PM defends TDM

KOTA KINABALU: Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has dismissed the call to set up a Royal Commission of Inquiry to investigate the claim that former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad wasted RM100bil during his years in office, saying there was no basis for it.

TDM's response to Barry Wain's book that allegedly blames TDM for the loss of RM100B during his premiership.

Malay Mail: Nazri rubbishes call for inquiries into jet engine theft and Dr M's spending

TDM: Anwar Sebagai Penasihat Ekonomi

1. Saya ucap taniah kepada Kerajaan Negeri Selangor kerana berjaya menganugerahkan Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim dengan jawatan penasihat ekonomi dengan bayaran hanya RM1 setahun.

2. Mungkin kepimpinan Kerajaan Selangor tidak tahu akan prestasi Dato Seri Anwar sebagai Menteri Kewangan Kerajaan Pusat diwaktu krisis kewangan melanda Malaysia.

3. Dia begitu taksub dengan Dana Kewangan Antarabangsa (IMF - International Monetary Fund) dan Bank Dunia sehingga menerima bulat-bulat nasihat Michel Camdessus (pengarah urusan IMF) dan James Wolfensohn (presiden Bank Dunia dan sahabat karibnya) supaya negara ini mengurangkan perbelanjaan Kerajaan untuk mencapai surplus, menaikkan faedah pinjaman bank dengan tinggi supaya peniaga kekeringan modal dan tidak dapat berniaga, memendekkan masa untuk membayar hutang bank daripada enam bulan kepada tiga bulan untuk menjadikan yang berhutang muflis dan bank dibeban dengan hutang tak berbayar (non-performing loans), supaya bank tidak dapat berfungsi dan memerlukan suntikan modal dan bermacam lagi tindakan yang melemahkan dan memburukkan lagi ekonomi negara ini supaya terpaksa mendapat bantuan IMF dan Bank Dunia dengan syarat ekonomi Malaysia diserahkan kepada institusi-institusi ini.

4. Jika pentadbiran ekonomi Malaysia diserahkan kepada IMF maka Dasar Ekonomi Baru akan dihapuskan.

5. Tindakan Anwar ini dikenali dalam akhbar-akhbar sebagai pengamalan dasar IMF tanpa IMF - iaitu tanpa apa-apa bantuan kewangan daripada IMF.

6. Dengan dasar yang diperkenal oleh Dato Seri Anwar maka keadaan ekonomi menjadi lebih buruk dan Ringgit Malaysia jatuh lagi nilainya.

7. Jelas sekali Anwar tidak faham sama sekali pengurusan kewangan dan ekonomi negara.

8. Kuasanya keatas kewangan dan ekonomi terpaksa dipindah kepada Majlis Tindakan Ekonomi Negara (MTEN), sebuah jawatankuasa dan think tank yang ditubuh untuk menangani masalah kesusutan nilai Ringgit dan ekonomi negara.

9. MTEN-lah yang mencipta currency control atau kawalan matawang dan menyekat CLOB (Central Limit Order Book - pasaran saham haram yang ditubuhkan di Singapura) supaya segala perniagaan Ringgit oleh penyangak matawang dan penjualan saham Malaysia dalam CLOB ditamatkan.

10. Tindakan MTEN ini berjaya memulihkan ekonomi dan kewangan negara.

11. Mungkin sikap Gabenor Bank Negara dan Timbalan Gabenor yang cuba mengagalkan currency control tidak ada kena mengena dengan Dato Seri Anwar. Tetapi hakikatnya ialah kedua-dua pegawai ini terletak dibawah bidangkuasa Menteri Kewangan.

12. Saya berdoa Kerajaan Selangor tidak akan dipermainkan oleh Penasihat Ekonominya.

Tun Dr Mahathir - Perjuangan Yang Belum Selesai

Sesungguhnya tida ada yang lebih menyayat
dari melihat bangsaku dijajah,
Tidak ada yang lebih menyedihkan dari
membiarkan bangsaku dihina,

Airmata tiada ertinya,
sejarah silam tiada maknanya,
sekiranya bangsa tercinta terpinggir,
dipersenda dan dilupakan,

Bukan kecil langkah wira bangsa
para pejuang kemerdekaan
bagi menegakkan kemuliaan dan darjat bangsa
selangkah bererti mara mengharung sejuta dugaan

Biar bertatih
asalkan langkah itu yakin dan cermat
bagi memastikan negara merdeka dan bangsa terpelihara,
air mata sengsara mengiringi setiap langkah bapa-bapa kita,

Tugas kita bukan kecil
kerana mengisi kemerdekaan
rupanya lebih sukar dari bermandi keringat
dan darah menuntutnya

Lagi pula apalah ertinya kemerdekaan
kalau bangsaku asyik meniya dan menidakkan
mengangguk dan membenarkan kerana
sekalipun bangganya negara
kerana makmur dan mewahnya,
Banngsaku masih melata dan meminta-minta di negaranya sendiri

Bukan kecil tugas kita meneruskan perjuangan kemerdekaan kita,
kerana rupanya selain memerdekakan,
mengisi kemerdekaan itu jauh lebih sengsara

Bangsaku bukan kecil hati dan jiwanya
bukankah sejak zaman berzaman
mereka menjadi pelaut, pemngembara
malah penakluk terkemuka?

Bukankah mereka sudah mengembangkan sayap,
menjadi pedagang dan peniaga,
selain menjadi ulama dan ilmuan terbilang?

Bukankah bangsaku pernah mengharung samudera
menjajah dunia yang tak dikenal

Bukankah mereka pernah menjadi wira serantau
yang tidak mengenal erti takut dan kematian?

Di manakah silapnya hingga bangsaku
berasa begitu kecil dan rendah diri?

Apakah angkara penjajah? lalu bangsaku mulai
melupakan kegemilangan silam dan sejarah gemilang membina empayar

Tugas kita belum selesai rupanya
bagi memartabat dan memuliakan bangsa
kerana hanya bangsa yang berjaya
akan sentiasa dihormati

Rupanya masih jauh dan berliku jalan kita
bukan sekadar memerdeka dan mengisinya
tetapi mengangkat darjat dan kemuliaan
buat selama-lamanya

Hari ini, jalan ini pasti semakin berliku
kerana masa depan kita belum tentu menjanjikan syurga
bagi mereka yang lemah dan mudah kecewa

Perjuangan kita belum selesai kerana
hanya yang cekal dan tabah
dapat membina mercu tanda bangsanya yang berjaya

Dr Mahathir Mohamad, May 1996

Dr M to Malays: Don't hang too much on Hang Tuah's famous words

KUALA LUMPUR – Dr Mahathir Mohamad said the Malays should give much thought to the predictive words of the legendary Hang Tuah that the race will never be wiped out from the face of the earth.

“His words should make us ponder if the Malays that will be left in the world of the future are the positive types. Or, are they going to be the types that are slaves, beggars or drug addicts?

“If those are the kinds of Malays that will continue to exist, then we are in trouble,” he said at a press conference after launching an exhibition at the National Art Gallery here on Friday.

Aspiring Politicians Should Not Have Skeletons In Their Closets - Mahathir

TRONOH, Aug 16 (Bernama) -- Aspiring politicians or leaders should not have skeletons in their closets, former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said.

He said the people would get to know about them sooner or later.

"If any wrong has been committed, the people will get to know about it. We cannot hide it. That is why, if we want to be in politics or a leader, we must not get involve in anything that is bad," he told reporters at the 9th convocation of Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP) here on Sunday.

An Outsider Commenting On TDM's posting

As an Israeli and a Jew, it is not really my business in the internal politics of Malaysia and it is an issue to be dealt by Malaysians solely.

May be I don't understand well the whole Malaysian political processes, but I would like to post my opinion as an "outsider".

Any political leader or any public or national servant must understand that when he/she joins the public role, he/she will be exposed to criticism. It is not a regular criticism. It is criticism using a magnifying lens. A mouse size of a mistake would look now in the size of an elephant. No one can escape of that political drama. This is also even your destiny when you entered the political life.

Where is the difference? There are two kind of politicians. Those who enter into politics for selfish ambitions and pretending to be working for the people and the other are those who enter into politics with the pure intention to serve the people.

Both types are making mistakes. The selfish are making their mistakes because of their narrow viewing angle. Looking always for their own and selfish promotion while the people are last priority. Those will be also the first to jump from the ship if it will sink. Criticism of those leaders by the people and the media is a MUST. The people must understand that this was a wrong choice. These kind of mistakes of the selfish leaders cannot be forgiven and must not.

The true people's political servant may also be mistaken. But this mistake is different, it is not done intentionally and not for selfish purpose. Because that type of leader is motivated for the good of his own people and view a wider angle, he/she may have mistakes due to the huge amount of data to be analyzed. Now he/she have a big dilemma to make a choice of several options. It is not an easy task and mistakes are part of the process. Of course those mistakes must be criticized by the people and media. But this must be with the intention of improvement and learning the lesson for the future. In this case if the leader is a honest servant, he/she will listen to the criticism, internalize the lesson and learn how to avoid similar mistakes in the future. Those mistakes can be forgiven by the people and a second chance can take place. In cases when honest politicians are committing severe mistakes, they are self resigning their position. A selfish leader wouldn't do that.

Dear Dr. Mahathir, I tend to believe that you are the second type of politician and this is why you have so many supporters even you are not leading Malaysia for almost 6 years. People are not forgetting the good things and the bad things leaders did for them. Having so many supporters is speaking for itself.

When people are criticized, it must be done in a way such that the criticized object will not be pushed against the wall. Pushing the criticized to the wall may react opposing to the intention of the criticism. So, criticism must have the proper approach and timing if the intention is to get improvement. If the criticism is in the intention to smear mud on the face of the leader, it will not achieve a thing since mud can be smeared on the face of the criticizer since he/she is not pure of mistakes. Everyone bears a Pandora box that maybe opened.

Now, Malaysians need to understand themselves who is a real leader and who is a false leader and criticize him/her accordingly.

Dear Dr. Mahathir, I’m continuing reading your posts even I'm not commenting on the internal issues of your country. Since "criticism" is a more generic issue, I felt that I may comment.

Dear Dr. Mahathir, I wish you all the best and good health.

Wassalam.

Hanan, Jewish,
Israel.

