Rojak and Cocktail: Mahathir: An icon without an icon

Mahathir: An icon without an icon

The presence of Dr Mahathir Mohamad of Malaysia is ubiquitous. It extends far beyond the new administrative capital of Putrajaya on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur, or even the Petronas Twin Towers, that jut, so handsomely, into the open sky, both of which were just two of Mahathir's many grand projects.

Having been at the helm for so long - more than 30 percent of Malaysians under the age of 22 have not experienced life under any other prime minister aside from the modern and autocratic rule of Mahathir - many Malaysians born after 1981 must surely wonder if they are not just losing a prime minister, but a paternal figure too.

The analogy is not a far stretch. Even to those Malaysians born before 1981, who had the privilege of experiencing leadership under three other Malaysian premiers, the departure of Mahathir remains unique. Mahathir not only changed the way the country saw itself, warts and all, but how others reacted to it on an international scale. There is no Mahathir Mohamad Bridge, Mahathir Hall and not even a Mahathir Boulevard. The one structure that has retained him name, for sentimental reasons rather than anything else, is a Maha clinic among his constituency in Kedah. Mahathir's iconic presence, in other words, was literally achieved without an icon.

Mahathir still commands influence in UMNO, but in a sign of his fading importance, political figures have lined up to condemn his campaign against the government which included comments that it lacked "guts","half past six" government. No one can deny the fact that during Dr Mahathir's reign ,we achived our ambition to build once the world tallest, now world third "Petronas twin tower", we built the "Penang Bridge", total length of the bridge is 13.5 km, making it among the longest bridges in the world as well as a national landmark. Most importantly, during his reign (1981-2003), we lost (or gain?) half an hour of our lives. On December 31, 1981, at 4 pm GMT, Malaysia flicked all its clocks and watches half an hour ahead,and leapt ahead to (4pm + 8 hours) = midnight on January 1, 1982, to match East Malaysia's time (GMT+8). Singapore rang in New Year's Day a half hour before it had in the preceding year, to avoid confusion of not being certain what time it was whenever they crossed the Causeway. No babies could have been born in between 11:30 and 11:59 pm on December 31, 1981. Another achievement !!

A physician from the small northern state of Kedah, Mahathir made his name in politics by defining what he called "the Malay dilemma." He portrayed Malays as downtrodden among the economically vibrant Chinese minority, but too apathetic and fatalistic to do much about it. It was a stereotype he was determined to break. With a firmly held view that social freedoms are luxuries that follow, not precede, economic development, Mahathir has pursued a grand vision to make Malaysia a fully developed country by 2020.

He vigorously wooed foreign investment during the Asian boom years of the 1980s and early 1990s, adopted hands-on economic management and spent billions on mega-projects that sometimes indulged a taste for the grandiose. A small nation, Malaysia neverthe less boasts ownership of the world's tallest buildings, a state-of-the-art Formula One racing circuit; and an opulent administrative capital complete with presidential palace. Mahathir also carved out a role as spokesman for the developing world and moderate Islam, railing against the perceived evils of globalization and decrying the war on terrorism as an excuse to attack Muslims. Yet he has cracked down on suspected Islamic militants - including one who hosted two of the Sept. 11 hijackers during 2000 - and won Malaysia status as a U.S. ally against terrorism.

Early in his reign, Mahathir demonstrated a political toughness by crushing a challenge within his own United Malays National Organization in 1987. His purge included more than 100 arrests and rushed-through changes to the constitution to strip some powe rs from the judiciary. His fiercely independent, patriarchal side flared again during the Asian financial crisis in the late 1990s. When currencies and stock prices started tumbling and foreign investors pulled out, Mahathir railed at "rogue speculators" he accused of trying to destroy Asian economies and charged the West wanted to re-colonize the East through economic control. As contemporaries like Gen. Suharto fell in neighboring Indonesia, Mahathir rejected free-market conventional wisdom and imposed capital controls that protected Malaysia from the worst of the crisis.

