― Ali Kadir
The Malaysian Insider
Aug 25, 2012
AUG 25 ― He says that the Barisan Nasional is the devil that Malaysians know and we should stick with this devil because the Opposition is the devil we don’t know.
But we do know the Opposition. We know that DAP/PAS/PKR politicians don’t always stand on the same page; they make mistakes and say really dumb things and may even be arrogant. And not all their populist ideas will be good for Malaysia; some may be downright stupid.
We also know that they don’t have a Dr Mahathir Mohamad in their midst and that is always an advantage. He is the devil we know and have to put up with for more than two decades and now it does seem that, Mahathir is still running the country. And offering unsolicited rubbish as advice.
This is what Dr Mahathir the “angel” has given Malaysia:
1) A corrupt culture, where civil servants, corporate figures and even ordinary Malaysians don’t think twice about bribing, stealing and cheating. A Malaysia where the government and police fudge crime figures and where ministers live beyond their means without fear of getting arrested.
2) A country where race relations have worsened over the years. Dr Mahathir can take credit that all his slogans have remained slogans and we still live in race silos. And his party Umno and Utusan Malaysia have crossed the line with a campaign of driving the wedge between Muslims and non-Muslims.
3) A country where corporate figures and cronies milk the system with one-sided privatisation deals. These sweet deals are the norms here; look at the NFC and Ampang LRT.
4) A country where the education system is in a mess.
The list can go on. So take a bow, Dr Mahathir, “the devil” we know.
#1 by Bigjoe on Saturday, 25 August 2012 - 9:34 pm
While we may know the Devil that is Mahathir, I put it to everyone, we DO NOT KNOW THE MONSTROSITY that is current UMNO B/BN that is his creation. Not only don’t we know, neither does Mahathir.
Even after Mahathir stepped down, he has not been happy with two successor to the monstrosity that he created. After 2 decades of rules, Mahathir is STILL inconsistent in his liberal promises – from preaching the wisdom of multi-racialism, he has thrown away the pretense and that all he ever wanted was Malayland, from being against Hudud, now he is says UMNO will accept Hudud of some form.
We may know by now that UMNO/BN is all about power and money only its precisely that realisation that we don’t know how far they will go because its only about power and money. We are a state and society of humans and lives, not a machine for the enrichment and pleasures of the few with the powers of the state. Depravity of power and money has driven states things such as war, genocides and ultimate destruction of everything.
Mahathir is wrong. WE DON’T KNOW and that is precisely why we MUST KNOW
#2 by sheriff singh on Saturday, 25 August 2012 - 9:59 pm
If he says he is the devil, known or unknown, then he must be condemned as not following his or any religion. He could then be called an apostate as he no longer believes in religion. But then he might come out saying he said so figuratively or metaphorically but some would still be convinced he is a devil anyway you looked at it.
Does anybody still remember who wrote ‘The Malay Dilemma’ ? The author said he does not now believe or stand by what he wrote then but we all know better don’t we ?
#3 by sheriff singh on Saturday, 25 August 2012 - 10:39 pm
Today was Tun and Tun’s Open House at Jalan Lumba Kuda Mas. Crowds of people were ferried in mini-busses from the Mines and The Golden Horses Palace Hotel to his hideaway, protected by Nepalese guards.
Sure there were people who lined up to meet the Tuns and wish them Selamat Hari Raya. Many were foreigners who wanted to see these curiosities but others were just nostalgic die-hards, while others were just interested in yet another free makan. The food was damn lousy, from the Golden Horse Hotel – satay, rice with chicken and beef curry, koey teow and mee, pasembor, cookies, some jellies, adulterated syrup, that’s about it. Blaaaaand. Some said it was not worth their visit but nevertheless tucked in. After all, it was free. Wonder who picked up the tab or does the government still give him a budget?
Najib and Rose came at about 1 pm. Was he not at his own Open House at Pekan ? Must have flown his plane back to KL to visit his Patron. Anyway, his deputy the might-be Brutus came at 2pm and had a long private chat too. So all the guests lining up got to greet the Deputy Minister-son instead, the potential wannabe MB. What a big let down for them after lining up for so long.
