September 2008 Archives

BALIK KAMPUNG


Posted by Dr. Mahathir Mohamad at September 29, 2008 5:07 PM | | Comments (531) | TrackBacks (0) | Previous Blog
Balik kampung is a great tradition. It helps renew our ties and relationship with other members of our parent's family and relatives. And if we really come from the kampungs, it would remind us of our past, our bucolic antecedents and the simple life that we lead.

Malays and Chinese alike religiously practise this great tradition. The cities and towns would become very quiet, the streets almost empty and the air free of smoke and dust.

My regret is that many who take to the roads to balik kampung will never reach home. They would die in unfortunate road accidents. Instead of their relatives welcoming them with joy and love, their Hari Raya or Chinese New Year would be a sad one as they mourn their bereavements.

Continue reading BALIK KAMPUNG.

SELAMAT HARI RAYA AIDILFITRI


Posted by Dr. Mahathir Mohamad at September 27, 2008 11:24 AM | | Comments (781) | TrackBacks (0) | Previous Blog
Saya dan isteri saya mengucapkan Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri kepada semua rakyat Malaysia yang beragama Islam, khususnya kepada pelayar laman blog chedet.com.

Alhamdulillah, sekali lagi dapat kita bersama-sama meraikan hari kebesaran ini setelah sebulan menjalankan ibadah puasa.

Disamping bergembira bersama keluarga, saya harap kita akan teruskan tradisi kunjung mengunjung ke rumah-rumah terbuka untuk mengeratkan lagi silaturrahim di antara kita, terutama sekali dengan rakan-rakan kita yang bukan beragama Islam.

Semoga di hari yang gembira ini hubungan kita sebagai rakyat yang berbilang kaum dan agama di negara yang tercinta ini akan bertambah erat.

Saya akan mengadakan majlis rumah terbuka bersempena dengan sambutan Hari Raya Aidilfitri seperti berikut;

Tarikh : Oktober 5, 2008

Tempat : 58, Jalan Kuda Emas, The Mines Resort City, Seri Kembangan, Selangor

Masa : 10:00 pg - 1.00 tgh dan 2.30 ptg - 5.00 ptg

 Kepada yang akan menyambut Aidilfitri di kampung, berhati-hatilah ketika memandu dan kami mendoakan perjalanan pulang yang selamat.

Sekali lagi saya dan isteri saya ucapkan Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri, Maaf Zahir Batin.

Dr Mahathir bin Mohamad

Dr Siti Hasmah bt Mohd Ali

1 Syawal 1429 Hijrah

THE UNITED STATES


Posted by Dr. Mahathir Mohamad at September 26, 2008 5:25 PM | | Comments (338) | TrackBacks (0) | Previous Blog
1. I wonder what is happening to the United States of America. It used to lay down the laws and rules which the whole world must abide. If any country refuses then blacklisting, sanctions and even invasions by the US forces might ensue.

2. It set the forms and standards for everything; systems of Government, human rights, economic transparency etc etc. Now it seems to be breaking or ignoring its own rules, regulations and laws.

3. It had condemned the Internal Security Act as unjust and a violation of human rights. Following the shock and awe invasion of Iraq, it has detained alleged terrorists without trial and without rights and habeas corpus proceeings. Some detainees have been there for five years.

Continue reading THE UNITED STATES.

PEGGING


Posted by Dr. Mahathir Mohamad at September 25, 2008 2:19 PM | | Comments (442) | TrackBacks (0) | Previous Blog
1. I am not in the business of advising the Government. When I mentioned the advisability of pegging the Ringgit, it was in answer to a question posed by a reporter. If the Government noticed the report I would feel flattered.

2. Pegging currencies is not as easy as it sounds. The whole thing must be studied very carefully. Even getting agreement by a select panel is not easy. A decision made on the spur of the moment that pegging is not possible cannot really reflect the assessment made together with experts in consultation.

3. Pegging need not be always with the US Dollar. But the fact that the US Dollar is currently not stable is no reason why the idea should be summarily dismissed.

Continue reading PEGGING.

