Sorry, off-topic

From CheDet.co.cc

HOW TO MUZZLE YOUR CRITIC
By Dr. Mahathir Mohamad on July 30, 2009 3:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)

///1. I would like to thank everyone for the comments on the above.

2. Of course I don’t like to be criticised. Anyone who says he likes criticism must be a hypocrite.

3. I admit that ever since I became Minister of Education in 1974, through my period as Deputy Prime Minister and then 22 years as Prime Minister I committed a lot of mistakes. I would not be human if I did not.///– TDM

There is a difference between making a decision with good intention but ended up as a mistake, and deciding on actions with evil intentions which boomeranged. Some others sin with impunity but feign humility claiming to be mere human.

English as a medium of instruction in English schools and missions schools was replaced by Bahasa Malaysia beginning 1970, under Rahman Yacob as Education Minister. The change began with standard one classes in 1970, and by 1974, only those who were in standard 0ne to Standard four had followed the new system; they however retained English for the teaching of mathematics and science. Those who were in standard two and above in 1970 were allowed to continue with the old system in English. Why did TDM not revert to the old system when he became the Education Minister in 1974? Are we to believe that he only learned about the facts he used to argue for the use English immediately before his retirement in 2002? Did TDM make an honest mistake or did he know all along that the education policy was wrong but he went along to get himself entrenched in UMNO position for climbing political ladder; and that made him an opportunist?

///4. I am sure my critics also made mistakes in their lifetime. The only difference is that their mistakes affected only themselves. But if they get the chance to be PM maybe they will make the same mistakes I made. And we all will suffer.///– TDM

People hold elected positions to serve the country. That is why Japanese ministers or high officials commit suicide if their actions caused harm to others. Public positions are not created to satisfy the desire of egomaniacs. They should quit any time they find that they have not lived up to the expectation of the positions. We know it is a norm for UMNO leaders to use government positions to achieve personal ambitions.

///5. Now we are seeing the former opposition parties forming Governments in several States. They were before very critical of Government mistakes. Now they seem to be making mistakes too./// — TDM

Pakatan Rakyat might be said to be lucky to learn about the mistakes made by BN, and for not repeating them. The government’s excesses committed by BN government led buy UMNO cannot be said to be honest mistakes made out of genuine concern to serve the people in the interest of the nation. BN government ministers have no concept about national interest. They used politics to ensure their personal hold to power.

Pakatan Rakyat controlled government in the five states are not allowed to rule without hindrance by the federal government. Their adversaries are not limited to the component parties under BN; the government agencies, the police, the judiciary and MACC are working against the state governments under PR, rather than remain neutral in the performance of their services.

The Perak state government was delivered to BN by MACC so that the two PKR kataks did not have to fall from high floors in Shah Alam.

///6. Malaysians will have a tough time in the next general election. They may not like Barisan Nasional which for 50 years have been throwing tens of thousands into detention under the Internal Security Act, wasting public money building towers, airports, ports, highways etc, muzzling the Press etc etc. But they will find the so-called alternative coalition not much better.///– TDM

Petronas delivered RM 500 billion to the government over the past 35 years. God knows how much were delivered to serve the powers-that-be as off-balance sheet account of Petronas. The complaints against government infrastructure projects for public transport such as highways were about the way contracts were issued to concessionaires therein the government abetted highway robbery against motorists. Putrajaya was clearly not a necessary project which made created for ulterior motives. The twin towers serve as tourist landmark but it is not way to achieve that objective. Had the RM 500 billion be utilised for national development, in creating human resources without resorting to NEP, we would now be a high income nation comparable to Singapore.

The people have a right to find out for themselves whether Pakatan Rakyat would be as corrupted as BN; but BN would certainly learn to mend their ways while they stay in opposition.

///7. Really Malaysia is a most unfortunate country. It has experienced misrule ever since independence. And it looks like it will continue to be misruled whether the incumbent or the opposition wins. ///– TDM

The first part is true; and it is most unfortunate that Iskandar s/o Kutty’s father came to Malaya and had his son turned the country upside down.

When the opposition wins, Malaysians other than those who misruled are liberated. Anwar would make one undesirable Malaysian migrate on his own free will. Malaysia will be less polarised when that racio-opportunist leaves our shores.

///8. Maybe independence was a mistake also. How much better we would be under British rule. No one would be detained under the ISA. Everyone, Communists included, would be able ot speak their minds and contest in elections. Someone should be blamed for making the mistake of fighting for independence.///– TDM

Tunku was the happiest Prime Minister, so he said until May 13 came through. It was not the fault of independence; it is the person who pretended to be Malay, and wrote the Malay Dilemma that ushered in racist mindset to the majority of the population that landed the country in trouble. ISA was not needed but UMNOPutras used them to perpetual their rule. No communist can speak better than Karl Marx, but communism is academic and prove impractical, but racism thrived because of the greatest liability in the person of TDM God has given Malaysia.

Malaysians are happy for the independence, but our forefathers made a mistake in providing a loop hole in article 160 which allowed racio-opportunist to exploit it for his egomaniac desires.

///9. Cry my beloved country.///– TDM

Cry fellow Malaysians; UMNOputras care not for the country.

Thank you, OrangRojak. It gives me a chance to come back to the topic.

Criticism as explained in dictionary says: 1. The action, process, or result of passing judgment, evaluating, and/or analyzing (someone or something), not in legal but in social, artistic, literary, linguistic or similar terms; any instance of such judgment: 2. The action, process, or result of judging or assessing adversely and severely, often with or perceived as being with the intention of finding fault, and belittling: any instance of such judgment.

It is only human not to welcome others finding fault with or belittling oneself, or one’s actions. To avoid criticism one normally makes sure that they lead a socially accepted life, though they are not expected to live to satisfy opinions of others.

When one holds a public office, he has to expect criticisms because his policies affect people differently and they would prefer possible variants to the policies before they are implemented. It is why democracy develops with social and economic development. That is why policy issues are debated by candidates standing for election so that the voters could make a choice at the election booths. Criticism against opponents’ policy stands are the norm. People who cannot stand criticism have no place in public life, in countries which truly practice democracies. In Malaysia, though general elections have been conducted for half a century, the issues have always been fear mongering.

A PM for 22 years declares that he is not a hypocrite and thus he dislikes criticism. It would appear that he could not differentiate between judgment on issues and personal attacks. His cabinet ministers too must have known about his ‘pantang dicabar’ at cabinet meetings and were only competing against one another to be the first to voice support. That explains why PPSMI passed through his cabinet when the policy was obviously wrong for primary schools.

Since TDM has the mindset that any comment which did not support fully his original proposal constitutes criticism which he, being human, did not welcome, Cabinet meetings during his days served only the venue for him to announce his decisions. That made him a dictator; he is worse than absolute monarch of the past, in China, where admonitory officials had a place in royal courts.

The way the powers-that-be views criticism reflects on how the country is governed. Had TDM accepted the role of elected officials as serving the interest of the people, the citizens of the country, he should have accepted too that people have a say on how best the country was run in terms of policies and their implementation. He should also have been used to suggestions of different approaches to achieving the commonly accepted objectives. With that experience, he should have no difficulty in separating issues from personal attack, rather than taking all criticisms as attack against himself.

TDM’s attitude regarding criticism says a lot. That is UMNO culture, I suppose, and because of their inability to debate on issues, UMNO needs Sedition Act, ISA and Kamunting to silence critics.