October 2008 Archives

TINGKAT EMPAT NAJIB?


Posted by Dr. Mahathir Mohamad at October 28, 2008 3:06 PM | | Comments (693) | TrackBacks (0) | Previous Blog
1. Satu inovasi yang diperkenalkan oleh Dato Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi apabila sahaja dia menjadi Perdana Menteri ialah penubuhan satu badan penasihat khas yang dianggotai oleh menantu, anak dan kawan-kawan muda mereka. Kononnya mereka ini bijak dan pandai lebih daripada orang yang lebih tua dan berpengalaman. Pendapat mereka ini lebih dipercayai oleh Abdullah daripada Kabinet atau Majlis Tertinggi UMNO.

2. Lulusan Oxford dan Cambridge memang dianggap istimewa, tetapi yang lulus dari universiti-universiti ini bercambah dan ia tidak menjamin kebolehan yang luarbiasa. Lagi pun, orang-orang muda ini tidak punyai pengalaman mendalam dalam pentadbiran, politik dan ekonomi negara.

3. Yang lebih buruk ialah mereka mempunyai kepentingan tertentu dan berhajat untuk mendapat pulangan wang yang banyak daripada pengaruh mereka keatas Perdana Menteri dan Kerajaan.

Continue reading TINGKAT EMPAT NAJIB?.

Snippets


Posted by Dr. Mahathir Mohamad at October 28, 2008 8:07 AM | | Comments (253) | TrackBacks (0) | Previous Blog
LITIGATION

1. Malaysian politicians seem to be resorting to litigation in order to gag their critics and detractors.

2. When I was PM and Anwar Ibrahim was being tried, he sued me for 100 million Ringgit for some statements that I made. I had to find lawyers to take up my case. Fortunately I won. Otherwise I would have been bankrupted.

3. When the press asked me about Anwar's acquittal I pointed out that though the two judges in the Appeals Court cleared Anwar on the basis that the complainant was not a reliable witness and that the "event" did not take place on the date as reported in the charge, but they still said they believed that Anwar did indulge in sodomy.

Continue reading Snippets.

HAPPY DEEPAVALI


Posted by Dr. Mahathir Mohamad at October 27, 2008 10:26 AM | | Comments (101) | TrackBacks (0) | Previous Blog
My wife and I wish all our Indian friends, especially readers of chedet.com and my Facebook fans a very Happy Deepavali.

I hope Malaysians of all races will use this joyous occasion to visit their friends of the Hindu faith with visitations to open houses.

This will help strengthen and further promote harmonious relations between us Malaysians of various races in the spirit of Deepavali, the festival of lights that signifies the triumph of good over evil.

Happy Deepavali!

Mahathir and Hasmah

POLITIK WANG DALAM UMNO


Posted by Dr. Mahathir Mohamad at October 24, 2008 5:54 PM | | Comments (513) | TrackBacks (0) | Previous Blog
1. Saya mendapat banyak laporan berkenaan dengan politik wang dalam UMNO. Demikianlah keadaan sehingga Dato Seri Dr Rais Yatim mencadang secara sinis supaya jawatan-jawatan Majlis Tertinggi ditender. Dato Seri Shahidan Kassim amat marah dan akan tender sebanyak RM1 untuk Rais. Bila makan cili rasa pedas.

2. Saya diberi tahu wang banyak digunakan. Dahulu cuma ketua pemuda bahagian sahaja dapat. Ini menyebabkan pemegang jawatan lain dalam pergerakan enggan bekerjasama. Sekarang semua mendapat sogokan dan hasilnya amat memuaskan bagi penyogok.

3. Ketua-ketua Bahagian dan ahli jawatankuasa juga dijemput ke Kuala Lumpur untuk berjumpa orang tertentu. Mereka di arah supaya mencalonkan orang-orang tertentu untuk Timbalan Presiden, Naib Presiden dan ahli Majlis Tertinggi. Juga pencalonan Ketua Pemuda. Berkesan atau tidak akan kita lihat daripada pencalonan yang dibuat.

Continue reading POLITIK WANG DALAM UMNO.

Snippets


Posted by Dr. Mahathir Mohamad at October 23, 2008 4:21 PM | | Comments (528) | TrackBacks (0) | Previous Blog
DATO SHAH RUKH KHAN

1. Saya berasa malu apabila anugerah Dato kepada Shah Rukh Khan dipertikaikan. Kita kerap juga memberi gelaran Dato Kehormat kepada orang asing bagi menghargai sumbangan mereka kepada negeri atau negara. Jasa mereka ini kebanyakannya kurang daripada jasa Shah Rukh Khan.