Politics 101 by TDM

HOW TO MUZZLE YOUR CRITIC - SPECIAL MESSAGE FOR POLITICIANS

Defending Constitutional Rights is not racism

Tun M labeled as racist. This day and age, those who defend constitutional rights are called racists, but those against the abolishing of race-based schools are called traditionalist. PAS decreed that voting for non-Muslims is sinful (isn't that being racist?), later made a u-turn on their policy by fielding a non-Muslim in the last GE.

Tun Dr.Mahathir : Melayu dalam cemas

DI PERHIMPUNAN DAN SIDANG KEMUNCAK PRIBUMI PERKASA NEGARADI KOMPLEKS SUKAN TNB, JALAN BANGSAR,KUALA LUMPUR PADA HARI AHAD, 22 MAC 2009

Tun Dr.Mahathir : Melayu dalam cemas,perlu tolak rasuah & usaha keras untuk ubah nasib dalam cabaran globalisasi

1. Terlebih dahulu saya ucap terima kasih kepada penganjur perhimpunan ini kerana menjemput saya dan memberi peluang kepada saya untuk berucap kepada hadirin.

2. Saya yakin ramai daripada kita yang hadir, terutamanya orang Melayu dan bumiputra lain, hadir kerana kita berasa kita berada dalam keadaan cemas, keadaan yang merbahaya, keadaan terancam.

3. Kenapa tidak? Kita kini diserang berkali-kali oleh berbagai pihak.

4. Ramai daripada orang lain berkata Melayu adalah kaum pendatang.

5. Melayu mengamalkan apartheid ala kulit putih Afrika Selatan.

6. Melayu tidak adil, suka menidakkan hak kaum-kaum lain.

7. Melayu sudah cukup kaya dan tidak perlu dasar Ekonomi Baru lagi.

8. Semua peluang perniagaan dan pelajaran diberi hanya kepada orang Melayu.

9. Kuasa politik dibolot oleh orang Melayu dan lain-lain.

10. Berhadapan dengan tuduhan dan tohmahan ini Melayu sekarang tidak boleh mempertahankan diri, bahkan tidak boleh bercakap berkenaan dengan bangsa mereka tanpa dituduh sebagai racist. Mereka harus terima sahaja semua tuduhan/tohmahan ini dan berdiam diri atau bersetuju sahaja. Mereka juga boleh tambah tokok kepada kecaman ini dan mereka ini akan dianggap liberal dan disanjung tinggi oleh orang lain. Sebenarnya orang Melayu sekarang berada dalam ketakutan, tidak mempunyai pemimpin yang sanggup pertahankan mereka. Sebaliknya pemimpin mereka mengerohkan lagi keadaan dengan memohon maaf walaupun kesalahan dilaku oleh orang lain.

11. Demikianlah situasi yang mereka hadapi sehingga mereka berasa mereka bersalah, tergamam dan tak dapat berkata apa-apa.

12. Keadaan hari ini lebih merbahaya daripada keadaan semasa British merancang untuk menakluk negeri-negeri Melayu dengan perancangan Malayan Union. Pada masa itu kita boleh cakap berkenaan Melayu dan tidak ada sesiapa yang akan tuduh kita sebagai racist. British pun tidak panggil kita racist. Mereka akui memang pun hak orang Melayu menuntut negeri-negeri Melayu sebagai hak orang Melayu. Semua perjanjian berkenaan dengan negeri-negeri di semenanjung mesti dibuat dengan Raja-Raja Melayu. Tidak ada siapa dari kaum laim yang berhak membuat apa-apa perjanjian.

13. Sekarang orang Melayu tidak pun boleh berkata negeri ini negeri Melayu, tidak boleh sebut negeri ini dikenali sebagai Tanah Melayu. Negeri Jepun boleh dikatakan negeri orang Jepun, negeri Korea – negeri orang Korea, negeri China – negeri orang Cina, negeri India – negeri orang India. Tetapi negeri Melayu – bukan negeri orang Melayu. Dahulu mungkin. Tetapi tidak sekarang. Sekarang Malaysia, hak orang Malaysia dan bukan hak orang Melayu. Kesanggupan dan kerelaan orang Melayu berkongsi milik negara ini tidak sedikit pun dihargai. Pemberian satu juta kerakyatan oleh Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra kepada kaum lain tidak dihargai bahkan tidak diingati, dilupakan dengan begitu sahaja.

14. Orang Melayu dikatakan kaum pendatang di negaranya sendiri. Dan kaum pendatang lain tidak boleh dipanggil kaum pendatang. Jika sesiapa berbuat demikian, mereka mesti minta maaf. Tidak perlu sesiapa minta maaf jika berkata Melayu kaum pendatang.

15. Namun saya memberanikan diri untuk bercakap sedikit berkenaan orang Melayu di Malaysia walaupun akan dituduh sebagai racist. Saya beranikan diri kerana sesungguhnya orang Melayu berada dalam keadaan cemas, dilanda oleh bermacam-macam masalah dan ancaman. Jika orang Melayu tidak dibenar bercakap berkenaan masalah mereka, maka mereka mungkin jadi kaum yang terlucut hak (dispossessed) di negara mereka sendiri. Bahaya ini benar kerana kita sudah lihat tekanan dan kehinaan terhadap bangsa kita apabila mereka dijadikan bangsa minoriti di wilayah yang dahulu adalah sebahagian daripada negeri-negeri Melayu.

16. Keadaan ini boleh berlaku kepada orang Melayu bukan sahaja kerana orang lain tetapi kerana orang Melayu sendiri. Mereka suka membinasakan diri mereka.

17. Mereka tidak mahu merebut peluang yang disedia bagi mereka. Tempat di universiti tidak diambil. Peluang perniagaan diselewengkan. Belia Melayu tidak ingin belajar, lebih berminat dengan melepak atau jadi Mat Rempit.

18. Majoriti daripada rakyat Malaysia yang terlibat dengan dadah terdiri daripada orang Melayu, yang mendapat penyakit HIV Aids kebanyakan adalah Melayu, kes rogol dan jenayah lain juga ramai orang Melayu.19. Yang gagal dalam perniagaan juga Melayu, tidak bayar hutang Melayu, tak selesaikan kontrak juga Melayu.

20. Gejala jualan AP pun melibatkan Melayu.

21. Kita tak suka dengar semua ini. Kita malu. Tetapi jika tidak disuarakan masalah tidak akan hilang dengan sendirinya. Orang lain tahu juga. Lebih baik malu jika kita dapat sedarkan beberapa kerat daripada kita dan mereka mengubah tabiat supaya tidak melakukan yang salah lagi. Yang lain tak malu tak mengapa. Tak mungkin kita dapat sedarkan semua. Yang kena akan terus kena.

22. Dasar Ekonomi Baru dibentuk supaya dalam jangkamasa 20 tahun kita akan dapat bahagian kita sebanyak 30%. Tetapi sekarang sudah hampir 40 tahun. 20% yang dikatakan kita dapat pun dapat kerana badan-badan yang mewakili Melayu, bukan orang Melayu sendiri. Kita hendak supaya DEB diteruskan. Apa gunanya jika kita tidak mahu guna peluang yang diwujudkan? Apakah kita mahu DEB kerana nak jual AP, kontrak, lesen dan sebagainya? Lebih baik DEB tidak diteruskan dan kita tidak dapat selewengkannya. Sekurang-kurangnya kita tak akan malu kerana pelbagai ejekan yang akan dibuat kepada kita.

23. Kita bernasib baik kerana dalam bidang politk kita cekap, kita kuat, kita dapat menguasai Kerajaan selama 50 tahun. Walaupun Melayu berpecah kepada beberapa parti, bermusuh sesama sendiri, tetapi majoriti Melayu masih dapat kekalkan kuasa mereka. Mereka dihormati dan disegani.

24. Tetapi itu pun sudah terlepas daripada genggaman kita. Sekarang kita tidak kuat lagi. Parti Melayu yang terkenal sudah kalah dalam Pilihanraya Umum ke-12. Parti Melayu yang menangpun berada dalam ketakutan jika parti rakan mereka menolak mereka. Sekarang orang tidak lagi hormat kita. Apa sahaja yang dituntut orang lain, baik yang menang, baik yang kalah akan kita layan. Kita yang perlu hormati orang lain. Tersilap sikit kita minta maaf bagi pihak semua bangsa Melayu.

25. Sesungguhnya pemimpin kita yang perjuangkan kemerdekaan, yang menebus maruah kita sudah kita khianati. Mereka berjuang bermati-matian supaya kita hidup bahagia. Mereka korbankan apa sahaja yang ada pada mereka. Pemimpin Melayu hari ini, pengikut –pengikut mereka tidak tahu mengenang budi. Mereka khianati pejuang-pejuang dahulu dengan melupakan perjuangan asal kerana utamakan kepentingan diri sendiri. Biar bangsa hancur asalkan dapat kemenangan bagi diri sendiri, dapat jadi Menteri, Perdana Menteri, dapat kontrak, dapat duit.

26. Kononnya nak jadi Perdana Menteri termuda. Bukan nak majukan bangsa dan negara, hanya jawatan tertinggi untuk diri sendiri seawal mungkin. Dengan apa cara sekalipun, halal atau haram, tak mengapa asalkan boleh jadi Perdana Menteri termuda.

27. Jika kita sudah sanggup jual bangsa kita, kita jual untuk dapat duit sedikit, untuk jawatan kecil dan besar, untuk isi temolok kita, alamatnya apa? Yang dikejar tidak akan dapat, yang dikilik akan berciciran. Lepas itu kita tidak ada apa-apa yang boleh diraih lagi. Semuanya akan dikuasai orang. Pada masa itu kita jadi hamba sahaja, kita akan meminta-minta sepanjang masa.
28. Ada pula yang dibawah bertanya, orang yang mereka sokong dapat jadi Perdana Menteri, Menteri, Menteri Besar – dapat kereta, dipanggil Yang Berhormat, elaun besar, terbang sana, terbang sini.

29. Kita dapat apa? Duduk di takuk tu juga. Lebih baik kita ambil sedikit bagi diri kita, sementara ada peluang.

30. Salahkah kalau kita terima duit sedikit? Mungkin kita tidak undi orang yang menyogok. Dia bukan tahu. Tetapi Tuhan tahu. Kamu membuat sesuatu yang haram. Kamu bukan sahaja jual bangsa. Kamu menolak agama kamu yang melarang, yang mengharamkan perbuatan kamu. Kamu berdosa.

