Mahathir the happiest man: Part 2
Mahathir has been reading, studying and digesting the Malay mind very intensely. So intense that he could maneuver them to an extent that Malays take him as a hero without even realizing they are being deceived and follow through his dubious intend and motives.
After the 1981 big fight for Deputy President, Mahathir had the initial grip on UMNO when he balanced the TR/Musa factor. Musa was all out to make his existence felt as he was there as Deputy by the will of Mahathir.
Musa was not at all happy that TR was in the line-up again but was not showing as appointing TR as the Finance Minister was on the unanimous call from the delegates and wishes of men on the ground.
The defeat of TR was taken sorely by the public as he was the man who had done too much for the Bumiputra in the efforts of economic re-engineering of the rakyat as stipulated in the New Economic Policy which was well accepted by the people including the Non-Malays.
The ism of TR was everywhere; banking sector, commerce, politics and the public sector as he was looked upon as the de facto Prime Minister in the eyes of every Malaysian during Hussein Onn’s administration.
TR was hands on over every government project for the Malays and Bumiputra and he did his job well and accepted by the people, as there were no element of corruption and cronyism and everything he proposed and implemented gave direct impact on the people especially among the Malays and Bumiputra.