Snippets


Posted by Dr. Mahathir Mohamad at September 24, 2008 12:12 PM | | Comments (359) | TrackBacks (0) | Previous Blog
SHAHIDAN PENASIHAT NCER

Laporan Utusan Malaysia semalam (Sept 23, 2008) amat menggembirakan saya. Sahabat saya Dato Seri Shahidan Kassim, Menteri Besar Perlis yang gagal menjadi Menteri Besar walaupun Perlis di antara negeri yang menang dalam pilihanraya 2008 telah dilantik oleh YAB Dato Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Perdana Menteri Malaysia untuk menjadi penasihat dan pembantu beliau dalam mencapai visi serta misi Wilayah Ekonomi Koridor Utara.

Orang yang busuk hati mungkin menyangka perlantikan ini adalah sebagai cara untuk Abdullah mendapat sokongan ahli Majlis Tertinggi ini supaya dia tidak sokong tuntutan beberapa ahli lain supaya Abdullah berhenti sebelum mesyuarat bahagian.

Kalau saya tidak salah apabila sahaja tokoh tertinggi parti UMNO ternampak mungkin akan menimbul masalah kepada Abdullah, tokoh berkenaan akan dilantik ke jawatan tertentu atau jika tidak ada jawatan dilantik sebagai penasihat kepada YAB Perdana Menteri. Yang bernasib baik akan diberi taraf Menteri. Selepas itu senyap sunyi.

Apakah ini satu jenis rasuah, wallahua'lam.

Dengan begitu banyak penasihat amat menghairankan kenapa tidakan Perdana Menteri Abdullah tidak begitu bijak. Mungkinkah ini disebabkan adanya penasihat bertaraf Menteri pun tetapi tidak ada suara. Ikatan kekeluargaan antara penasihat dan yang dinasihati mungkin lebih utama daripada yang tidak ada ikatan kekeluargaan, wallahua'lam.

p/s Saya juga ucapkan tahniah kepada Ahli Parlimen Pasir Salak, Datuk Tajuddin Abdul Rahman yang dilantik sebagai Pengerusi Felcra.

Adalah dijangka ramai lagi yang akan dilantik ke jawatan-jawatan tertentu atau jawatan yang diwujudkan khusus.

Yang belum sokong sila percepatkan sokongan. Masih banyak jawatan yang kosong atau dicipta khusus.

SUPREME COUNCIL


Posted by Dr. Mahathir Mohamad at September 23, 2008 5:40 PM | | Comments (476) | TrackBacks (0) | Previous Blog
(Versi Bahasa Malaysia di akhir artikel ini)

1. The goings on in the UMNO Supreme Council are supposed to be secret. So it was quite a surprise when the press reported some important details regarding the Supreme Council's meeting on Thursday, September 18. What is even more surprising is that the reports expose the attacks against Dato Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi by several members of the council and their demand that the transfer of power should take place before the divisional meetings which would nominate the candidates for President.

2. It appears that the words used by some of the members were very strong. Dato Seri Rafidah Aziz even attacked the roles played by Abdullah's son-in-law Khairy Jamaluddin and the PM's son, Kamaluddin.

3. So harsh were the words used that Abdullah's face changed and he was reeling from the onslaught when Dato Seri Najib Tun Razak, ever the protector of Abdullah, stopped the proceedings. Najib promised he would speak on the matter with Abdullah.

Continue reading SUPREME COUNCIL.

THE BARISAN NASIONAL II


Posted by Dr. Mahathir Mohamad at September 22, 2008 1:52 PM | | Comments (538) | TrackBacks (0) | Previous Blog
1. When the Barisan Nasional did very badly in the March 2008 general elections, all the component parties except those in Sabah and Sarawak experienced losses as they had never done before.

2. In the aftermath of the elections, the component parties pointed accusing fingers at each other. Very quickly they were at each other's throats.

3. There were talks about leaving the BN. And now we are seeing the first party to do so and to become an independent party.

Continue reading THE BARISAN NASIONAL II.

Snippets


Posted by Dr. Mahathir Mohamad at September 20, 2008 11:48 AM | | Comments (472) | TrackBacks (0) | Previous Blog
LOSS OF CONFIDENCE

1. I was reading the comments on my blog on 'Mengingati Pejuang-Pejuang', when I came across a comment which respectfully disagreed with me that the defeat of BN in the General Election was not due to support for the opposition but disaffection with BN.

