This former Prime Minister attracts labels which he confronts in a candid article Yesterday -- when all our troubles seemed so far away? -- and Desiderata must lend some candid thoughts too.
I have writen sparingly on Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad because I normally respect the position of the highest office of the land which the PM's chair must surely rank -- not so much the occupant sitting there. I examine the issues coming forth from Dr Mahathir, whether Prime Minister or ex-PM, and the issues surrounding the office bearer. As for the Man himself, I have oft used once phrase -- You either love him, or loathe him! -- few observers have sentiments in between these two extremes, as as commonly phrased,"There are no two ways about it!"
Let me reproduce the latest Blog article from the man who served 22 years as our Prime inister -- for better or worse -- and we must continue to hear him out, if not for anything but that we gain a better insight into his cahracter, charismatic and always a media cynosure -- and like any other mortal as age catches up, he/she becomes more mellow, and like the common man/woman in everyone of us -- "more human", is that a right term? Humane, more kindly... as an after-thought.
Whatever, Desiderata will collate together some past writings on Dr Mahathir, focusing on him as PM and past PM, and related issues, and do a review about them after a privileged "personal" encounter at BUM2009, officially, and glimpse at tea into the subject last Saturday at self-claimed Bloggers' Event of The Year!
Please bear with me as I indulge in some background so that we all know the context/s of the key people, happenings and sidelinings involved.
I will continue after my breakfast as I take leave @9.11AM... See thee back @about 11.09AM, Godwilling, InsyaAllah... Meanwhile, visit bum2009.wordpress.com on other perspectives, can?
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MAHATHIRISM
By
Dr. Mahathir Mohamad
on May 22, 2009 5:45 PM Permalink Comments (0) TrackBacks (0)
1. One way of demonising an opponent, particularly a political opponent, is to give him a derogatory label.
2. At one time Lee Kuan Yew labeled me as a Malay ultra. After that caught on, I could do nothing that would not be labeled as extreme. Even if I make the most innocent statement, it would be considered as extreme, as racist. 3. It took me decades to live it down. When I was appointed Deputy Prime Minister there was consternation among the Chinese. What was
4. However, by the time I stepped down I had managed to belie that description. In the 1999 Election it was Chinese votes which helped give me the 2/3 majority in Parliament. 5. Now the doomsday label is Mahathirism. Such was the fear of this thing called Mahathirism that Tan Sri Muhyiddin had to assure the public that Najib's ascendancy to the Premiership would not bring back Mahathirism. The foreign press seem to imply authoritarian Government with Mahathirism. 6. No one has yet described the rule of Dato Seri Abdullah Badawi as Badawism. It must be because he is said to be liberal and free from authoritarianism. But is he? 7. It appears to be simply because the mainstream media, print or electronic, is totally controlled by him through his hatchet man, Kalimullah. And Kali ensures that the media plays up Abdullah's supposed liberalism, his transparency, his tolerance of the press etc. That the media blacks out any news that is not flattering of him is not noticed by readers, especially the foreign press. 8. Until the bloggers came into the picture and their blogs became extremely popular as they reported the truth, the black-out was effective. Now Kali's media reports some of the news and views appearing on the blogs. 9. But still the general public is not aware of the kind of authoritarianism of Abdullah. Ministers and civil servants critical of him have been removed. Many are in cold storage. Tan Sri Sanusi Junid who was President of the International Islamic University was one of those removed. No one has been appointed to his vacant place yet. 10. A whole bunch of journalists working with the UMNO owned paper had to resign, to be replaced by Kali's nominees from Singapore. 11. But Kali has friends amongst the foreign journalists. So we do not hear of Badawism. But privately people have given all kinds of uncomplimentary labels to the 5 years of misrule by the fifth Prime Minister of Malaysia.
12. By now people can draw their own conclusions as to whether Mahathirism in whatever form has returned.
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