Again, it was vintage Tun DR Mahathir Mohamad all over.
That was how the NST lead story -- by one Wan Hamidi Hamid who traversed come common terratry with Desi -- led oof on frontpage.
Yes, that's the PERSONALITY that defines the MAN who holds centre stage for 22 yaers and now pays a price for it. A FORMER deputy TUN MUSA HITAM termed IT "Severe Post Prime Ministerial Synrome". He confessed he himself for a time suffered from "Post Deputy Prime Ministerial Syndrome" but learnt to control IT.
To Desi, all these exchanges between Dr Mahathir (and whatever team M members he's gt left!) and the successor Prime Minister basically springs from the core cause of Tun Mahathir (I'd refer to the protagonist as Dr M from here, can?ters" like Samy Vellu, Lim Keng Yaik and Rafidah Aziz so deeply set in Mahathir-cultivated ways of following "umero Uno" 100% that it induced in Dr M a sense that all his troops were with him. Now he finds himself mostly like on an island. Yes, humans all the world over are like this -- most of us want to be on the winning team's side, don't we?Desi's picking Brazil or England...
But once his annointed successor Pak Lah ("r Nice Guy") took over, the players were all (some still are) placed in a new DILEMMA (DR M is well acquainted with such position, I'm sure), but a term I like better is A NEW PRETTY CONUNDRUM.
Old horses like Samy, Keng Yaik (I can't use Lim since some Ignoramouses here might mix it up with Lim Kit Siang!:( and Rafidah have "adjustment" problems. And imagine if you were a vocal one (like Rafidah), there would be problems as represented by the Approved Permist and Proton and the National Car and New Automotive Policy issues. Of course, Samy with his Highways, byways and Tollways and Untold Road and Hillside Collapse problems. But someone like Keng Yaik got less spot light. You know why? He learnt to keep quiet.
Our beloved Prime Minister is thebest counterfoil to all these people tending towards LOUDMOUTHISM.
The best defence is to IGNORE FOOLS or demented souls or VICTIMS F POST ..... SYNDROME. In one month's time many Readers will undersatnd this better, if you had forgotten 4-year-old history: POST WORLD CUP SINdrum.
Now where was I?
Oh yeah, I intended to write about SPLIT LOYALTIES, and the precedent was just warming up, like the 15 minutes before Costa Rica met its WATERLOO AT THE FEET OF GERMANY last midnight; Yes, my dear ER, I saw you dare/there:)
From the Q&A in the NST page 4, where A is the response from Dr M
Below are excerpts of his Press conference:
Q: What is your comment on the Cabinet Ministers’ reactions?
A: Instead of explaining about the subjects that I raised and complained about, all the talk is about whether I am right in making a criticism or not; whether I am following the Umno tradition and all that. But the questions that I raised received no answer. Maybe it is because they don’t have an answer. These were my Cabinet Ministers you know. I thought they agreed with me. As I said, I always make mistakes in choosing people.
Q: Is it the Government’s official view or just a perception that you used all the money on mega projects?
A: The PM didn’t say it. The PM never said anything. But there are people who said we couldn’t continue anymore with mega projects because we have no more money.
Q: Do you view this as a clash with Pak Lah?
A: I’m not clashing with Pak Lah. I don’t agree with some of the things done and I want to know why. Why can’t we build the bridge? I want to know that.
Q: Do you have a problem with the Government?
A: I don’t have any problems with the Government. I have problem with these things, the things done now. You shouldn’t ask questions, you should keep your mouth shut.
Q: So how is this issue resolved?
A: Please explain. Why was MV Agusta sold for one euro? How did it arrive at that price? I’ve already asked this. I’ve written the questions. But no answers. I want to know why Tengku Mahaleel was sacked, what was wrong with him? I want to know.
Q: Your view on Cabinet Ministers disagreeing with you?
A: The very decision that they agreed before now they have a new leader, they now disagree. If they disagreed before, they should have told me.
Q: On Pak Lah’s comment that Dr Mahathir was entitled to his own views?
A: I’m happy. I’m very happy with all the comments. That he says it’s my right to speak, yes, very good, thank you very much. Now I am speaking to you because he says I have a right to speak. But some others say I have no right to speak. Sorry.
~~~~~~~~OF SPECIAL INTERRST TO DESI~~~~~~~
Before the Press conference ended, Dr Mahathir told journalists that much of what they had written in their notebooks would not be published. "No need to write this. You cannot write this. Because Kalimullah (New Straits Times Press deputy chairman) will make a phone call. Yesterday Kalimullah already made the calls. He called The Star," he said.
(The Star’s Group Editor-in-Chief Datuk Wong Sulong yesterday dismissed Dr Mahathir’s statement, saying that he has "never received any advice or instructions from Kalimullah".
Wong said the last time he met Kalimullah was at a wedding reception two weeks ago where they chatted socially.
