The author of “The Malay Dilemma” has tried to coin a new complex, “The Chinese Dilemma” which he defined as “whether the Chinese in Malaysia should make a grab for political power while dominating economic power or to adhere to the principle of sharing which has made this country what it is today”.
Former Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad is making history in coining a complex which exists only in his febrile imagination, as it does not afflict any single Chinese in Malaysia – whether in Pakatan Rakyat or Barisan Nasional!
I will like to know whether there is any Chinese in Malaysia who will stand up and state that Mahathir is right that there is such a “Chinese dilemma” in Malaysia!
Only an inveterate racist like Mahathir could interpret the 13th general elections as a “grab for political power” by the Malaysian Chinese, when it was in fact the historic moment when Malaysians regardless of race, religion or region rallied behind the Pakatan Rakyat parties of PKR, PAS and DAP in pursuit of a common Malaysian Dream in an effort to bring about a change of Federal government in Putrajaya, for the first time in the nation’s 55-year history.
I had gone on public record before and during the 13th General Elections that my dream result for the 13GE was PR winning with a good and comfortable majority of at least 125 parliamentary seats – with a distribution of 45 MPs for PKR and 40 MPs each for DAP and PAS.
Let Mahathir spell out how such a “dream result” of a PR win of the Federal government in Putrajaya could be interpreted by any stretch of imagination as a “grab for political power” by the Chinese in Malaysia, ousting Malay political power in Malaysia.
Malay political power was never in danger in the 13GE as what was at stake was whether UMNO/BN political power and their politics of race, corruption, cronyism and abuses of power can withstand the challenge of Pakatan Rakyat and the politics of multi-racialism, good governance, public integrity, freedom and justice.
Malaysia does not have “the Chinese Dilemma” but only “the Mahathir Dilemma” – the spectacle of the 88-year-old former Prime Minister showing utter disrespect to the holy month of Ramadan in spearheading a campaign of lies and falsehoods revolving around his dangerous myth of “the Chinese Dilemma”, alleging that the Malays are facing a challenge from the Chinese who want to oust them of their political power.
Within 24 hours of Mahathir’s dangerous and provocative lies about “the Chinese Dilemma” and the dangerous and baseless myth of a Chinese grab for political power of the Malays, Umno cybertroopers have responded with more racist, inflammatory and seditious lies on the social media, including a blog dated today (28th July 2013) which alleged that the DAP had formed a new “army” of propagandists (over and above the earlier ludicrous allegation of DAP’s “Red Bean Army” of 3,000 cybertroopers) to promote a Malaysian republic, and to abolish both the system of Malay sultanate as well as the position of Islam as the official religion in the country.
What Malaysia needs today is a Malaysian statesman and not an inveterate and unrepentant Malay racialist – especially from one who was the longest-serving Prime Minister for 22 years.
This is the real dilemma for Malaysia – “the Mahathir dilemma” and not the fictitious “Chinese dilemma”.
#1 by Bigjoe on Sunday, 28 July 2013 - 5:29 pm
Over the years as an advisers to a number of old successful men like Mahathir, I tell a simple truth- if you still have to keep working on the thing you spent your entire life doing – you most likely have screwed up humanly so..What you made likely will not last and that is life. Nothing you can do about it and if you are stubborn about it, you only make it worst. A good story, a lasting thing is something that has a good ending, not one that refuses to do so – that always end no one watching the show and not caring eventually..
#2 by Godfather on Sunday, 28 July 2013 - 6:01 pm
He is fearful that a truth commission will eventually be formed – probably in 2018 – and that his practice of cronyism, nepotism and blatant disregard for the country’s economic wellbeing will be posted for all to see. He needs to prevent calls for such a commission now while he’s still active. His son will also defend the old mamak’s legacy, but will he be effective ?
#3 by yhsiew on Sunday, 28 July 2013 - 7:14 pm
He uttered such statements to prepare the way for his son to contest top posts in the November Umno party election. How can he be so selfish?
#4 by cemerlang on Monday, 29 July 2013 - 4:51 pm
Trust. Power. Indebtedness. Obligation. Stronghold. Legacy.
#5 by yhsiew on Sunday, 28 July 2013 - 7:52 pm
More lies and spinning are on the way as the end-of-year Umno party election battle heats up!
#6 by worldpress on Sunday, 28 July 2013 - 8:24 pm
No matter what he say he is still a Mamak
A Mamak trying manipulate Mala…..destroyed their symbolic icon babap n Roy…still feel so proud…so sick
#7 by Jeffrey on Sunday, 28 July 2013 - 8:45 pm
A practitioner of Machiavellian politics has a grasp of and exploits basic behaviours relating -in terminology of psychology- to defence mechanisms and persecution complex. By that the Machiavellian politician will leverage on “siege mentality” of a group that he requires for political support (“constituency”); he will play on his constituency’s collective insecurities and fears, making them defensive against an out group scapegoated conveniently as bogeyman so that the constituency will always have a strong sense of social cohesion, remaining united behind the politician, supported as their champion and savior, as against both inter party political rivals (ie opposition) or intra party rivals he seeks to defeat.