By 2001, Malaysia had recovered faster than many count ries in the region. Mahathir also said he suspected the financial crisis might stem from a Jewish "agenda," saying Jews "are not happy to see the Muslims progress."

**********

Some comments by Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad:

"The Malays are spiritually inclined, tolerant and easygoing. The non-Malays, and especially the Chinese, are materialistic, aggressive and have an appetite for work. For equality to come about, it is necessary that these strikingly contrasting races adj ust to each other." - 1970 book, "The Malay Dilemma." "We are told that we must open up, that trade and commerce must be totally free. Free for whom? For rogue speculators. For anarchists wanting to destroy weak countries in their crusade for open societies, to force us to submit to the dictatorship of inte rnational manipulators." - April 1, 2002, speech that urged Muslim leaders to include Palestinian suicide bombings in a definition of terrorism. "It is good governance by good people that we need. And feudal kings, even dictators, have provided and can provide good governance." - April 26, 2002, speech. "There were times when I was elated with what I thought was my success. But mostly I feel disappointed, because I achieved too little result from my principal task, the task of making my race a race that is respected, a race that is honorable, a race tha t is highly regarded." - June 21, 2002, speech, three days before announcing plans to retire. "If the innocent people who died in the attack on Afghanistan, and those who have been dying from lack of food and medical care in Iraq, are considered collaterals, are not the 3,000 who died in New York and the 200 in Bali also just collaterals, whose d eaths are necessary for the operations to succeed?" - Feb. 24, 2003, speech. "The Sept. 11 attack on America, which supported Israel, was made an excuse for the Anglo-Saxon Europeans to return to their old violent ways. Their strategy to fight terrorism is through attacking Muslim countries and Muslims, whether they are guilty or not." - June 19, 2003, speech.

**********

Dr M: Build the bridge and I'll stop commenting

Hamidah Atan
New Straits Times

Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said yesterday that he would stop commenting if the bridge across the Johor Strait was built.

"Pak Lah (Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi) has to build the bridge. If he does that, I don’t have any more comments.

" His reply came spontaneously when he was asked by reporters to comment on deputy Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin’s sale of his stake of 10.2 million shares in ECM Libra Avenue Bhd, a financial services company. Khairy is also Abdullah’s son-in-law.

"Oh yes... that is good. First, they have to sell, then they should leave the fourth floor and go away somewhere and Pak Lah has got to build the bridge. If he does that, I don’t have any more comments.

"Now Proton is dead... all the vendors, all the dealers and salespeople are all losing money, so they are doing a good job serving Proton as promised by the Prime Minister."

Dr Mahathir, speaking after a convocation ceremony at the Multimedia University, also challenged Khazanah Nasional’s board of directors to show proof that they did not support Proton’s decision to buy debt-ridden MV Agusta SpA in 2004.

Negri Sembilan Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamad Hassan had said on Saturday that he was in Khazanah at that time and "we never agreed to the purchase as Agusta was saddled with a RM400-million debt, but the plans went directly to the top". Dr Mahathir said: "They can prove it. I am quite sure they have documentary proof of this. Bring it out and show that there was no approval."

The former prime minister also hit back at Pahang Umno chief, Datuk Seri Adnan Yaakob, who alleged that Dr Mahathir was being used by some quarters. "He (Adnan) is entitled to his opinion. When I was prime minister for 22 years, there were a lot of irresponsible people influencing me." On the statement by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz that he believed Dr Mahathir wanted to topple the Prime Minister, Dr Mahathir replied: "He has his opinion, I have my opinion, takde apa (it’s nothing).

This is a democratic country. It is his right to say what he wants." Asked if he had such an intention, Dr Mahathir said: "Not me. I have no way of toppling the Prime Minister of this country... no, no way. I am not forming a new party and I am not doing anything. I am not even allowed to talk to Umno (leaders and members)".