I have just returned from a four-day visit to Myanmar and I am most intrigued by the statement by former Prime Minister, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad saying he did not know why I hated him so much.
Let me assure Mahathir that I do not hate him at all but like three former Prime Ministers, Tunku Abdul Rahman, Tun Hussein and Tun Abdullah and the majority of Malaysians in 2012, I am opposed to Mahathirism and its return to Malaysian politics in 13th general election.
Mahathir cannot be more wrong when he claimed that Abdullah was rejected by voters for “mistreating” him, asserting:
“Last time when Abdullah wasn’t good to me, the people did not support BN. So some people still have some sympathy for me.”
The reason why Abdullah suffered the worst UMNO/BN electoral defeat in the 2008 general election is because he failed to live up to his promise in the landslide 2004 general election victory to begin the serious task to dismantle the Mahathirish legacy of corruption, cronyism and abuses of power.
Recently, Mahathir has resurrected the worst strains of Mahathirism viz rabid racism, to the curses of corruption, cronyism and abuses of power, when he stoked racial fears among the Malays with his warnings that Malays will lose power if Umno loses the next general election, that Najib is a weak Prime Minister and that reforms could spark unrest, that the 13GE will be about race and that the Chinese voters are the kingmakers for the 13GE and will decide who forms the government – exhortations which are not only untrue, most incendiary and highly provocative, but totally against five decades of Malaysian nation-building, his own Vision 2020 of Bangsa Malaysia and Najib Razak’s 1Malaysia concept.
While denying that there is such thing as “Mahathirism”, Mahathir is working very hard to restore and entrench Mahathirism as the official creed of the UMNO/BN after the 13GE, whether led by Najib or somebody else.
Malaysian voters, especially the three million new voters in the 13GE, must unite to prove Mahathir wrong, that the return of Mahathirism is rejected conclusively and decisively to send out the clear message that the 13GE is not about race but about the future of a united, harmonious, just and progressive Malaysia where corruption, cronyism and abuses of power are relegated to the dustbins of history.
#1 by Godfather on Saturday, 7 July 2012 - 2:15 pm
Mahathirism – the art of making the rakyat believe that the act of stealing billions in government money is in the public interest.
#2 by Jeffrey on Saturday, 7 July 2012 - 2:33 pm
///….but like three former Prime Ministers…/// – interesting that there is one former PM conspicuously omitted from those mentioned!
#3 by ENDANGERED HORNBILL on Saturday, 7 July 2012 - 3:03 pm
I do not hate mahathir too.
But I hate mahathirism, the way I hate racism, nazism and anti-semitism.
I don’t hate mahathir. But I hate his lies, his machinations, his mindless machiavellianism.
Actually, I hate his madness.
#4 by SENGLANG on Saturday, 7 July 2012 - 3:34 pm
Mahathir is great in the sense he make people cry and laugh at the same time. when he getting older his comments seem getting very weird and no easy to find logic in it. Why should people hate per se? As the longest serving PM his policies has great impact in Malaysia but yet he say he has not remember this and that. That he has not remember he has approve this and that. Yet he say he did not aware this and that? He is such a person who has abuse his power in that sense.
Hi legacy is the corruption that he has cultivate or that he has closed his eyes on corruption has great impact and cause damage to this country political system.
In short he has implement many damaging policies during his long tenure as PM in MAlaysia
#5 by yhsiew on Saturday, 7 July 2012 - 3:37 pm
Apparently he is using Mahathirism to cling on to the gravy train. Voters must reject Mahathirism come GE13.
#6 by monsterball on Saturday, 7 July 2012 - 3:45 pm
He is beyond redemption.
He wants Divide n Rule or his party will fail.
He is now trying to diversify Malaysians attentions to some mumbo jumbo.
More than 220 comments at Malaysiakini blog on this subject and all are sick of this 87 year old man.
Najib is weak.
He must do all he can to help him.
UMNO b cannot afford to leave PutraJaya.
