Mahathir is evil because we encourage him...Are we going to continue to accept his lies and half-truths time and time again? Or are we going to pressure the Judiciary and the few men of integrity left in this institution, to punish those who are guilty of treason? It is our responsibility to change our destiny.--Mariam Mokhtar
Project IC: Saya Dah Lupa, Tanya Anwar La
Former
Prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s lack of contrition, is
breathtaking but not totally unexpected. We have lost all trust in our
politicians, because of him. He stultified our minds, with 40 years of
brainwashing.
During
his tenure, money greased the wheels of government. Knowledge, or the
acquisition of knowledge was restricted, so that in time, he could
become master of a compliant rakyat. This is what we have been reduced
to, a nation of yes-men who are powerless to act, in the face of
mounting recalcitrance.
Mahathir’s
90 minute performance at the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) into
Sabah’s illegal immigrant problem, is testimony of his arrogance. He
believes that he is invincible. As the 209th witness at the RCI, he
behaved like an arrogant buffoon. He showed his contempt for the
proceedings, the court and the rakyat.
He
denied any knowledge of Project IC and instead blamed low-ranking
officers for issuing identity cards to foreigners. A weak leader is one
who blames everyone else, including society, for things that went wrong.
Should Mahathir be jailed for contempt of court and perjury?
Why
has the head of the Civil Service kept quiet? Why is the union which
represents the civil servants, not publicly defended the good name of
its members?
More
often than not, UMNO Baru politicians use and abuse the civil servants
to further their political agendas but when Mahathir insults the civil
servants, not one UMNO Baru politician has dared to protect them.
What
of the junior civil servants themselves? Have they protested their
innocence? Is it any wonder politicians like Mahathir have nothing but
contempt for people who keep quiet when bullies ravage their
reputations.
The
day after his testimony, Mahathir insinuated that Anwar Ibrahim, his
one-time Deputy, was responsible for Project IC. Mahathir said, “He was
in the government, he knew the government’s policy. If that was the
government’s policy, why didn’t he stop it?”
As
some people get older, they enter their second childhood. Mahathir’s
childish response is perhaps, a manifestation of this second childhood.
He is like the spoilt child who wants to be the centre of attraction. At
times, he acts like the neglected child craving affection, by playing
guessing games.
When
asked by reporters if he was referring to Anwar, Mahathir sneered,
“Maybe”. Is giving a direct answer beyond Mahathir’s comprehension? His
supercilious response is like the child who is privy to a secret and
feels superior to everyone else.
Mahathir’s legacy
Any
member of the rakyat who goes to a government department is aware that
no decision is made without the approval of a civil servant with
authority. Senior staff await orders from the top.
Mahathir
claimed not to know anything about Project IC. What sort of PM was he,
who did not know what was happening in his country? Hundreds of
thousands, were given MyKads.
This
mammoth operation needed clearance from the highest authority in the
land. Mahathir must try harder if he thinks he can continue to pull the
wool over our eyes.
By
the same token, the rakyat must try harder to remove all traces of
Mahathir and his legacy, if this country is to move forwards without the
politics of division and mistrust.
UMNO Baru
In
1987, Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah challenged Mahathir in the UMNO party
elections, but believing the outcome to be tainted, took his fight to
the courts. The old UMNO party was declared illegal as it had not
registered some of its branches.
Ku
Li started his own party Semangat 46, whilst Mahathir formed UMNO Baru.
The vindictive Mahathir dismissed the Lord President of the Supreme
Court and castrated the judiciary with a rusty knife. Ku Li is now back
in the UMNO Baru fold. Situation normal then?
Anwar
launched an attack on Mahathir when he wanted the government to adopt
an austerity package and he opposed a number of Mahathir’s fiscal
measures in the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis.
Mahathir
threw Anwar in jail on trumped-up charges of sodomy, insubordination
and corruption, but he was freed and later cleared of these charges,
when Abdullah Ahmad Badawi became PM.
In
2013, the Opposition won the popular vote, but massive cheating
returned UMNO Baru to power. Handouts like BR1M and other petty cash
bribes are enough to dull the average Malaysian mind.
Now
that UMNO Baru has broken all the promises it made before GE13, some
who voted for UMNO Baru have finally realised their mistake. What about
the rest? Are they still in denial?
A
few years ago, Mahathir claimed that he had opposed Operation Lalang,
the sweep to imprison his critics in 1987. He said that it was
instigated by the Police, a charge confirmed by Hanif Omar, the IGP
during Mahathir’s tenure. Close buddies will come to each other’s aid.
Similarly,
Mahathir denied that he had a hand in the Memali massacre of 1985 and
blamed Musa Hitam, his Deputy. The trend is that Mahathir ‘disappears’,
when something nasty happens.
Changing our destiny
Mahathir
denied that there was any corruption in the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ)
project when billions of ringgits were lost.Mahathir claimed not to
remember his role in the VK Lingam scandal, where judges who were
aligned to him were selected for higher office.
People
who testified in the Sabah RCI, claimed that Mahathir gave the nod to
open the flood gates and allow Filipinos and Indonesians who were
Muslims, to be given ICs.
Mahathir
betrayed the rakyat and altered the face, culture and genetic pool of
our country. He poisoned our trust in politicians.
Mahathir
has consistently lied in other RCIs, despite the evidence that was
presented in court. Mahathir equates himself with Umno Baru, which in
turn, identifies itself with the Malays, who have this notion that
Malaysia belongs to them.
It
does not! Malaysia belongs to rightful Malaysians.The problem is not
Mahathir. The problem is us. Mahathir is evil because we encourage him.
Are
we going to continue to accept his lies and half-truths time and time
again? Or are we going to pressure the judiciary and the few men of
integrity left in this institution, to punish those who are guilty of
treason? It is our responsibility to change our destiny.
Mariam Mokhtar is a FMT columnist.
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