31. Tapi tak mengapa. Masih muda, tak akan mati lagi. Bila dekat nak mati pakai kopiah putih dan sembahyang kuat-kuat.

32. Tetapi yang haram, haram juga. Kalau makan daging bibi haram, makan duit rasuah lebih haram, kerana ia akan binasakan bukan kita sahaja, tetapi kaum bangsa kita yang semuanya beragama Islam.

33. Pengundi salah, samada undi penyogok atau tidak. Salah kerana sudah terima jenayah rasuah sebagai budaya kamu. Apabila rasuah dibudayakan, percayalah bangsa dan negara mungkin dijajah oleh penyogok secara langsung atau tidak langsung. Bangsa akan dihina oleh dunia, akan dipandang rendah, akan dipermainkan orang. Akhirnya yang makan suap, mereka sendiri akan jadi mangsa, mereka sendiri akan terpaksa hulur untuk mendapat apa yang sebenarnya hak mereka. Inilah nasib bangsa yang menjadikan rasuah sebagai budaya biasa.
34. Sesungguhnya Melayu mudah lupa. Kita lupa betapa kita dijajah dahulu, kita terpaksa panggil tuan orang yang menjajah kita, orang yang menghina kita. Tak boleh cakap berkenaan ketuanan Melayu. Kamu jadi hamba dahulu, bukan Tuan, layak hanya untuk tanam padi, tangkap ikan, jadi kuli orang, bawa kereta orang, tukang masak orang.

35. Selama 450 tahun kita dijajah, hidup sebagai hamba, dianggap tidak layak mentadbir negara sendiri, tidak layak merdeka.

36. Kita terpaksa letak diri kita dibawah naungan negara-negara jiran yang lebih kuat.

37. Tiap tahun kita usung bunga emas dan perak untuk dipersembahkan kepada negara penaung-penaung kita.

38. Kadang-kadang Raja kita pun pergi bersama, untuk membukti kesetiaan diri dan negeri kepada negara penanung.

39. Kata orang Kedah “Terkerempun-kerempun” apabila berhadapan dengan orang asing. Mungkin ramai yang tidak faham. Tanyalah orang Kedah. Itulah “body language” kita dahulu walaupun hari ini ada juga, tetapi pada Raja yang tak bertakhta.

40. Saya biasa lihat seorang orang tua Melayu berbasikal di tendang jatuh oleh askar Siam semasa Kedah diberi kepada Siam oleh Jepun. Kesalahan orang tua ini ialah kerana tidak berhenti dan menghormati lagu kebangsaan Siam.

41. Saya biasa lihat orang Melayu ditempeleng dan disuruh panjat pohon kelapa seperti kera oleh Jepun. Inilah nasib orang yang tidak merdeka, tidak memerintah negara sendiri. Boleh ditendang, boleh ditempeleng.
42. Dan yang lihat diam sahaja, tak dapat buat apa-apa, termasuk saya. Dalam kehinaan ini muncul kesedaran dan semangat untuk menebus balik maruah bangsa. Dan bergabunglah orang Melayu untuk menangkis rancangan Malayan Union British, untuk mengekalkan perhambaan orang Melayu. Tidak siapa yang bertanya “apa yang saya akan dapat bagi diri saya” pada ketika itu. Yang kita tumpukan ialah untuk membebaskan bangsa dan negara daripada dijajah dan dihina. Kalau dalam proses ini kita terkorban, atau kita berada seperti biasa, itu tidak mengapa. Yang kita utamakan ialah maruah bangsa kita, tidak lagi akan ditendang, tidak lagi akan ditempeleng – tetapi akan dihormati oleh kawan dan lawan.

43. Sekarang kita merdeka. Perjuangan pengasas negara telah berjaya. Kita tidak akan ditendang dan ditempeleng lagi. Kita bebas daripada kehinaan. Memang pun keadaan terhormat ini sudah menjadi perkara biasa bagi kita. Bagi ramai dari kita ia datang bergolek. Ia datang melayang. Ia tidak akan dipisah dari kita.

44. Perjuangan orang dahulu adalah perkara lama, tidak perlu diingati. Yang jelas kita sudah merdeka, dapat pelajaran dan kaya sedikit. Soal tendang, tempeleng, itu cerita lama. Pepatah Melayu berkata sekali merdeka, selama-lamanya merdeka. Apa pun kita buat merdeka tetap merdeka. Sekarang ialah masa untuk kita “enjoy”. Kita kecap sepenuhnya nikmat yang ada pada kita.

45. Apa dianya semangat ke-Melayuan? Apa relevannya? Bukankah kita sudah berjaya? Hendak semangat buat apa lagi? Masuk parti untuk apa? Perjuangan sudah selesai dengan jayanya.

46. Tidak bermakna masuk parti jika tidak dapat sesuatu bagi diri sendiri. Kita sokong orang dapat jadi Yang Berhormat, jadi Menteri, dapat peluang raih duit kerajaan dan lain-lain. Kita tak bolehkah dapat sikit bagi diri kita?

47. Tetapi benarkah kita akan merdeka selama-lamanya? Memang benar. Walaupun kita tidak buat apa-apa untuk mengekalkan kemerdekaan, bukankah sudah 50 tahun kita merdeka? Apa yang hendak dikhuatirkan? Lima puluh tahun, 100 tahun lagi pun kita akan merdeka walau apa pun kita lakukan. Takkanlah kerana kita ambil 100 Ringgit duit sogokan maka akan hilanglah kemerdekaan kita? Kita boleh sembahyang hajat dan terima 100 Ringgit lagi. Orang lain terima lebih daripada kita., katanya satu juta. Masih kita merdeka. Tidak benar kerana sedikit rasuah kemerdekaan akan hilang.

48. Tetapi ingatlah penjajahan tidak selalu berbentuk penaklukan secara langsung. Penjajahan boleh berlaku walaupun kita miliki pemerintahan sendiri. Ia boleh berlaku apabila pemerintah kita yang dipilih dan diberi kuasa oleh kita sudah menjual diri mereka kepada orang lain, samada dari dalam negeri atau dari luar. Atau takut jiran marah.

49. Pemerintah yang mengikut telunjuk orang lain bukan bebas lagi. Pemerintah yang menjadi pemerintah melalui rasuah akan benar diri mereka disogok kerana perlu mendapat kewangan yang cukup untuk membeli sokongan lagi supaya kedudukan mereka sebagai pemerintah akan kekal.

50. Untuk mendapat sogokan yang cukup mereka akan sanggup ikut arahan penyogok. Dengan perkataan lain mereka akan jadi alat pada penyogok.

51. Kepentingan penyogok tidak sama dengan kepentingan kita, atau kepentingan bangsa dan negara.

52. Kita sudah lihat hanya kerana hendak kekal sebagai pemerintah, ada yang sanggup layan apa sahaja arahan, tuntutan, desakan oleh pihak yang menentukan jawatan bagi kita. Kalau pun apa yang dituntut merugikan orang Melayu, itu tidak mengapa asalkan kita dapat jawatan, walaupun sebagai “figurehead”, patung sahaja, tidak berkuasa pun.
53. Jika kita terjemah keadaan ini kepada jawatan yang didapati kerana disogok apakah yang tidak sanggup kita buat? Jual bangsa, jual negara pun kita sanggup.

54. Apabila kita sudah jual bangsa dan negara apakah kita merdeka lagi? Sudah tentu tidak.

55. Justeru itu tidak benar kepercayaan kita bahawa sekali merdeka selama-lamanya merdeka. Pada permukaannya kita merdeka tetapi pada hakikatnya kita sudah kembali dijajah. Apabila kita kembali dijajah maka kita sudah khianati pejuang-pejuang kemerdekaan kita dahulu.

56. Itulah kenyataan yang sebenar.

57. Melayu mudah lupa. Kata seorang ahli falsafah; “Mereka yang lupa akan sejarah mereka akan didera dengan mengulangi kesalahan mereka berkali-kali”.

58. Inilah hasil daripada mudah lupa. Kita lupa bahkan kita tidak suka diperingati akan sejarah kita. Apa kena-mengena peristiwa 50 tahun dahulu? Apa kena-mengena dengan kita akan kemiskinan Melayu, dengan kedaifan mereka dalam bidang ilmu dan profesyen di masa dahulu? Itu dahulu, ini sekarang. Sudah tentu sejarah penjajahan kita dahulu tidak ada kena mengena dengan keadaan kita sekarang. Tidak ada pelajaran yang akan kita dapati daripada sejarah 100, 500 tahun dahulu. Itu semua cerita dongeng.

59. Apa yang kita lakukan sekarang, kita lakukan kerana kita sudah merdeka dan selamat. Buatlah apa pun kita tetap selamat, tetap merdeka.

60. Jadi penagih dadah, jadi pelepak, jadi “Mat Rempit”, jadi penjenayah pun tak mengapa.

61. Bukankah kita yang memilih dan membentuk Kerajaan? Kerajaan perlu bertanggungjawab terhadap kita. Jika kerana amalan buruk kita, sesuatu yang tidak baik menimpa kita, bukankah menjadi tanggungjawab Kerajaan pilihan kita untuk menyelamatkan kita?

62. Jika kita diserang orang bukankah menjadi tanggungjawab Kerajaan yang kita pilih untuk menangkis serangan ini?

63. Jika kerana Kerajaan yang kita pilih terdiri daripada orang yang sogok duit pada kita dan mereka pula disogok oleh orang lain dan mereka berasa lebih terikat kepada yang menyogok mereka dan kurang bertanggungjawab kepada kita kerana sokongan kita mereka dapati kerana kita terima sogokan, apakah yang dapat kita buat? Tak banyak. Hanya menerima sahaja.

64. Akan menjadi lebih buruklah nasib kita sepanjang masa.

65. Hakikat yang sebenar ialah sokongan kita, undi kita yang kita jual tidak lagi mengikat mereka yang kita pilih untuk jadi Kerajaan.

66. Mereka akan anggap balasan kepada sokongan kita sudah pun dibuat melalui wang sogokan daripada mereka.

67. Sesungguhnya nasib kita ada di tangan kita. Jika nasib ini tidak baik kitalah yang harus berusaha untuk memperbaikinya. Ingatlah, Tuhan telah berfirman yang Dia tidak akan mengubah nasib sesuatu kaum melainkan kaum itu sendiri berusaha mengubah nasibnya.

