It is the quintessence of Mahathirism – pure Machiavellianism, perverse illogic and most cunning to distract attention from the core issue.
This was what Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad produced in his blog yesterday when claiming to welcome my proposal that the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak set up a Royal Commission of Inquiry to investigate into the allegation by Barry Wain’s new biography, “Malaysian Maverick: Mahathir Mohamad in Turbulent Times” that the former Prime Minister had wasted or burned up to RM100 billion on grandiose projects and corruption in his 22 years as PM.
He even sweetened his welcome by insisting that such a commission should not be made up of government nominees, but should instead have as members “impeccable people including foreigners and members of Transparency International.”
How many instances can Mahathir quote of the occasions when he had followed such precepts in his 22 years as Prime Minister to probe into financial scandals or serious allegations of abuses of power?
Why Mahathir’s sudden conversion to uphold “impeccable people including foreigners and members of Transparency International” instead depending on compliant government nominees who can command no credibility whatsoever as was his wont during his premiership?
However, Mahathir’s welcome came with a caveat which the former Prime Minister knows would not be fulfilled and therefore no inquiry commission would be held – that the commission should not confine to one Prime Minister only but also to his successor Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.
Mahathir reached the heights of Machiavellism when he suggested that I should get Najib’s agreement to set up such a Royal Commission of Inquiry into both the Mahathir and Abdullah premierships.
Why didn’t Mahathir ask that such a commission should also inquire into the corruption and abuses of power of Najib, the current Prime Minister as well?
Mahathir is only practicing the art of saying yes while saying no. This is too cheap a trick for the fourth and longest-serving Prime Minister to be indulgingin his “elder statesman” years.
As for Mahathir’s statement that he reserved the right to sue me for libel, I had tweeted:
“Why his suit conditional on outcome of RCI into Barry Wain’s allegation when M will do utmost 2block RCI though claiming support publicly?
“Why Mahathir don’t sue me now if I had libelled him calling for RCI into Barry Wain’s RM100 billion allegation in his book Maverick M?”
#1 by pwcheng on Thursday, 24 December 2009 - 6:41 pm
Mahathir is a shrewd poker player. Brother Kit, please better him on his bets. The day he sues you we will get at least 30,000 good citizens to contribute RM 10 each for your legal fees. Many of us will like to see him stick to the old scare crow post so that he can only frighten away the birds and not us.
#2 by Onlooker Politics on Thursday, 24 December 2009 - 6:49 pm
Dr. Mahathir is returning to his childhood reminiscence now. He keeps playing the childish game of requesting Najib to form a Royal Commission of Inquiry probing into Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi for the allegation of Tun Abdullah’s squandering much more money than the amount which Dr. Mahathir himself had squandered.
Dr. Mahathir is trying to say that he is not wrong because Tun Abduallah had done much more wrong than he did!
#3 by Godfather on Thursday, 24 December 2009 - 6:57 pm
Unfortunately, the bulk of the population can’t see through the manipulations of this criminal. He is indeed throwing the challenge knowing Najib can’t afford to agree to it. Mamakthir will then tell Malaysians that he has tried his best to be transparent but that the government of the day won’t allow it. He shed crocodile tears at UMNO conventions and he will shed crocodile tears again on this subject.
#4 by OrangRojak on Thursday, 24 December 2009 - 7:13 pm
Hey, come on – your son isn’t far behind. He too has been distracting people from the core issues:
It’s either has been or was. It would only be had been if he was relating a story about a time in the past which wasn’t quite as long ago as TBH’s death and referring back to it from that past point. “Things were very chaotic in the years before the 13th GE – TBH had been murdered, Perak had been taken by force, the Altantuya case had been completely covered up, MM had been up to his old troublemaking tricks again…”
How to focus on the core issues with English lidat wan?
#5 by a-malaysian on Thursday, 24 December 2009 - 7:24 pm
It is proven again and again that pdrm is always on the look out to pin down any oppositions base on their statements or comments that looks seditious, sound seditious to charge them and at every effort to bring down Pakatan Rakyat.
We are celebrating Christmas but the cops are busy, not investigating Bala’s latest revelation nor Tian Chua’s claim on illegal money laundering by vvip but probing Lim Guan Eng.