The Tun also too the opportunity to make some mumbo-jumbo statements about devils and to hantam the Opposition at this function to celebrate an auspicious religious event.
Anyways the transportation was a mess with everyone having to wait at least 45 minutes each way, to catch the mini-busses to ferry them into and out of the gated fortress. (They must fear the criminals lurking about all over the country).
Take it from me you didn’t miss much at all. Only worth it if you had some spare time to kill and didn’t know what to do or where to go, or you just wanted to see the curiosities, have some free makan and then head for The Mines.
#4 by sheriff singh on Saturday, 25 August 2012 - 11:48 pm
Addendum
There were very few Indians and mamaks at Tun’s open house. Were they boycotting him? My small group stood out like sore thumbs.
The many blacks there were gagaks from Africa. And the whole Iranian community in KL turned up.
#5 by Jeffrey on Sunday, 26 August 2012 - 12:07 am
Mahathir relies on the cliché. “Better the devil you know than the Angel you don’t – just in case the “angel” turns out a worse devil! This is a case of a Devil citing Scripture for his own cause so to speak. If people believe in what he says there will be no change of govt in politics and people like Lord Acton who said “power corrupts and absolute power corrupt absolutely” will have to eat their own words! It is natural for people to be uncertainty-adverse hence the saying “ bird in the hand is worth two in the bush” ie you want a bird, and a bird is already in hand and one risks not even having one bird when he lets it go to try for two. What if one has something in hand that he does not want and proven bad for his hand? Take a home spun analogy. One has a wife of many years. She may not be ideal (not best partner) but is Ok in other ways (eg reasonably decent to you and responsible to family) – so there’s a risk to abandon her for another more exciting younger woman who may prove a shrew in close encounter. What if one’s wife has a proven record of being selfish, cruel, spendthrift, cheating, lying? What has one to lose? They nothing ventured nothing gained: esp so in politics because – here’s the argument- if BN is that bad (listed 1-4) by author how much worse can (say) PR be, and if (say) PR proves to be a worse than BN, there’s always a BN in opposition that may be voted back. So where’s the argument? Its not the case in marital context though. Your wife won’t come back!
#6 by ENDANGERED HORNBILL on Sunday, 26 August 2012 - 12:41 am
We know this man, Mahathir.
So if he says he is the devil, so be it. He knows himself best. Period. He has confessed to being a devil. Even satan confesses he is satan. Forces of darkness are easily identified.
Terrible, terrible,terrible. Mahathir should have admitted to being a devil in GE 8 or something like that & Malaysians dont like to play, play with devils, you know.
#7 by PoliticoKat on Sunday, 26 August 2012 - 1:01 am
Ah, DrM that is the problem!
We have reached the point that we know if BN is allowed to stay, it is the end of Malaysia. We know that BN will bankrupt the country from our own BN 2nd Finance Minister. The devil we know has already admitted that misery, poverty and violence is the future we can expect from him (them).
With that in mind, why not the devil we don’t know? The worse they can do is give us misery, poverty and violence. The exact same thing the other side is giving.
This is why the opposition is so strong. Many Malaysians are willing to take a gamble. Maybe Pakatan will save the nation, or maybe they won’t.
But at least there is a chance that they will do something else aside from robbing the nation, while crime and murder goes out of control. Think about it, even UMNO big shots are being robbed. What do you think happens to the little people, the Rakyat?
So there you go, the reason why Pakatan is powerful. It’s not because Pakatan is strong, its because BN is weak. The world is in financial crisis, and BN has nothing different to offer aside more of the same. At the very least BN could have cleaned up its act for 5yrs or so until the world recession blows over. A good parasite doesn’t kill its host. But no…you guys can’t stop. Can’t think long term. It’s all about instant gratification.
There are riots in European nations. Arab world caught fire with revolution. While our Ros continues to go on million ringgit shopping adventures, despite numerous articles expressing the unhappy views of Malaysians.
So DrM, if power is so important to you, clean up UMNO and with it BN. Else be ready to join the dust bin of history along with UMNO’s companion parties MCA and MIC.
#8 by raven77 on Sunday, 26 August 2012 - 1:24 am
Pakatan must really really get ready to rule as it looks likely now that BN will fall…..and the first few days after the elections are going to prove very decisive……..