Stole too much…too many will be investigated….and all will be exposed much worst than now.
Imagine no Judges and any high ranking Police Officers dare to support an political party and revert to their noble professions which they all sworn to do.
Mahathir had his Operation Lallang.
People Power will have Operation Bersih ….all dirty filthy crooks…..liars……..murderers…to face the music.
Hundreds of billions stolen from the country and people….to feed to their chosen ones and with that force..to buy up the whole country.
Mahathir is pure evil.
#7 by Loh on Saturday, 7 July 2012 - 3:46 pm
The missing one is Tun Razak who introduced mamakthir into the cabinet and later made Mamakthirism a possibility.
#8 by Loh on Saturday, 7 July 2012 - 3:53 pm
I should declare that I hate Mamakthir. It is because of Mamakthir that racism having been introduced by Tun Razak has become Malaysian culture. Mamakthir started Ketuanan Melayu to prove that he had given up his privilege to link with his ancestor as a pledge of loyalty to Malay. Of course racism offered him the cover to carry out negotiated contract which legalized corruption.
How can a Malaysian not hate Mamakthir?
#9 by monsterball on Saturday, 7 July 2012 - 4:03 pm
The time is right for Malaysia to change the government.
No political party…. …Dictators can claim they will rule forever inn the history of mankind.
In South East Asia…..Malaysia was once the most advanced and developed.
Now we are far behind many which we used to boast we are far advance.
Our so call “Space Age” is for show and to fool the ordinary Malaysians..especially the Muslims.
It’s always…. fooling the Muslims.
It’s always to divide and rule.
It’s always support and make sure UMNO b is strong to get rich yourself.
MCA and MIC politicians are worst hypocrites than UMNO b Muslims.
They will sell their own race for personal benefits.
Elderly Malaysians know all these facts too well.
Thank God….young Malaysians are smart to check things out. They are knowledgeable of events of the past with Internet information.
UMNO b cannot fool young Malaysians.
The only Malaysians that Mahathir is most afraid of before and now are the smart young Malaysians and University students.
#10 by monsterball on Saturday, 7 July 2012 - 4:15 pm
For the first 3 0r 4 years…I used to admire Mahathir that for once Malaysia have a PM as smart as any world leaders.
Then I begin to observe his dirty politics..and feel under him….there will never be a Malaysia where all races will be proud as Malaysians.
It will be race first….Malaysian second.
Mahaithir was a racist tyrant.
And the corruptions..the arrests to shut mouths….plus many more…I think majority Malaysians have hated him long long ago..including me.
Many will spit at his face in gestures and in actions secretly.
We were helpless ordinary Malaysians….but no puppets to him….like MCA and MIC.
#11 by Jeffrey on Saturday, 7 July 2012 - 4:49 pm
Answering his critics on the return of “Mahathirism” Tun Dr Mahathir once said: “I will leave it to Malaysians to judge and to define ‘Mahathirism’. So what is Matahirism? Like most open ended concept it impossible to define but it is however possible to attempt describe it by its salient features ie a political culture & ethos which is somewhat an ethnocracy justified upon questionable genetic based analysis of Malay socio economic-culture relative to the comparative advantage of the others; an attempt to correct the gap by Pareto optimal solution of ethnic affirmative policies with distributional objective premised upon expanding economic pie, spearheaded by a few handpicked cronies and captains of industry for privatised projects with full support of resources and patronage of the state, a perpetuation of power of the party/coalition in power by foraging on the national resources of the state buttressed by control over a strategically significant segment of the vote bank by propaganda of race and religion and by control over institutions of the state and those who run them to ensure that their partiality at all times with the interests of the party/coalition in power as against significant detractors/dissidents who threaten it.
#12 by Jeffrey on Saturday, 7 July 2012 - 4:56 pm
///I should declare that I hate Mamakthir. How can a Malaysian not hate Mamakthir?/// It depends on which Malaysian. Malaysians are not homogeneous. However our commenter raises a valid point shorn off political correctness. Is it possible to hate and oppose “Mahathirisim” and yet maintain emotional neutrality as regards the person who is its principal architect promoter and icon? Can people despise Nazism without despising the person of Hitler? It is doubtful most can unless I suppose one is of an exceptional maturity and detachment like the host of this Blog.