Teoh Beng Hock: Cops To Probe Guan Eng But Not Nazri ?
GE 13 – Change The Federal Government No matter what, we must ensure that racist umno bn do not regain the power like they had for over the past fifty two years.
#6 by Cinapek on Thursday, 24 December 2009 - 7:29 pm
YB Kit,
“Why Mahathir’s sudden conversion to uphold “impeccable people including foreigners and members of Transparency International….”
Mahathir is closer to the truth than you realise. He knows that of the many so called prominent people in this country, those that he helped put into that position, he knows what kind of people they are and they cannot be trusted. Then those that made it in spite of him will nail him given half a chance.
To satisfy him, we can appoint his good friend Robert Mugabe, Ahmadinejad, Osama bin Laden and for good measure, Kim Jong ILL. He will be sure to get a fair hearing.
#7 by k1980 on Thursday, 24 December 2009 - 7:34 pm
Very strange that da old mamak dares not sue Barry Wain. Look at Lee KY– that old minister mentor has made millions by suing anyone, local or foreign, that dares to criticize him.
So, are the allegations true after all? And I support the inquiry to be extended to both his successors.
#8 by Godfather on Thursday, 24 December 2009 - 7:55 pm
Kit, you should kindly take up Mamakthir’s challenge. Agree that Badawi should also be investigated, but we do it one at a time, starting with Mamakthir. No need for foreigners to meddle in this; we have sufficient upright people in this country to helm the RCI. Just have the proceedings broadcast live on RTM.
I’ll bet their b@lls will all disappear to Argentina like the engines.
#9 by Godfather on Thursday, 24 December 2009 - 8:05 pm
And Kit, your heading should refer to ‘perverse logic’ and not ‘perverse illogic’. You don’t want to suggest that the old fox is really that logical.
#10 by AhPek on Thursday, 24 December 2009 - 8:38 pm
And the mistake from first line under The Heading is not ‘to district’ but ‘to distract’.
[Corrected. Thanks. Admin]
#11 by monsterball on Thursday, 24 December 2009 - 9:01 pm
In Susan Loone’s blog….there is a post about the book and Mahathir ….getting 1408 comments…creating history for any blog with so many comments under one subject.
Not one talk good about Mahathir.
This double headed snake and the dirtiest politician ever known to Malaysians…is established.
He encouraged race and corruptions openly…and he did steal billions from tax payers….well known as the 10% commission man.
This man destroys unity and encourages… divide to rule…even now.
This is a devil….and he will destroy his devilish…UMNO BARU.
People’s Power will see to that.
Enough of UMNO BARU nonsense.
#12 by vsp on Thursday, 24 December 2009 - 9:07 pm
If as alleged by Mahathir that Abdullah Badawi had stolen RM270 billion from Petronas, then he is the greater crook. The RM100 billion alleged stolen by him is a very conservative sum but now that he said that his pupil had stolen RM270 billion, then logic would tell us that the actual sum stolen by him (Mahathir) would have easily exceeded RM270 billion by a factor of five. What is worse is that it was also reported by other sources that Mahathir had stolen US100 billion.
#13 by tanjong8 on Thursday, 24 December 2009 - 9:34 pm
Dr M is always thinking he can bank on the Malays to support him what ever he does.
He would play race again and again.
Poor Abdullah, who is always assaulted by this bully. And yet those Malays who support Mahathir never seem to pity Abdullah.
What kind of Malays are they ? Are they the result of the indoctrination by Umnoputras/Utusans through BTN ?
#14 by tanjong8 on Thursday, 24 December 2009 - 9:38 pm
Dr M is also trying to drag in Singapore leaders to show his Malayness.
Doesn’t he realize that if such a book were published to accuse the Singapore leaders, they will immediately sue the writer ? They will never say they reserve the right and drag their feet.
Why Dr M does not take legal action immediately, as asked by LKS ?
#15 by tanjong8 on Thursday, 24 December 2009 - 9:44 pm
In fact Abdullah had saved billions of ringgits by cancelling the building of the crooked bridge across Johore strait !
If it were built, it would be illegal by international law and would have to be dismantled !
Dr M always thinks that he can do whatever he wants. This is the result of his long stay in power and the support of those Umnoputras & Utusans.