The signs, like Mahathir’s devil comments, are all there…..get ready ! Dont get caught like what happened in Perak and almost Selangor…
#9 by monsterball on Sunday, 26 August 2012 - 1:42 am
Yes….we know the UMNO b devils very well.
They are blood suckers.
LKS…Anwar and Hadi are no angels but we will cast our votes to support them.
Mahathir runs out of ideas how to win votes and keep talking nonsense to make a fool of himself.
Najib is Traitors Vs Patriots.
Mahathir is Devils Vs Angels.
If UMNO b politicians are devils….then they are traitors.
#10 by yhsiew on Sunday, 26 August 2012 - 7:54 am
Once again, the de facto PM attempts to steal the limelight by making paradoxical comments.
#11 by Winston on Sunday, 26 August 2012 - 9:53 am
#7 by PoliticoKat
So DrM, if power is so important to you, clean up UMNO and with it BN. Else be ready to join the dust bin of history along with UMNO’s companion parties MCA and MIC. – End of quote
No, it’s definitely a NO, NO!
Why ask him to clean up UMNO/BN?
Do you mean that if at all he can do it, all the crimes for the past decades by him and his cohorts will be forgiven?
Malaysians want PR to be in Putrajaya to clean up the whole mess and reverse the damage to the country, IF AT ALL POSSIBLE, recover all the money stolen, right all the lopsided crony deals and put all those who have a hand in destroying this country behind bars.
THAT IS THE TOP PRIORITY OF ALL MALAYSIANS!!!!
NOT WHETHER HE OR ANYONE ELSE CAN CLEAN UP UMNO/BN!
Make sure that when sentencing comes, all sentences must be consecutive and not with the mountainous volume of crimes taken into consideration.
Why should the latter be allowed when these criminals have such a good run during their criminal lives?
All criminals must face their day of reckoning!!!
#12 by monsterball on Sunday, 26 August 2012 - 11:17 am
A superb beautiful comment written by S.Thayaparan….retired Commander of the Royal Malaysian Navy about Mahathir.
Personally….I think Mahathir thinks he is so damn smart..because for 22 years..he was a Dictator and no one dares to go against him….and so he still thinks….he is so damn smart….hahahahahahaha
#13 by monsterball on Sunday, 26 August 2012 - 11:46 am
I think ….Mahathir is appealing to all the voters that voted for BN at 12th GE to stay and vote for BN at 13th GE.
Since …after 12th GE…so many have left the devils.
His plan to buy up the whole country …very short of funds…cannot work…and billions stolen deposited overseas cannot come back.
Mahathir is relying on racists to stay loyal to their races and enjoy the divide and rule formula he formulated.
Yip..we know the devils very well…and sick of their arrogance and robbing and stealing People’s money.
#14 by boh-liao on Sunday, 26 August 2012 - 12:39 pm
MMK’s own daugther does not trust him
Of cos, his own father would gladly disown him
#15 by Cinapek on Sunday, 26 August 2012 - 1:42 pm
TDM is so blinded by his own importance he fail to see what the people think of him.
The overwhelming support from the voters after AAB took over from him was a clear sign that they are glad to be rid of TDM and gave their support to AAB. But alas, when the people saw that AAB could not deal with TDM’s interference, they turned away from AAB too in the hope the Pakatan will be the answer.
#16 by PoliticoKat on Sunday, 26 August 2012 - 1:52 pm
#11 by Winston
Political reality. Malaysians as a group are naive, kampung folk. Mudah terpedaya, mudah di tipu.
What else do you say to a people that allowed themselves to be robbed for 50 years? Tolerant or simply just stupid.
The only reason BN is weak is because we are unhappy. And the reason we are unhappy is because the economy is bad, very bad, worst recession in nearly 100 years bad. If things were good, UMNO and BN would still be power without question.
If UMNO cleaned up its act, Malaysian (malays really) will vote for UMNO. And once the malaysia becomes competitive and rich again, Malaysians will forgive and forget. Even Najib could be hailed a Malaysian hero if he does this deed… never mind a certain Mongolian that met her end with C4.
How do I know this… I point at Anwar. He is still an UMNO man in my mind. I still remember what he was, what he did and how he ended up where he is now. He was part of the system for a very long time. In fact he was the system, the number 2 controller.
