UMNO’s Tuah-Jebat Dilemma
The furor over Tun Mahathir’s quitting UMNO cannot hide an increasingly obvious and ugly reality: Abdullah’s incompetence as Prime Minister. Ranting and raving against Mahathir will not alter this singular fact.
Only an ardent few – his family members, closest advisors, and those beholden to him – believe that Abdullah has executed the duties of his office diligently. These individuals will forever remain faithful to him even if he were to drive the country to ruins. Consider that Saddam Hussein and Shah Pahlavi still have their ardent admirers today.
For others, their only excuse for wanting Abdullah to stay is for “party unity.”
Mahathir’s poser to Abdullah’s putative successor Najib Razak on whether he is loyal to UMNO or to Abdullah is a dilemma shared by all party members. Najib as well as all UMNO members would do well to re-read our classic Hang Tuah-Hang Jebat legend, and in particular ponder the fate of not only the two protagonists but also the sultan and the Melaka sultanate.
In 1987 when UMNO was split, a consequence of the Mahathir-Razaleigh rivalry, the party was weakened but it survived because it had a strong leader. Early in its history when its first president Datuk Onn left the party, the impact was minimal as the party was strong and it had a cadre of capable young leaders like Datuk Razak. This time however, both the party and its leader are weak.
If party members were to shy away from doing the dirty but necessary job of removing Abdullah from the leadership of UMNO, and thus the Prime Minister’s office, then others would by default remove that office from him, and from UMNO. With every delay, Abdullah (and UMNO) gets weaker while Anwar Ibrahim (and his Pakatan Rakyat) becomes stronger.
Seeing Through Abdullah
Like Mahathir, most Malaysians believed in Abdullah, at least initially as evidenced by his overwhelming electoral victory in 2004. Barely four years later, they, like Mahathir, are sorely disillusioned.
Some still believe (or more correctly, hope) that Abdullah could yet salvage his leadership. This hope for a miracle is misplaced. Incompetence cannot be readily remedied, especially in someone with a demonstrated flat learning curve. Besides, the highest office in the land cannot be used as a training ground. We cannot have an “intern” Prime Minister; the stakes are just too great.
If Abdullah could not lead when he had a commanding mandate, what chance is there for him now that his hold is tenuous at best? He is already consumed with putting out political brush fires, distracting him from his most important task of leading the nation. Abdullah is now clearly damaged goods;
Only a tiny minority saw through Abdullah and recognized his emptiness right from the very beginning. It is more with sorrow than vindication that I admit to being in this group. I would have preferred to have been proven wrong.
I have never met Abdullah; my assessment of him is based entirely on his records and accomplishments, or lack thereof. Perhaps because of this I am not swayed by the man’s put-on piety, seeming humility, or servile loyalty. Those attributes are held in high esteem in Malay culture, which may explain why many, including the shrewd Mahathir, overestimated Abdullah’s ability.
Abdullah was a longtime civil servant rising to Deputy Secretary-General in the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports before entering elective politics. Respectable enough achievement, but then that ministry is not exactly the hotbed for super-achievers.
Before being kicked out of the cabinet in 1987, a casualty of the Mahathir-Razaleigh rivalry of the time, Abdullah had served as Minister of Education, and later, of Defense. One is hard pressed to discern his legacy in both positions. A measure of his worth was that the best he could do outside of government was as a ticket agent … in his sister-in-law’s travel agency! That was the private sector’s valuation of his talent and experience, despite having served in two most senior and prestigious portfolios.
Later when he re-ascended the UMNO hierarchy, Mahathir invited him back to serve as Foreign Minister and later, Home Affairs. In the latter position he was responsible for the police. Our current inept and corrupt-ridden police force is his legacy.
Mahathir’s Mistake
You have to give credit to Mahathir. Not only did he admit to his colossal mistake in selecting Abdullah back in 1998, he is also making a vigorous effort to undo it. Admitting to or rectifying your error is a rare attribute among leaders.
Abdullah has yet to learn this essential lesson. Merely uttering that you are taking responsibility, as Abdullah did for his party’s routing in the last election, is not enough; you have to act on it.
The current crisis in UMNO is not, as is widely commented upon, simply a battle between Abdullah and Mahathir. The fundamental issue is Abdullah’s incompetence, and its impact on the nation.
Winning an election is a partial measure of effective leadership; it is not the only or the full measure. Abdullah’s predecessors Tunku Abdul Rahman and Hussein Onn were both successful at elections, yet when their leadership was found wanting they withdrew gracefully.
Abdullah has neither the grace nor the competence of Thatcher. He is too syok sendiri (self indulgent) with the perks of his office, with its luxurious corporate jets and palatial mansion, to even contemplate resigning. It is easy to be stubborn in such circumstances. Like a dumb mule surrounded by lush hay, Abdullah will not move. It will continue mindlessly chewing the cud, oblivious of the turmoil it caused. It is well to remember that a mule with too much hay will inevitably succumb to lethal gas bloat.
Many consider Mahathir’s resigning from UMNO an irrational act as that would only hasten the ascent of his old nemesis, Anwar Ibrahim. To me however, Mahathir may be signaling something significant. He must believe (or have reasons to) that Anwar’s chances are real and strong. By resigning now, Mahathir would be spared the fallout from UMNO’s inevitable implosion. He could then with a satisfied smirk remind us, “I told you so, this Abdullah is a disaster!”
Many are wondering why Abdullah is not coming out swinging at his tormentor. There is a reason for Abdullah’s reticence. His entanglement in the UN’s Iraq Oil for Food Program scandal is only a hint and a glimpse.