Now, we want to see that force of justice is brought to bear on him !
#16 by tanjong8 on Thursday, 24 December 2009 - 9:54 pm
Dr M, what are waiting for when accused to such an extent ?
Lee Kuan Yew or any of the Singapore leaders will never wait a minute longer to take legal action !
Malu-lah
#17 by AhPek on Thursday, 24 December 2009 - 10:14 pm
To,
KIT and All fellow contributors to his blog,
A MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY EW YEAR!
#18 by Onlooker Politics on Thursday, 24 December 2009 - 10:17 pm
“‘Teoh Beng Hock had been cruelly murdered.’
It’s either has been or was.” (OrangRojak)
OrangRojak,
I would amend the sentence to “Teoh Beng Hock was cruelly murdered.”
You are not supposed to compare Guan Eng to Kit Siang in terms of the English Proficiency. Kit Siang was an English-educated jornalist turned to be a politician, whereas Guan Eng might be a Chinese-educated student continuing his study in Australia and graduating with an accountancy degree in a hasty manner. The maggi mee type (fast-food type) of educational experience could have rendered Guan Eng less opportunity to polish his English proficiency in the university, not to mention that the vernacular primary and secondary schools of Malaysia would never provide a good English teacher with qualified proficiency in English. If you have to blame, then you should put blame on Barisan Nasional’s biased educational policy which despised the international economic value of English as a second language in Malaysia.
If Barisan Nasional leaders could place a much higher value on English language teaching in Malaysia’s schools, then Malaysia would never have to arrive at the present bleak situation of economic stagnancy due to lack of international business networking partly caused by poor English proficiency among the Malaysian citizens and partly also caused by the lack of foreign investors’ confidence about the consistency of the implementation of the Government Policy due to the changeability of Barisan Nasional leadership especially during the critical period of financial stresses. In other words, Malaysia’s BN Government has lost its credibility in the eyes of the foreigners and the common Malaysian citizens are not able to achieve a breakthrough in international marketing due to lack of international business connection as a result of poor English proficiency!
#19 by pulau_sibu on Thursday, 24 December 2009 - 10:35 pm
No need to wait until the custom approves the Book. It would be in the country by January 5.
The digital version may also be flying in the sky.
The key point is to get it widely circulated among the people
#20 by Onlooker Politics on Thursday, 24 December 2009 - 10:51 pm
If Dr. Mahathir is to prove that the tears he dropped was no crocodile’s tear, then he must voice out loudly that he supported the repellation of Official Secrets Act! Otherwise, he would never be able to show his sincerity in wanting Najib’s government to declassify all the Government’s documents from 1981 to 2009.
#21 by ENDANGERED HORNBILL on Thursday, 24 December 2009 - 11:18 pm
Hi Doc, stop baying at the moon. I beleive I had on some occasions in the past advised you to ride off softly into the horizons…quietly, and hope all Malaysians will forgive you.
Whilst nobody begrudges you yr brilliance, few would disagree you are Machiavellian. So be it. You have quoted Brutus at some time in the past. Now, take a leaf from Brutus. “A man sees not himself but through a mirror”. There lies the inescapable nugget….history shall be gracious or shall condemn you as a leader through the eyes of the man on the omnibus.
As it stands, yr reputation in the eyes of the public is shitty, to put it mildly.
Respect, you have none.
Repentance – that’s not even in yr vocabulary.
Ride off into the sunset and hope the Rakyat will be kindly to an aged and “mentally handicapped” man, so amnesiac at such critical junctures of time but so ferocious and ragingly vigilant when some armchair journalist researches some secondary sources to critique yr track record and governance.
I pity you but yet believe you neither appreciate pity nor understand virtue or whatsoever is good, honest or kind, do these things.
#22 by Loh on Friday, 25 December 2009 - 12:30 am
///10. Barry Wain must provide documentary proof of any sum that he alleged I had burned.///–Mahathir
Barry Wain will certainly lose the case because the judges in Malaysia would want proof of the ashes left in burning the money.
Mahathir talked about RM 270 billion Petronas passed on to AAB administration to compare the number of grandeur projects created with Petronas funds. Mahathir’s wastage of funds should be computed based on the present value of the money spent, and the RM 100 billion squandered could be more than RM 500 billion in terms of purchasing power now. And more importantly, how much of those RM 500 billion ended up in private accounts benefiting his children?