People now support that man. The opposition. The glue that holds Pakatan together. And if Pakatan wins, the next PM. The middle.
However I remember what he was like in power. I remember what he said. He was just as bad as the rest of them.
So Malaysian will forgive and forget. We already have.
If UMNO reforms, game over for Pakatan. It is very easily for BN to win. But they simply don’t have the ability or willpower to think strategically.
Malaysian will forgive them, the dumb sheep that we are.
#17 by boh-liao on Sunday, 26 August 2012 - 2:23 pm
MMK d devil plays with race n religion, n he stirs up tribal fear, insecurity among Malays n Muslims who happen 2 b d majority here
2 get what he wanted, he disowned his father’s ethnic grp (too small a number 2 enable him 2 get what he wanted) n morphed himself in2 Melayu, d majority (also a grp with d wonderful word of ‘mengamuk‘, d root of AMOK) dat he can manipulate 4 his purpose, YEAH!
#18 by Loh on Sunday, 26 August 2012 - 3:44 pm
If the devil you know is the worst, the probability you get a equally bad one is neglible. The choice is clear. Besides why should we have to allow devil any chance to boss over us? We are fighting the devil we know, and with the same tenacity we will fight angels who turn devilish.
The root cause of problems we face in this country is because we imagined problems which fulfilled prophesies. The Alliance partners considered that inequality in economic developments could bring about social unrest and to prevent it, they had Article 153 written in the constitution to provide special assistance to Malays. Unfortunately, they had not been strict to ensure that the people who are placed in the special position to be entitled to special assistance are the legitimate issues of true Malays. Consequently, instead of working towards reducing the number of persons who are in need of assistance, UMNO had actually increased the number of families by abusing Article 160. The three conditions stated in Article 160 relating to language, custom and religion should have been the necessarily conditions to be Malay, but those qualifications do not automatically make one Malay. The spirit of Article 160 was to help Malays who were residents of the Federation Malaya and their issues or offspring. That was what the leaders of MIC and MCA promised UMNO leaders in the so-called social contracts. Thus UMNO leaders had in fact failed to keep up to its promises by including as Malays Mamaks Tamils and Kakaks Malayalis, such as Mahathir. Islam recognizes the race of the father as that for the offspring. ‘s father was Indian hailed from Calicut, Kerela, India. As Muslim, he is Indian as he rightly wrote in his application form to the medical college in Singapore. He would still be Indian had UMNO not made the mistake of admitting him to the party. It seems at some point in time UMNO admitted non-Malays into the party, possibly as part of Dato Onn Jaafar’s plan to make UMNO a multiracial party. That then would be Dato Onn second serious mistake after making the first of resigning the presidency.
Had UMNO been strict in ensuring that only true Malays were placed in the special position, the category of Malayians so entitled, there would not be racial polarization as it is today. For example, there were only 1 per cent of Malays in Sabah in 1960. Can one per cent of the population form a controlling race-based party after fifty years, when other ethnic Sabahans were not barren? Quite obviously the intake into Sabah of illegal had official sanction of the powers-that-be who wanted to increase the population to effect his racist politics. Non-Malays certainly suffer at the hand of the devil who masquerades as Malays. True Malays suffer all the same. Firstly Malays have no choice but to be edged out identity they genuinely were. Malays suffer the indignity of remaining in the special position of helplessness after the generations of depending on government handouts when the truth is pseu-Malays hijack the opportunities meant to be for them. Now, Malays have actually lost political powers to constitutional Malays. Indeed, the descendants of the generation who were members of the Alliance parties have actually lost out to Malays in Mamakthir’s images.
Can true Malays break from the past. We wish Malays practice Islamic teachings treating humans as equal. Before that, we wish Malay to be true to their race rather than accepting all shades of pseuMalays for short term opportunities.
#19 by Kingkong on Sunday, 26 August 2012 - 4:44 pm
We are already at the rock bottom and there is nothing else to lose. By picking any opposition government, the situation could not be worse.
The principal devil has already damaged the country for 22 years and he is still causing further damage at the back of the screen using his influence.