I am reminded of J. Edgar Hoover, the longtime FBI director who was the most feared and powerful man in
Mahathir was Prime Minister for over two decades. He is also a shrewd observer of human behaviors and a meticulous record keeper. Think of the many shenanigans committed at home and abroad by our sultans, ministers, and other senior officials that were simply hushed up, let alone prosecuted. Those who are tempted to sneer at the old statesman better have pristine personal and official backgrounds; otherwise they would be well advised to maintain their “elegant silence.”
Notice Mahathir’s immediate stinging riposte to Shahrir Samad and Musa Hitam recently. In so doing Mahathir sends a not-so-subtle message to his other detractors, including those on the Royal Commission on the Lingam Tape, that their stinking laundry too could be aired out for all to see and smell. As Prime Minister, Mahathir must have had more than his share of favor seekers, shameless flatterers, and the outright corrupt who groveled before him. He could easily expose them. If that is blackmail or vengeance, so be it.
I have a different take on Mahathir’s behavior. Far from being blackmail or nasty vengeance, such ugly revelations could prove to be a necessary national catharsis. Much as I hate to see what would be revealed, it would be good to have all the rot finally out in the open. The hope is that the subsequent shame will effect some change.
As a former physician Mahathir knows only too well that the best if not only remedy for a long festering abscess is to lance it wide and deep, letting all that trapped putrid pus out. Only then could the healing begin. If that were to happen, we can all thank Mahathir. The man may yet make his greatest contributions after he retired.
May 25th, 2008 at 1:29 pm
Dr Bakri
You said, ” Mahathir knows only too well that the best if not only remedy for a long festering abscess is to lance it wide and deep, letting all that trapped putrid pus out. Only then could the healing begin. ”
We ask: At what price should we allow Dr Mahathir to get his way in the politics of this country? At any price? We can NO.
Malaysians are aghast at his latest play of the race card and the under-currents of communal discord and the pulling of the heartstrings of the ultra-Malay negative sentiments.
It is our view that it cannot be at any price to bring down the Badawi Govt. The social fabric of the country and the positives that came about after the 8 March election cannot be allowed to be torn apart. It is too precious and we have been the same bad road in our history since 1969.
We published two postings, one our view and second, the latest article by Tunku Abdul Aziz on the dangerous path Mahathir is taking to change the current political landscape, in opposition to Mahathir’s public posturing to bring down the Badawi Govt.
There are many ways to skin a cat. This one adopted by Mahathir is NOT one of them.
(1)http://malaysianunplug.blogspot.com/2008/05/mahathirs-selfishness-he-never-had-umno.html
(2) http://malaysianunplug.blogspot.com/2008/05/tun-drmahathir-mohamad-becoming-very.html
Regards
Malaysians Unplugged Uncensored Team
May 25th, 2008 at 5:38 pm
Dear Bakri Musa,
I’d like to interview you in a hard-hitting interview to be posted on Malaysia Today.. We could delve into some of your writings, national issues and perspectives that you may like to share with the readers.
If you would so oblige, i will send over the questions shortly, but would appreciate a response within seven days as the scenario keeps changing rapidly..
This is some of our past interviews for your perusal :
http://www.malaysia-today.net/2008/content/view/7980/84/
http://www.malaysia-today.net/2008/content/view/5635/84/
Thanks
Imran
May 25th, 2008 at 6:05 pm
Badawi is a stubborn mule alright. But a mule cannot procreate so an ass would be more accurate. I have come across many like him, we call them bodoh sombong.
This bodoh sombong, however, is so thick upstairs that he could not see the writings on the wall. He is enamoured by the trappings of his office and is blinded by the goodies. But on hindsight, is there anyone else in the present Umno leadership fit enough to lead? Sadly, there’s none.
Although Mahathir has come out with his guns blazing he has enough skeletons in the cupboard to be of any threat. Our bodoh sombong is well aware about that.
May 25th, 2008 at 6:48 pm
Bravo Brader Bakri,
The right article at the right time. Some are just too foolish to be taught nor to be advised.
May 25th, 2008 at 7:07 pm
Bakri is plain wrong on the following:
1. Mahathir has not owned up to his mistakes: rampant, corruption, Bank Negara adventure into currency speculation in 1991 that cost the country a couple of billion ringgit; the inefficient national car project, Bakum Dam (continued by AAB alright but it was Dr. M’s pet project); dodgy highway deals that are still vicitimising the populace; Bank Bumiputra Commerce scandal of 1982/83; two major judicial crises (1988 and 1998); police brutality (AAB was Home Minister alright but Rahim Noor gave Anwar an black eye with whose connivance???) etc…
2. “Mahathir was Prime Minister for over two decades. He is also a shrewd observer of human behaviors and a meticulous record keeper. Think of the many shenanigans committed at home and abroad by our sultans, ministers, and other senior officials that were simply hushed up, let alone prosecuted.”
Oh Bakri Bakri, for all your perceptive insights of Umno politics, don’t you know the old man has his fair share of dirty laundry too, and most probably much dirtier than any of his favour-seekers and court jesters?
Have you ever pondered why Mahathir shudders at the prospect of Anwar’s becoming PM? Don’t you think Mahathir is putting all his effor to unseat AAB so that Najib/Muhiddyin/Razaleigh could take over and all his secrets and scandals would be in safe and trusted hands?????
Simply, Bakri you are just a true blue Malay nationalist. You cannot imagine the end of Umno because you think it would be the demise of the Malay race, and this is in spite of all the historical record which clearly show that the party is rotten to the core. Of course there are plenty of Malay nationalists around but at least they are progressive enough to know Umno is doing harm to the Malay community in the long run, and the effect is taking a toll. Just look at the issues of unemployment, drugs, incest, budaya bohsia-bohjan, mat rempit etc.. among the Malay youth today. It all began with Umno and specifically, with Mahathir. This man can spend billions building grand projects from the twin towers to putrajaya but cannot provide a single solution to the social ills of the Malay community. You can have him if you want. Period.