Barry Wain did not write about AAB and there is no need to investigate AAB at the same time. If Mahathir produce a book on AAB like Barry Wain did on him, the government would then be obliged to order another RCI based on his book.
Barry Wain did not write about Singapore government leaders because there is no juicy story to tell. Why should he not choose the easy subject when corruption by other country’s standards is legalised in Malaysia, for the leaders.
#23 by frankyapp on Friday, 25 December 2009 - 3:26 am
While you guys are inpatiently waiting for the customs to clear Barry’s book on TDM,I can provide you guys substantial info about the book. Anyone interested,please provide me your email.
#24 by vsp on Friday, 25 December 2009 - 8:07 am
He even sweetened his welcome by insisting that such a commission should not be made up of government nominees, but should instead have as members “impeccable people including foreigners and members of Transparency International.” – LKS
——
Yes, of the “impeccable” people that come to the mind of Mahathir are his great pals, Robert Mugabee of Zimbabwe, General Khin Nyunt of Burma, Thaksin Shinawatra of Thailand, Mahmou Ahmadinejad of Iran, Muhammad Gaddafi of Libya and Sitiveni Rabuk of Fiji.
All these people are made of the same mould and character and they will agree that Mahathir has the stamp of impeccable quality (100% pure gold quality) in this privilege class.
#25 by boh-liao on Friday, 25 December 2009 - 10:28 am
Pls sponsor d book n make it available online so that ppl can download it freely
Also hv d Malay, Tamil, and Chinese versions online as well
#26 by k1980 on Friday, 25 December 2009 - 11:44 am
http://www.asiasentinel.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2209&Itemid=178
…He questioned the spending of RM 270 billion (US$78.5 billion) of Petronas funds during Abdullah’s five-year term in office…. Mahathir did not include on his website a request to investigate the reign of Najib Tun Razak, the current prime minister, who as defense minister was involved in a series of massive cost overruns and questionable military purchases, including the US$1 billion purchase and/or lease of three French submarines, which earned his best friend, Abdul Razak Baginda, a €114 million “commission.”
#27 by Yee Siew Wah on Friday, 25 December 2009 - 1:14 pm
Bro Lim, please go ahead and put this corrupted, racist and cunning wolf mamak kutty to his dead bed. The rakyat has had enough of his double tongue wagging all these years. Millions of malaysians will support you to nail this culprit for good.
#28 by ktteokt on Friday, 25 December 2009 - 5:15 pm
Looks more like pure UMNO chauvanism!
#29 by HARAPAN MALAYSIA on Friday, 25 December 2009 - 6:27 pm
Wohlau..Interesting betul..!
“Practising The Art Of Saying Yes While Saying No..” ..Blur..blur..masih bloeh ertinya..A lot learning from Orang-orang hebat belaka..di tanahairku tercinta..recently..!
Orang-orang hebat minda tajam ..main politik lebih 22 tahun tak pernah tak menang pun..takkan kini boleh senang-senang dikalahkan..olehtu..begitu saje..!
Tunggu..dan lihatlah…negara tercintaku..!
Semoga doa-doakan yang terbaik bagi seluruh Rakyat Malaysia di atas 1Suara….1Malaysia negara tercintaku..!
#30 by k1980 on Friday, 25 December 2009 - 8:41 pm
This is 1 simple way to prove his innocence— Just scan the entire book and post it in his website, then refute the allegations one by one, with the necessary documents as proof. Then only can the rakyat say, “We are proud of our ex-PM”.
Otherwise, he will be regarded as a liar and a thief even after he has gone to meet his Maker. History has a long memory lasting thousands of years.
#31 by tanjong8 on Friday, 25 December 2009 - 9:47 pm
Dr M will at last claim that what he did is
“üntuk agama, bangsa dan negara”
Only the Utusans and the Umnoputras will believe him.
Mumpuai lah
#32 by tanjong8 on Friday, 25 December 2009 - 9:50 pm
I think Barry Wain had many reasons to say that Dr M burnt 100 billion RM.
One is the exchange rate with Sing dollars, as Dr M always wanted to compare with LKY.
