An open letter to Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad: Not going gentle into that good night
Saturday, 10-06-2006An open letter to Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad: Not going gentle into that good night09 Jun 2006
By Rehman Rashid
WHY, Tun?
That’s what we — the products, inhabitants, stewards and legatees of the country you designed and built — need to know. Why have you become so harsh a critic of your successor’s administration?
You made them, too. They have cleaved to your vision of what this country needs to be, and they are moving forward — or at least attempting to, as best they can, given the way forward as they see it.
It wasn’t necessarily their way forward; it was yours. No one has argued with the road map you drafted for this country, nor the direction you determined, nor even with the pace you set to get where you wanted us to go.
Nothing of your legacy as prime minister has been dismantled. Such restructuring as is happening in the corporate Malaysia Inc you established — Proton and MAS in particular — is for companies in desperate trouble, needing to be re-engineered to new and more businesslike specifications. Whether this will turn them around remains to be seen, but it needed to be done.
On the fuel price hike, your suggestion that fuel subsidies could have been maintained by allowing the exchange rate to float was, well, radical. Certainly, so was your decision to peg the ringgit to the US dollar during the Asian financial meltdown in 1998. By that time the claws of the crisis had sunk deep, and there was no lack of popular and political support for your soon-to-be famously successful move.
But the present administration, in reducing fuel subsidies, was responding to imperatives of long-term prudence, and that too has been by-and-large accepted and supported by the people. Times have changed, Tun. You should know: You changed them.
In the case of the Tebrau bridge, you seemed beside yourself with irritation. But it was precisely with respect to national sovereignty that the idea was scrapped; it’s hard to understand how you could have implied otherwise.
We know it’s a gamble, but for this term at least, the electorate have fallen behind the present administration with a greater mandate than you received even at the record-breaking height of your popularity.
But that was in 1982. For the ensuing 21 years, you charged forward with stupendous resolve, damning the torpedoes, brooking scant dissent, building this city on rock and roll.
Your successor is more graceful at the waltz, it seems — and so far the people have responded fondly enough to that, too.
How has Malaysia changed in the first half-term of Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s administration? It’s quieter. More circumspect. There’s more introspection at the top; a need, as much as a willingness, to listen, perhaps even more than to speak.
There’s greater inclusion, more accommodation. Necessarily in these circumstances, and yet so easily depicted as indecisiveness, there’s less unilateralism. And certainly, less of a hell-for-leather, gung-ho, we’ll-do-it-our-way charge at the future.
Yes, there’s less money sloshing around the system; there are fewer big buckets to draw from. This Government has turned away from top-down economic development through megaprojects towards those grassroots sectors where but a fistful of ringgit might mean as much as thousands in other palms.
It’s a necessary attention, somewhat sidelined in your time, and quite cost-effective in terms of improving the lives of those Malaysians who could most do with it (and being recognised for it at the ballot box).
The present administration is not to be criticised for this. Which is by no means to say it is not to be criticised at all — even in the most strident, sneering or contemptuous terms, if that helps get a valid point across.
Just, please Tun, not by you. Our nation’s history should not have to deal again with the bitter irony of a revered leader leaving office honourably — indeed, covered in glory — only to henceforth speak for the far fringes of the Opposition.
It’s time to let us go, Tun. For better or worse, we owe our character as a modern nation to you. This is what we are now. This is the way we’re going. God knows, we may stumble or fall, stray off-track or derail entirely. We may reveal ourselves to be not as you had hoped but as you feared: effete, incompetent, mediocre; a polity of petty concerns, narrow minds and limited abilities.
But we’ll struggle along as best we can, for better or worse, as who and what we are. We have to. You taught us that.
It’s your choice, of course; you still have the keys to the kingdom granted you by a grateful populace for having carried them from the past to the future in a single generation. The respect accorded you will last forever; there would be no way to discredit what you did for Malaysia without virtually negating Malaysia itself.
But you of all men should know there are only three choices for the rare few: Lead, follow, or step aside.
Dear YB Teresa Kok and My Dear Beloved People,
Subject: Please Do No Support Racial Discrimination In Malaysia
After received a shocking story of Special Privilege Puzzle Heart, my heart was upset indeed even though no concrete proof to validate email originator’s claim.