#13 by Jong on Saturday, 7 July 2012 - 5:11 pm
Hahaha, his insecurity is showing! He knows his days numbered. Will Mukhriz be able to help him?
I suppose he now finds he can no longer ‘walk on water'(quote Sakmongkol).
This racist evil doer didn’t seem to bother if he was being hated when he brutally messed up the lives of untold many who disagreed with him and his policies during his days of arrogance and power
#14 by Loh on Saturday, 7 July 2012 - 5:26 pm
A Malaysian who believes that Malaysia has forfeited its potential for a truly democratic peaceful nation without being divided by race as it is today just because one Indian who pretended to be Malay so that he could use the shortcut of racism to helm the government would hate Mamakthir. Malays, not the constitutionally created ones, would hate Mamakthir too because they bear the brunt of living with the stigma that they have to be forever placed in a special position, out of need. Some Malays can certainly pretend that the Malaysian constitution did not exist or that the Reid Commission has any other reasons to place Malays in the special position, for assistance.
Many Malays professionals are unhappy that their success are perceived to be made possible by NEP. These Malays hate Mamakthir, for they will be where they are without NEP and without Mamakthir harping that Malays were less intelligent than others and quoting himself as one of the inferior students among his classmates. By that statement Mamakthir implied that he was better than any Malay. Can true Malay accept Mamak as Malay and allow Mamak to cheat ordinary Malays of their shares of assistance from national coffers, and enjoy the benefits in their name?
#15 by Dap man on Saturday, 7 July 2012 - 5:59 pm
I hate Mahathir. No if, no but.
This old man is evil to the core. At 87 he is still vicious, venomous and poisonous. He caused misery to many innocent people by putting them behind bars. He made of his enemies in UMNO bankrupt.
He has the eyes of the Evil One.
The more he speaks the more the people will shun UMNO and BN.
Let him have his day till he drops dead as the 13th general election results are being announced.
He knows if Pakatan comes to power he will a sitting duck.
#16 by yhsiew on Saturday, 7 July 2012 - 7:08 pm
The Malays will not lose power if PR captures Putrajaya in GE13 because the leaders of PKR and PAS are Malay.
#17 by PoliticoKat on Saturday, 7 July 2012 - 10:22 pm
I for one are unable to do this.
How can you hate an idea/system and not the people who crafted and executed the idea?
Maybe an older, wiser and more mature person can do so. But I can’t. An idea is a reflection of the man. Even if the idea doesn’t encompass every facet of the man himself, it still reflects him.
And yes, it shouldn’t be called Mahathirism, Tun Razak created the system. However DrM made improvements upon it.
#18 by sheriff singh on Saturday, 7 July 2012 - 11:13 pm
All our previous Prime Ministers are ‘Tuns’ EXCEPT Tunku Abdul Rahman.
How about making him a ‘Tun’ as well in addition to his being a ‘Tengku’ ? Will the incoming PR government look into it ?
#19 by sheriff singh on Saturday, 7 July 2012 - 11:14 pm
All our previous Prime Ministers are ‘Tuns’ EXCEPT Tunku Abdul Rahman.
How about making him a ‘Tun’ as well in addition to his being a ‘Tunku’ ? Will the incoming PR government look into it ?
#20 by ENDANGERED HORNBILL on Saturday, 7 July 2012 - 11:19 pm
Sheriff,
Tun-ku already has a Tun in his name and does not need to curry favour and bow to low degrees or pander to weak vessels to get the aura of an important Tun.
Sori, not many Tuns have a fragrance to their name or an aroma worth the price of a bottle of perfume.
#21 by sheriff singh on Sunday, 8 July 2012 - 12:54 am
If lesser mortals who are less deserving are awarded the title, it is only proper that the Tunku be awarded one and his would be more honourable.