2.
May 25th, 2008 at 7:39 pm
Granted Badawi is bad news for M’sia.
Will the return of Mahathirism does better NOW? For M’sia or for umno?
Mahathir is trying to stir up Malay emotion for ketuanan again! For M’sia or for umno?
In this regard Badawi is Definately Much better than Mahathir, period.
Yes there are many way to skin a cat - yet eugenic approaches is the dirtiest. Its EVIL!
Let’s put Mahathir back into the history - learn from his acts ONLY.
May 26th, 2008 at 1:10 am
Oh my…bakrina…why didn’t you resign from umno if you felt that his incompetence was at a level breaking record?
And the fact that you just pan out that the oldman is the saviour of this country….you nearly have me choked on my belacan dish. Please wake up as you are blinded by stupid loyalty and nonsense.
I love the way you articulate and the rosy (well,…maybe constructive criticism) statements to get your point across…but alas, it is a waste of time trying to promote your oldman’s grand plan.
Here’s the thing… you claim that he would be the best man to take out the PM from office and restore the public’s confidence in the government.
I hear say…that’s full of bull…and dung.
For the last 22 years of his rule… he has been among all the other prime ministers in this country…destroyed every single social structure and order that was in place to make this country as progressive as that of Singapore’s.
Blind patriotism is equal to a fool’s sense of security and dependability of a so called PM for the poor. THe oldman is not capable or ready to face the music of his devils that he has placed in this system. Before he comes out barking like a mad man again…please make sure…all t hat he has done(including ISA,Judiciary, Perwaja, Renong, Billions lost in Market speculation, IPPS, Medan, Crooked Bridge, Jams to singapore, Highway Concessionaires, Systematic Racial cohesion, Biro Tata Negara, A mandul ACA crew, flopped police force, Brain drain, Sarawak Warlords, Deforestation, Land Grabbing syndicates, Political assination in the form - i put u in the cell u maggot for going againts me ..and many more)…over the years.
PLEASE get this out in the open first…reveal what your so called party has done for this country..then we can begin anew. Maybe with Pakatan this time. I would love to give them a shot at running the Government because i BELIEVE they can and are much capable than if there was 10 ssmaaathathirs in each department of government.
One is enough…10 of them..we would not have a country to live by then.
Of the two evils if there was ever one….i prefer the current PM anytime than the oldman…he’s gone…toasted, pawned, u name it…he’s in that category.
This world has never seen a man so full of sh*t and hate. His legacy is that of ruins and destruction. My kids will know him as the “OLD GRAND no one”.
May 26th, 2008 at 1:41 am
thanks for your article mbm… i suggest that we (especially through bloggers) write an artile, proposing him who should/shouldn’t be the next pm… teach him how the ‘peralihan kuasa’ should/shouldn’t be (since he’s some kind of dumb, doesn’t know how to think)…
May 26th, 2008 at 2:47 am
Really good assessment. Thanks.
May 26th, 2008 at 5:22 am
Hi En Bakri
Salam brother. I do understand , that hitting at Mahathir might be strength mispent
1) Badawi being the current problem
2) TDM being TDM is a Teflon Politician who would deflect most blows and find it sticking elsewhere
but seriously both are necessary ie
No 1 : Understand the present as it is now clearly - untenanble position of Malaysian ’s seeking progress and stablisation ie this man cannot deliver
No 2: TDM who allowed many things to happen and ‘acted to make it happen” whilst escaped scrutiny of the Rakyat through 83 - 9
because “kita boleh makan, minum , hidup mewah” so what about all this judiciary etc etc - who cares right - this where we are Sir - 4 million people who can vote did not vote. Who know what would have been the outcome - …
Seriously unless we examine the problems of the past and the current - we cannot plot out the future. Lets not get clouded by What Mahathir did or appeared to have done. But seriously i think with a Unffettered society and rule of law and meritocratic system - i think Malaysian might have done more - with 26 million people and 25 times the resource of singapore - we should have done 50 times better than them - Unless our house is “burning” and we cannot “KILL OUR SACRED COWS” - we cannot move on
we have had people who Equated UMNO to Malay and TDM being President of UMNO ( and now Badawi and other leaders) of all being one and the same and thence we are here kissing ass … we have to brave in seeing we could have accomplished more and moved on
I remember here in Australia During the Rudd vs Howard debate ; howard said Aust Economy grew substantinally and they are in better position than before and Rudd interjected by saying “sorry mate , that is australian people delivering not you …” so i challenge that the growth and all of things we enjoyed was the Macro situation and many malaysian (including one part being goverment - riding the wave) - now in this difficult situaioton should we arise - then it will be our clear hardwork - similar to all people who passed the exam reading under the street light ( i am reminded of Dr APJ KALAM) or Soros who was ship cleaner boy who supported himself - what goverment really do ..i really ask, Mahathir was business man and machiavelli - did he have Malaysia at heart - i do not know seriously maybe after his legacy, his family, UMNO Supreme council and Cronies, the BN Main Cheif Napoleans, Goverment Machinery Napoleans then in long line of list …..Malaysia and the remainder of 25 millon population came quite at the end ..Badawi just shortened the list to mean 500 of his best mates maybe..could not support the 1 million mahathir supported - bad economy mah…rest of the country who cares..
i have streached my point …but is it that far off?
i will not , never ape and make too much of my heros may it be gandhi, mahathir, prophets , saints , they all have a shortcoming - i rather really on a constantly evoloving process and rule of law that steadies this process and making every leader face the parliment , judiciary and so IE Accountable…no more hero’s for me
May 26th, 2008 at 5:44 am
Nice article, En. Bakri. I however think Dr. M’s achievement in moving Malaysia to a high economic power is his greatest contribution. His reason for resigning from UMNO I feel must be to push the UMNO members to make a stand. It might not work, but in his mind, what has he got to lose by doing so.