68. Apakah kita sedang berusaha untuk memperbaiki nasib kita? Tidak ternampak satu pun usaha ke arah ini. Yang kita lihat ialah perbuatan merosakkan lagi keadaan nasib yang sudah buruk ini.

69. Kita tahu yang kita lakukan bukan untuk memperbaiki keadaan. Tetapi kita lakukan juga untuk kepentingan semasa kita. Masa depan soal lain.

70. Pejuang-pejuang kemerdekaan telah pilih demokrasi sebagai cara kita memerintah. Kenapa?

71. Sebabnya ialah kerana mereka percaya majoriti daripada rakyat tentulah bijak dalam amalan mereka, tentulah tahu antara yang baik dengan yang buruk, tentulah bijak semasa membuat pilihan.

72. Pengasas kemerdekaan percaya majorti akan tahu pilih apa yang baik bagi mereka. Sudah tentu mereka akan menolak orang yang hanya bergantung kepada sogokan untuk dipilih.

73. Tetapi mereka tidak sangka pewaris mereka, sebilangan yang tidak kecil akan tolak kebaikan dan mengutamakan sogokan untuk menentukan siapa akan memerintah mereka.

74. Pejuang kemerdekaan yang sedar betapa sukarnya bagi orang Melayu mendapat peluang dan bantuan dahulu dan dengan kerana itu Melayu tidak berjaya.

75. Dengan kesedaran ini mereka merangka untuk mengadakan lebih banyak peluang dan sokongan kepada bangsa mereka supaya bangsa mereka boleh berdiri sama tinggi dan duduk sama rendah dengan kaum-kaum lain, bahkan dengan bangsa-bangsa lain di dunia. Mereka percaya semua peluang dan sokongan akan direbut oleh pewaris daripada bangsa mereka.

76. Ya, mereka ini kebanyakan sudah tidak ada, sudah tinggal kita. Tetapi jika mereka ada apakah perasaan mereka? Tentulah mereka akan kecewa dan hampa amat sangat kerana segala-gala yang mereka ilhamkan sudah dipermainkan oleh pewaris mereka, tidak dihargai oleh pewaris mereka.

77. Mereka melihat bagaimana peluang dan bantuan disalahgunakan atau ditolak dengan begitu sahaja. Sepatutnya dengan peluang belajar di semua peringkat bangsa mereka sudah jadi bangsa yang berilmu. Dengan peluang berniaga mereka sudah jadi kaya, atau sekurang-kurangnya tidak miskin.

78. Tetapi tidak. Peluang bukan sahaja tidak direbut tetapi peluang digunakan secara yang boleh merosakkan bangsa. Mereka lepak, mereka jadi Mat Rempit, yang lakukan jenayah yang kadang-kadang menyebabkan kematian mangsa mereka.

79. Diberi peluang berniaga, diberi modal, diberi latihan tetapi kerana ingin kaya cepat mereka memperdagangkan peluang, kontrak, lesen, permit dan sebagainya.

80. Modal mereka guna untuk belanja bagi memenuhi nafsu, hutang mereka tidak dibayar. Kerana kelakuan beberapa daripada mereka, bangsa mereka dicap sebagai bangsa yang tidak beramanah, dan tidak boleh dilayan, tidak boleh diharap dengan duit ringgit.

81. Dan banyaklah lagi perbuatan mereka yang tetap mengecewakan pejuang bangsa dahulu.

82. Kata mereka, jangan buka pekong di dada.

83. Malu kata mereka.

84. Tetapi tidakkah lebih malu apabila mereka lakukan apa yang telah saya sebutkan. Tak buka pekong pun busuk juga. Biarlah pekong di dada dibuka supaya kerana bau terlalu busuk kita akan cuba melepaskan diri daripadanya. Jika tidak ia akan menjadi lebih busuk di dalam dan akan bunuh kita.

85. Semua yang disebut ini menjadi pengkhianatan kepada pejuang bangsa dahulu. Kerosakan kerana ini lambat laun akan merosakkan masa depan kita.
86. Tetapi yang terdahsyat diantara amalan buruk kita ialah rasuah, terutama rasuah politik. Politiklah yang dapat memberi kuasa walaupun pada yang lemah dan miskin. Politik kita sewaktu perjuangan untuk kemerdekaan berjaya memberi kekuatan kepada Melayu sehingga mereka yang daif ini dapat mengalahkan kuasa besar dunia. Hanya dengan bersatu dan bertindak bersama, hanya dengan pendirian yang tegas kelemahan dapat diatasi dan kejayaan dicapai. Sesungguhnya kuasa politik kuasa ajaib.

87. Selagi ada kuasa ini kepada kita, percayalah kita akan dapat pulih segala-galanya, kita akan dapat mengatasi kelemahan kita, kita akan dapat tentukan masa depan kita.

88. Tidakkah kita lihat bagaimana daripada bangsa yang dijajah dan dihina, kuasa politik sudah mengubah nasib kita demikian sehingga kita dianggap sebagai contoh kepada bangsa-bangsa lain di dunia.

89. Bandingkan negara kita 50 tahun dahulu di waktu kita mencapai kemerdekaan dan negara kita sekarang. Negara dagang yang ke-17 terbesar di dunia. Kemiskinan dikurangkan daripada 70 peratus kepada lima peratus. Bandar sebesar bandar di negara maju, penuh dengan pencakar langit. Bekalan air, api dan kenderaan yang terkini.

90. Pendapatan per kapita yang 20 kali lebih tinggi dari 50 tahun dahulu dan lain-lain.

91. Semua ini adalah hasil kuasa politik semata-mata. Kerana kuasa politik, negara berbilang kaum, ugama, budaya dan bahasa dapat distabilkan. Dan sesungguhnya kita sudah dapat berdiri hampir sama tinggi dengan kaum-kaum lain dan bangsa-bangsa lain.

92. Tetapi sekarang kita lakukan perbuatan untuk menghakis dan menghapus kuasa politik kita.

93. Kerana wang yang sedikit, kerana 100-200 Ringgit kita jual kuasa politik, kita serah nasib kita kepada perasuah, perasuah yang akan jual bangsa dan negara.

94. Apakah akan jadi kepada kita apabila kuasa politik terlucut daripada kita? Apakah kita akan terus merdeka? Saya fikir tidak.

Tuan-Tuan dan Puan-Puan,

95. Perhimpunan Melayu hari ini memang menjadi hak bagi kita kerana kita menghadapi masalah-masalah yang besar-besar, bukan satu tetapi banyak masalah.

96. Kita semua berasa cemas. Di mana-mana sahaja orang Melayu sedang berhimpun untuk membincang masalah mereka, kecemasan yang mereka rasai.

97. Jika pada hari ini kita dapat menyedarkan akan musibah yang sedang dan akan timpa keatas kita, jika kesedaran ini akan menyebabkan kita bertindak keras terhadap mereka diantara kita yang mencetuskan masalah ini, jika kita dapat bandingkan gejala rasuah yang menjadi ancaman terhadap kita yang terbesar sekali, maka ralatlah perhimpunan ini, berjayalah perhimpunan ini.

98. Saya tak salahkan orang lain. Saya salahkan kita sendiri. Tak mungkin orang lain menguasai kita jika kita tegas dan tidak membenarkan mereka.

99. Maju mundurnya bangsa kita terpulanglah kepada kita. Ingatlah Tuhan tidak akan ubah nasib kita melainkan kita berusaha mengubah nasib kita sendiri.

100. Oleh itu berusahalah mengubah nasib diri sendiri setelah kita berhimpun di sini untuk membincang masalah yang kita hadapi. Saya percaya perbincangan kita akan membuahkan pemikiran dan tindakan yang boleh menyelamatkan kita.
Wassalamu’alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh.

Terima kasih.

Dr M on Umno and the power transition

By: Maria J.Dass (Mar 13, 2009)

KUALA LUMPUR (March 13, 2009): Former Umno supremo and premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad(pic) said today it did not necessarily follow that the president of Umno should become the prime minister of the country, as this is not provided in the Federal Constitution.

"It has merely been a practice for us in Umno," he said, in answer to a question from the press on whether it was possible that the planned power transition from Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to his deputy Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak may not take place.

He said this at a press conference at the Al-Bukhary Foundation on the Sultan Abdul Hamid Old Collegians' Association new building launch next week. He fielded questions from reporters after talking about the launch and about his alma mater.

"So if he (Abdullah) wants to remain as prime minister and Datuk Seri Najib as president…It was the same situation during my time when I became Umno president. Tun Hussein Onn did not relinquish his prime minister’s post for about two weeks," he said.

"In this case, I don’t know, we should wait and see, but it does not matter if it is two weeks or ten weeks, the rakyat is watching and when it is time for elections, they will express their opinion. Like in 2008 they will speak through the ballot boxes to show that this is our feeling…you can control Umno and all the members in the party, but you cannot control the people," Mahathir added.

Umno's general assembly will be held from March 24-28 and will feature elections for party positions. Najib is the sole nominee for the presidency while the other tops posts are being hotly contested. The date for the power transition has yet to be fixed, although it was earlier reported to be in April.

Mahathir said the future of Umno and Barisan Nasional (BN) rests on the delegates to the Umno AGM and it would be a "disaster" for this country and "certainly disaster for Umno and the Barisan Nasional (BN) if the representatives were to elect people who everybody knows use money (to buy votes)".

He said: "You can bribe Umno by giving posts, places, money, contracts…you can bribe Umno but the Rakyat has one vote and they will know what to do with it."

Asked when he planned to return to Umno, he said: "My condition to return to the party was that I will do so when Pak Lah (Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi) steps down as president."

"He has done things damaging to the country," was Mahathir’s response when asked what his main grouse with Abdullah was. "Alternatively you can also ask ‘what has he done in six years?’ What has he done? You have think very hard, there are corridors, we will have verandahs after that."

On the Perak crisis, Mahathir said both parties fighting over rights to administer the state are guilty of not adhering to the law.

"There is too much emotion involved; when all they need to do is study the law to see what to do and what not to do," he said.

On the economic stimulus package Mahathir said RM60 billion was the right amount of allocation for Malaysia to weather the global economic downturn.

However, there is a need to ensure the money is used to produce the best results, he said. "There are times money needs to be used to help businesses and there are times you have to help individuals."

On the protest over the teaching of Maths and Science in English, Mahathir said many of the protestors themselves had studied in English medium schools. "Now they don’t want others to get what they have and this is not good."

