Friday 13 July 2012

Mahathirism is alive and kicking!


Dr Mahathir seems unable to let go of the fact that he isn’t PM of Malaysia anymore. He plays the eternal busybody offering unsolicited advice. He employs sophistry of reasons to convince people of his biased conclusions. So, he says almost sage like that Malaysia will be in dire straits if Pakatan takes over. But the age of unidirectional reasoning is over. Previously he had help from the media industrial complex- TV and mainstream newspapers.  That isn’t going to happen anymore.
No right thinking person wants to read Utusex Malaysia where only reports on prayer times and 4-Digit lottery are true; readership on NST has gone down because as Lee Kuan Yew observed, the paper has lost credibility. People are turned off at watching TV3 because as soon as we switched it on- we see the apparitions of Ustazah Umi Hafilda berating Anwar making it seemed as though, it was she who got bonked or wished she had been; we see Hassan `membetulkan aqidah Ali’ and all the other lost souls picked up ravenously by talent-starved UMNO and now dancing to the tune the paying pied piper plays. 
Now, the people can talk and reason back. What Mahathir says is no longer accepted unquestioningly. 
What does Mahathir want? What can he do if people don’t believe what the government says and are willing to accept Anwar- warts and all? If the people have been willing to accept the degenerates in UMNO as leaders, why can’t they try out Anwar? Of course Mahathir believes Anwar will never make it to Putrajaya. 
What he actually desire is for Mahathirism to be translated correctly which Najib isn’t doing properly. Najib is sloppy relying heavily on others doing the thinking for him. Mahathirism needs a man of sterner stuff. Mahathir does not believe Najib has got what it takes to implement the doctrine of Mahathirism.  
Mahathirism in politics means the concentration of power in the chief executive (the PM) and the emasculation of all other contending forces- the judiciary and the civil service. Mahathirsim needs ISA. Mahathirism needs a yielding judiciary. Mahathirism needs a pliant civil service headed by a sycophant. Najib seems to get only that part right in Ali Hamsa. 
Mahathirism in economics means the economics of cronyism. Since 1981, the economics by organic growth was replaced by the economics of choosing and picking winners. But Mahathir chose from a restricted talent pool consisting of those he knows or those recommended by close associates such as Tun Daim.  The strategy has been proven wrong. Malay share in the economy is just under 20%. But those who got picked and chosen got rich beyond imagination. The general Malay public remained condemned to be dependents of the government. UMNO runs a paternalistic and at times, bullying government. 
Mahathir is preparing the ground for the inevitable ouster of Najib. He’s getting help from the chief auctioneer of Malaysia Muhyidin Yasin who has sold whatever available land there was in Johor when he was MB there. The other fellow waiting in the wings is Mukhriz Mahathir who will team up with Muhyidin. 
For the time being, Najib has no choice but to ape what Mahathir says. The country has no future under any government but UMNO-BN.  So Najib continues to crisscross the country airing slogans loudly. When hosting the thousands of UMNO members transported to Stadium Bukit Jalil, Najib announced that he felt so uplifted that he was thinking of meeting up the Agong to declare elections then. But that was only loud noises coming from a nervous PM. The ground, as Tun Daim told the personal emissary of Najib, Jamaludin Jarjis, is not ready to support UMNO-BN. but Najib is confident said JJ. We have reports saying that the ground is supportive of Najib and look at his personal rating. 
So the chief political seer in this country retorted by asking JJ- can you believe all those reports? If they are prepared by that eager-to-please-his-master Rais Yatim, then you are dead. Rais will inflate BN chances by 50% and downplay Pakatan chances by 30%. You are going to decide on flimsy foundations. Hence Najib has to postpone the elections that he wanted to hold in June 2012. 
In Melaka, he played football announcer by boasting that UMNO-BN will win 14-0. If that is so, Najib would have declared elections yesterday. Najib knows, the unity which UMNO pretends it has will disintegrate by 30% the very day Najib announces the BN candidates for GE13. So how to face elections with a house divided? He does what a desperate man will do. 
The UMNO foot soldiers are fatigued. They have waited eagerly for elections. Elections for them are a huge festival where loads of money will be poured indiscriminately. How to continue paying for the Myvy and the Kris motorcycle which they have ordered now that Najib is flip-flopping in announcing election date? 
UMNO people know, this is the last chance of fleecing the party. After GE13, they will be taken care off better by the Pakatan government. They are hearing good stories coming out from Pakatan governed states and nightmarish stories of rampant corruption and land grabs from UMNO led states. They will join their other brethren in kicking out corrupt UMNO and BN. 