#8 by Jeffrey on Sunday, 28 July 2013 - 8:56 pm
Talks of lies and spins are irrelevant to a Machiavellian politician. Such a politician is not interested to speak or uphold the truth. (That’s the job of an intellectual). He is only interested in the objective/ends of politics which is to secure wield or maintain political power and with that he can also get the loyalty and support of the many pseudo-intellectuals (with academic credentials) to prostitute their profession and prostrate themselves at his service, to speak and justify his cause, in exchange for some crumbs of patronage whether in the form of promotion in career, contracts or honorifics. It is as simple as that.
#9 by bruno on Sunday, 28 July 2013 - 9:36 pm
The only time Mahathir will stop meddling in Malaysian politics,is when Umnoputras appoint Mukriz the PM.
#10 by bennylohstocks on Sunday, 28 July 2013 - 10:34 pm
A SICKO
#11 by Di Shi Jiu on Sunday, 28 July 2013 - 10:50 pm
Mr Lim,
Mahatir’s claims of racism by others is laughable as I am hard pressed to find any by yourself, or Anwar Ibrahim or Nik Aziz.
Virtually all racist comments I have seen have come from Mahatir himself, or UMNO leaders or UMNO-linked NGOs.
Malaysia does not need racist bigots like Mahatir and his ilk – we really don’t.
#12 by sheriff singh on Monday, 29 July 2013 - 1:38 am
The Chinese dilemma is having Mahathir and his Geng around.
#13 by Noble House on Monday, 29 July 2013 - 3:47 am
For those who read, the German story of Faust is well known throughout literary and scholastic circles. In the story, Faust is a successful scholar who is unsatisfied with his life and bargains with the Devil. He offers his soul in exchange for unlimited knowledge and worldly pleasures. The popular term: “deal with the devil” originates from the story of Faust. This story has also been interpreted by some as a metaphorical representation of an ambitions, person who compromises their moral integrity to achieve power and success.
A more appropriate interpretation for the current political climate is the process by which government entities borrow from future generations to finance social benefits that secure power for the political class. As is the case with most failed regimes, the predictable cycle of scapegoating, blame shifting, graft, and corruption by the people in charge will play out until a breaking point approaches. The most likely breaking point will be when the government can no longer sustain its payments of interest rates from borrowings because when the liability for annual interest on government debt exceeds the rate of growth for the economy, then it will become almost impossible to “grow” out of the problem. The ultimate result is a default on their debt.
Mahathir may have his many dilemma but it ultimately regresses toward Faust’s “deal with the devil” that requires the submission of a nation’s soul when the price comes due. What we have then will be a “Malaysian Dilemma” !!!
#14 by pulau_sibu on Monday, 29 July 2013 - 5:40 am
What ever laws Naji wanted to set up or abolish, he cannot control the oldest goodie. The oldest goodie would be happiest when he is the only one above the law. He hates Abdullah because he was not getting enough attention when Abdullah was the PM.
The only thing I don’t want to hear is if Kit Siang praises M at his last day on earth.
#15 by waterfrontcoolie on Monday, 29 July 2013 - 7:36 am
His dilemma is whether his family will enjoy all his accumulated wealth which they be called to justify when PR takes over! Hence, he created the Chinese Dilemma to try to frighten the Malays into accepting the current scenario. Nothing more!
#16 by drngsc on Monday, 29 July 2013 - 8:26 am
Ya,
This is one man who has done tremendous harm to our country.
However, the government of the day must also bear some responsibility for this Mahathir dilemma. UMNO / Najib is not blameless too.
In some ways, this may be an UMNO dilemma.
This old man should shut up or RIP. What did we do wrong to deserve as evil a man as he?
#17 by Bunch of Suckers on Monday, 29 July 2013 - 9:08 am
Old sucker and fox always like to show-off for creating troubles!!! For sure he will be cursed in HELL. A sucky and cunning fake Malay with F@@King DNA…
#18 by lee tai king (previously dagen) on Monday, 29 July 2013 - 10:02 am
“Grab”. “To grab”.
“Grab” or more precisely “to grab” is an action. In grammatical sense, it is a verb, i.e. a word for an action. And it means “to take suddenly”.
Now you see, The act of grabbing is really a sudden act. Further, to be able to grab something it must necessarily means that there is something to be grabbed, something that could be grabbed. Like rambutans. Of course, not only physical things are capable of being grabbed. Here are some examples. Taxi licenses, APs or multi-billion ringgit gobermen contract. Recently, the speaker of malaysian parliament accurately remarked that gobermen contracts are for umno people to grab.