"Despite studying totally in English from primary school until I graduated from University, I am still able to speak Malay and consider myself a Malay nationalist, I did not become an English nationalist because I could speak English."

UMNO boleh lenyap

Peak Oil Theory Challenged?

Peak oil theory suggests that the cumulative oil production would reach a peak and start to decline. Many pundits agreed that we are beyond that point. When oil peaked to $140 per bbl, the theory strengthened itself and more speculated that the price would break the $200 barrier.

Since then, oil has plumetted to mid 30's and the father of peak oil theory has also questioned the theory. It's safe to assume that we still have a long way to go before oil becomes a rare commodity.

Meanwhile, Libya might be showing US oil companies the door and announce their intention to nationalize oil.

Also, a note of interest is Tun Mahathir's recent presentation in Sudan on the global economic crisis.

Barisan Nasional Will Fall If It Fails To Reform

This is the message by TDM if BN fails to reform. Both Permatang Pauh and KT by-election are sufficient indicators to measure the level of discontent for the coalition. Several factors have been identified as contributors to the loss from no confidence in BN and UMNO's current leadership, selection of candidate to state machinery infighting.

Whatever the reason, the majority has spoken in Kuala Terengganu. Will we hear a different voice in the 13th General Election? Will BN be given its first national defeat in the next general election? Possibly, if BN fails to reform. This is also coming from staunch supporters of UMNO and Barisan Nasional. Its members are tired of seeing corrupt leaders getting nominated and elected, subsequently running the powerful government machinery.

Many have accussed TDM for being a hypocrite as the plague of money politics started during his era of presidency. Nevertheless, it does not explain why suddenly Barisan Nasional is receiving this level of disapproval. Some may say it is the advent of blogs and alternative media. There was no such element used for political purposes during TDM's rule.

At any rate, we were expecting some level of awareness of what needs to be done to change public perception of UMNO during the divisional election last year. We were naive to believe that. A massive organization such as UMNO would react against any form of reform or change. Some just want to 'cari makan'. Whatever the excuse they utilize to justify what it is they're doing, others are hoping for a defeat. It may be the only way of reforming the fractured party.

Watch out for Sarawak state election.

Rob Got Whipped

Rob's Comments on TDM's Open Letter to President-Elect Obama:

Dr. Mahathir Mohamad wants the United States to weaken ourselves because he is intimidated and fearful of our more advanced society. Many countries are becoming obsolete due to advances in technology and don’t know how keep up.

Dr. Mahathir Mohamad pretends the United States did NOT suffer an attack on our homeland where 3000 of our innocent citizens were incinerated in their place of employment. He wants us to let dictators, governments and terrorists organize and plan their acts of evil.

Dr. Mahathir Mohamad wants the United States to stop defending itself and to stop killing terrorists. He thinks the United States is to blame for evil in this world, and it has absolutely nothing to do with primitive cultures, archaic religions, aggressive and torturous fathers who know nothing about how to raise boys to be good and productive adults. The fact that terrorists hide behind women and children is irrelevant to him.

He wants us to stop supporting Israel, who’s citizens are regularly terrorized by suicide bombers and are regularly bombed from Hamas operatives launching rockets from civilian garages.

Dr. Mahathir Mohamad thinks the United States should stop punishing bad behavior and thinks we should have continued to allow Saddam Hussein kill people with poison gas and bury them in mass graves.

According to him, the rape and torture rooms should still be open and people continue to be fed to the lions (after all, lions have to eat also).

Dr. Mahathir Mohamad wants us to stop defending ourselves with advanced technology, like missile defense systems and weapons which kill fewer civilians. He also wants the United States to end capitalism, which shares the basic human need for freedom and liberty. He does not want us to have any allies in this world that share these ideals and wants us to sign international agreements to weaken the United States and appease his anxiety over his countries weakness and incompetence.

Finally, we should apparently join him in appeasement, incompetence and wasting time and money through the United Nations.
Dr. Mahathir Mohamad should go back to school, perhaps in the United States, and start informing himself somewhat better.

>> Rob got dismantled by the more eloquent TDM.

"3. Sorry for the 3,000 of your innocent citizens incinerated in their place of employment. At least three of those incinerated were actually Malaysians. I understand hardly any Jews were in the building. They were not incinerated".

"4. But consider the 300,000 Vietnamese, 50,000 Afghans, 100,000 Iraqis whom you have killed. Mostly they were not soldiers. They were not working in the offices either. They were babies, schoolchildren, sick men and women in hospitals. Of course they could all be terrorists, including the babies and the schoolchildren".

"11. I think you need to go to school to improve your knowledge and understanding of what is happening around you, not American school of course because obviously they don't teach anything beyond glorifying the genocides perpetrated by you throughout history".

My Lai Massacre by the US Army

THE KUALA LUMPUR FOUNDATION TO CRIMINALISE WAR

By
Dr. Mahathir Mohamad
on January 2, 2009 6:02 PM

The barbaric and wanton massacre of the Palestinians in Gaza which started some days ago and is now still continuing is yet another example of the blatant war crimes committed by Zionist Israel since its establishment in 1948.

Supported and encouraged by the United States and Britain, Israel has ignored international condemnation and insists that she has the unfettered right to murder innocent men, women and children on account of some rocket attacks by Palestinians who were retaliating against the blockade of Gaza. The blockade over the last 9 months has brought starvation and untold suffering to the Palestinians. The heroic Palestinian people have every right to take action in self-defence to break this inhuman siege.

The United Nations has condemned this attempt to starve and deny the medical needs of the Palestinians in order to force them into submission, but as usual, Israel backed by the United States has ignored international opinion and international law.

The peace loving peoples of the world must not just sympathise with the Palestinians but must take concrete action to bring the war criminals to justice.

For various reasons Governments will not do anything to put a stop to Israeli intransigence. It remains for the people to take positive action individually or through their Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO).

We propose that the peoples of the world boycott Israeli products and stop all trade with Israel.

Secondly we call upon the international community to abandon the use of the US Dollar in international trade, and to stop buying United States' bonds. Such purchases have enabled the United States to grant substantial aid to Israel and to supply it with the weapons now being used against the people in Gaza and elsewhere. The concerned peace loving peoples of the world must not, even if it is in a small way, be the participants and financiers in the massacre of the Palestinians, the Iraqis and the Afghans.

Finally we call upon the United Nations General Assembly to condemn Israel the same way that the Security Council condemns Darfur, Rwanda and Burundi and to set up a Tribunal to try Israeli war criminals.

Dr Mahathir bin Mohamad

Chairman

Kuala Lumpur Foundation to Criminalise War

and Perdana Global Peace Organisation

From: http://www.chedet.cc/

Open Letter to Barack Hussein Obama President-elect of the United States of America By Dr. Mahathir Mohamad on January 1, 2009 3:59 AM

Dear Mr. President,

I did not vote for you in the Presidential Election because I am Malaysian.

But I consider myself one of your constituents because what you do or say will affect me and my country as well.

I welcome your promise to change. Certainly your country, the United States of America need a lot of changes.

That is because America and Americans have become the best hated people in the world. Even Europeans dislike your arrogance. Yet you were once admired and liked because you freed a lot of countries from conquest and subjugation.

It is the custom on New Year's day for people to make resolutions. You must have listed your good resolutions already. But may I politely suggest that you also resolve to do the following in pursuit of Change.

1) Stop killing people. The United States is too fond of killing people in order to achieve its objectives. You call it war, but today's wars are not about professional soldiers fighting and killing each other. It is about killing people, ordinary innocent people by the hundreds of thousands. Whole countries will be devastated.

War is primitive, the cavemen's way of dealing with a problem. Stop your arms build up and your planning for future wars.

2) Stop indiscriminate support of Israeli killers with your money and your weapons. The planes and the bombs killing the people of Gaza are from you.

3) Stop applying sanctions against countries which cannot do the same against you.

In Iraq your sanctions killed 500,000 children through depriving them of medicine and food. Others were born deformed.

What have you achieved with this cruelty? Nothing except the hatred of the victims and right-thinking people.

4) Stop your scientists and researchers from inventing new and more diabolical weapons to kill more people more efficiently.

5) Stop your arms manufacturers from producing them. Stop your sales of arms to the world. It is blood money that you earn. It is un-Christian.

6) Stop trying to democratize all the countries of the world. Democracy may work for the United States but it does not always work for other countries.

Don't kill people because they are not democratic. Your crusade to democratize countries has killed more people than the authoritarian Governments which you overthrew. And you have not succeeded anyway.

7) Stop the casinos which you call financial institutions. Stop hedge funds, derivatives and currency trading. Stop banks from lending non-existent money by the billions.

Regulate and supervise your banks. Jail the miscreants who made profits from abusing the system.

8) Sign the Kyoto Protocol and other international agreements.

9) Show respect for the United Nations.

I have many other resolutions for change which I think you should consider and undertake.

But I think you have enough on your plate for this 2009th year of the Christian Era.

If you can do only a few of what I suggest you will be remembered by the world as a great leader. Then the United States will again be the most admired nation. Your embassies will be able to take down the high fences and razor-wire coils that surround them.

May I wish you a Happy New Year and a great Presidency.

Yours Sincerely,

Dr Mahathir bin Mohamad

(Former Prime Minister of Malaysia)

Right of Return

By Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad

1. Bismillahhirohmanirrohim.
Assalamualaikum warahmatullahiwabarakatuh.

2.Firstly I would like to thank the Government of Syria for the hospitality extended to me and for its unfailing support for the Palestinian cause.

3.All Praise be to Allah by whose grace we are able to gather here today to remember, to not forget the injustice perpetrated upon our brothers and sisters, the peoples of Palestine 60 years ago, in May 1948.

4.On that infamous day in May 1948 our brothers and sisters, their fathers and mothers and their children were expelled from their country, from their land and their homes, expelled cruelly by Zionist forces as the British, the Americans and the Russians looked on and basically abetted in these heinous crimes. The rest of the world cared nothing for the catastrophe, the Nakba the tragedy that had been deliberately visited by the Zionist upon the people who had been their hosts before, who had allowed them to immigrate and settle on their land thinking that as in the past, during the great days when Muslims ruled the land, the newcomers would live in peace with them.

5. But the immigrants from Europe and elsewhere had other intentions. They came not to live in peace with the Palestinian people but to seize the country and make it their own.

