I have never asked Mukhriz Mahathir any question.
He purports to answer for his father, Dr. Mahathir Mohamad who just dissociated himself from Mukhriz’ political views.
Does Dr. Mahathir wants Mukhriz to answer for him?
In any event, why didn’t Mukhriz answer the questions which I had posed — whether Malaysians should dream a common “Malaysian Dream” or separate dreams of a “Malay Dream” and a “Non-Malay Dream”; whether Mahathir’s “The Malay Dilemma” in 1970 led finally to Najib Razak’s multi-billion-dollar 1MDB scandal and Malaysia becoming a kleptocratic state half a century later; whether Malaysia is destined to become a divided, failed, and kleptocratic state on Malaysia’s Centennial in 2057?
Mukhriz’ views are not new, and the 2022 General Election results where Mukhriz lost his deposit when he secured less than five percent of the votes that were cast showed that his views were those of a minority of a minority.
It is ironic but true that the vernacular schools educated the school-children to be Malaysians, while the national schools have failed in this mission.
Did the Malaysian Constitution lay down the precondition that Chinese and Tamil vernacular schools should be closed down before the possibility of having a non-Malay becoming a Prime Minister can be entertained?
Why didn’t Mukhriz say that Malaysia must become one of the 30 top countries in the world for anti-corruption efforts as reflected in the annual Transparency International Corruption Perception Index before the possibility of having a non-Malay becoming a prime minister can be entertained?
I am not asking for a non-Malay to become a Prime Minister. But according to the Constitution, a non-Malay can be a Prime Minister. I do not expect this to happen during my lifetime or that of my children’s lifetime.
The 300 responses in six hours from Malaysiakini’s readers is a strong indication of the rejection of Mukhriz’ views.
I reiterate my view: the most important question for Malaysia today is whether Malaysians, regardless of race, religion, or region, can reset and return to the original nation-building principles of our nation’s founding fathers, to reunite a very polarised plural society, and to make Malaysia again a first-rate world-class nation, with world-class political, economic, educational, and social system instead of hurtling along to become a divided, failed, and kleptocratic state on Malaysia’s Centennial in 2057.
What is Tun Mahathir’s answer to the question!
(Media Statement by DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang in Penang on Monday, 6th March 2023)