Hantu Laut
I wasn't wrong when I said there were subtle signs that the new PM is going to turn the clock back, to the good old days when evils stayed in the Pandora's box and Murphy was not allowed to go to war. The days of Abdullah's openess and freedom of expression may be over.Now it's not subtle anymore, it obvious we are in for a change.
First, suspend the opposition party publications without giving valid reasons, than ban internet based media from covering the party assembly because they are the most dangerous and never reported the truth and next ban all bloggers and makes it a crime to criticise the government or any of its leader.
So now we know what kind of change he was talking about.
Mahathir spent 22 years transforming this nation from a tropical backwater into one of the fastest growing economy in this region. He built first class infrastructures and brought peace and prosperity to the nation.Though, dictatorial at times, harsh, abrasive, uncompromising and to some people seemingly cruel he has brought about the most accelerated economic development and turned Malaysia into one of the top trading nations of the world.This is a man you either love or hate. A man much misunderstood said one of his sons.
At his ripe old age and after two heart by-pass operations he still has the energy that put some much younger man to shame.In his vision of a better Malaysia he may have trampled on some basic human rights notably freedom of speech but his autocracy has worked well in keeping racial tension under wrap.Another element that helped him in maintaining peace and harmony was the prevailing prosperity.When a nation is prosperous it would naturally be peaceful and he has successfully achieved both.
What Mahathir did may have worked well during his time and as much as he was feared he was also highly respected by majority of Malaysians.
Mahathir entered the scene as PM with a clean slate, didn't carry any excess baggage, other than being called a Malay ultra which proved to be wrong label.Though, he had used that labeling to get to a higher level he became prime minister for all Malaysians.Using the race card every now and then is not to incite the Malays to go against the other races but more to ask the Malays to rise to new height and challenges.The other races mistook this gesture as inciting racial tension. I believe that was not his intention.
Mahathir is in the same mould as Lee Kuan Yew of Singapore...both are benevolent dictators, which I would rather have than a free nation with the people going hungry.
It's different strokes for different folks.Can Najib emulates his style and succeed in restoring the dignity, respect and integrity to a government that has lost its credibility?
Malaysians want delivery not rhetoric.Let's hope he delivers.
8 comments:
"benevolent dictators, which I would rather have than a free nation with the people going hungry."
I refuse to buy the standard Barisan Nasional storybook on the choice that we have.
We can be a free nation where the resources of the country are allocated for the widest good.
Najib's mini-Mageran and Mahathirism is not going to take us there.
First-class infrastructure ? Your grandchildren and their children will still be paying for the privilege to make UEM and YTL disgustingly rich.
Kittykat46,
I have travelled widely throughout the world, even developed countries like Japan and US still collect tolls on some of their roads.
I didn't say Najib is the best choice, I said whether he can emulates Mahathir and do the same.
Sometimes, we have to learn to give credit where credit is due and not lumped everything that Mahathir did was wrong or evil.I think as PM he has done an excellent job.
I think we don't want to be judged as 'katak dibawa tempurong' and I am afraid many Malaysians who support the oppositions seem to be in that catergory, blinded by the rhetoric of Anwar Ibrahim.
"Mahathir spent 22 years transforming this nation from a tropical backwater into one of the fastest growing economy in this region. He built first class infrastructures and brought peace and prosperity to the nation."
HL U MIGHT be VERY WRONG here!
Before Kutty came to power, in fact way back during Tunku's time, M'sia was already a trading power house in Asia. What tropical backwater? No?
Back then M'sia was well ahead, in economy developments, than S Korea, Taiwan & just a tint off than Japan. M'sia was having peace and prosperity to the nation! And what's that red-dot down south?
Kutty's legacy is starting to show now. Like all things, rots take time to develop. Kutty's have the advantages of the past 'safety nets' been used to cover/suppress the simmering/surfacing rots. His dictatorial at times, harsh, abrasive, uncompromising and to some people seemingly cruel & most of all, effective racist cries, helps to prolong his political moves!
"..his autocracy has worked well in keeping racial tension under wrap."
Just go back a couple of days to read his repeated 'fry' of his 'talented' racist pisang goreng. He was/is the BIGGEST stirrer of racial tension in M'sia!