May 26th, 2008 at 6:09 am
Dear Bakri,
You have flattered far too much, the two sides by refering to them as Jebat & Tuah.
The putrid pus that needs to be lanced out are those of the megalomaniacal racist’s creation.
Please do read the following, should you care to:-
Reply to TDM’s Criticism on CheDet.com
http://cruzinthots.blogspot.com/2008/05/reply-to-tdms-criticism-on-chedetcom.html
That Mahathir “admitted his fault” wasn’t so much a virtuous act of humility, but the arrogance of a Machiavellian who believes in Keynesian economics.
There are far greater things that he should be “admitting to”, Bakri.
Do you think people support AAB becos they are blind?
Not so, Bakri.
You’ve been sorely misled by the agent provocateurs who want you to believe so! I suppose Mahathir’s racist rhetoric helped too!
It isn’t that AAB is “capable”.
(It was for this very “virtue” that he was chosen to succeed the demi-God megalomaniac, at whose feet many in Umno Baru “worship”.)
He was just a “harmless fall guy” that was supposed to be a puppet till another comes of age.
It is simply that AAB is currently the lesser of many evils that plague Umno Baru (not UMNO).
Tha’s all.
May 26th, 2008 at 7:08 am
Narayan,
You’re so long winded man. Got lost finding my way through your verbosity. Be brief and precise. It makes reading a lot easier for oldies like me.
May 26th, 2008 at 8:16 am
Sdr Dr Bakri,
Have you heard the latest ?
PKR govt in Selangor haramkan Islam Hadhari.
I am not deeply knowledgable in hadhari but it is now
Islamic govt mengharamkan Islam ?
May 26th, 2008 at 8:19 am
Tok Cik,
I do not think Pak Lah is too bodoh sombong to understand that lots of people think he is incompetent and that his staying on as UMNO president is bad for the Malays. It is more to me a case of it is better for him, KJ and his son and the other hangers on that he remain UMNO President.
He may want to retire since he must have some semangat Melayu to be in UMNO for so long but probably is unwilling to face up to KJ and the other hangers on to tell them that that their gravy train is about to end.
In other words, he will tend always to take the path of least resistance.
May 26th, 2008 at 10:31 am
Well, our nation economic achievements during Tun’s era appeared remarkable only if one compared it across time. True, we have progressed from the 1980s to the 1990s. But when compared across countries, our relative achievements were not that great compared to South Korea, Taiwan or Singapore. During the 2 decades of his rule, our economic cycles were due more to the favaourable external factors. We tailed spin into recession when Asia slipped into recession. So, the economic miracles were not so much of his economic policies. I believe anyone being the PM of Msia at that time would have been able to produce the economic report cards that he dished out. I have to concur with some of the commentators, Tun’s rule did more damage than good. It is just that our present PM is not so fortunate. He has to face the spiralling cost of living arising from sky rocketing prices of fuel and other minerals. Give him time to see how he can arrest this problem.
May 26th, 2008 at 1:56 pm
Its amazing to note that there are many out there who actually thinks that Tun M is planning a comeback. What really puzzles me also is how the opposition continue to dwell on Tun M ‘misdeeds’. Are the current administration clear of any misdeeds or shortcomings that they have to resort to attacking Tun M? In my humble opinion, if the recent GE results is form of indication, i think not.
Many have also accuse Tun M as playing the race card. How so? Tun M was the leader of a Ruling Malay party and given that many of his recent speaking engagements was addressed to the Malays. I see nothing wrong for him to remind them to improve themselves in order to remain a relevant society in the country’s economy and development.
It would be better for us to take an ablution approach, rise above politics and come to a consensus on what needs to be done to steer this country of ours to greater heights. To dwell on the past serves no purpose, we need to critically assess the capability of the CURRENT leadership/government, for their actions or ‘Non Action’ will determine our future.
May 26th, 2008 at 7:01 pm
Mathathir is a racist, period.
Speaking for one’s own race does not justify running down others races, some more when all the PEOPLE share the same country. Look at Hilter’s Germany & Mugabe’s Zimbabwe!
Given credit - Mahathir should share the same alter with Hilter. The only difference being Hilter was dealing with Aryan while Mahahir Malay!
If one do not look to the past for lessons then one’s future is doomed! Just like M’sia was/is heading when Badawi took over from Mahathir. Badawi NEVER learn from Mahathir’s mistakes - instead he tries to fortified Mahathir’s legacies with HIS own interests. This is the trace of umno & her curse.
There is NO future for M’sia with umno baru in any form!
May 26th, 2008 at 11:40 pm
c53k,
What are you talking about? Don’t you know that everyone in Malaysia is a racist. Not only Mahathir. We don’t call ourselves Malaysian, we describe ourselves as Malaysian Chinese, Melayu, Malaysian Indian.. isn’t that racist? We have Chinese schools, Tamil schools.. sekolah kebangsaan.. if we are not racists what are we.
May 27th, 2008 at 1:25 am
Cinabuta,
I think your comment is uncalled for, you are stereotyping the majority of the population who are not in that racist category. Infact, you should have said that 90% of the politicians in “you know which political party” is of racist nature. Their foundations are founded on race as the only thing to counter any other LOGICAL issue at hand.