2. He said if that was the case they could have voted for the third candidate who actually lost his deposit.

3. I had lost in the Election of 1969 in a constituency with 35,000 voters of whom 30,000 were Malays. I had won in this constituency in 1964 with more than 4,000 votes majority. I figured that in 1969 that even if the non-Malay voters did not vote for me I would still win because support for me amongst the Malays had increased by almost 3,000.

Continue reading Snippets .

FINANCIAL TURMOIL


Posted by Dr. Mahathir Mohamad at September 18, 2008 3:45 PM | | Comments (574) | TrackBacks (0) | Previous Blog
1. The world is going through financial turmoil but most Malaysian politicians especially those in the Government seem blissfully unaware or unconcerned. Already 10 major banks in America have collapsed. The almighty US Dollar has depreciated. Now the huge insurance corporation, the American International Group is on the verge of bankruptcy.

2. In the last three quarters AIG lost US$18.5 billion dollars (68 billion Ringgit). AIG is struggling to raise funds to overcome its difficulties. If it fails it may have to opt for bankruptcy. But AIG is going to lose even more.

3. The failures are all due to playing with money, selling mortgages, selling papers and all kinds of financial dealings which have been invented by the finance houses in order to make huge sums of money out of nothing. Currency trading is one of them.

Continue reading FINANCIAL TURMOIL.

Snippets


Posted by Dr. Mahathir Mohamad at September 17, 2008 4:21 PM | | Comments (365) | TrackBacks (0) | Previous Blog
A STUDY IN SPINNING

1. Spinning is a method of making thread from cotton wool. But today, spinning has an entirely different meaning.

2. I was told about the spin doctors used by Tony Blair very soon after he became Prime Minister. I did not know what spin doctors do. And so I rejected the suggestion that I should employ spin doctors for press relations.

3. Now we all know all about spin doctors, the chief of whom is Kalimullah. He decides how to spin any report on Abdullah. Reporters often apologise to me because their reports on what I said at press conferences are quite different from what they wrote. But they claim they have no say on what appears in print from their reports.

Continue reading Snippets .

RACIALISM


Posted by Dr. Mahathir Mohamad at September 16, 2008 6:02 PM | | Comments (621) | TrackBacks (0) | Previous Blog
(Versi Bahasa Malaysia di akhir artikel ini)

1. When the Barisan Nasional did very badly in the last general election many observers inside and outside the country claimed that the Malaysian people of all races have rejected race-based politics.

2. The remarkable increase in the opposition Members of Parliament is said to be due to their representing the alternative to the race-based politics of the BN. How they can ignore the entirely Malay PAS and the overwhelmingly Chinese DAP I do not know. These are race based parties.

3. If indeed the people as a whole reject race-based parties as represented by the component parties of the BN, then they would reject PAS and DAP. And we should see an improvement in race relations.

Continue reading RACIALISM.

Snippets


Posted by Dr. Mahathir Mohamad at September 15, 2008 4:24 PM | | Comments (403) | TrackBacks (0) | Previous Blog
PUTRAJAYA

1. Putrajaya, dedicated to Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra is a city built on a greenfield site.

2. It has attracted a lot of visitors, both local and foreign. Many countries have studied the development of Putrajaya when they are planning their new administrative capital.

3. Malaysians are divided in their opinions of this artificially developed city. Some think it is a mega project which costs too much. Some seem to like it.

Continue reading Snippets .

MALAY UNITY AND MALAYSIAN UNITY


Posted by Dr. Mahathir Mohamad at September 15, 2008 8:27 AM | | Comments (684) | TrackBacks (0) | Previous Blog
1. Malaysia has a multi-racial population but is quite unique in that the division is not just by race alone but by religion, language, culture and economic situation. Unity in such a diversity is extremely difficult to achieve.

2. If we study other nations where people of different ethnic groups have immigrated, we will find that integration and unity depended on several important factors. Firstly the indigenous people or the people who had set up the country make up at least initially, a very big proportion of the population. Additionally they would be dominant and materially successful. The small numbers of immigrants trickling in found it judicious and beneficial to be identified with the numerically superior and powerful dominant inhabitants. They would willingly forget their original languages and adopt the language of the people of the country as well as their culture; they would intermarry and over time they would be totally absorbed and assimilated and identified with the indigenous people. In such a situation unity is not a problem. The United States is one such country where the original language and basic culture of first settlers are accepted by later immigrants.