What about power? Can one ever take hold of it suddenly, or in monsterO’mamak’s expression “grab” it? One surely cannot so silly as to plug into the power socket a piece raw wire and then turn on the electricity with the hope of grabbing some of the flowing power. That is pure stupidity. That is suicidal – painfully suicidal.
What about political power then? Can one reach out with one’s hand suddenly to take hold of some political power? NO. “Political power” really is a misnomer of sorts. The person who ostensibly weilds that power actually does not have that power. It was given to him by the people. And why would the people give him that power? It must be because they trusted him and his ability to use the power fairly and lawfully for common good.
For instance, during GE13 the majority of malaysians gave pakatan the power to act. But alas, umno managed to hang on to its seat on purely technical ground and through tons of cheatings.
So you see, political power is not something that one can grab. It is something that is given by the people. And the people will give you their power only when you have gained their trust and confidence.
So apa lu cakap monsterO’mamak?
#19 by Loh on Monday, 29 July 2013 - 10:20 am
Race or religion in Malaysia is vehicle utilized to facilitate legalized corruption. One cannot get into or out of a race simply by other people saying so. But Mahathir is different.
Mahathir said that because he agreed to practice the religion and culture and so he was accepted as a bumi, and as bumi is the politically accepted term for Malay, he became Malay, after 31 August 1957 when Article 160 of the Malaya constitution provided the loophole. Mahathir was also concerned about his blood too. There could be a gallon of blood in his body, but he told Barry Wain, page 26: Quote: Dr Mahathir said, he expected that the Tunku would have defended him, despite his having “two spoonfuls of Pakistani blood in my body” Unquote. Thus other than the two spoonfuls was the rest Malayalee blood or Malay?
When people can get into a race not because of blood relation, the race so described does not exist. It is just an association of the willing. It is another name for membership of a political party. People can defend a political party with his money, but not with his life, as they can create another one anytime.
Rules are man-made. When a country practices democracy, the people elected based on the democratic system to serve should accept that all rules and regulations are only relevant when the people do not want to change them. In a democratic system, people must be informed to vote whom they want to be representatives. For people to be informed, there is no issues that cannot be discussed. The seditious Act has no place in the country; it is worse in Malaysia with the government practicing double standards.
Religious is a private matter. Yet we have the state, the government and its leaders decide how we cannot call a certain name our saviour.
#20 by sotong on Monday, 29 July 2013 - 1:39 pm
A true leader will not promote and tolerate racism, hatred, religious intolerance, discrimination and etc..damaging and destructive to the people and a civilised society.
He, and many like him, are feeding on these evil and destructive force to hold on to their position of power, trust and influence at all cost.
Like most politicians, his priority is himself, then his party and lastly the country…..the word ‘ leader ‘ is not appropriate for these self serving and opportunist people.
#21 by lee tai king (previously dagen) on Monday, 29 July 2013 - 2:20 pm
So go monsterO’mamak. Yeah go grab jib’s rambutan.
Ooops. Sorry.
I forgot.
Jib has none!
Hoi cintanegara.
#22 by SENGLANG on Monday, 29 July 2013 - 3:29 pm
HE IS FACING A REAL DILEMMA ON WEALTH PRESERVATION. HOW BEST WHEN I HAVE GONE SORT OF THING. A GREAT MIND AT WORK.
#23 by tuahpekkong on Monday, 29 July 2013 - 8:14 pm
This racist old man is going all out to demonize the Chinese in order to muster support for UMNO and for his son who should at least contest a seat in the UMNO supreme council. I don’t think he gives a damn even if his totally unfounded accusation causes racial tension. It is extremely outrageous that a man who is already in his twilight years would still actively spew out venomous lies and falsehoods.
#24 by john on Wednesday, 31 July 2013 - 10:44 am
He is just ONE scumbag, for all the immense wealth he stole from the Nation he just kept damn quiet – and that’s the real dilemma for him now !
#25 by Loh on Friday, 2 August 2013 - 4:27 pm
Chinese have no dilemma because Chinese just choose what to do, and then do it, not like Mahathir he always not quite agree to anything. Mahathir has a dilemma; whether to remain Malay or Malayalee. He has no choice but to remain Malay. Having decided to be Malay, he has to keep his relevance else true Malays will desert him. So he has to believe that he could be Malay champion at all time. Thus he has to say stupid things which he could not believe unless he was stupid himself. However having having fooled Malays long enough, he hopes that enough of them will still be foolish to believe him. Now his derived dilemma is whether to say stupid things and be considered a senile fool, or not to say anything to hide his stupidity. Being a constitutional Malay, he has to renew his Malayness all the time.