They rather invoke emotions than logic to rally people behind their so called cause for a particular community, while they swindle left and right…spread ur knickers and steal everything before your eyes.
Tell me which country in the world has ever been so powerful by being of racist nature? They will eventually die a horrible economic and social death…unless some sound minded people takeover or overthrow these sons of bitches to the blue sea, then and only then..can the country beam again with pride.
God does not judge what race you are from…who the f*** are we to decide for him which race is superior vice versa?
People in “who you know which political party” think they are mighthier than god etc….they better grow up… the election tsunami is a hint to what’s coming.
I’ll probably let my kids slap and spit at the politicians of today if they ever walk by any shopping mall…and if that politician says “kurang ajar punya anak!”…i’ll probably kick his ass myself.
Politicians of this country…you are not A VIP….u are a servant serving the country…BEHAVE like one and don’t step over the citizens….if you dare do it again…i’ll be the first to give you a piece of my mind and maybe more.
May 27th, 2008 at 1:34 am
cinabuta,
And indeed U r true to your namesake, cinabuta. Perhaps U r more - a malaysianbuta!
Why do all the M’sians have to be catagorised wholesale into X M’sian, where X been Malay, Chinese Indian & DLL? Do U for a minute think that these labels r been claimed by the labelee or the power that be?
For a start why must U fill in any official (governmental) form your race? Who required it? The M’sians or the government of the day? & for what purposes? R we not all MALAYSIAN? Think, cocoonist!
The MALAYSIANS r not racist. The government of the day IS!
What’s wrong with all the schools of different medium of instructions? R this a form of racist act?
Schools are sites of unification for our children. Instead the government of the day has made them into breeding grounds of hatred - for race & religion! Whose fault is that. The X M’sian? The language of instruction? Think cocoonist!
All can speak & act within the same culture & language YET if the hearts are ‘black’ NO unity will come out ! Just look at umno Malays & the other general Malays for a comparison.
Single language of instruction for school in the name of unity is but a cocoonist view, where the flat-earth concept is mutually excluded! Just look at the unemployable monolingual graduates that our ‘intellectual midget’ infected Unis churned out!
Patriotism DOES NOT required one to be monolingual. Patriotism comes from understanding & mutual respect. NOT ketuanan! Just look at Switzerland where multi-linguals have not caused any Swiss to be Y Swiss, where Y is French, German & Italian.
It is ketuanan that propagated by Mahathir/umno that causes the split in our national understandings among the M’sians.
I’m NOT a racist. Neither r many of my friends of different origins that I come to associated with in all walks of lives.
The government of the day is racist! AND Mahathir/umno is the prime bigotry provocateur - with the current racist government policies HIS baby!
May 27th, 2008 at 3:08 am
I wonder what surgery work BM is doing in California, and if he has any good customers???
As I know it, Mahathir has never been a good doctor by profession since day one!
May 27th, 2008 at 3:40 am
Due to shallow history and culture, Malay has only one HERO and one VILLAIN in Hang Tuah and Jebat in the past and present though their role may have switched in this contemporary world.
And so you can understand why the Malays being hungry for a real hero are holding their breadth for Mahathir gullibly impressed by his boastfully insolent talks against “outsiders”, be they Malaysians non-Malay or foreigners. You must see how he was culled by a mere BBC presenter in HARDTALK recently - what a joke for Malay!
May 27th, 2008 at 3:58 am
Mahathir will definitely do better in Africa as his style is suitable for dictator and murderer la! I don’t think he can ever shine outside Malaysia and Africa.
May 27th, 2008 at 4:36 am
Must we resort to branding one another as racist? Looks like we’re no better than our representatives at Dewan Negara - in thoughts that is.
May 27th, 2008 at 5:17 am
Everyone is born a racist due to nurture until he is grown out of it with life experiences and enlightenment.
May 27th, 2008 at 9:36 am
AbangCina, Let’s not get into this again. Mahathir is Mahathir the person and not Mahathir the Malay. His views are entirely his own and not necessarily those of all Malays. Most of us on this blog are not fond nor do we endorse the tactics adopted by Mahathir in his fight against UMNO and Abdullah. We all know that Mahathir had in the past and continue to play the race cards. And we all fair thinking Malaysians and Malays continue to condemn his tactics and statement.
May 27th, 2008 at 2:15 pm
abangcina
I would rephrase what you said.
Everyone is a latent racist.
People are NOT born racists. If you have small children, you will know they are colour blind. They become colored when they grow older and when they learn from their adults (read parents and neighbours and friends) and in Malaysia, they learnt very early our schools, (does not matter whether it is national or vernacular schools). And their latent racism gets entrenched when they interact with our Malaysian bureaucrats and when they read all the mainstream newspapers.
No, everyone is NOT born racist. They are latent racists manifest by their learning from their environment.
That is to say, you are wrong that people are born racists. Ask your 3 year old, if he is a racist.
May 27th, 2008 at 10:02 pm
I agree with Frank about being born non-racist. We are not born racist and only become racist because of the environment. We have heard stories of how a Malay can be best of friends with a Chinese and vice versa. On the other hand, we have also heard people becoming worst of enemies even if they are of the same race.
Unfortunately, race/colour of the skin has been and would always be the stumbling block for harmonious living. Even in America, the so-called land of opportunities, is not spared of the never ending racist sentiments. Even after more than 200 years of independence!
In every generation, there would be racists. It is up to us, majority, that do not subscribe to racism, to “overshadow” these racists. Nonetheless we should avoid overgeneralising an ethnic group as racist. It is not fair!
