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Strategies & Market Trends : Asia Forum -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Stitch who wrote (6801)	9/29/1998 11:49:00 PM
From: B Tate	Respond to of 9980

Stitch This is already getting hot. Although unlikely to affect you or I directly it will be tense. Had drinks and dinner with the usual crowd on the holiday. One new fellow, fairly high level Thai, gave me his impressions. UMNO - 60% Anwar, 20% Dr. M, 20% on the fence and will side with the perceived winner (what else is new!?). Petronas staff, managers and directors 90& agin Dr. M. His own staff (40), one Dr. M supporter. My own staff, 13 against present system, 1 no comment (no brain!). We all agreed though that its the "money, stupid!" that is keeping him in power. Too much is owed the man by the tycoons. So they will continue to do his bidding agains Anwar. The politicos, well we know they will stick with Mahatir, he's their bread winner. Hey! Me worry?? Not until they close the Toppan or the Club de Macau. Se Ya bt

To: Stitch who wrote (6801)	9/29/1998 11:52:00 PM
From: Dayuhan	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 9980

Stitch, If the "witnesses" recant, and Anwar was obviously abused, I'd say it could get hot fairly quickly. There is an anger threshold, where people who were once willing to trade off democracy for stability decide that enough is enough. This sort of maneuver is exactly what pushes people over it. If you see the middle class and the religious Muslims on the streets, it's finished. If he doesn't come down hard, people loose their fear, and all the old resentments come out. If he does, they get even angrier. His only way to shut it down is to start shooting people; that's a no-win reaction, and I think even MM is smart enough to see that. We may be seeing an early retirement. How do the armed forces feel about it? If they were ordered to shoot at ordinary citizens, would they do it? Starting to get reminded of our little street party in '86. I know how it feels, that mixture of real hope and real fear, and I hope - really hope - it doesn't get any uglier than it has to. Good luck, Steve