Anwar will not be charged, this is clear from the desperate attempts by UMNO to forge links with PAS as they see the latter as being the lynchpin that can make or break Pakatan. PAS will not be stung from the same hold twice (re: their past bitter experience with UMNO) – So we remain in uncertain times, blindly leading Malaysia into the unknown.

kamput Says:

>> Don’t for minute think your hero Mahathir has done great service to this country.

You are a classic example of how ungrateful people can be. Before the imposition of capital and currency controls on 1 September 1998, unemployment had risen to 6.7 per cent and government statistics showed that 2600 people were losing their jobs every week. Average per capita income had been reduced from $5,000 to $3,000 in less than one year.

By mid-1998, the economy was in a freefall, with the contraction of production and trade coming to 6.8 per cent in the second quarter, between April and June. It is these trends that formed the backdrop for Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad’s fiery denunciations of global capital markets.

“That the unfettered, unregulated free market has destroyed the economies of whole regions and of many countries in the world does not matter,” Mahathir wrote. Interestingly enough, some free marketeers appeared to agree. The Economist, for instance, conceded that “the economic pain being imposed [by global capital markets] on the ex-tigers is out of all proportion to the policy errors of their governments.”

In a bold, dramatic move in early September, Mahathir carried out what was tantamount to secession from the global free market system by erecting a system of capital controls that effectively walled off Malaysia from the machinations of currency speculators, hedge funds, and other speculative marauders.

Establishment circles uniformly condemned the move, oftentimes without even looking at the elements of the Mahathir Plan. The fact that the strategy were accompanied by the ouster of Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and the concentration of even more power in Mahathir’s hands also clouded its reception in many quarters.

>> DSAI short-sighted for challenging Mahathir?

Looks like you again failed to read the posts properly. If you take more time to read than jumping the gun, you may be able to respond more effectively. I did NOT say Anwar was short-sighted for challenging Mahathir, please read my past sentence again. He is an amphibian because he is many things to many people (depending on who he is speaking to). In his haste and desire to become PM, he would sell his own mother.

limkamput Says:

>> Let me ask you where is Malaysia today despite the massive oil revenue?

Please ask the PM, the whole debacle started only after he took over the reigns of power. You seem to have a problem with keeping everything in it’s proper context. The problem Malaysia faces today are NOT a follow-on from 2003 as the opposition would want us to believe. 5 years is a long time in politics and AAB is directly responsible for turning the fortunes of the country during his premiership. Even LWY is wise enough to understand this when he said “”In five years, you can ruin this place, and it’s very difficult to pick up the pieces,” – Although he was speaking about S’pore, this equally applies to Malaysia where one freak election result is all it would take to wipe out Malaysia’s success in building up a developed nation.

You are too young and shallow and impressionable to see the real work that goes on behind the scene regarding foreign interference in the money markets. As I said before, a nation is NOT truly independent, unless it is financially independent. Having stupid and incompetent leadership like the one we have now is not helping the cause either. The problem with popular democracy as LKY said “is that candidates are not judged during elections on how well they can govern, but on their persuasive powers”.

p.s. Don’t for one second believe that PAP would not do anything to remain in power; like UMNO, PAP believes that ruling their country is their birth-right and they will do whatever necessary to protect it. Some of LKY’s quotes are interesting, here are sone:

“If I were in authority in Singapore indefinitely without having to ask those who are governed whether they like what is being done, then I would not have the slightest doubt that I could govern much more effectively in their interests.” – Mr Lee Kuan Yew, 1962.

Clearly every leader feels the same!

“Between being loved and being feared, I have always believed Machiavelli was right. If nobody is afraid of me, I’m meaningless.” – Lee Kuan Yew, 6.10.1997

“At this rate, the one-man, one-vote system could lead to decline and disintegration” – After the Opposition won 2 seats.

Looks like those pesky opposition are spoiling the plan.

“The party would withdraw services to the two opposition-held seats of Anson and Potong Pasir” – On Potong Pasir and Anson electing non-PAP MP.

Penang being an example here.

“If I have to shoot 200,000 students to save China from another 100 years of disorder, so be it.” – Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew evoking the ghost of Deng Xiaoping whilst endorsing the Tiananmen Square massacre, Straits Times, Aug 17, 2004.

The dangers of over-jealous “revolutionaries”.

“Without the elected president and if there is a freak result, within two or three years, the army would have to come in and stop it” – MM Lee Kuan Yew on what would happen if a profligate opposition government touched Singapore’s vast monetary reserves.

Looks like PAP treats Temasek and GIC as their personal holdings.

“Please do not assume that you can change governments. Young people don’t understand this” – MM Lee Kuan Yew on the results of the 2006 election.