2. Saya terlibat secara langsung dengan kurniaan bintang-bintang kehormatan kepada orang-orang yang berjasa tiap-tiap tahun. Kerap kali saya tidak kenal pun calon-calon yang dikemukakan.

3. Sesungguhnya ramai yang lebih layak daripada calon-calon ini tidak termasuk dalam senarai dan tidak mendapat bintang-bintang kehormatan. Kemudian saya ditanya kenapa beri kepada orang-orang ini dan tidak orang itu. Saya tidak dapat jawab kerana tiada siapa yang diberi tugas memilih calon-calon mengemukakan nama mereka-mereka ini. Mereka juga tersilap. Tiap-tiap tahun ini berlaku.

Continue reading Snippets .

BIDAS MEMBIDAS


Posted by Dr. Mahathir Mohamad at October 21, 2008 3:52 PM | | Comments (786) | TrackBacks (0) | Previous Blog
1. Saya terkejut apabila Dato Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi membuat kenyataan bahawa sebagai seorang yang bukan ahli UMNO saya tidak berhak memberi pandangan saya terhadap apa yang sedang berlaku dalam UMNO.

2. Saya teringat akan jawapan Tun Abdul Razak sebagai Presiden UMNO dan Perdana Menteri apabila ditanya oleh pemberita tentang komen saya berkenaan UMNO dalam tahun 1970. Beliau berkata sebagai orang yang bukan ahli UMNO (saya telah disingkir oleh UMNO pada masa itu) saya bebas berkata apa sahaja.

3. Saya hairan kenapa semasa saya masih ahli UMNO setelah letak jawatan sebagai Presiden UMNO saya juga tidak dibenar berjumpa ahli UMNO dan pemimpinnya dari peringkat bahagian sehingga peringkat Majlis Tertinggi. Ahli UMNO juga dilarang daripada menjemput saya untuk berucap dalam majlis UMNO atau menghadiri apa-apa majlis di mana saya akan berucap. Saya juga tidak dibenar berucap di Universiti. Jemputan kepada saya ditarik balik atas arahan orang tertentu dalam Kerajaan dan parti.

Continue reading BIDAS MEMBIDAS.

THE FINANCIAL TURMOIL AND MALAYSIA


Posted by Dr. Mahathir Mohamad at October 20, 2008 6:19 PM | | Comments (446) | TrackBacks (0) | Previous Blog
1. I am glad to hear that Malaysia will be spared from the fallout of the systemic collapse of the whole world's financial system. This ability to isolate Malaysia and Malaysian banks from the effect of the bankruptcies of all the biggest banks in the world must be regarded as a miracle. Our ability to manage our financial system better than others must earn us the admiration of the world.

2. I hope we are right in forecasting the effect on us of the collapse of the world's financial system. But I have a sneaking feeling that all is not well.

3. We are a trading nation which trades with all countries of the world. The United States and Europe are among the biggest of our trading partners. Roughly 40 per cent of our total trade is with them. I may be wrong but I believe that if our buyers cannot pay for what they import from us, we would not make the profit we had expected. In fact we would lose a lot of money as we will not recover the cost of the goods we sell even.

Continue reading THE FINANCIAL TURMOIL AND MALAYSIA.

PEMILIHAN UMNO


Posted by Dr. Mahathir Mohamad at October 17, 2008 4:50 PM | | Comments (711) | TrackBacks (0) | Previous Blog
(Versi Bahasa Inggeris di akhir artikel ini)

1. Seluruh Negara sedang perhatikan penamaan calon-calon jawatan Majlis Tertinggi UMNO. Keputusan Dato Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi untuk tidak pertahankan kerusi Presiden parti telah menyemarakkan lagi minat terhadap siapa yang akan memimpin UMNO. Ini kerana jangkaannya ialah siapa yang dipilih jadi Presiden UMNO akan turut dilantik Perdana Menteri Malaysia. Jika pengundi UMNO gagal memilih seorang pentadbir yang baik dan jujur, negara akan sekali lagi menempuh keadaan yang tidak stabil dan kejatuhan ekonomi. Tidak seorang pun rakyat Malaysia yang inginkan keadaan ini. Di dalam keadaan terdesak mereka mungkin akan pilih parti pembangkang pada pilihanraya akan datang. Dan ini tidak akan membuat keadaan menjadi lebih baik. Malahan ianya akan menjadikannya lebih buruk daripada penyandang jawatan yang tidak cekap yang ada sekarang.