Is it right to generalise? I do not think so. For example: Can I say Singapore is a safe country to be in? Generally, yes but if I let one nasty incident (that happened many decades ago to my (late) mother and I) cloud my jugement, then I would definitely say “NO, Singapore is not a safe country!”. Would I be right to do that?
Living harmoniously requires great sincere effort from all. Everyone (regardless of race or religion) must make that effort. Even husband and wife must make sincere effort to live harmoniously! Despite all the efforts, misunderstandings are bound to happen and stir-up emotions. In such circumstances, common sense MUST prevail, no matter how difficult it seemed.
May 28th, 2008 at 7:55 am
“…born a racist due to nurture..” is just a figurative of speech as everyone is born into a culture associated with a race.
It is as much as your 3-year-old thinking you are the greatest father in the world until he/she grows out of it and comes to term with your weaknesses.
May 28th, 2008 at 10:30 am
Bakri is plain wrong on the following:
1. Mahathir has not owned up to his mistakes: rampant, corruption, Bank Negara adventure into currency speculation in 1991 that cost the country a couple of billion ringgit; the inefficient national car project, Bakum Dam (continued by AAB alright but it was Dr. M’s pet project); dodgy highway deals that are still vicitimising the populace; Bank Bumiputra Commerce scandal of 1982/83; two major judicial crises (1988 and 1998); police brutality (AAB was Home Minister alright but Rahim Noor gave Anwar an black eye with whose connivance???) etc…
2. “Mahathir was Prime Minister for over two decades. He is also a shrewd observer of human behaviors and a meticulous record keeper. Think of the many shenanigans committed at home and abroad by our sultans, ministers, and other senior officials that were simply hushed up, let alone prosecuted.”
Oh Bakri Bakri, for all your perceptive insights of Umno politics, don’t you know the old man has his fair share of dirty laundry too, and most probably much dirtier than any of his favour-seekers and court jesters?
Have you ever pondered why Mahathir shudders at the prospect of Anwar’s becoming PM? Don’t you think Mahathir is putting all his effor to unseat AAB so that Najib/Muhiddyin/Razaleigh could take over and all his secrets and scandals would be in safe and trusted hands?????
Simply, Bakri you are just a true blue Malay nationalist. You cannot imagine the end of Umno because you think it would be the demise of the Malay race, and this is in spite of all the historical record which clearly show that the party is rotten to the core. Of course there are plenty of Malay nationalists around but at least they are progressive enough to know Umno is doing harm to the Malay community in the long run, and the effect is taking a toll. Just look at the issues of unemployment, drugs, incest, budaya bohsia-bohjan, mat rempit etc.. among the Malay youth today. It all began with Umno and specifically, with Mahathir. This man can spend billions building grand projects from the twin towers to putrajaya but cannot provide a single solution to the social ills of the Malay community. You can have him if you want. Much of the nation would be forever indebted to you if you could take him out of Malaysia. Period.
And please, don’t delay in publishing this reply. This is the second time I am posting it in three days. Censorship is bad for the nation as you know full well.
May 28th, 2008 at 11:48 am
Josh
I also think Dr Bakri is slightly off the mark on his views on Mahathir. The reason is that Dr Bakri is too engulfed in his dislike and hatred (perhaps too strong a word) of PM Badawi, that whoever takes a potshot at Badawi is OK.
Generally, I have sided with Dr Bakri in almost ALL of his analysis of the political landscape of the country. But this one, I certainly beg to differ. The big picture was lost on Dr Bakri in his desire to remove Badawi.
Due to the precarious nature of Malaysian politics, it is necessary to ensure that that the MEANS justify the ENDS.
Mahathir is bent on throwing the kitchen sink and the bathtub at Badawi to win his political objectives, including personal insults from one ex PM to a sitting PM, destroy the institutional fabric of UMNO and calling for sympathy votes by resigning and asking others to resign.
As Tunku Abdul Aziz rightly said, as an elder statesman and a former PM of 22 years, Mahathir’s divisive approach has gone to the extreme. And it is not good for the country, even if it is seen to be good for UMNO.
I would consider this posting by Dr Bakri as a “gaffe” in his political analysis.
May 29th, 2008 at 2:03 am
Everyone in Malaysia is a racist. Let me give a simple question. If you’re a loan officer authorised to give a study loan to only one student irrespective of race, when all things remain equal, who would you give it to? There’s one chinese, one indian and one malay. Who would you choose?
Answer honestly. If you give it to your own race, then you’re a racist.
99% of the time, you will pick a student of your own race. Why?
So stop having a holier than thou attitude and bicker among ourselves. If they preach non racism to Malays, the chinese and indians should just abolish their chinese schools and tamil schools and send all their children to the national schools to set an example (if the walk the talk).
At the end of the day, it’s not about racism at all, but the share of the economic pie. Who benefits the most from the Malaysian economy. We don’t see the wealthy chinese screaming about unfair economic treatment by the govt., in fact they relishes it. Since they can easily buy off the contracts from the lazy Malay contractors and make more money from it.
p.s: if you’re any other ethnic group, just include your own ethnic group in that category.
May 29th, 2008 at 2:39 am
Racism can be banished if human beings are taught to be HONEST first and foremost in life. Even our honourable BM is unable to be honest when writing about Mahathir la.
May 29th, 2008 at 2:47 am
Inherent Racism, I’ll give it to the prettiest one. Skin color is no longer in my value system la. I’m sure you are honest to accept that beauty is in the eyes of the beholder in whatever sexual orientation ya.
May 29th, 2008 at 7:35 am
Dr. Mahathir has done his jobs. Good or bad, history shall decide. But he has to learn that his era is over and that the present government must be allowed to rule without his frequent and often irruptive interference. That’s the job of Malaysian voters.