"The conversation was absolutely social in nature. I’ve not met or spoken to Datuk Kalimullah since then," he said.)
~~~~~~~ends of SPECIAL INTEREST TO DESI~~~~~~~
DESIDERATA: The highlight I would like to comment on is from this response by Dr M: " The very decision that they agreed before now they have a new leader, they now disagree. If they disagreed before, they should have told me.
Dr M has a VALID POINT in that in his previous Cabinet, the members including veterans like Samy, Rafidah and Keng Yaik, were mostly YES-MEN. They owed absolute loyalty to Dr M, "Yes, Mr Prime Minister!; "No, Mr Prime Minister!"; "I did not hear you, Mr Prime Minister, Say it again please, Mr Prime Minister" -- that sort of chorus to go with Da Musical called Sandywar. (Howsy, how's the musik kambing?"
"Power tends to corrupt. Absolute power corrupts absolutely." ~~ Lord Acton.
I'm sure the above refrain has some relevance. If someone rules long enough, the subordinates cowered like lapdogs, maintaining a quiet like the Silence of the Lambs.
When a new shepherd comes along after 22 years,
even lapdogs start to bark, from too many emotions bottled up in the graves of condescension and growel.
Hence, this collission of the olde and new orders.
Caught in a position of CONFLICT, most of these iKabinet members would support the INCUMBENT PM, does it not, to safeguard their own Cabinet posts. To .... with the ex-PM, he has oulived his useeful shelf life... must be a sad though that passes through many a "retiree"'s mind...
And wisemen on the sidewalks like Tun Musa Hitam, and lesser writers like Wan Hamidi Hamid and desiderata-ylchong write their wisecracks.
~~~~~~~
Oh yes, nack to that SPECIAL INTEREST DESI, as a newsman and a concerned Malaysian of NegaraKU.
The journalist now serving as GEIC of the Star mentioned Wong Sulong also suffers from aq SYNDROME called PR SPLIT LOYALTIES SYNDROME.
I have written to the PM's Department before, posing the question:
How can the Government allow a Malaysian holding Permanent Residence in a foreign ountry to hold the position of a Group Editor-in-Chief of the country's largest circulating daily?
I'd lay it out here again> If someone holds a PR status of AUSTRALIA, WHICH IS/WAS THE CASE WITH WONG WHEN HE WAS APPOINTED BUSIBNESS EDITOR AT THE sTAR, LATER PROMTED AS GEIC, AND HOLDING SUCH A POSITION OF INFLUENCE AND POWER, SUERLY HE WOULD BE CAUGHT AT VARIOUS TIMES IN SITUATIONS GIVING RISE TO "CONFLICT OF INTERESTS".
This person would not put the interests of NegaraKU above all other interests (psonal and those of the country where he also owes half loyalty) as he has to take into account his Permanent Residence of Australia and his actions/decisions on certain issues -- especially Politics and International Relations -- would be impacted thus. Surely anyone would see that an GEIC holds tremenous power in his post -- more son than some lesser Ministerial portfolio like Culture and Arts maybe?) -- that affects the destiny of Malaysia.
I write this piece on a matter of Principles, nothing PERSONAL. If any friend of mine were to hold any Permanent Residence of Australia, UK or Canada, I welcome him back to work -- in positions that are not RIGHT UP THERE LIKE A SENATOR OR MINISTER OR GROUP EDITOR. Because certain posts are non-compromisable. Non-negottiable to holders of quetionable, or split, loyalties.
I am not surprised Wong would have to watch over his shoulders every time a "controversial issue" like the present one involving a former PM (Dr M) and a current PM (Pak Lah) as he has to weigh the whole issue with his PR status always hanging like a Damocles' sword over his head, His cause would not solely be based on Journalism ethics and Kepentingan NegaraKU.
So what's a call from Kalimmullah Hassan to the Star GEIC? Nothing surprising, and to my mind, so superfluous because Wong, on his own accord, would have censored out anything that is detrimental to his vested interests, or giving only token covergae to save his ...Proven especially when the issues involve lesser parties like NGOs and DAP or other Opposition parties, but national leaders past or present, including Dr M, Wong cannot completely ignore, so what's a discussion with UMNO power brokers like Kalimullah? -- he has to safeguard his own (also MCA) interests.
Dr Mahathir, some advice from a concerned Malaysian, you can expect more personnel with SPLIT LOYALTIES to come from behind to put that "dagger in the back" -- again and agin."Et tu, Brute!"
Dr M, Your mentee, Tengku Mahaleel Ariff, also should know. Some GEIC was singing his (Mahaleel's) high praises when he was Proton CEO, and just days later following his sacking, this same GEIC was singEing him like Mary and her little lamb. Or have we forgotten so easily? It's all there in The Star archives. Buried with the sands of passing time?
Hannibal Lector for company, anyone?
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