
Former Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad to date has not explained why he could not enrich the poor ethnic Malays.
He had absolute authority to achieve this. Why then did he fail the poor Malays?
We need answers – plain, truthful and unblemished answers! Why, Dr Mahathir? Tell us honestly! Did the poor Malays reject your attempts to enrich them?
All that Mahathir had done was to blame the non-Malays – especially the ethnic Chinese – as if they were the cause of Malay poverty. Did the non-Malays prevent you from helping the poor Malays? Did they stand in the way of your efforts, if such were expended?
When Chinese businessmen were controlled and obstacles placed to prevent their easy expansion by including a legislative mandatory requirement for 30% participation of Malays in Chinese holding companies, how could they effectively prevent the poor Malays from advancing in life?
- Sign up for Aliran's free daily email updates or weekly newsletters or both
- Make a one-off donation to Persatuan Aliran Kesedaran Negara, CIMB a/c 8004240948
- Make a pledge or schedule an auto donation to Aliran every month or every quarter
- Become an Aliran member
Compared to your failure in helping the poor Malays, you succeeded extremely well in helping your friends and cronies and the rich Malays to become richer than ever, even beyond their imagination! You had no problems in advancing their wealth. You created Malay millionaires and billionaires so successfully. It was never a problem for you to help the rich!
Why then was it a problem to enrich the poor Malays? What serious efforts did you undertake to help them?
Crony politicians were given huge projects without tenders and with high tariffs, prices or tolls. This was your way of further enriching wealthy Malays. Dr Mahathir, did you ever think of alternative approaches and of what economists call the opportunity costs?
Connected politicians were given opportunities to loot the national coffers.
Failed Malay political businessmen were rescued by taking over their businesses at well above market prices. Tajudin Ramli of MAS and Mirzan, your son, come to mind when we think of how favoured Malay entrepreneurs were saved from bankruptcy.
The Petronas-MISC-KPB deal was a bailout. The MAS bailout was indeed scandalous. The Ministry of Finance paid RM8 per MAS share when the market price was RM3.62 in December 2000.
The elites enjoyed access to the national vault. Anyone with rudimentary access to sociology knows that “elites” and “elitism” were objects of pure scorn in early American sociology. Meanwhile, Malaysian businessmen, most never knowing better, think they have made it when called an elite.
As you can see, so much money was unfairly outlaid to save friends and cronies at the national expense. In contrast, over the years, how much money was outlaid to rescue poor Malays from the clutch of poverty?
Dr Mahathir, it’s sad but true: you are a failed Malay political leader who had apparently failed miserably in helping the poor Malays. How did the poor Malays in Singapore fare? So, please stop proclaiming that only Malay leaders can help the poor Malays. That’s not true. It’s a lot of hogwash. So far, Malay political leaders, if they are at it, have been only good in helping the wealthy Malays.
AGENDA RAKYAT - Lima perkara utama
- Tegakkan maruah serta kualiti kehidupan rakyat
- Galakkan pembangunan saksama, lestari serta tangani krisis alam sekitar
- Raikan kerencaman dan keterangkuman
- Selamatkan demokrasi dan angkatkan keluhuran undang-undang
- Lawan rasuah dan kronisme
So … true. Mahathir …. his own Malays for many generations; their future
… [M] is a fake Malay. Now he is out instigating [the people] … as he did in May 1969 to oust Tunku….
That M whose [ancestors] came from Kerala, India, is not a Malay, but posing as one and he hi-jacked the Malay agenda to his family and cronies, and close Chinese partners.
Should Dr.M not be congratulated and thanked by the many Individuals – families – friends – financiers – others [may be referred to as nepotism/cronyism] who may have been poor prior to Dr.M coming to power as PM and then within short periods made some of them super rich [billionnairs-millionnairs-high income earners and wealthy] via various means?
His practises may be perceived to have been continued by his successors with some even exceeding his own expectations and thus Dr.N should be congratulated again.
Bless all
DRM made himself rich
The politics of patronage first flowered in all its grandiosity after 1987. The date
is important since it was from 1981 that Dr Mahathir took over from Tun Hussein
Onn. After 1986, when Musa Hitam resigned, the excesses sprouted and with no
on to moderate these, the flowers bloomed. Life is like that.
From what I read, I have only two points on this politician..
1. Finally he showed his color by admitting he wanted to be a Malay….that is his choice and he ride on that idea as the PM for 22 years. Not at anytime did he express any tot of this country to be True MALAYSIAN bring unity between ALL races not just Malay-Chinese-Indian.
2. The peak of his prejudice against others was when he took PM office for 22 months. He appointed LGE as Finance Minister and Tommy T as AG. He purposely did this to stir the racial discord. Where is there any good will in this evil person? He mind set is still in 1950s against British Malayan Union. Many never come out of that bewilderment. They forgot about 1963 Malaysian Federation.