he was at the peak of his power.

“You were brave to accept the consequences and this is what great men do. History will judge you well in this episode: all the current effort from the government to get a windfall tax and renegotiate with the IPPs are testament to that.”

‘Memoirs of Tan Sri Ani Arope’ is published by the Fulbright Alumni Association of Malaysia.

The soft-launch of the 143-page memoir was done at the Fulbright’s 50th anniversary dinner in July by its president, Prof Dr Gendeh Balwant. The book is easy to read and will be available in major bookstores around the country soon.

STEPHEN NG is a chemist by training. He dealt with printing ink, paint and emulsion polymer for 15 years before becoming a freelance writer.