2. Bagi UMNO empat tahun akan datang ini amat penting. Sesiapa juga yang menjadi Presiden parti, jika gagal memulih parti, bermakna bahawa masanya telah tamat bagi parti yang tertua di antara parti yang memperjuangkan kemerdekaan sesebuah negara. Jika ini terjadi maka kepimpinan UMNO yang akan datang ini akan termaktub dalam sejarah sebagai pengkhianat kepada parti politik yang pada satu masa dulu amat berkuasa dan terkenal.

3. UMNO telah menggunapakai sistem demokrasi untuk pastikan pengkhianat parti dapat ditolak dan digantikan dengan mereka yang lebih berupaya. Tetapi jelas demokrasi UMNO tidak selalunya berjaya. Ramai yang berjaya merebut jawatan walaupun mereka sebenarnya tidak berkebolehan dan tidak jujur. Apabila sampai ke puncak mereka gunakan jawatan dan kuasa yang ada untuk menghalang demokrasi daripada menyelamatkan parti. Dengan memberi jawatan dan wang serta pangkat, dengan menyalahgunakan kuasa yang diberikan kepada mereka, dengan menggunakan pelbagai bentuk ancaman, mereka ini telah berjaya menyekat apa-apa usaha untuk mengusir mereka, setidak-tidaknya untuk sekian masa.

Continue reading PEMILIHAN UMNO.

UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI PETRONAS


Posted by Dr. Mahathir Mohamad at October 15, 2008 12:59 PM | | Comments (351) | TrackBacks (0) | Previous Blog
1. Pada 24hb Ogos saya, sebagai Canselor U.T.P. telah menyampaikan ijazah-ijazah kejuruteraan kepada 1,086 graduan. Saya amat tertarik dengan kampus U.T.P yang terletak di Tronoh, Perak di atas bekas tanah lombong yang amat luas. Lanskapnya begitu cantik dan udaranya nyaman dengan dihiasi pokok-pokok besar dan pokok-pokok kecil. Saya fikir kampus yang begini cantik dan tenang, jauh dari bandar besar amat sesuai untuk menuntut ilmu.

2. Penuntut yang dapat masuk universiti ini amat bernasib baik kerana lebih daripada 10,000 yang pohon untuk masuk tetapi hanya 500 sahaja yang diterima. Ramai yang diterima mendapat biasiswa daripada Petronas, JPA dan lain-lain agensi Kerajaan dan juga syarikat-syarikat petroliam. Lebih 10% daripada graduan terdiri daripada penuntut luar negeri.

3. Dewan Besar amatlah cantik dan dapat menampung sebilangan yang besar daripada graduan dan ahli keluarga mereka.

Continue reading UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI PETRONAS.

DO WE NEED A STRONG GOVERNMENT


Posted by Dr. Mahathir Mohamad at October 13, 2008 3:03 PM | | Comments (491) | TrackBacks (0) | Previous Blog
1. In a previous article I said that a multiracial country needs a strong Government.

2. A weak Government would not be able to deal with the quarrelling between the races, which is the natural tendency of most multiracial societies. Indeed in some multiracial countries violence and fighting are common. Witness the countries around us.

3. For the slightest reason the races would be at each other's throats. One incident was the reaction in some countries because of the currency crisis.

Continue reading DO WE NEED A STRONG GOVERNMENT.

Snippets


Posted by Dr. Mahathir Mohamad at October 11, 2008 8:13 AM | | Comments (475) | TrackBacks (0) | Previous Blog
NOT PRAYING TOGETHER

A commentator on my blog remarked that I did not sit together with Dato Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and Dato Seri Najib Tun Razak at Friday prayers in the National Mosque just before the end of Ramadhan.

I must explain that since I became Minister of Education in 1974 I had always prayed outside the main prayer hall. When I became Prime Minister the ushers led me towards the place just behind the Imam. I declined because I still preferred praying outside. Even today I have been praying outside.

Only for Hari Raya prayers when the Agong would be present I would show respect for him by praying in the same row with him.

Continue reading Snippets .

ZAID IBRAHIM THE DE FACTO MINISTER OF JUSTICE


Posted by Dr. Mahathir Mohamad at October 8, 2008 3:54 PM | | Comments (588) | TrackBacks (0) | Previous Blog
1. I was told members of the Cabinet were very upset when Zaid Ibrahim was appointed as Minister. It was known to everyone that Zaid helped PAS to defeat the BN candidate for Kota Baru. He was sore because he did not succeed to become division head of Kota Baru and he was not chosen as BN candidate for that constituency despite being the head of a legal firm of a hundred lawyers and being also well-heeled. During the elections he was in Perth, Australia.