Is he afraid of something or simply being vindictive? If he erred with Anwar, he is excusable but erred repeatedly and twice in a row with his choice of successor, as he seemed to insinuate, then he ought to apologise to all Malaysian for today’s ills in which he must then be responsible.
Dr. Bakri’s dissatisfaction of AAB’s performance should be attributed to and blamed on Dr.M not AAB who apparently had to toe the line until he became PM. And what a mess he inherited?
May 29th, 2008 at 7:52 am
Race and religion are but a part and parcel of the political landscape. It evolves with progress and political maturity of the people. Hence, I believe we miss the main points of the issues at hand, digressing towards them.
May 29th, 2008 at 8:24 pm
Kalau Encik Bakri mampu menjawab isu-isu yang dikemukakan oleh blogger ini, saya akan bersedia mendengar tuduhan tentang Perdana Menteri sepenuhnya dan dgn sifat terbuka.
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Mahathir: 22 fiascos in 22 years of power
This hard-hitting piece by “Batman” was first published in Malaysia Today on 13 April 2008. In view of Mahathir’s recent maneuvers to topple Abdullah Badawi and regain control of the country by proxy, I’m prompted to republish it.*
Many of those who worship Tun Dr Mahathir cannot understand why Malaysians blame TDM for the woes of the country. I have compiled excerpts of articles published in the media in past years to refresh the memories of Malaysians, as to why many Malaysians feel TDM did more bad than good for the country in his 22 years.
These 22 fiascos are presented in the form of questions directed to TDM:
1) On clean government
You came to power in 1981 and introduced the slogan Bersih, Cekap dan Amanah (Clean, Efficient and Trustworthy). What did you do to further that? Did you make the Anti-Corruption Agency more independent and effective? Did you ensure that the police and judiciary did their jobs properly and reduce corruption in their ranks? Did you censure ministers and chief ministers who received incomes beyond legal means? How many big guns were prosecuted for corruption during your tenure? What happened to Bersih, Cekap dan Amanah?
2) Press freedom
Your criticism of the government got plenty of coverage in the local media whereas, during your time, criticisms against you by two former prime ministers were muted in the mainstream newspapers. Editors in Umno-linked newspapers too were removed for not toeing the line. What did you do to advance the cause of responsible press freedom?
3) Proton
You went ahead with the national car project in 1983 despite a number of experts disagreeing with you, especially with respect to the lack of economies of scale. Isn’t it true that Proton’s profits over the past 20 years came from the vastly higher prices that the Malaysian public have had to pay to subsidize Proton, resulting in considerable hardship for Malaysians who need cars because of the poor public transport system? Why was it necessary for Proton to buy a stake in a failed Italian motorcycle manufacturer when it could not even produce cars competitively?
4) Heavy industries
Why did you push into heavy industries such as steel and cement in the 1980s, ignoring studies which suggested developing natural resource-based industries instead? They caused major problems and billions of ringgit in losses.
5) Immigration
Why did you allow hordes of people to immigrate, mainly from Indonesia, in such an unregulated way that there are as many or more illegal immigrants than legal ones now, accounting for some two million or more people? Did you not realize that this would cause serious social problems?
6) Operasi Lalang
Why did you have to resort to this move in October 1987, when you used the Internal Security Act to detain over 100 people, close down four newspapers and cause a wave of fear throughout the country? Was it to consolidate your tenuous hold on power then by using an oppressive law?
7) Judiciary
What motivated you to take action in 1988 to remove the then Lord President and several Supreme Court judges from their positions under allegations of judicial misconduct, a move which was heavily criticized by the Bar Council and other bodies? Was it because you needed more compliant judges whose rulings would not threaten your position of power in a number of cases in court? Was this the first step in dismantling the judiciary’s role as a system of checks and balances against the legislature and the executive? What have you to say to repeated assertions by many, including prominent ex-chief justices, who maintain that this led to the erosion of judicial independence?
Why did you allow our national school system, which is the ideal place to develop ties among young Malaysians, to become so divisive? Why is it that our local Universities, once the preferred choice of tertiary education, have deteriorated to a level that even students who have gained admission prefer to enroll in local private colleges and universities?
9) Malaysia Airlines System
Why did your government sell MAS (privately) to Tajuddin Ramli who had no knowledge whatsoever about running an airline? Why did your government then later bail out Tajuddin by paying RM8 per share when the shares were trading at only RM3.60 in the open market, costing close to RM 1 billion of the rakyat’s money.
10) Privatization
Why did you allow privatization to take place in such a manner that the most profitable government operations were sold away like Telekom Malaysia, Pos Malaysia and Tenaga Nasional? Toll concessionaires were guaranteed toll increases and compensations in the event traffic projections were not met. Independent power producers had contracts that guaranteed profits at the expense of Tenaga Nasional. What was the justification of privatizing the government medical stores to Southern Task Sdn Bhd, and the resulting increase of prices of medicines?
11) Putrajaya
What is the justification for spending RM20 billion on a grandiose government city at a time when there was a glut of office space in Kuala Lumpur? Could the money not have been put to better use, such as improving educational resources?
12) Indah Water Konsortium
What was the basis of granting Indah Water Konsortium a concession to manage the national sewerage system? Can you explain the RM1.4 billion soft loan to IWK which has suffered irrecoverable losses?
13) Konsortium Perkapalan Berhad
Why did you rescue Konsortium Perkapalan Berhad (then owned by Mirzan Mahathir) and which had debts of RM1.7 billion using funds from Petronas? Was it not your administration which forced Malaysian International Shipping Company (MISC) to acquire the assets of Konsortium Perkapalan Nasional?