"Mahathir is in the same mould as Lee Kuan Yew of Singapore..."
Please-lah, at least that dictator builds up an insignificant red-dot to a dignity, respect and a government with integrity & credibility to the world community.
Kutty, instead, builds form-over-substance histrionics to jerk up his egos. Where r the dignity, respect and a government with integrity & credibility to the world community?
Plus & IPPS drain the populace of an un-ending tolls/tariffs. A flip-flop & racial-favoured education policies strained the world class M'sian HR to become a degree mills! Petronas twin tower? Oh that's a real monument for that old man, looking for something lasting!
Someone says when the goings r goods, all excesses, either good/evil, can be tolerated. They only become problems when the goings turn south. AND now is the time!
And M'sian r going to pay for HIS'S dearly!
anomie
Yes, I've been around the world, too. And I've seldom seen the kind of toll contracts which Mahathir (lets call a spade a spade) imposed, which were essentially tools to transfer wealth from the public to a few selected individuals, apart from building the highway, of course.
A turnpike I have taken a number of times in the US has increased its toll ONCE in the last 10 years. In fact its now just a payment to ensure the expressway is maintained to the highest standards. Since the builder recouped their construction costs plus reasonable profits years ago, they have simply lost the right to increase the toll any more - which is the correct ethical rule.
I would never say everything Mahathir did was wrong or evil.
He was very good at...civil engineering...but I'm not blind to the fact he did some very bad things during his reign...which continue to reverberate today..
"Oh Hantu Laut...blah......blah.........Oh Hantu laut.......blah......blah......Mahathir entered the scene as PM with a clean slate, didn't carry any excess baggage, other than being called a Malay ultra which proved to be wrong label.Though, he had used that labeling to get to a higher level he became prime minister for all Malaysians.Using the race card every now and then is not to incite the Malays to go against the other races but more to ask the Malays to rise to new height and challenges.The other races mistook this gesture as inciting racial tension...........shit....shit ..............stink again !
“The wise man must remember that while he is a descendant of the past, he is a parent of the future.”
Herbert Spencer quotes (British social Philosopher, 1820-1903
“If once you forfeit the confidence of your fellow-citizens, you can never regain their respect and esteem.”
Abraham Lincoln quotes (American 16th US President (1861-65), who brought about the emancipation of the slaves. 1809
Hantu
The Ringgit was mighity and nearly on par with the Singapore Dollar. Ringgit commanded respect all over the world. We Malaysians when travelling overseas could buy more and stay and travel more but all changed when Mahathair came to power. Ringgit started its downward spiral and going the way like the Thai Baht . When the Ringgit became weak and naturally it was the target of the currenct traders. I remeber the good old days when the 1 pound was worth 2 plus ringgit.
Why did this happen
1. Borrowing to fuel one man's legacy as a great bulider
2. Make Malaysian goods cheap as they say cheap but good quality. Good quality it is a bunch of bullshit
3.To help convert illegally stash money overseas which was aquired by illegal means to convert into more ringgits.
4. Ringgit gets devalued when ever a election comes as to bring in money from overseas to fuel BN's election machinery
and so on on on.
Now it makes it so difficult for us non-Bumiputras to educate our children overseas. Our children can not get places in the university and also were deprived of education overseas. This was the old man plan to make the non-Bumis lesser educated and in a couple of generations the Bumis will be the superior race in Malaysia. But we Non-Bumis worked harder and became more resilant and earn more and kept on sending our kids overseas to have quality education.
This is what the oldman was trying to do is kill the hopes of non-Bumis kids and their future.
Anybody else want to add on this.
Tun's nightmare
HL,
I'm sure you heard Najib's speech at the UMNO General Assembly.
All we are going to get from him & UMNO are more rhetoric, period!
So far we have not seen any changes, except fo rthe worse (& tell me truthfuly, do you think we are going to see any changes?).
Again Hantu Laut , you are right ! Mahathir was a benevolent dictator.
Without him , there won't be peace. And most importantly, Malaysia won't have a new breed of Malays that are educated overseas and worldly.
March 8 wouldn't have happened even if all the Chinese & Indians in Semenanjung voted for PR.
So to those who feel otherwise, be thankful for Dr. Mahathir. He has brought political maturity in all of us.
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