Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Japan's War Reparations:The Mythbuster

Hantu Laut

Nizar, the fallen angel of PAS compromise candidate for Perak MB, has he gone bonkers, or he is just another Pakatan's typical liar? 

It was rumoured that PAS Kelantan had given the DAP head honcho in Perak a joint-venture logging operation in Kelantan as reward and compromise for Nizar to be MB, which makes no sense  at all, as the 'State Constitution' is very clear on a Malay Muslim mandatory appointment  as MB of the state. 

It goes to show that DAP is very clever at arm-twisting. In Penang DAP's Lim Guan Eng hold a tight rein over the state and has little tolerance for opposing views, in Selangor DAP is the fiddler that plays the tune and Khalid Ibrahim dance to it. 

Where did Nizar gets the figure of RM207 billion as Japan's war reparation for Malaysia? Did he not do any homework before he opens his big mouth and embarrass himself and the whole Pakatan's clowns with his piece of fiction.

With today's technology one can research, with caution, any subject matter with just a click of the computer's keyboard. One needs certain amount of intelligence to separate the "wheat from the chaff" or come out looking like an idiot. The Internet is a jungle of worthy and worthless information and a quagmire for the uninitiated. 

Common sense do not prevail in people driven by emotion, they can't make logical progression of things. Nizar, a sore loser fits the bill.

The sum of RM207 billion given by Nizar as compensation agreed upon in 1967 between Japan and Malaysia would have bankrupted Japan before it can even rise from the ashes, which saw the country thoroughly vanquished after World War II.

Malaysia issued its first currency in 1967, replacing the Malaya and British Borneo dollar. The Malaysian dollar, as it was called then, was pegged at exchange rate of 8.57 to the British pound. At the historical exchange rate the RM207 billion would have worth 24 billion Pound Sterling. At current exchange rate it is worth 42 billion Pound. A mind boggling figure for any nation after going through the ravages of war in less than two decades. As victor or the vanquish, the toll on the economy and its peoples would be the same.

It is not possible for Japan to agree on such huge amount as Malaysia was not the only country it has to pay war reparations. The reparations came in the form of grants, write-offs, donations and cash compensations. The amounts are not paid in single payment but over a period.

Below is a chart that shows a more plausible figure of Japan war reparations paid to various countries including Malaysia.


Japan's Records on War Reparations
by Noguchi Hikaru
Japan has not dodged any responsibility for peaceful relations. The general public seems to be ignorant of the fact that Japan has faithfully met, negotiated, and fulfilled rigorous demands on all war-time reparations. Negotiations for post-war reparations started in 1951 and continued until 1977. In all, 54 treaties and agreements were concluded.


It is difficult to simplify the whole picture, but the following table will give you an idea:

Indemnity & grants (in yen, at the time of payment)
Loans (in yen, at the time of payment)
Micronesia
1950
18 billion donated

Myanmar
1955, 1963
72 billion indemnity
50.4 billion grant
18 billion
10.8 billion
Philippines
1956
198 billion indemnity
90 billion
Indonesia
1958
80.3 billion indemnity(+63.7 billion credit write-off)
144 billion
Laos
1958
1 billion grant

Cambodia
1959
1.5 billion grant

Vietnam
1960
14 billion indemnity
6 billion
Korea
1965
108 billion
72 billion
Malaysia
1967
2.9 billion grant

Thailand
15 billion

Taiwan
58 billion

Singapore
1967
2.9 billion grant

Holland
1956
3.6 billion compensation

Switzerland
1955
1.1 billion compensation

Denmark
1955,1959
3 billion compensation
4.23 billion compensation

Sweden
1958
5 billion compensation




Britain & Holland used Japanese assets in neutral countries & funds in Thailand for compensation to POs (but not confiscated Japanese assets in their respective countries)
USA 50 million dollars Japanese assets in USA confiscated Occupation era food and medical aid (GAROIA) and (EROA) paid back, with interest: 580 million dollars 7-year occupation costs paid by Japan
Construction of such economic and social infrastructure in Asia would not have been possible without Japan's ODA. Why was there such a focusing of aid to Asia? It was shaped from an unspoken consensus and desire among the Japanese public, even though our legal obligations had been met, to re-build friendship with our Asian neighbors.The negotiations and implementation of agreements were carried out with sincerity. Payments of reparations, which sometimes exceeded national welfare expenditure, started in 1955, lasted for 23 years, and ended in 1977. The amounts were huge for Japan, compared to the national economy of this period, but they were paid out in good faith. It should be emphasized that how all the money were spent were up to the discretion of the individual governments, beyond the dictates of Japan. Very often the governments chose not to use the funds to compensate individual losses, but instead to improve the general national economy or welfare.
The first country with which Japan concluded an agreement was Myanmar (Burma). A total of about 90 billion yen of indemnity and semi-indemnity were paid out to Myanmar, which was about 9 per cent of Japan's budget. When agreements were concluded with the Philippines, in 1956, Japan's national budget was a little over one trillion yen. Indemnity and semi-indemnity promised to the Philippines totaled 27% of that budget. Similarly, when Korea and Japan reached an agreement in 1965, Japan agreed to pay 180 billion yen (500 million dollars) indemnity and aid. Looking from Korea's point of view, this amount was 1.45 times Korea's national budget, and 3.8 times its foreign reserves. Most of this money was used by the Korean government for the nation's modernization. Korea says that it contributed to 20 per cent of its economic growth between 1966 and 1975, and 8 per cent annually to cover its trade deficit. From 1975, Korea also started compensations to individual citizens for personal losses during the war. However, on the whole, the Korean government chose to use the resources for national prosperity over compensation to private citizens.