They know UMNO has degenerated into a party selling pirated porno VCDs and a party that installs hidden cameras in toilets. So the next time people go into public toilets remember to bring umbrellas to cover yourselves. Otherwise UMNO will politicize the size of your penises. It’s that desperate. 
The biggest lie that UMNO hawks around is to claim that all other Malays not in UMNO aren’t Malays. If Malays join any other political party than UMNO, she or he ceases to be Malay. When I was in UMNO, my Malay credentials were taken for granted and never disputed. Now when I join DAP, my Malayness is disputed. The same person, whose Malayness isn’t questioned when in UMNO, now has his Malayness disputed as soon as he leaves UMNO. No Malay ceases to be one when he abandons UMNO. One’s Malayness resides in the person not in UMNO. UMNO need not be so arrogant. The Malay is the person not a political party.  
When both Mahathir and Najib expressed their fears about a dismal future under Pakatan, they are actually showing their nervousness about actually losing power. When UMNO-BN loses, the myths and all the falsities about the policies which UMNO-BN has implemented will be exposed and along with those, the role played by Mahathir and his team.  
Start for asking for example why after so many years, the Malay economy hasn’t achieved its target? The Malay economy that got better is the economy for the selected Malay elite- the royalty and its scions, the economy of Mahathir’s son. Also, the economy of the recently retired Chief Secretary’s daughter. These are the Malays who don’t give a rat’s ass about the other Malay economy. That’s the economy that concerns ordinary Malays, farmers, fisherman, felda settlers etc. the lot of these people isn’t top priority for the select Malays. They are more concerned of their own future. 
Start by asking why income disparities within the Malay communities are highest compared to intra-income disparities within other races. Because since Mahathir took over the country, policies aimed at driving economic growth of Malays are replaced by policies of picking winners by Mahathir. That’s when we saw the emergence and accelerated rise of Mahathir’s golden boys. They were given licenses, concessions, monopolies and the opportunities to privatize state owned revenue generating resources. They grew fabulously wealthy, while the rest of Malays, deprived of sources of organic economic growth, grew to become dependents, relying on the government for economic succor.  

30 comments:

  1. Thanks Ariff for a great post.

    Im still struggling to find a definition as to what exactly Mahathirism actually is?
    If we go beyond the character of the man and his ongoing influence, would you say Mahathirism is the favouring of politically connected or racial individuals for special government support instead of a merit based economy? i.e. Know who instead of know how?

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  2. It would be befitting for Mahathir to live to see the downfall of Mahathirism and see Anwar become PM of Malaysia! This will be a closure as karma would have it.

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  3. Addendum, Indian Muslims who joins UMNO will automatically become Malays (bumiputras)

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  4. That was in 1988:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-7LgydnrFo

    The message is as poignant today as it was in 2008..

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  5. I believed mahathir is living in fear of the possibility of Anwar becoming the next PM.
    The sight of how Gaddafi and Hosni Mubarak were being treated when their government fell may be playing in his mind constantly, not that he will experience the same fate,as Anwar has openly said many times that he has forgiven mahathir.

    However, the rakyat of this country may not be willing to forgive him, and he may face prosecution for all the wrongs that he may had committed.

    For these reasons, his fear will be everpresence, and this is also why he is trying he very best to help BN retain power.

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  6. Dato,the reason Dr Mahathir thinks that he is still the PM and president of Umno,is because he sees the small Umno Napoleans running loose as if it is nobody's business.He knows that Umno is leaderless and he has to take control,or else his beloved Umno B will soon be going to the dogs.

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  7. Like other leaders, he is just a figurehead willing to speak for the vested and narrow interests of strong, influential and power groups at the great expense of the ordinary people.