The little red dot country separated from us some fifty years ago: ours was run by the devil so the devil admitted, and theirs was run by a responsible citizen, and I won’t say angel, and the report cards show as follows:-
Quote:
“
THEY say if you want to be successful, learn from the people who are successful. If we want to be a rich and prosperous country, we should take lessons from countries that are prosperous.
The 2012 Wealth Report released by Citibank Private Wealth and Property Consultancy Knight Frank listed Singapore as the wealthiest nation in the world by gross domestic product per capita measured by purchasing power parity, beating Norway, the US, Hong Kong and Switzerland and predicted as the wealthiest in 2005 over Hong Kong, Taiwan and South Korea with the US (the only non-Asian nation) sliding back to No. 5. We can observe from the list that the present top five wealthy nations except for Singapore and Hong Kong are non-Asian but in 2050 the top four are all Asian countries.
And mind you, Singapore will continue to hold its No.1 title up to 2050! Oneevidence is the presence of many millionaires in the country. The report also predicts that there will be a 67-percent increase in Singapore in the next four years in centa-millionaires. Centa-millionaires are those super millionaires with over $100 million in disposable wealth. “
Unquote
Quote “
SINGAPORE – A report by financial data agency Bloomberg that ranked Singapore as the healthiest country out of 145 nations came as a surprise to some healthcare experts and Members of Parliament, who were expecting other nations such as Japan, Switzerland or the Nordic countries to come out tops.
The report, released by Bloomberg Rankings on Wednesday, used three main indicators for countries with a population of at least one million to tabulate its total health score.
Ten per cent was placed on life expectancy at birth and infant mortality. Another 10 per cent went to survival to 65 years and life expectancy at that age.
The bulk of the weightage – 40 per cent each – went to causes of death by disease and death rates according to three age groups.
Professor Phua Kai Hong, of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, and MP Dr Lam Pin Min pointed out that the Japanese, for instance, are ahead in terms of life expectancy, a common benchmark when it comes to measuring the health of a nation.
“It is not unexpected that Singapore will rank high as one of the healthiest nations in the world but being in the pole position did come as a pleasant surprise to me,” said Dr Lam, who chairs the Government Parliamentary Committee for Health. “ unquote.
Quote
“
Singapore is recognized globally as a high-performing education system. Singapore students fared very well in the 2009 Program for International Student Assessment (PISA). Out of 65 countries that took part in these tests, Singapore students ranked fifth in reading, second in mathematics and fourth in science. “Singapore also had the second highest proportion (12.3 percent) of students who are top performers in all three domains,” according to a press release from Singapore’s Ministry of Education.
“
unquote
Sorry, there is no good report cards from our devils & Co but all the negative news.
Get rid of the devils ( cancer ) while we still can before we, our children and grandchildren are eaten to no bones left.
#20 by Loh on Sunday, 26 August 2012 - 5:04 pm
The person who advocates that better the devil we know than the unknown devil lives in the past. Now when we have nothing left to lose, a new devil is a welcomed change. What more when we might get angel angel unexpectedly.
#21 by monsterball on Sunday, 26 August 2012 - 7:21 pm
Ex Chief Judge Ian of Sabah said Mahathir is a devil reincarnated few years ago and it takes mamak so long to admit it.
He sacked Chief Judge Syed Abbas for telling the truths.
Yes Mahathir is the devil we know best.
His own State…..Kedah folks hates him like poison.
#22 by Winston on Sunday, 26 August 2012 - 9:05 pm
I think that this country is a rather strange one.
There are still those who feel that the devil’s party should be given a chance so that it can change.
These are dyed-in-the-wool devils.
Now, just for the sake of argument.
Let’s say they promised to change.
And naive voters really think that it’s possible and voted for them.
This gives rise to the following questions.
These are:
1. what is there to stop them from reverting to form?
2. if, in the worst case scenario, they even get back
their two-thirds majority. They will be more virulent
than ever before.
3. They are also steep in various crimes which affected
all Malaysians for decades.
Are we to forget about all these?
And treat everything as a “happily ever after?”.
Isn’t it a fact of life that criminals keep committing crimes BECAUSE THEY CAN GET AWAY WITH THEM?