3. In the old days before the coming of the Europeans the few Chinese and Indians who settled in Malacca adopted the language and much of the culture of the Malays. Though there was no assimilation nevertheless good relations existed between the immigrant settlers and the Malays. Unfortunately when later the China-born Chinese-speaking immigrants dominated in numbers as well as economic wealth, the Malay speaking Baba and Nyonya deliberately dropped their Malay language and Baba culture and reverted to being Chinese in every way possible.

Continue reading MALAY UNITY AND MALAYSIAN UNITY.

Snippets


Posted by Dr. Mahathir Mohamad at September 12, 2008 5:37 PM | | Comments (544) | TrackBacks (0) | Previous Blog
Corruption Report

1. Wonder what has happened to Mazlan Harun's report to the Anti Corruption Agency regarding corrupt acts by Dato Seri Abdullah and Dato Seri Najib, President and Deputy President respectively of UMNO.

2. According to Kadar Shah the report had also been made to the party but he did not think the party would act. It would incriminate the leaders of the party itself.

3. Previously when UMNO members in my former division of Kubang Pasu came with evidence that money was used to persuade the delegates not to vote for me, the case was dismissed by the UMNO Disciplinary Committee even though clear evidence were presented that they had been paid money not to vote for me.

Continue reading Snippets .

THE BARISAN NASIONAL


Posted by Dr. Mahathir Mohamad at September 12, 2008 8:15 AM | | Comments (612) | TrackBacks (0) | Previous Blog
(Versi Bahasa Malaysia di akhir artikel ini)

1. There is a tendency these days to condemn the National Front as being effete and an obstacle to the modern concepts of a free democratic Government. The miserable performance of the Barisan Nasional in the March elections is attributed by foreign observers as evidence of a wind of change, as a rejection of race-based politics of the past.

2. They believe that the Malay, Chinese and Indian voters voted for a change to a more liberal regime.

3. I have explained in a previous article that the debacle suffered by the Barisan Nasional was due to the voters' disgust with the leadership of Dato Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

Continue reading THE BARISAN NASIONAL.

THE SOCIAL CONTRACT 3


Posted by Dr. Mahathir Mohamad at September 10, 2008 5:17 PM | | Comments (857) | TrackBacks (0) | Previous Blog
1. I am sorry to have to revert to the social contract issue again because of some disturbing development.

2. Young Malays, including professionals are said to have espoused liberalism and meritocracy. They question the need for affirmative action and the New Economic Policy. They believe that the Malays should compete with the other races. If they fail then they do not deserve the dominant role in the politics of Malaysia. They should accept non-Malay leadership of the country.

3. This view of the young Malays sounds refreshing. Unfortunately these liberal Malays are in a minority. The majority of the Malay professionals and young Malays have hardened their stand on the position of their race since the disaster of 2008. They are incensed especially by the arrogance of the Bar Council. They now question the social contract and reject the need to adhere to it. This sounds almost like the Chinese stand. But the difference is startling and disturbing.

Continue reading THE SOCIAL CONTRACT 3.

Snippets


Posted by Dr. Mahathir Mohamad at September 8, 2008 3:56 PM | | Comments (751) | TrackBacks (0) | Previous Blog
Cuti-Cuti Malaysia

1. There are only 365 days in a year. Take away 104 days of Saturdays and Sundays weekends and we have left 261 working days. But Malaysia is multi-religious and we must not work during Raya, Chinese New Year and Deepavali. But we must also not work on Wesak Day, Taipusam, Christmas, New Year, Federal Territory Day, various Muslim holy days and I do not know what else.

2. But we must not work on by-election polling day also. Then there is the Agong's Birthday and the birthdays of all the Sultans and Governors.

3. We seem to find more reason for not working. If the holiday falls on a weekend, then have a long vacation beginning the day before Saturday and the day after Sunday - four days in all.

Continue reading Snippets .