#22 by sheriff singh on Sunday, 8 July 2012 - 1:09 am
‘Tun’ is the nation’s highest award and title. I feel that our first Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman, should be awarded the title for his contributions to the country, even though he was a prince and a member of a royal house. Is there any good reason why he is left out or cannot be awarded the title?
#23 by monsterball on Sunday, 8 July 2012 - 5:40 am
You mean Tun Tunku Abdul Rahman?
hhhhhhmmmmm ….god gifted title with a man mad title.
Anyone knows why Tunku not given and respond to sherrif singh?
#24 by monsterball on Sunday, 8 July 2012 - 5:49 am
man made title…..not man mad title….although many are mad … having that title.
Mad about all the good things in want…but impossible as civil servants.
So each one… steal millions to behave and live like multi millionaires.
#25 by Godfather on Sunday, 8 July 2012 - 7:50 am
Folks:
We should help Kit by providing the most concise yet accurate definition of Mahathirism. I think Kit’s definition is way too long and too outdated – that of cronyism, nepotism, etc. We have to add the ingredients of crocodile tears, racist chants and selective amnesia to the final definition.
#26 by Bigjoe on Sunday, 8 July 2012 - 7:54 am
Tactically excellent respond to Dr. M’s mouth-shooting.. Stay high in the fray, don’t get suck into this game but keep the punches going. He can’t keep it up for too long when everyone is gunning for him.
I would have actually made more of a point that PR got more than half the popular vote in 2008 and the Badawi landslide in 2004 was a rejection of Mahathirism. More importantly, everything including Bersih and other by-elections suggest that larger trend has continued even if UMNO/BN poured unprecedented machinery (including cheating) and money to claw back the votes.
#27 by Bigjoe on Sunday, 8 July 2012 - 9:16 am
I stand corrected. The smartest respond to Mahathr..
Why do Mahathir hate Anwar, Badawi( & KJ) and LKS so much?
So MUCH MORE ACCURATE and RELEVANT..
#28 by Jeffrey on Sunday, 8 July 2012 - 9:35 am
“However, the fault lies with Abdullah. He destroyed all the institutions we built, destroyed our party and our component parties,” – TDM.
This speaks very well for Pak Lah: he began the deconstruction of Mahathirism for which he was singled out for recrimination by its architect.
To avoid a certain fate those after Abdullah Badawi may think that the institutions and party’s strength based on ideology of Mahathirism may be held together to preserve continuation of political power. After all this is a legacy / ideology that has lasted since the Tunku’s being eased from power – a period of more than 40 years. The hand of the architect of Mahathirism is seen behind the rise and fall of all prime ministers since then. The question is can the political legacy of Mahathirism be held together when the architect himself is not at the helm (directly in power) to hold it together? Will things fall apart when taken over by disciples even if the ‘sifu’ is in the shadows and sidelines trying to pull the strings? Indeed he is nowadays coming more and more out into the open with daily prescriptions of his medicine of how to make things right: not a day passes without he being reported to said something about this or that.
#29 by Loh on Sunday, 8 July 2012 - 10:48 am
Anwar Ibrahim is right when he said that Mamakthir feared his rise to power the most. But can Anwar finish him off?
AAB had the excellent opportunity to make Mamakthir answer for legalized corruption. Unfortunately, AAB chose to preserve the convenience.
Khairy was the only Chief of UMNO Youth who has no government position. That serves him right. AAB had only poor high school education in Bukit Mertajam High School, and it is most likely that he got into MU with one principal and one subsidiary passes in HSC part certificate. Khairy was said to be a graduate of Oxford. Why did Khairy not use his time to make Mamakthir answer for his excess? It was stupid of him to follow Mamakthir’s racism in talking about Penang Malays (mostly Mamaks) being marginalized which spurred Kerismuddin into brandishing a keris in UMNO Youth GA. Khairy’s action made AAB a sitting duck.