#23 by ENDANGERED HORNBILL on Sunday, 26 August 2012 - 9:28 pm
Dr M says now he is no intellectual. He likes to deflect accolades and yet attract plaudits – a confused man who fudges and oozes insincerity from every pore.
At the end of the day, my take is that Dr M is quite an intellectual but he uses his intellect in macvhiavellian ways, devious to the point where angels get to be fooled. That’s Mahathir, dear malaysians.
Once bitten, forever shy. So Mahathir must be put to pasture in Malaysian politics. Period.
#24 by good coolie on Sunday, 26 August 2012 - 10:05 pm
My nightmare is Dr. Mahatir becoming PM AGAIN!
“Nang Boh Tee Nang, Kooi Boh Tee Kooi”. The legend of the good doctor grows.
#25 by Loh on Sunday, 26 August 2012 - 10:06 pm
Mamakthir said that he had the lowest scores among students admitted into KE VII medical college of Singapore in 1947, and he claimed that the British practiced affirmative action then (implying for Malays).
That statement is meant to lie about the fact that he had entered as Indian under the race column in the enrollment form. He tries to give the impression that the British had affirmative action soon after proposing Malayan Union in 1946 and that the British accepted him as Malay. Mamakthir only changed his ethnic status when Article 160 allowed him to pretend to be Malay. Mamakthir said in his memoir that his father changed his birth-date so that he could enrol into school a year ahead of others his age. The father lied about the most important matter in a birth certificate, an official document. It is not surprising that the son would lie on whatever that suited him.
Whether Mamakthir had the lowest scores in his Cambridge school certificate had nothing to do with Affirmative action. There were simply very few people who could pass the examination soon after the second world war, and that KE VII might have taken in substandard students to fill the classroom.
Mamakthir certainly does not have to compete with others on his OSC scores, but he would not let pass a chance to rewrite history. Why has he got to claim that the British practiced Affirmative action? Is it because of British ruled India for three centuries and that affected the genes in him, to bow to British subconsciously?
#26 by Jeffrey on Sunday, 26 August 2012 - 10:44 pm
Can a “confused man who fudges and oozes insincerity from every pore” be quite an intellectual?
#27 by dagen wanna "ABU" on Sunday, 26 August 2012 - 10:48 pm
So by his own admission he is a devil, well albeit a devil of the known type. That is low class persuasion. No. It is illogical persuasion. He is no ordinary devil. He is a devil who could singlehandedly sink the country economically. Fortunately, we hv black gold. In short he is one mighty big bad mean devil and he must not be trusted at all.
#28 by Jeffrey on Monday, 27 August 2012 - 9:06 am
Sure he exhibits intellectual traits – not only is he clever to the extent of being cunning/manipulative but throughout career he has written and spoken extensively on ideas to influence people. At best he’s ‘pseudo’ intellectual because a “pure” intellectual would put abstract ideas and principles of truth and ethics over and above petty opportunist/selfish concerns. Dr Mahathir would hold a true intellectual in disdain: what’s good in ideas if they cannot affect others’ lives (whether for better or worse) to benefit one’s own? It is motive and intention involved in pursuing, creating, or expressing particular ideas (why certain ideas are being taken up and others dropped) that cast measuring difference between a true and pseudo intellectual. Mahathir proves the benefit of the latter: he’s Ok to spin, twist misinterpret as long as it enables one to have authority and power because its only with that one can change things to influence others whether for their better or worse for so long as all these result in betterment of one’s own circumstances, stature and position! He’s also an example/inspiration for any apologist for Amorality as opposed to Ethics. He’s an inspiration to all Malaysian Opportunists. Many who have ethical concerns may not do as well, have long/fruitful lives and good health as he who doesn’t care a damn about lying and being hypocritical as long as it begets power/authority! So much for Karma!
#29 by Jeffrey on Tuesday, 28 August 2012 - 6:24 am
From there one can deduce that his approach to life (before the great day when one returns to dust) is basically ‘nihilistic’ derived from the word nihil which is Latin for nothing. [Friedrich Nietzsche’s view of nihilism voids human existence of having any meaning except perhaps just enjoyment (which authority and power facilitate) and biological function of procreation and ensuring the offspring are well provided and availed superior opportunities to enjoy life as those who created them did!]