6. Perhaps it is not strange at all to see the Americans and the British aiding and abetting the Zionists. The British and the Americans had done this very thing to a lot of other people before. In the Americas, Australia and New Zealand they had also seized other peoples’ land and committed genocide in the process.

7. This is the way of the British and other Europeans. This is the way of the Americans. Seizing other people’s land and setting and committing genocide is normal and proper to them.

8. It is not surprising therefore that in order to atone for their crimes against the Jews they should abet in the seizure of other people’s land to create a Jewish state.

9. The expectation of these people who seized other people’s land is always the same. They expect their past black deeds to be forgotten and their ownership of the land they had stolen would in time no longer be disputed. But their seizure of other peoples land must never be forgotten.

10. That is why this gathering is very important.

11. The Palestinians must not forget the Nakba and the world must also not be allowed to forget this injustice.

12. Today the Palestinians have to live outside their land as refugees, living mostly in makeshift camps, without proper facilities, housing etc. They are denied their rights to live like normal people.

13. There are now 4 million of them, deprived of their rights as citizens of their country. Their children do not have the same rights and future as other children.

14. The Palestine refugees are not even allowed to return to the land which was theirs before.

15. Everyday more and more of their land is stolen. Illegal Jewish settlers build permanent settlements on their land. They are not even allowed to use the roads built on their land. And they are forcibly separated by walls from their own kith and kin. Even villages are split by the wall. The Jews have learnt a lot about Nazi methods.

16. Truly no other people have been treated the way the Palestinian people have been treated.

17. The world talks of human rights. If one Chinese man is denied the right to speak against his own Government the whole world would condemn this deprivation of a minor right of just one person. But when four million Palestinians are expelled from their own country, are not allowed to return, are frequently attacked by the Zionists and their American and British allies, the world is deathly silent.

18. There really is a lot of hypocrisy in the world today.

19. I am against violence. I am against war. But when people are violently attacked they have a right to defend themselves.

20. When people are deprived of their country and are not able to fight conventional wars to liberate their country then then they will have to resort to other ways.

21. Blowing oneself up is not the most pleasant way to die. But when this is the only way to attack the oppressors, to defend yourself, then, pleasant or not you will have to blow yourself up.

22. If by doing this your enemies are blown up together with you, can these desperate suicide bombers be called terrorists? If they are terrorists because they allegedly commit acts of terror, because they terrify people, don’t the people who drop bombs on innocent people, who fire missiles at people, don’t they terrify their victims? If they terrify people, are not their acts also acts of terror? Are they not terrorists?

23. Actually more people, ordinary civilians are terrified of being bombed and killed by trained military murderers than are the people who are terrified and killed by suicide bombers. By any standard the bombers and people who launched missiles at human targets are worst terrorists. They do not even risk being killed or injured. Whereas the suicide bombers invariably get killed when they explode their bombs, the trained bombers will go back to celebrate over glasses of beer their murderous acts.

24. If we do not want to see suicide bombers blowing themselves up, than the people who drop bombs or launch missiles against innocent people should stop such acts of terror.

25. If we do not want to see both acts of terror, if the world abhors terrorism then the world must not close their collective eyes to the injustice perpetrated against the Palestinian people.

26. Let us not hear of the Jews being the first people in Palestine and that there never were a Palestine or Palestinian people. If the first people must be recognised as having a greater right, then let us see America, Australia and New Zealand return to the Red Indians, the aborigines of Australia and the Maoris of New Zealand their lands. If the world would not accept this kind of claim then the Jews should not use this as the basis for their claim.

27. The fact is that the Palestinian people had been living in Palestine long before the Crusades. When the Crusaders came Palestinians were under the rule of the Arabs. The people the Crusaders seized the country from were Arabs. The people who re-conquered Palestine and ruled it until after the First World War were Arabs. The Palestine that was made a Mandated territory under the British was the Palestine of the Palestinian Arabs. It was not the Israel of the Jews, though there were Jews in Arab Palestine.

28. At no time did the Crusaders or the First World War Allies deal with a Jewish Government or with Jews when they conquered Palestine, or when they made Palestine a Mandated territory.

29. The Jews who were involved in setting up Israel on Palestine soil were never the inhabitants of the land the world recognized as Palestine. They were foreigners, most of whom were citizens of European countries.

30. At the time when Palestine became a mandated territory there was only a tiny number of Jews in Palestine. These were mainly the descendants of the Jews who had lived in the land they called Palestine. They never called it Israel, nor claim that the Palestinian Arabs were living in their State of Israel.

31. So how can the Jews claim they have a legitimate right to the land of the Palestinians which they now call Israel? The State of Israel is totally artificial – a creation of people foreign to the land, a creation of non-Jews of Europe in collaboration with European Jews.

32. It is this artificial state unjustly created by foreigners on Palestine land which ever since its creation has plunged the region and indeed the whole world into violence, terrorism and wars.

33. It is this disregard for the rights of the Palestinians, in particular the right of return that has triggered off tension between people who had for centuries lived together in peace.

34. It is this gross injustice which has made a reality of the clash of civilization.

35. The clash, the tensions, the violence and the wars will not end until justice is done to the most unfortunate victims.

36. The Palestine peoples whether Muslims or Christians must continue their struggle for the right of return.

37. Theirs is a just struggle and justice must triumph finally.

38. The cost will be high for the Palestinians but the cost will be higher for those who aided and abetted in this act of injustice.

39. We are with the Palestinians in their just struggle and we will support it till justice is done.

40. Thank you.

Governance Reform in Asia: Cultural Perspectives

SPEECH BY
TUN DR MAHATHIR BIN MOHAMAD
AT THE NATIONAL COMMITTEE ON GOVERNANCE:
2ND ANNUAL TOP EXECUTIVE FORUM ON GOVERNANCE
IN BALI, INDONESIA
ON 28 NOVEMBER 2008

1. When I accepted this invitation to speak on “Governance Reform in Asia: Cultural Perspectives”, the financial problem in the United States i.e. the sub-prime loans by United States banks seemed to be an American problem which had nothing to do with the rest of the world, and certainly not with Asia.

2. The international community was still talking about Globalisation, a borderless world and a free market. Countries, especially developing countries were being urged to change their ideas about political, economic and social management and policies so as to cater to the global village where trade and capital flows should be free and unrestricted, where foreign involvement in local affairs should not be considered as being against the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of independent nations.

3. Asians are culturally conservative and orthodox. They prefer to do things the way they had done in the past. But Asians also have an inferiority complex and believe that the Europeans are superior people with brilliant ideas and ways of doing things. The Asians subscribe to the Eurocentric world and would always try to emulate the Europeans.

4. Since the first contacts with Europeans some 600 years ago Asians had become accustomed to adopting European ideas about politics, economics and social systems almost without question. This has become a part of the Asian culture.

5. So when the Europeans came with ideas about globalisation, borderless world and free trade, the general tendency was to accept
and to adapt to these ideas despite Asian countries having achieved independence. Reforms of governance must be made so as to accommodate the new vision of the world as a global village, to make possible the free flows of capital and the sanctity of the unregulated markets.

6. But even as these things were being initiated the world came to realize that the American financial crisis was not going to be confined to America alone but would engulf the whole world. All the systems of the west seem to be crumbling. Not only are they not delivering the expected benefits that they seem to have done to the world’s economy in the past but they seem about to destroy it.

7. Since globalisation and a borderless world would actually give better access of the American system and practices to all countries, including those in Asia, the question arises as to whether we should carry out reforms which would facilitate America’s and the West’s financial and economic crisis spreading to our countries.

8. I do not think Asians would want to be dragged down by an economic and financial crisis not of their own making. If we do not want this can we slow down the reforms including reforms in governance so as to minimise the fallout from the crisis in the rich Western countries. Can we in fact introduce reforms which can protect us more effectively than whatever practices that we have in place now?

9. In other words should we be carrying out reforms of governance to facilitate globalisation and free trade as we had planned or have been urged to carry out?

10. We need to rethink. If we are going to initiate reforms in whatever field we need to know what is happening to the world today in these fields. In particular we need to understand banking and finance better. The understanding may help us avoid changes and reforms which may have been the cause of the financial crisis.

11. There is evidently something wrong with the world’s monetary system. The Bretton Woods agreement provided for gold to back currencies. But the rich countries decided to go off the gold standard. Only faith determines the value of currencies including the US Dollar which was designated the reserve currency.

12. Without gold the US Dollar has no backing at all. It is basically a useless piece of paper. Only the demand for the US Dollar to settle trade payments keeps the value of the US Dollar up.

13. It is doubtful if the United States knows how much US Dollar is in circulation in the world. Its very poor security feature also makes it easy to forge.

14. If the United States manages it finances well the faith in the US Dollar would be justified. But the United States owes the world an estimated 14 trillion dollars, an amount which it can never hope to pay. For years the United States suffers from twin deficits. And everyday the United States Government has to borrow 1 ½ billion dollars to finance its administration.

15. On the top of this the United States banks had not been prudent. Without caring about their assets and resources they have lent huge amounts of money to high risk borrowers, particularly for the purchase of houses. The earnings of the banks were based on the expected interest on these loans.

16. To securitize the loans they were bundled up and offered to insurance companies. It was thought that the risk would be taken care of by the insurance companies. The mortgage companies also acquired these loans.

17. What brought down the banks, insurance companies and the mortgage companies was the huge total amount of the loans. They run into hundreds of billions. When the risky non-performing loans became bigger than the good ones and the collaterals have no buyers the banks could not recover the loans. The insurance companies were also unable to pay the banks because of the huge sums involved. Neither could the mortgage companies.

18. The main reason why all these things happen to the United States is because the introduction of numerous high return financial instruments had diverted investments from the real business of producing goods and services to investments in these financial instruments, which include risky loans, secured debts, collateral debt obligations, swaps, derivatives etc etc. Most people don’t even know what they are.

19. The free market also contributed much to the financial crisis. The theory is that markets can regulate themselves. When prices go down because of oversupply, production would be reduced and prices would recover. Governments should leave the markets alone.

20. But markets are about making money, maximising profits. The greedy soon found that shortages and oversupplies can be artificially created and manipulated. By creating an artificial shortage the prices would go up and the seller can make a high profit. When an oversupply situation is created by repeated selling, prices would fall. At that stage the goods could be bought and delivered to the buyers when prices were high, through yet another artificially created shortage.