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  8. If Mahatieff is not alive and kicking, then who is buying and taking over sugar, rice, car, port, etc business in the country

    definately, not Shitt Mukberry, who is him to takeover national assets. surely, someone invinsible hands behind him. no other than Mahatieff, the powerhouse broker

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  9. Mahathirism = do everything at ALL cost to maintain the wealth of UMNO-Malays while giving the Illusion that malays are poor in general via the Media Brain washing of RTM, TV3, Utusampah, NSTipu, Stupid STAR.....etc.....and stay in power for Generations and to look after many more generations of Crooks, cronies UMNO-BN leadership willing to submit to corruption, murder and lies. In spite of a country rich with natural resources, bigger than Singapore......YET today 2012 Malaysia GDP is Less than Singapore.....

    1. Malays need to ask UMNO apahal wang kita 2 Kali lebih kecil dari Singapura Yang kita tendang keluar Malaysia demi Perpaduan melayu UMNO??

    2. Mengapa Jumlah pengeluaran Negara Malaysia yang kaya dan mewah dengan minyak boleh kalah kepada Singapura dalam tahun 2012??

    3. Di mana semua Kemewahan dan Duit rakyat pergi selepas 54 tahun dibawah UMNO??

    4. Mengapa gaji kita yang rajin berkerja macam Lembu 10 Kali lebih rendah dari orang Singapura Kalau matawang ditukar kembali kepada Ringgit.

    5. Kalau ekonomi Malaysia runtuh....siapa lebih Cerdik membangunkan Malaysia?? Pakatan atau Barang Naik (BN)??

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  10. Is it true that Petron, new acquisition by San Miguel (owned by M's son), is contracted to supply fuel to MAS?

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  11. Dear Sakmongkol

    Not only is Mahathirism alive and kicking, the man himself is very much alive and kicking. Heck, not a day goes by without him bringing to the public his brand of racial, divisive and vindictive politics. 22 years of it do not seem to be enough.

    When Mahathir is in the press, Najib is always surprisingly quiet. Is there a connection? I think there is. Mahathir speaks because he sees Najib as being weak. What is this about abolishing the ISA and now repealing the Sedition Act? Najib is simply demolishing important planks of Mahathirism. And Najib goes to TAR College to say the government will now recognize their degrees. All this won’t do.

    So while Najib is trying hard to move into the middle ground and trying his best at “liberalization” in a half-hearted manner, it doesn’t impress the people but succeeds in annoying Mahathir. I think Najib is a goner if he so much as loses one seat.

    Najib cannot convince the people that he is a strong leader because he cannot shut people like Mahathir up. He will get a lot more respect if he would stand up to the old man. But can he?

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  12. Dato'

    Let me help in defining Mahathirism.

    Well, Mahathirism is an economic model, developed by a man imported from India under the guise of a Malay, centres on him and him alone and monopolises every major business of the country under the control of his cronies and nepotists.

    Salam.

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  13. Dulu Dr M sangat marah apabila Tunku Abd Rahman kritik pentadbirannya. Kini Dr. M buat lebih teruk dari Tunku.

    Selagi Dr M campurtangan selagi itulah UMNObn akan terus tenggelam.

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  14. " ordinary Malays, farmers, fisherman, felda settlers etc."

    Small businesses are not supported and protected....kedai runcit, mini markets and etc..cannot compete with big corporations who have plenty of money and resources.

    Farmers and small businesses are the backbone of our economy and they are our biggest employers and provide social security to many.

    The government had neglected them for far too long with enormous impact to the economy and ordinary people.

    Dato, you should be in charge of the economy decades ago...now the damage is permanent and far reaching.

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  15. Meanwhile, his son's PETRON got the contract to supply fuel to MAS., bypassing PETRONAS which advisor is Mahathir himself.
    Kencana, owned by another son got massive contracts from PETRONAS.
    So Datuk, wherever you look, it's easy to see where that old cock is....everywhere.

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  16. I don't care if this Indian has become a Malay but what annoys me is when he calls those Indians who have remained Indians (who came here before him) as "outsiders" or "pendatangs" or "non-Bumis".
    This Keling from Kerala is worshipped by some Malays. That is the irony or rather is it the Malay stupidity. Why would Malays hero worship an Indian?

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  17. Datuk, I don't understand how a person of your capacity is just a blogger. You deserve to be our PM sir.

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  18. Mahathirism is a bad word..and is indeed an evil word

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  19. i think Mahathir is not a threat at all and in fact a unifying factor.He quitted as premiere out of his own choice and not voted out.As i was flying out to Kuching i cant help but feel good about what i see at KLIA ,an icon in itself.
    Granted there are changes in political landscape following the 2008 election but we are seeing reforms and transformations good for the nation.Who we vote is our right ultimately.We need a stable govt good for the rakyat and it can be PR or BN.We all shall decide soon.Good luck Dato'.