POHON MAAF (2)


Posted by Dr. Mahathir Mohamad at September 5, 2008 6:32 PM | | Comments (1137) | TrackBacks (0) | Previous Blog
1. I had hesitated about writing the Pohon Maaf article even. I thought I would surely be misunderstood. I would be accused of being a racist.

2. Sure enough, although many agree with me, some felt sad that I had become a racist, others merely use nasty words against me.

3. When the opposition did very well in the 2008 elections, foreign observers talk about a wind of change in Malaysia; about how racialism had been rejected, how Anwar, their favourite would soon take over the Government.

Continue reading POHON MAAF (2).

Snippets


Posted by Dr. Mahathir Mohamad at September 4, 2008 5:50 PM | | Comments (1177) | TrackBacks (0) | Previous Blog
"Pohon Maaf"

1. Baru-baru ini Kerajaan dan Timbalan Perdana Menteri serta Menteri-Menteri sibuk memohon maaf kepada orang Cina dan India kerana apa yang dikatakan kata-kata yang dianggap sebagai terlalu perkauman (racist) yang telah disebut oleh beberapa pemimpin Melayu.

2. Sebenarnya orang Melayu sekarang amat takut jika mereka diberi label "racist". Mereka menulis dalam akhbar yang orang Melayu bukan racist. Demikianlah ketakutan mereka sehingga apabila hak mereka di buruk-burukan dan diserang, mereka tidak berani mempertahankan diri mereka.

3. Malang bagi TPM dan Kerajaan Dato Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi setelah memohon maaf secara terbuka permohonan maaf daripada pemimpin tertinggi Umno ditolak oleh pemimpin-pemimpin kaum berkenaan. Mereka menuntut supaya orang yang perkatakan perkataan yang dilabel "racist" sendiri memohon maaf.

Continue reading Snippets .

Snippets


Posted by Dr. Mahathir Mohamad at September 4, 2008 1:39 PM | | Comments (275) | TrackBacks (0) | Previous Blog
Media Truths

1. "Hold strongly to the principle of truth as the credibility of an institution depends on it" said Dato Seri Abdullah Badawi, the PM.

2. Does he really believe in reporting the truth or in spinning the truth?

3. When reporters met me during press conferences, I asked them why they are interviewing me when they know very well that anything I said would either be blacked out or spun so that I seem to say just the opposite of what I said.

Continue reading Snippets .

WHY DON'T I DO SOMETHING


Posted by Dr. Mahathir Mohamad at September 3, 2008 4:33 PM | | Comments (857) | TrackBacks (0) | Previous Blog
(Versi Bahasa Malaysia di akhir artikel ini)

1. All four computers in my house are somehow not connected to the Internet. I wonder if other people are having the same trouble?

2. I cannot access my blog though I was able to do so this morning. I read some of the comments.

3. I wanted to reply but I can only do so imprecisely from memory.

Continue reading WHY DON'T I DO SOMETHING.

THE SO-CALLED EMINENT PERSONS PANEL


Posted by Dr. Mahathir Mohamad at September 2, 2008 3:55 PM | | Comments (351) | TrackBacks (0) | Previous Blog
1. Suddenly, in the aftermath of the disastrous Permatang Pauh by-election an announcement was made that a panel of retired judges from India and Pakistan and lawyers from Australia and Malaysia had been set up to review the 1988 judicial crisis in Malaysia.

2. The Panel was set up in August 2007. Yet until now there had been no news about it and its work. Now we are given its report mainly to blame me for what it termed Malaysian Judicial Crisis and the removal of Tun Salleh Abas as Lord President of the Malaysian Courts in 1988.

3. This is a new idea by the Bar Council to invalidate the findings of the Tribunals set up according to the Constitution of Malaysia, the Supreme Law of Malaysia. It is a negation of the rule of law and a slap in the face for the Malaysian King, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

Continue reading THE SO-CALLED EMINENT PERSONS PANEL.
« August 2008 | Main Index | Archives | October 2008 »

About Me

Dr. Mahathir Mohamad

Putrajaya, Malaysia

Prime Minister of Malaysia
1981 - 2003

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Welcome to my Weblog. This site is dedicated to publishing my writings as and when I am able to pen my thoughts and opinions.

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