Tan
Sri Abdullah Ahmad, group editor in chief of the New Straits Times,
wrote (June 26 2002), “[Mahathir] has...created a legacy so monumental that no
one could have presumed his mantle.”
That was what Abdullah Ahmad
gushingly said of Mahathir when the great man (Mahathir lah!) announced his
resignation on June 22 of that same year. “Hear! Hear!” I say…or as Antares
succulently said for the benefit of Ibrahim Ali, “Dengar, Dengar!” I believe
that that came from Abdullah’s heart for you cannot write anything so ‘moving’
if it does not come from the heart. Now let me tell you what comes from my heart when I read that.
Who would be foolhardy enough to
presumed Mahathir mantle? This man used money and power like no other PM of
Malaysia has ever done! Like no other leader in most parts of the civilized
world has ever done save for some parts of Africa and some parts of our world
where accountability for one action is easily dismissed through the barrel of
the gun or the use of political power!
Who would dare to presumed the
monumental mantle of this Mahathir who was instrumental in bringing into our
way of life such concepts as ISA, nepotism, money politics, greed, privatizations,
IPP’s, Perwaja, utter vindictiveness to those that simply do not agree with his
point of view, negotiated tenders, a tainted Judiciary, Bakun, crooked bridge,
Renong and its horrendous debts, Khir Toyo, Daem, and the list is endless.
Every government machinery, every high public office appointment, every
political decision made during Mahathir’s time was at his pleasure and made to
do your biddings!
No Dollah….nobody would be foolhardy
enough to try and assumed that mantle!
All the personal excesses that we
now talk about had its beginning, development and reached its zenith during
Mahathir’s time. Samy Velu, Rafidah, VK Lingam, Augustine Paul, Liong Sik,
Daem, Vicent Tan, Abdullah Ang, Eric Cheah…the mind boggles at the billions these
people made at the expense of the nation!
What defines greatness in a man?
"It's not what you take but
what you leave behind that defines greatness.”
– Edward Gardner.
This man left us with debts measured
in billions not millions!
This man left us with monuments of
First World stature but failed miserably to prepare our then third world
mentality to be ready for these iconic structures. If you bring a nation into
an era that it is not ready for, you are being irresponsible!
If you cut corners and award
projects to people who YOU think can do the job and they fail to do that job –
you take responsibility!
If you do nothing about a leader
that robs his own people blind –like Samy Velu did to the Indians – then you
take responsibility.
If you take power away from the
Sultans and empower UMNO with the same power - and UMNO abused that power – you take responsibility!
When you remove two of your deputies
– and in so doing caused:
1)
Within
UMNO factionalism that forever weakened UMNO
2)
and
had one of these removed deputies, Anwar, to come back ten years later and
inflict upon UMNO its biggest defeat.
You take responsibity.
When you take a dentist and make him
MB of Selangor – and this MB then proceed to enrich himself excessively that
finally culminated in the loss of Selangor to the opposition – then you take responsibility.
When you take Oil Royalties from
Trengganu and Kelantan because the people voted for the opposition, you take
responsibility for the suffering of the people within that state who are now
without the funds to develop the state.
When you use Petronas money and to
bail out your son shipping company to the tune of hundreds of millions using people’s money then you take
responsibility for abusing the trust the people placed in you as the guardian
of their money.
That a man of your previous stature
would require me, a 62 year old man living in Adelaide to write this biting and
hurtful article about you simply indicates the depth you have allowed yourself
to sink to. This would not happened to the Mahathir that was PM for 22 years –
who brooked no challenge to his rule for those 22 years! How things have changed!
You told us to look East. We looked
East. You told us to buy British last. We bought British last. You told us to
buy Proton we bought Proton – albeit with a little arm-twisting. Possibly all
these were relevant at that point in time. So Tun using that analogy, let me
respectfully tell you this Tun. You are no longer relevant.
You are no longer relevant in UMNO
except to serve the selfish purpose of certain factions. “Dengar dengar!”.
You are no longer relevant to the
Malays. You have done enough damage to us and we see thorough your deceptions.
You are no longer relevant to the
people in this country. We have all moved on and demand a more open and
responsible government. We see through your duplicity and untruths.
Tun you are only relevant to those
that still loves you for what you are – a grandfather, a father and a husband.
Is it not time that you return their love and their need to have you back in
their fold? And that you return the love and respect that they give to you for
what you are today? An 84-year-old grandfather, father and husband?
Sir you would need all the goodness
that is in Mecca, all the forgiveness that Mandela has shown to the very people
that imprisoned him and all the love that the family of Teoh Beng Hock, Kugan
and Aminurasyid have for their love ones if you are ever to be forgiven by the
people of this country. And I know that even with all that you would still have
a hard time walking down the streets of KL without worrying that someone might spit on you…and that Sir is the
whole truth and nothing but the truth…so help me God!