14) Time Dotcom Bhd
Why did your administration bail out Time Dotcom Bhd which was saddled with a RM5 billion debt? Why did your government use RM904 million from Kumpulan Wang Amanah Pencen to buy up 273.9 million of unwanted Time Dotcom shares incurring an instant loss of RM280 million?
Did you not force the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) to buy 81.6 million unsubscribed public portion of the initial public offering (IPO) of Time Dotcom Bhd at RM3.30 per share when the shares were trading at only between RM1.95 and RM2.10 and in the process incurring an instant loss of RM100 million?
15) LRT
Why did you bail out the light rail transit operators Projek Usahasama Transit Ringan Automatik Sdn Bhd (PUTRA), which belonged to Renong; and Sistem Transit Aliran Ringan Sdn Bhd (STAR) using almost RM600 million from EPF, which still resulted in EPF having to write off RM135 million with a share loss of RM96 million?
16) North-South Expressway
Why did your administration award the North-South Expressway concession to UEM (who then formed Plus) and then provide them with a loan of RM1.6 billion which was half of the tender price of RM3.2 billion. What was the justification for your administration to grant Plus such overgenerous terms, which included annual increment of toll rates and guaranteed traffic volumes?
17) PSC Industries Berhad
Why did your administration in 1998 award a RM24.3 billion contract to PSC Industries Berhad, together with an advance of more than RM2.5 billion to build naval patrol boats? Why were they also given exclusive rights to service the Malaysian navy’s entire fleet? Could you confirm that the first two ships built by PSCI could not even pass pre-delivery trials? How would you answer to the Public Accounts Committee’s revelation that it will cost the government another RM120 million just to salvage the first two vessels nearing completion after seven years?
18) Bakun Dam
Why did you award Ekran Bhd the contract to build the Bakun Hydroelectric Dam in Sarawak? Why did your administration take over the construction of the dam by bailing out Ekran by almost RM200 million for ‘work done’?
19) InventQjaya
What was the basis of inviting Libyan-American Sadeq Mustaffa to Malaysia to set up InventQjaya Sdn Bhd and to also give him a grant of RM440 million? What was the benefit for Malaysia and how has Malaysia benefited? What has happened to InventQjaya now?
20) Forex Losses
Why did your administration dabble in the money market which ultimately cost Bank Negara almost RM9.3 billion in losses?
21) Bank Bumiputra
Why did you allow the mismanagement of Bank Bumiputra, to the extent that it had to be bailed out 3 times, costing the country a total of RM 3 billion? Again, dipping into Petronas’s funds?
22) Perwaja Steel
Why did your administration allow Perwaja Steel to be mismanaged resulting in RM 2.9 billion of the rakyat’s money being squandered?
There you are, 22 fiascos in 22 years. The bad news is that there are actually more than 22! Remember the APs, Maminco, Renong and many more. Those who remember, please add on to this list.
Batman
Flag-waving Mahathir in 1999 (courtesy of John Wishii)
Original cartoons by Antares © 1984
P.S. For me Mahathir’s greatest crime was that his megalomanic ambition totally obscured the Horizon of Decency. A lot of young Malaysians growing up during the Mahathir years seem completely clueless about ethics. This is particularly true of a large segment of Melayu Baru (members of Mahathir’s Umno Baru, no doubt) - who got disconnected from their original graciousness, patience, and openness of heart - and became arrogant, jingoistic, ruthless and rapacious big-time wannabes. Indeed, Mahathir’s influence was so all-pervasive, even minibus conductors and office clerks turned into Little Napoleons during those dark days under the Incurable Dr M!
May 29th, 2008 at 9:36 pm
Thanks Umnoputra and Batman. With this revelation I wonder why the old man feels he’s still needed here. He ought to join Mugabe and retire in peace in Zimbabwe. TDM has done more harm than good during his 22-year tenure at the helm. We all should take stock of this and never, I repeat never, to allow another megalomaniac to call the shots.
For all baby boomers of my generation, we are partly to be blamed too.
May 30th, 2008 at 12:37 am
One has to have a colossal lack of morality and wisdom in order to continue to respect one like Mahathir for the colossal mistakes during his dictatorship.
As a populace, why are the Malays (pardon me shrek for being specific) continue to perpetuate that stupidity? No Suharto no revolt?
May 30th, 2008 at 11:20 am
AbangCina, Not everyone is as well informed as you. There are Malays who still revel in the glory of Mahathir but as you can safely see and read, more and more Malays have awaken to the disaster and have openly criticized Mahathir and some even going so far as to put the blame on the problem of the Malays squarely on Mahathir.
Malays by nature are easy going people and are very forgiving.
May 31st, 2008 at 4:26 am
Mahathir make a lot of noise because so many people come complaining to him about Pak Lah and KJ. They feel Mahathir is the only one who is brave enough to speak-up. So, don’t put the blame solely on Mahathir for all the noises instead blame the coward BN leaders be it in UMNO, MCA, MIC, Gerakan and even PPP.
Even if we blame Mahathir and put him to jail, it still doesn’t solve any problem. Pak Lah is a weak leader. KJ is bloody corrupt and arrogant punk. Kamaluddin the brain behind it. Kalimullah the phony promoter. All must be stop be it with Mahathir or no Mahathir!
June 2nd, 2008 at 1:50 am
Had Mahathir been a Chinese, thousands would have lined up for their turn to slap or spit at his face as the most polite gesture.
June 3rd, 2008 at 12:44 am
Abangcina brother,
You are a complete joke. You represent the group that Raja Petra of M today wrote much much earlier about people who talk too much yet when given the chance to prove their thoughts they end up doing the very same thing they despise.
June 3rd, 2008 at 9:33 am
Ah Wan, I can see you can’t see yourself in the mirror!