2. The startled party and party officials suddenly found Zaid appointed as Minister in the Prime Minister's Department responsible for law. They were puzzled by Abdullah's choice. But then it is not so unexpected after all because he appointed another campaigner for PAS as Deputy Minister, and a man with dubious past as Senator and Minister.

3. The moment Zaid was appointed he went to town. Apparently without bothering to consult the Cabinet or the Prime Minister he publicly proposed so-called legal and judicial reforms. He proposed that judges should be appointed by a panel on which sit several members of the Bar Council. He did not think it odd that members of the bar would in the course of their work be facing the judges they appointed. I suppose he thinks that it will be alright because gratefulness is not a Malaysian value.

Continue reading ZAID IBRAHIM THE DE FACTO MINISTER OF JUSTICE.

Snippets


Posted by Dr. Mahathir Mohamad at October 7, 2008 5:02 PM | | Comments (217) | TrackBacks (0) | Previous Blog
There are far too many comments and questions in my blog that I simply cannot respond to all. But I will try.

Pegging

The Bretton Woods System did not fail because the United States ran out of gold. It failed because Britain decided to devalue the pound. President Richard Nixon decided to go off the gold standard much later.

After that it was a free for all as currency traders fiddled with valueless paper money.

If we have a trading currency, it should be controlled by an international body unbeholden to the US or anyone else. Poor countries must be adequately represented.

Like all systems we need to study the pros and cons before we approve.

If during all these years we could use the US Dollar as a kind of standard, I don't see why we cannot use gold. Gold prices do fluctuate but the range is far less than with paper currency. Besides there will always be a demand for gold so that you will not lose too much if gold depreciates.

Continue reading Snippets .

Snippets


Posted by Dr. Mahathir Mohamad at October 7, 2008 8:11 AM | | Comments (405) | TrackBacks (0) | Previous Blog
KHAIRI'S DILEMMA

1. I feel so sad about the plight of Khairi Jamaluddin, one of the candidates for head of UMNO Youth. He says that he is being prevented from meeting UMNO youths. This might result in his losing the race for the much coveted post.

2. I would advise him not to be disheartened. There are so many other ways of influencing Pemuda than meeting with them. I will not enumerate them as he will know how to use these other ways.

3. If I remember correctly he won the post of Deputy Chief of Pemuda without anyone casting any votes. He won it uncontested. Apart from UMNO Youth chief Hishamuddin Hussein who gave other possible candidates a tongue lashing - telling them in no uncertain terms that they must not contest the position because it was reserved for the Prime Minister's son-in-law, others suspected of having ambitions to contest for the post received phone calls from family members of the PM and other influential supporters not to do anything to spoil the ambition of this first time UMNO member with absolutely no track record from winning uncontested.

Continue reading Snippets .

GIMME THREE MONTHS MORE


Posted by Dr. Mahathir Mohamad at October 6, 2008 11:31 AM | | Comments (358) | TrackBacks (0) | Previous Blog
1. The UMNO General Assembly which will this time elect the members of the Supreme Council has now been postponed to March 2009, three months later.

2. This, I am told, is at the insistence of Dato Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. He is said to need this time in order to put the country right. This includes eradicating poverty, judicial and legal reforms, social reforms and something about Islam Hadhari.

3. He had had five years to do all these but everyone knows nothing has been accomplished by him. Now he says he will do all these in three months. Can we believe he can? Can we believe these are the real reasons why he will not go until March 2009, only three months after the originally scheduled General Assembly?

Continue reading GIMME THREE MONTHS MORE.

HUMAN MEMORY


Posted by Dr. Mahathir Mohamad at October 2, 2008 2:09 PM | | Comments (475) | TrackBacks (0) | Previous Blog
1. I have a problem. I cannot remember the date I was married. As a result I always get into trouble with my wife.

2. She has a remarkable memory for dates, not just her own or our special dates but she can remember the dates of birth of all her children, the dates of their marriage, the birthdays of all 17 of my grandchildren and even of her sisters and brothers and late parents.

3. So I can rely on her and sign the birthday cards she passed on to me. Unfortunately she cannot remember much of what she read when studying medicine. So I used to coach her. Thus we complement each other.

Continue reading HUMAN MEMORY.
« September 2008 | Main Index | Archives | November 2008 »

About Me

Dr. Mahathir Mohamad

Putrajaya, Malaysia

Prime Minister of Malaysia
1981 - 2003

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