When he took over in 1981, the exchange rate was roughly 1:1. When he left in 2003, the exchange rate is 1:2.5 What more to say, Dr M?
#33 by Bigjoe on Saturday, 26 December 2009 - 7:42 am
It is just unseemly and gross to see an old person who come comes to term with his faults at the end of his life. Why do anyone else have to deal with it when its ALL his problem? These kind of behaviour just discourages kindness and magnamity among people.
The most unforgivable thing about Mahathir is that he continues to destroy the fabrics of our societies, the natural good that should have been preserved rather than taken for granted, exploited and abuse too conveniently. Its the very thing that Tunku, the most magnaimous of all of us, could not forgive him for what he done to his beloved Malays even at his death bed.
#34 by limkamput on Saturday, 26 December 2009 - 8:15 am
Barry Wain is too conservative in estimating the loss. If we consider all the irreparable damages he did to our institutions, systems and procedures, I think he burned everything that was in Malaysia.
BY the way, when is Barry Wain’s book going to be released? Why talk about RCI, suing and challenging the accuracy of the book when most of us have not read the book yet. May be the book is too benign. Someone may have to write a tougher and more accurate version after this.
Will PR openly declare that they will hold all past leaders accountable once they come into power? Do it now, otherwise I have this inkling that politicians will always try to protect their own kind. Yes, the present protects the past, and the future protects the present.
#35 by yhsiew on Saturday, 26 December 2009 - 9:26 am
He even sweetened his welcome by insisting that such a commission should not be made up of government nominees, but should instead have as members “impeccable people including foreigners and members of Transparency International.” – Kit
==============================================
It is pretty obvious that Tun D M already had some kind of “insurance policy” in place if he dared throw such an arrogant challenge at Kit.
#36 by Onlooker Politics on Saturday, 26 December 2009 - 9:27 am
“Do it now, otherwise I have this inkling that politicians will always try to protect their own kind. Yes, the present protects the past, and the future protects the present.” (limkamput)
limkamput has pointed out the core value of basic covenant between two cunning politicians of the same common interest to share among themselves — you protect me and I will pay you back in equal protection as you need! If Najib is to allow the release of Barry Wain’s book on Mahathir’s biography, then that will most likely trigger an internal rifle within Umno between Najib and Mahathir for Mahathir will hate Najib for the breach of covenant.
Perhaps it is much more practical for us to get an internet version of the book than waiting for the release of the physical book from Custom’s warehouse!
#37 by superstar48 on Saturday, 26 December 2009 - 9:26 pm
By the way,why is Maha very concern to implicate Badawai?And also why he needs outside Royal comm.and outside Transparency international to look into the 100billion scandal? Is he not trusting the local good for nothing macc,judiciary,pdrm and the civil society?When a c4 was targeted to blowup your backside now you are afraid.If you are really god fearing and true muslim, face the truth and come out clean, otherwise you are going to carry the curse till your generation behind will definatly perish.
#38 by Loh on Sunday, 27 December 2009 - 9:32 am
Mahamamak hates AAB as much as he hates the son-in-law. The latter stopped his son from becoming the Youth Chief, and to be in line to succeed Najib. The warriors in UMNO supreme council love and hate one another as much as the princes during days of absolute monarch. Only those who are outside the group would declare their true feelings, especially when they are have-beens.
Mahamamak wants now to be known as a racist, so that his blood lineage would not be challenged. Trouble is we saw racial communism since NEP, and mamak is communist head of government as he acted as such during his time. He can count on the buildings which any fool could have them built, with Petronas funds. He moulded the parasitice mindset of the people he pretended to lead. Since then, Malaysia is destined to be a failed state, because the majority believe in their unjust entitlements.