A trip to Wet Market relieved my heart because at here, I do not see obvious Racial Discrimination. Customer do not buy from hawker same as their race only.
“Kudus For Chinese”, I was thinking. Later, a visit to a different fast food restaurant revealed that there is not even a single Chinese or Indian worker. Supervisor informed me there was one Chinese and Indian worker but they worked for 1 or 2 days and left. Tak boleh tahan kerja cuci (cannot tolerate washing job) for the restaurant especially closing time (close shop).
I thanked God today because He has woke me up from my foolishness. Now it is my duty to wake you all up if you are still sleeping.
Do you know which race in Malaysia is the most foolish?
My conclusion is we ourselves, Chinese. My reasons are:
1.We think we are smart and the big one is foolish.
2.We are like a frog in a pot of water, someone started to put slow fire to boil it and yet it did not aware but continue to swim until water was hot enough to kill it.
In reality we are not aware Racial Discrimination has widely spread to private sector also.
3.We fool ourselves without investigation and deep thought when we see only one race in a normal business organization by saying Chinese do not like to work there, they want more professional career.
4.We are like a Circus Elephant which was brought up from young. When it was young, tight to a small chain but cannot run away with his full strength. When he has grown big, a small chain will do the same trick because his mind set is “I cannot do it”.
In reality, we always say our country is like this, we cannot change the way Racial Discrimination works.
As for me, Racial Discrimination came from the Evil one and if I follow strictly Rukun Negara 1st principle “Belief In God”, God will help us to defeat the Devil and bring Justice to all people, “Keadilan Untuk Semua”.
Yes, I can make a change
From now onward, as much as possible, I will not support any body or organization that worship Racial Discrimination. I will start this from Fast Food Restaurant, Seafood Restaurant and Petrol Station.
And as for you, my beloved people, you have to decide today whether you want to accept, reject or ignore my invitation to make a change in our Country for the better future of our children and their next generation.
May God’s wisdom be with you all.
Thanks and Regards.
One who truly believe in God.
Comment by Patrick — Sunday, 18-06-2006 @ 09: 15.14
Dear YB,
Long time not free to blog with you.Got to go to study BIBLE soon.
In order to catch up with you guys, I had to find time to study BIBLE in order to understand more of why people are so judgemental, so anxious, and so determined, while failing to notice their very own weaknesses.
Dear YB, if you do allow, I will love to refer the controversie and issues with the help of the Lord, refering to Word of the Lord as the basis of ascertaining truth and differentiating facts, truth from lies!
Have you studied Bible dutifully, confess your sins if any, and prayers to be recorded and wait and responding to the CALLs of the Lord?
Please try to affirm my suggestion to quote verses in the Bible if you do allow, you know how to connect me with e mails given to you earlier.
Pray that you will be the LIGHT and SALT to allow public to taste the LOVE and SEE the LOve of the Lord!
Leow CC
Comment by lcclck — Wednesday, 21-06-2006 @ 04: 41.20
Still remember when Tun Mahathir announced that he wanted to resign as prime minister, all Umno member dash out and ask why and sincerely ask him to stay,
How Dr mahathir made Malaysia for past 22 years,
How we feel,
The fact, we feel proud, Malaysia boleh,
The respect we must give to Dr Mahathir. 100% , and no one can deny his effort.
Communication break down.(only the head can solve the problem face to face, no minister, no media, no middle)
Dr Mahathir built Malaysia. There is no right and wrong, only compromise.
It’s worthless to critisize the man we respect the most.
because we respect him the most. how to compare 22 years to 3 years.
We love mahathir so much,,,,so much,,more than respect
Comment by The Fact — Saturday, 22-07-2006 @ 23: 48.08
The reasons are greeds! you see Paklah needed the money for the next election, so where are the money?? TDM , yes he had got most of the money till 2020. So Khaiy are doing the dirty works for Mr. Clean (Paklah). So the whole episodes are money. So we rakyat will have to suffers for their conseqoences. This are the situations, fighting for the chunks of pie which belong to the rakyat. At the end of the day the victims are the Rakyat.
Comment by tony ng — Monday, 28-08-2006 @ 21: 59.45