Figures are from:
"Sengo Hoshoron wa Machigatte Iru" ( Mistaken Beliefs in Demands for Post-War Reparations)
By OKADA Kunihiro / Published by Japan Policy Institute (Tokyo)

Sankei Newspaper Sept.12th 1994 issue
Spa Magazines Date unknown, 1996 issue
"Kotonaru Higeki Nihon to Doitsu" (Dissimilar Tragedies: Japan & Germany)
By NISHIO Kanji (1994) / Published by Bungei Shunju (Tokyo)

   


There is no need to write prolix article to address this issue, it has be chronicled in the history books .

I rest my case.

Monday, January 7, 2013

Editor Not Worth His Salt, Empty As The Vessels

Hantu Laut

Most citizens of high rectitude would not condone corruptions. 

Any talk against corruptions by the oppositions, I'll take with a pinch of salt. Never trust Greeks bearing gifts, which the Trojans paid for dearly. 

As they say "hypocrisy is homage that vice pays to virtue". 

Something is rotten in the Pakatan states. They also catch small fish to hoodwink the people that they tolerate no corruption. A false portrayal of zero tolerance for corruptions.





It does not matter if it was RM1.00 or RM1.0 million, corruption is corruption, as reprehensible as it can be, it can't be eradicated completely. Even in squeaky clean Singapore there is corruption.

Pakatan anti-corruption slogan to fish for votes is nothing more than typical salesman's baloney,  a deceptive talk, as empty as the vessels.

This ass of an editor can't tell the difference between real corruption and institutionalised affirmative action, just another deceptive writing to hoodwink the public.

A short excerpt from his editorial below:


So, while it is refreshing and laudatory to see mainstream newspapers reporting the Penang case that involves a civil servant and a political aide, questions remain why the local media is silent on the RM100 million National Defence Education Centre (Puspahanas).
Read more here.

There is a world of difference between the two, while one is real corruption the other is an extension of legitimate government policy.

Failure to build the project is breach of contract and has nothing to do with corruption as he made it out to be. 

As long as the covenant is still alive and there is no legal impediment against sale, transfer or disposal of the project/land to another party, the recipient has not broken any law. 

There are laws to take care of such breach, or criminal action, if there was such misdeed.

You can call it cronyism or institutionalised and legalised corruption, but it is legal and government can choose who they want to give the project to, with or without track record..

If given to Syed Mokhtar Al-bukhary the oppositions also make noise, say give him to much and that he may go bust and break all the banks in the country, give to Malay without track record also make noise. 

Make up your mind mate! You want the pie or the cake?

If you need track record than no Malays can ever be in business.

This is Malaysia lah! Not U.S, Britain, France or Germany, we have our own government policy. 

My two cents worth of salt!

Is he worth his salt, or eating the opposition's salt?

Saturday, January 5, 2013

Tony Pua's Stupidity, UMNO's "blessing in disguise"

Hantu Laut

Tony Pua is too smart for his own good.This video reflects DAP racist rancor and chauvinism, just drive more Malays to vote for UMNO. 

Tony Pua's enthusiasm is killing Pakatan's chance of taking over Putrajaya. UMNO should take this as "blessing in disguise".

No one in their right mind would believe that when Pakatan takes over Putrajaya there will be completely no corruptions, instead more people think it will only be changing from one group to another. 

Pakatan ruled states had not shown complete transparency and free of corruptions as they claimed.



DAP's recent party election is another bellwether, where none of the the Malay candidates made it to the fore. 

Alas! the party that talked so much and had participated in violent street protests about clean and fair elections has tinkered with its own ballot box to change the result, to slot in one Malay candidate who lost in the initial count, jumping from 39th to 20th spot that put the sole Malay in the CEC. A farcical comedy done after 19 days with computer blamed as the clown that put the glitch in the count.

This may sound paradoxical to the pro-opposition supporters,  but as Albert Einstein says "reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one". 

Sometimes, truths can emerge in the strangest of ways.

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Happy And Prosperous 2013

Hantu Laut



Majestic Kinabalu and a rising moon.

Let this year be a year of peace and prosperity for the nation.Let us stay secular and continue to progress under the system we have always valued and cherished. 

Think of our own poor and the less fortunate first before we care for the Arabs who have brought tragedy onto themselves and even greater tragedy as is now happening in Egypt as one man tried to change the constitution to turn the nation into a theocratic state.

Egypt will see new round of violence between the secularists and the Islamists and a foregone conclusion that she will end a theocratic state. 

Let not our Malaysia become one, set back the clock of progress for one man's insatiable greed for power.

Do we have a better alternative? 

See who are the rats jumping ship to join the so-called anti-corruption crusaders? 

Is it for want of deliverance, disenfrancising corruptions and build a better nation as they claimed, or for want of personal advantage and one own nefarious intention?

Wish all my friends and all Malaysians a Happy 2013.