The reality is Malaysia exchanged palmoil for a space trip. In October 2003, the Malaysian Government signed an agreement with Russia where Russia will buy RM1.1 billion worth of palm oil and send a Malaysian into space as part of a multi-billion-ringgit deal for 18 Sukhoi 30-MKM fighter jets.
Besides that Capitalism has taken science to yet another new dimension with the introduction of space tourism. Space tourism is a new phenomenon of filthy rich individuals and private companies paying to go to space.
The price for a flight brokered by Space Adventures to the International Space Station aboard a Soyuz spacecraft is now $30 million. Flights are fully booked until 2009.
Among some of the people who have gone to space since Dennis Tito became the first "fee-paying" passenger in 2001 are South African computer millionaire Mark Shuttleworth and Gregory Olsen an owner of a company which produces specialist high-sensitivity cameras.
According to Alexei Krasnov, head of the Russian space agency's manned programs said that four space tourists have paid about $20 million for the pleasure of spending a week on the orbital station and said that each tourist flight deal is discussed individually and is considered a commercial secret.
The latest space tourist, Anousheh Ansari, 40, an Iranian-born American businesswoman, returned to Earth after paying around $20 million for about eight days in space. The Malaysian Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor (SMS) is the latest of the list of space tourist.
While the Malaysians are kept busy with news on roticanai in space and fasting in space which are seen as new breakthroughs in science, the truth is before this Malaysian, more than 400 people have traveled to space not including many monkeys, chimpanzees, mice, frogs, tortoise, fish and dogs. Many of them have sacrificed or being sacrificed in many missions.
The question before us is how this mission is going to resolve our problems in planet earth. PSM seeks answers on how can a space mission, worth billion of ringgit resolve the following problems faced by the nation :
1.Increasing Ethnic and racial disharmony
2.Increasing income gap of the rich and poor
3.Increasing corruption at all levels
4.Suppression of democratic rights – free and fair election, rights to assemble, expression and association, free media and others.
5.Increasing suffering incurred by the people with the rising of basic goods, fuel prices and controlled items.
6.The suffering incurred with the introduction of privatization and neo-liberal policies such as privatization of the health care, water and other basic amenities.
7.The suppression of workers through pro employer bills while workers are denied a basic living wage.
8.The continues decline of the Judiciary
Millions of ringgit is spent and wasted to send one person to space while the money could have been put in good use to improve the livelihood of the common people. While the ruling party points us to the star and takes us for a ride in space, this mission is just an ego trip by a Government which has lost its purpose and sense on what needs to be done for the betterment of the people.
S.Arutchelvan
PSM Secretary General
10th October 2007
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