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  20. i always enjoy your well-written posts and this one is no exception.

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  21. Anon 23:03

    U are 100% correct bro, this Mamak Kutty from Kerala is the father of all sin, what make matters worse this useless Mamak kutty was well supported by useless UMNO malays yang tak sedar diri.ABU

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  22. " Why would Malays hero worship an Indian? "

    Bollywood?

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  23. dr mahathir is still THE MAN in Malaysia....whether we all like it as a fact or not.his opinion still counts regardless to reasons.

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  24. Always a joy to read your commentaries... this one is no exception... can't agree with you more on Dr M... his words and actions are really getting to be quite intolerable...

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  25. laaah, rupa nya dlm senyap2 kerajaan kedah (pas) beli sham fgvh....

    Apa signifikannya perhimpunan oren mengambil tempat hari ini? Kononnya membantah penyenaraian FELDA GLOBAL VENTURE HOLDINGS (FGVH) dalam bursa saham yang dikatakan akan merugikan peneroka?

    Sedangkan kerajaan Pas Kedah melalui Perbadanan Kemajuan Ekonomi Negeri Kedah (PKNK) telah membeli sebanyak 500,000 unit saham FGVH melalui peruntukan kerajaan negeri.

    Laah baru ni tau. Awat tak habaq?

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  26. Dato,now that Najib has admitted that Umno is in trouble,and the Felda settlers are on the warpath.Taking the fight what better way than to the front doorsteps of the robber barons,right into the centre of the city.And hundreds of miles away from the Felda estates.This could meant one thing,that the settlers are really mad,real mad.

    The safe deposits of the Felda schemes are beginning to look more and more as days passed by,like the long lines of junk bond holders waiting to join the Pigg's nations.

    And Wenger even went as far as jumping the gun,according you and Aspan the Tan Seri title.So do not be surprised and shocked if Kampong man were to come a calling,with a dinner invitation or offering himself as a campaign volunteer,and QD to write nicer things about you from now on.QD will be calling you pak Sak and not bro from now on.

    And if the skies have a better way of punishing crooks and cheats,mother nature will reward the US plains with good weather and lots of rain.This will meant only more bad news for the FGVH masterminds and cronies as their share prices will tanked.

    Cornered or un-cornered counter,in the end the markets are always right.Then they will be chased out before they can cashed in their ill gotten gains,and have their alloted shares handed back to the settlers.Then Isa will be working in the hen house wearing striped uniforms,instead of the fox house.When this happens Umno has come full cycle.

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  27. Dato, do Malays ever think? I'm not saying this to insult anyone but looking back, one can easily see how Malays had been duped by the BN over the years. Those elected got themselves very rich simply by devious means through connection while those who are powerless became poorer and poorer. And yet, they kept voting for the BN, even today when it is clear the Umnoputras are screwing them at every opportunity available. We now have an alternative government who already proven themselves in only a very short time and yet the support for good governance is still very lacking.

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  28. bruno

    Do you know where is our resident Mahathir/Najib ass-licker QD?
    Wy is he so quiet? Still celebrating Mahathir's birthday with his FGV shares gain.
    I see that boy is always celebrating for every ocassion under the sun.


    QD fan

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  29. Assalamualaikum Dato' Sak,

    To Anon 15 July 2012 08:43

    Whoaaa....manyak cantik you punya assumption, haa? Melayu tak berfikir?

    Let's go back to 1997. When all the malay populace voted against the government, where were the 'thinking' side? Takut business kacau ka?

    Malays have been voting for opposition for a long time. Re Kelantan. Current ones for the last 20 years. Previously even longer. Ini baru satu term ada state government nak berkokok...

    Yang baru baru nak sedar, rasa macam pandai sangat pulak...Piigiidah...

    Letting off steam for these Johnny come latelys who think that they own the wisdom...

    Melayu Baru

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  30. Sir,

    When Mahathir and his children (except maybe Marina) look at the mirror after GE13,

    horror al terkejut,

    they will see Mantan Presiden Suharto and his children as reflections.

    All flights going out of Malaysia will be fully booked for months! We will need do something if PR ever gets to Putrajaya.

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