21. That was what happened when currencies were traded.

22. Seeing what has happened to the United States and Europe should we carry out reforms of governance to enable all the systems and practices in those countries to be freely applied in our countries, in Asia. Although traditionally Asia would follow Europe, should we stick to this tradition, the Asian culture even though if may bring disaster to us.

23. I think we should think very carefully. Opening borders can result in the crisis of the United States and Europe assailing our countries. Yet we still need to deal with these powerful economies.

24. I am not competent to suggest the reforms needed in the circumstances. Asian countries have a need to make adjustments to the realities of the globalised world. We cannot isolate ourselves. In fact our growth had depended on the wealth of the Americans and the Europeans providing us with good markets.

25. If we allow them to go under or we do something that would destroy the economies of these countries we would lose the lucrative market. And we would also lose a source of capital.

26. We cannot simply shut our countries to these collapsing countries in order to protect ourselves. But we can be selective in how we accommodate them based upon the role we play in relation to them and on the basis of our economy.

27. The countries of Asia which have been most affected are those which succumbed to the easy money offered by the many financial instruments created by the brilliant minds in the financial industry in America.

28. On the other hand those which are too poor to invest in these high return instruments via the hedge funds or directly are not much affected.

29. The reforms of governance needed must therefore be selective in character. Whatever may be the reforms, there can be no doubt that Governments must come back to regulate and to supervise. It will make the free market less free perhaps, but that is a small sacrifice to make in order to minimise the effect of this unprecedented economic meltdown.

30. Bailouts must be regulated so that they adhere to legitimate banking practice. Insurance companies and other funds, including pension funds, must be subjected to Government initiated rules and supervision so as to reduce exposure to high risk investments.

31. Inflow of foreign funds must also be overseen. One of the problems faced by unregulated investment in stock market is the massive and sudden dumping of shares when things look bad or are expected to become bad. The sudden outflow of funds will have a deleterious effect on a country’s economy.

32. Foreign holdings in any local company should be limited. This is especially so for banks and insurance companies.

33. Governments must be prepared to regulate free trade. Where necessary import duties and excise duties should be used to protect local industries.

34. Exchange rates need to be realistic. Free floats needs to be looked at with caution. Where possible fixed exchange rates may be adopted and currency trading be made illegal.

35. Whatever the policy adopted to cope with this worldwide economic crisis, reforms of governance must still be made to provide for efficient Government i.e. efficient bureaucracy. Efficient bureaucracy must mean minimal bureaucratic procedures.

36. Corruption is the bane of all countries. It cannot be totally eliminated. But it can be reduced if bureaucratic procedures are minimal and take the shortest time possible. Any delay must suggest corruption and investigations must be carried out.

37. Government requirements in order to gain approval of anything must be very clear and must be made known to the public. Where compliance is full there should be no delay in approvals.

38. Being business-friendly is necessary in order to maximise private sector contribution towards economic development. It is the duty of Governments to find out what complaints the private sector has and to remedy them.

39. Some of what has been mentioned regarding reforms of governance are not really reforms. And some of the others would be too late to prevent the effects of the financial crisis of America and Europe from hitting Asian countries. But they are necessary nevertheless. They may be able to reduce the impact and perhaps enable earlier recovery.

40. The countries of Asia will have very different problems depending on the stages of their development, their resources and how much they are hitched to the global financial systems. Those which have depended on foreign credit or have been involved in investments in foreign funds would suffer most.

41. On the other had those with large reserves in foreign currencies or have big savings may be able to reduce somewhat the impact of the crisis.

42. Whatever may be the impact of the financial crisis the judicious measures in the governance of the economy will still prove helpful. The important thing is to ignore old habits of imitating everything the rich western countries does. Asian countries must in fact initiate changes, including those to the monetary and financial systems.

43. Asians have always believed in the role of Government in regulating institutions. The world is about to view Asian practices and systems more positively. Asian countries must therefore make their voices heard. And this includes the small developing economies as well. It would be fatal for them if they allow, as in the past the rich and the powerful to devise the systems by which they must all function. In particular the banking system and practices need to be looked at from the Asian developing economies point of view and interest.

44. Governance is defined as the act, process or power of governing, As the situation surrounding government changes, there must also be changes to governance to cope with the new situation or surrounding.

45. What needs to be done may constitute reforms of governance.

46. But reforms are often constrained by the culture of the people involved. There is no doubt that Asians subscribe to different values even among themselves but more so between them and the Europeans.

47. In a Eurocentric world Asians tend to accept everything that came from the West i.e. from the Europeans as right and proper. It is difficult for Asians to reject what originates from the Europeans.

48. But that culture, that blind acceptance of the systems and ways of the Europeans must be modified, if not discarded.

49. What we are seeing today is the collapse of a very fundamental European institution, that of money and banking.

50. It is not enough to just tweak our present system of governance. It seems that we must be prepared for radical change. And Asian ideas must find a place in the development of these changes.

51. As the saying goes we have to go back to the drawing board. We have to question the system we have used for centuries. We have to consider redefining them, introduce new rules and regulations and provide for greater governance.

52. We may have to throw out the system altogether and devise a new one.

53. All these are not in our culture. But our culture must not stand in the way of necessary reforms, if it means saving our economies and our states.

Nasihat Dr. Mahathir kepada Obama

KUALA LUMPUR 5 Nov. – Bekas Perdana Menteri, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad berkata, Barack Obama akan dapat berperanan sebagai Presiden Amerika Syarikat (AS) yang baik sekiranya beliau memahami negara lain.

Katanya, Presiden AS sekarang, George W. Bush dilihat tidak mengetahui apa-apa mengenai negara lain manakala kebanyakan Presiden terdahulu juga tidak mempunyai pengetahuan yang mencukupi mengenai negara-negara Timur.

Sehubungan itu tegasnya, Obama perlu mengemas kini dirinya mengenai apa yang berlaku di rantau ini bukan sekadar mengenai China, Jepun dan Korea bahkan negara di Asia Tenggara.

“Untuk Presiden baru, saya rasa dia akan melakukannya dengan baik jika memahami negara-negara lain.

“Kami menyedari, Bush tidak tahu apa-apa mengenai dunia lain dan ramai Presiden AS juga tidak mempunyai pengetahuan yang cukup mengenai negara Timur dalam segala tindakan mereka,” katanya.

Beliau mengulas kemenangan Obama dalam rancangan The World Watches yang disiarkan secara langsung oleh stesen televisyen Al Jazeera hari ini.

THE FINANCIAL CRISIS OF 1997 - 1998

(Compliments of jebatmustdie.wordpress.com and chedet.com facebook fan club)

By Nor Mohamed Yakcop

A moment comes, which rarely comes in a lifetime, when a particular event redefines a person’s life and changes the course permanently. For me, the meeting with Dr. Mahathir Mohamad in Buenos Aires (Argentina) on the evening of October 3, 1997 was such an event. It enabled me to devote the next 6 years of my life working for Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, meeting him almost daily. In the process, it enabled me to see, at very close range, the abilities of this great man.

The combination of many noble qualities in one person is rare, and it is this unique combination that has enabled Dr. Mahathir Mohamad to transform Malaysia from an otherwise typical third world country into a thriving and vibrant nation, well on the way to become a developed nation. It is also this combination of qualities that enabled Dr. Mahathir Mohamad to save Malaysia from becoming another IMF nation during the financial crisis of 1997 - 1998.

I am often asked about my involvement in the recovery plan implemented on September 1, 1998. It began on September 29, 1997, when I received a telephone call from the office of Dr Mahathir Mohamad informing me that the Prime Minister wanted to see me. The PM was in Cuba at that time, and I asked (in jest) if I was to meet the Prime Minister in Cuba !
I was told (not in jest) that he will be arriving in Buenos Aires on October 3, 1997 and I was to make sure I was in Buenos Aires at least a day before he arrived. I packed my bags and left for Buenos Aires, and arrived in Buenos Aires on October 2.

The PM arrived the following day at 5 pm and we met immediately at his suite. He informed me that he had asked many people to explain to him what was causing the financial crisis but no one was able to give him a satisfactory reply. He asked me whether I could explain to him what exactly was happening.

I asked him how much time he had, and he said two hours. I explained to him how the forex market works, about short positions and long positions, about hedging and how currencies are borrowed and sold, the difference between “bid” and “offer” and how funds can be transferred from one country to another at the click of a button. I also explained how the equity market works and the relationship between the forex market and the equity market. Dr. Mahathir hardly said anything, asked one or two questions, and listened intently.

After two hours, he had to end the meeting to get ready to go for an official dinner. He asked me about my plans for the night and I said I had been invited for the same dinner. Dr. Mahathir said to me: You go back to your room and write down all that you have been telling me for the last two hours, and see me at 7 am tomorrow. I went back to my room, skipped dinner, and wrote it all down, finishing at about 6 am.

I saw him the next morning at 7 am and gave him the report. He asked me to take a rest and come back again at 2 pm. When I returned, he told me that he had read the report and that he now understands what was happening in the financial markets. We started discussing various methods of overcoming the crisis, and our discussions continued when we returned to Malaysia. I met him almost daily for discussion, sometimes at his house and sometimes at his office. We tried a few mechanisms to overcome the crisis, some of which worked initially, but the hedge funds were so strong that it was difficult to proceed successfully with these mechanisms.

In early 1998, Dr. Mahathir Mohamad asked me to explore the idea of imposing an exchange control regime to overcome the crisis. I remember preparing voluminous notes on this subject. Dr. Mahathir went through the notes carefully, and kept asking for more and more details. We went through many rounds of discussion, until he was finally convinced both with the concept as well as the proposed mechanism. The rest, I guess, is history.

Dr. Mahathir also asked me to prepare a paper on how to put an end to Malaysian shares traded in CLOB (Central Limit Order Book) in Singapore. Dr. Mahathir was of the view that an important reason for the falling stock market was the short-selling of Malaysian stocks in CLOB. I prepared the report and Dr. Mahathir understood, for the first time, how exactly CLOB operates. The report, which was also implemented on September 1, 1998, put to an end the trading of Malaysian shares in CLOB.

I should add that the exchange control measures were crafted in such a way as to minimize the control aspects and maximize the outcome. The Prime Minister went through the proposed mechanism many times to make sure that the control elements were as few as possible, but adequate enough to ensure a positive outcome. There were no bureaucratic elements in these measures, such as requiring importers to obtain Bank Negara’s permission to import. The Ringgit was also pegged at a level where it was not overvalued. In almost every other country, which imposes exchange control measures and pegs its currency, there would, almost by definition, be numerous bureaucratic controls, and the currency would also be pegged at an overvalued rate.