#39 by frankyapp on Sunday, 27 December 2009 - 5:49 pm
While in power he said no to outside interference but why now he needed it.It shows only one concret thing,the truth .He’s afraid of his own shadow which is going after him wherever he goes.He knows his own “ketuanan Melayu” would not shadow him but now needed the western umbrella he once hated most. He’s a flipper/flogger and a joker too.Look, China,now claimed another first ,the fastest train in the world in about 30 years since opening it up to the world.Malaysia’s 53 years, 22 years under TDM,all we been hearing are corruptions and more first record breaking mega ringgit corruptions.Why can’t TDM,PM,DPM get it.The whole world is watching us,aren’t they not ashame.I pray that one day the bright sunlight shines through their tough tick face skins to awakening them to admitting their misdeeds and abandoning all corruptions hence malaysia can go forward to create many genuine “firsts” and prospers along with the rest of our neighbours and other countries in this globalised world
#40 by grkumar on Monday, 28 December 2009 - 11:19 am
If there was anything factual about Mahathir in Wain’s book, Wain would have at least placed it in context. For that his eresearch failed to go to the core of all that was at the base of his allegations.
Comming from his base at Coward’s castle in Singapore, Wain a paid think tank operative pacifying a dying Lee Kuan Yew (now that his wife is a vegetable) sets fire to a reputation Lee could not in reality match.
Lee wanted the Malays to come crawling back to him when he quit the federation. His backers include SR Nathan who was a Spy for the Australian Security Intelligence Organzation (ASIO) outed by investigative journalist Brian Toohey, and his other guardians in people like Blades (of the British Special Branch) and Alex Josey of MI5.
The fact that as Chinese you still see someone of merit in Lee inspite of his betrayal of Chinese to the Japanese as a Japanese intelligence agent in world war 2, you deserve all the treatment you get in the hands of your enemies. You are a people without any dignity or self esteem when it comes to money.
Wain can write for you.
Remember this:
Denegrading Mahathir does not in any way serve to elevate the positions of Lim Kit Siang, Anwar or Badawi. They have been nothings and will always remain so into the timeless tunnels of history.
An all the swearing of the typical Chinese intellectual genius of those of you who choose invectives instead of substance to argue your point only serves to reinforce the stereotyping of your types.
GRK
#41 by limkamput on Monday, 28 December 2009 - 4:14 pm
And what have you chosen other than baseless vendetta for reasons best known to yourself. Out of two volumes of his memoirs, you could only highlight his work as a radio translator for the Japanese military during Japanese occupation. Look, you are unlike Wain, you have to do better than that. Who is elevating Lim, Anwar etc? We only want and we love to denigrate Mamakthir.
If you are really a Malaysian Indian, you are pariah Indian.
#42 by limkamput on Monday, 28 December 2009 - 4:15 pm
And what have you chosen other than baseless vendetta for reasons best known to yourself. Out of two volumes of his memoirs, you could only highlight his work as a radio translator for the Japanese military during Japanese occupation. Look, you are unlike Wain, you have to do better than that. Who is elevating Lim, Anwar etc? We only want and we love to denigrate Mamakthir.
#43 by grkumar on Tuesday, 29 December 2009 - 11:11 am
Thank you Limkamput. You reinforce the negatives of that group of Chinese everywhere. Keep it up.
As for Lee I have never sourced any material from his memoirs. I have reead them but am not interested in his views of himself in the context of the world.
I would rather the well researched, peer reviewed documented (including from his own records) thesis on the man by the likes of independent minds like David Barr and Rev. James Minchin (No Man is an Island).
Lee would have sued thm if their accounts were in any way incorrect even in the slightest material particular. He has barred Minchin from visitng the island and nothing is yet known of his response to Bar’s book on him.
Your idea of “baseless” is a compliment. If I were to accept your values and your ideas of “fact” which you espouse with your cohorts on this blog, I would be in trouble.
The truth may not matter to you as you clearly have settled in your own dung like the proverbial “pig in its own… proverbials”. If it keeps you happy then good.
Lee was more than a mere translator. And if you are not offended by what he did in serving the Japanes who killed millions of your fellow Chinese during the war (Nanjing) because they did and still consider the Chinese to be a lower form of life then that too is fine by me.
It also serves the point made in the GRK article: that there are Chinese (you clearly are one of them) who would do anything for money including subjugating, humiliating, drugging, pimping on, murdering and selling their own.
Again if that suits you and your morality it does not the morality and the aspirations of a very large but not as vocal majority not only in Malaysia but around the world.
You may scream all you want. You are in a minority no one wants. Denigrading Mahathir in this sense is a blessing and a compliment to the man. Who after all in their right minds would want a compliment from someone who fits the category to which you belong? That would be an insult.
GRK