NAM and corruption

NAM and corruption

The Nonaligned Movement (NAM) summit was officially opened in
Kuala Lumpur on Monday with most of the member countries voicing
their concern for a peace settlement with Iraq through the United
Nations.

Therefore, it would be diplomatically smart if the summit
takes the Iraq-U.S. issue as part of NAM's revitalization
program.

But we cannot expect much pressure from the summit on the Iraq
standoff as many poor countries who are members of NAM are still
dependent on the North.

In this context, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad's
statements that NAM should not take for granted the classic
problems, which have been constantly corroding developing
countries: Corruption and political instability are relevant.

Mahathir made the statements at the NAM Business Forum at the
South-South Cooperation on Sunday.

He said the level of corruption in a country is the yardstick
of the country's achievement in developing its economy based on
its potency.

It is public knowledge that many NAM member countries,
including Indonesia, are among the most corrupt countries in the
world.

"The country which takes corruption as a way of life must not
ever dream of being able to develop into a prosperous country,"
said Mahathir.

Meanwhile, President Megawati Soekarnoputri, seeing the
problem from the other side of the coin, suggested that
cooperation between developed NAM member countries with
underdeveloped countries be promoted.

The more NAM member countries that achieve economic and
political stability, the stronger roles NAM will be able to play
at a global level, Megawati said.

It would be better for the organization to combine Mahathir's
and Megawati's ideas for the prosperity of its member countries.

It is obviously relevant that the NAM summit focus more
attention on corruption in its agenda.

-- Bisnis Indonesia, Jakarta