It is often assumed that the system of exchange control (including fixed exchange rate) that we implemented on September 1, 1998 saved the country. The measures of September 1, 1998 were undoubtedly a necessary condition, but it was not a sufficient condition to overcome the crisis. Malaysia was saved, not by exchange control measures per se, but by Dr. Mahathir Mohamad.

Let me explain. Any other developing country, facing a similar crisis, if it had introduced the measures that we introduced in September 1998, the measures would probably have failed. The fact that in Malaysia these measures succeeded is due to the ability and character of Dr. Mahathir Mohamad. The economy and the financial system, under Dr. Mahathir’s leadership, was in a very healthy state–healthy enough for the exchange control measures to be implemented without negative consequences. Moreover, the Prime Minister’s hands-on management style enabled quick and timely decisions to be made, which was vital under the new exchange control regime.

Dr. Mahathir, as Prime Minister, had ensured that the Malaysian economy was fundamentally strong. Ringgit was strong and stable. On the back of the currency stability (at RM2.50 against the US dollar) Malaysia was doing very well. At the end of 1996, real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew at almost 8.5 per cent and the growth was expected to continue for many more years. The government was enjoying a fiscal surplus. The external debt was low, at 40 per cent of the Gross National Product (GNP). The current account of the balance of payments had narrowed from a deficit of 10 per cent to 5 per cent of GNP, and was expected to improve further. Inflation was at its lowest at 2.1 percent. We had steady growth of over 8 per cent for a major part of that period. And this fundamental strength of Malaysia was a critical factor that enabled the exchange control measures to succeed.

For a period of more than a year after the measures of September 1, 1998 were implemented, the Prime Minister met with a small group of us everyday - 6 days a week - for at least 2 hours to go through various economic data, including data on loan growth, exports, imports, property overhang etc. This enabled the Prime Minister to take quick actions, whenever required. I remember one morning when we were going through the property figures, he looked at me and directed that I should organize a property fair to clear the overhang of properties. I did, and property worth more than RM 3 billion was sold. Even after the crisis was over, Dr. Mahathir continued to meet with the group regularly, though no longer on a daily basis. And Dr. Mahathir continued to go through all the economic data with a sharp pencil.

No other Prime Minister in the world, either in developed or developing countries, employs such a hands-on approach in managing the economy. We can see, therefore, that it was not the exchange control measures per se that saved the country but the man — Dr. Mahathir Mohamad — himself.

The period 1997 - 1998 was, to paraphrase Charles Dickens, the worst of times, but it was also the best of times. The worst conditions brought out the best in Dr. Mahathir Mohamad. There is a saying that a good leader is like good tea - you only know the true quality when he is in hot water !

Throughout the crisis, the Prime Minister was focussed on resolving the crisis. Day and night, he thought of nothing else but the crisis. He read all he could on finance; he kept asking me to prepare notes on various technical issues. Sometimes he was sick with bad flu and cough, but he did not take time off to rest. He was convinced that he had to understand the issues before he could work out the solutions. His native intelligence and ability to focus on core issues were there throughout the crisis. He did not show any sign of fear even at the worst of time, only concern at the fast deteriorating state of the economy. He was, at all times, confident that he would prevail in the end.

I would like to add two additional points related to the financial crisis. The first is that, in implementing the measures of September 1, 1998, Dr. Mahathir not only saved Malaysia but the neighbouring countries as well. Let me explain. When Malaysia imposed its exchange control measures on September 1, 1998, the currency speculators realised that the other affected countries (Thailand, Indonesia and South Korea) could also impose similar controls, and they, therefore, stopped their activities in its track. The speculators backed off. They bought back the currencies that they had sold. This is resulted in the regional currencies appreciating. Moreover, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) was not happy with what Malaysia had done, particularly since, after implementing the measures, we did exactly the opposite of what the IMF wanted us to do, i.e. we lowered our interest rates and injected liquidity into the system. The IMF, therefore, started relaxing conditions in other countries and allowed them to lower their interest rates and allowed them to inject liquidity to stimulate their economies so that Malaysia would not outperform the IMF countries. Therefore, it is no exaggeration to say that Dr. Mahathir Mohamad not only saved Malaysia, but the other affected countries in the region as well - Thailand, Indonesia and South Korea.

My second point is regarding what would have happened if the exchange control measures were not implemented. If the measures were not implemented, many of corporations in Malaysia would have gone under, due to the high interest rates. When the corporations fall like dominos, banks would have faced severe liquidity and solvency problems due to the ballooning NPLs. The problems of the banks would have resulted in a credit squeeze, which would have led to another round of corporate failures. The Government’s revenue would have fallen drastically as fewer firms would be paying corporate taxes, thereby reducing the Government’s ability to stimulate the economy through fiscal policy measures. As a result of the problems faced by corporations and banks, unemployment would have increased substantially, leading to a second round of problems. This is the classic vicious cycle, which could have, in the end, destroyed the social and political stability of the country. This was a scenario that was waiting to happen. It did not happen because of the decisiveness and guts of Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, who decided to take the path less travelled.

We owe Dr. Mahathir much gratitude for what he has done for Malaysia over the last 22 years. Solving the financial crisis of 1997 - 1998 was just one, albeit perhaps the most important, of Dr. Mahathir Mohamad’s many contributions to the nation.

On a personal note, over the last 6 years, I have come to admire this great man for his abilities, his high moral values and, most of all, for his sincerity. Certainly, a man like Dr. Mahathir Mohamad is not born everyday.

(23rd. October, 2003)

The New Malay Dilemma

"Changing culture is far more difficult than changing the policies of government". This is what we've talked about a few posts ago on the mentality of the Malays and the mental revolution required as discussed part 1 and part 2.

By former Prime Minister Dr. Mahathir Mohamad on
Malays remaining behind others despite privileges.

The Malays are among the few people whose race is legally defined. Thus, the Malaysian Constitution states that a Malay is one who habitually speaks Malay, professes the religion of Islam and practises Malay customs. There is nothing said about the definitive culture of the Malays. It follows that changes in culture do not make a Malay person a non-Malay.

Culture is made up largely of the value systems accepted, even if not actually practiced by a people or a race. Observations have shown that the culture of a people determines whether they are successful or they fail...

Europeans, Asians, Africans and American Indians can all be successful and can all fail. It is, therefore, not the race or ethnicity which determines success. It is the culture.

When I wrote The Malay Dilemma in the late 60s, I had assumed that all the Malays lacked the opportunities to develop and become successful. They lacked opportunities for educating themselves, opportunities to earn enough to go into business, opportunities to train in the required vocation, opportunities to obtain the necessary funding, licences and premises. If these opportunities could be made available to them, then they would succeed...

But today, the attitude has changed. Getting scholarships and places in the universities at home and abroad is considered a matter of right and is not valued any more. Indeed, those who get these educational opportunities for some unknown reason seem to dislike the very people who created these opportunities. Worse still, they don't seem to appreciate the opportunities that they get.

They become more interested in other things, politics in particular, to the detriment of their studies. In business, the vast majority regarded the opportunities given them as something to be exploited for the quickest return...

They learn nothing about business and become even less capable at doing business and earning an income from their activities. They become mere sleeping partners and at times not even that. Having sold, they no longer have anything to do with the business. They would go to the government for more licences, permits, shares, etc...

Why has this thing happened? The answer lies in the culture of the Malays. They are laid-back and prone to take the easy way out. And the easy way out is to sell off whatever they get and ask for more. This is their culture.

Working hard, taking risks and being patient is not a part of their culture. It should be remembered that in the past the Malays were not prepared to take up the jobs created by the colonial powers in their effort to exploit the country. Because the Malays were not prepared to work in rubber estates and the mines, the Indians and Chinese were brought in. At one time, the migrants outnumbered the Malays. Had they continued to outnumber the Malays, independent Malaya would be like independent Singapore.

But the Malays have apparently learnt nothing from the near loss of their country in the past. Today, they are still unwilling to work and foreign workers are again flooding the country. And because they are not equipping themselves with the necessary education and skills, they have continued to depend on others.

Their political dominance will protect them for a time. But that dominance is fading very fast as they quarrel among themselves and breaks up into small ineffective groups. Their numerical superiority means less today than at the time of independence...

The Malays, together with the other Bumiputeras, make up 60 per cent of the country's population. But in terms of their political clout, it is now much less than 60 per cent. They are now more dependent on non-Malay support, both the government party and the opposition.

Economically, of course, they have less than half the 30-per-cent share that has been allocated to them. If we discount the non-Malay contribution to the nation's economy,Malaysia would be not much better than some of the African developing countries.

To succeed, the Malays must change their culture. They must look towards work as a reward in itself. They must regard what they achieve through work as the true reward. There should be some financial reward but this must not outweigh the satisfaction obtained from the result of their work...

Changing culture is far more difficult than changing the policies of government. It is easy enough to propose affirmative action but it is not easy to implement it. The recipients must have the right attitude if the results are going to be obtained...


Unfortunately, their view is that their crutches are symbols of their superior status in the country. The sad thing is that they are not even using the crutches properly. As a result, they gain nothing or very little from the availability of these aids...

So what is the new Malay dilemma? Their old dilemma was whether they should distort the picture a little in order to help themselves.

The new dilemma is whether they should or should not do away with the crutches that they have got used to, which in fact they have become proud of.

There is a minority of Malays who are confident enough to think of doing away with the crutches, albeit gradually. But they are a very small minority. Their numbers are not going to increase any time soon. They are generally regarded as traitors to the Malay race...

There will be a host of protests over this generalisation about Malay attitudes. We read almost every day about blind Malay people and other handicapped Malays graduating with university degrees or driving cars or doing all kinds of work.

This does not prove that the generalisation that I make is wrong. These are exceptions. They only prove that if the right attitude or culture is adopted, even the handicapped can succeed.

The dilemma faced by those few who want to build a strong, resilient and independent Malay race without crutches is that they are most likely to end up becoming unpopular and losing the ability to influence the changes in the culture and the value system which are necessary.

It seems that they should not try and yet they know that without the cultural changes, the Malays are going to fail.


By Mahathir Mohamad