Dr Mahathir: The Pontius Pilate of Malaysia?
J. D. Lovrenciear, Malaysia Chronicle
Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad easily qualifies for the cloak of Pontius Pilot. And that is no compliment by any means.
There was a time when Malaysians stood by you as you promised a developed world for all of us. We went along with you backing your battering ram against the world.
Your war cry to ‘Buy British Last’ made us believe that we can be counted in the world. Likewise you hammered the Australians and we demanded their subservience.
You tried to pull the carpet under the feet of Singaporeans and we developed despite for them. You thundered your views on world economic and political matters and we believed you even to the extent of rubbishing off George Soros.
Some leaders of neighboring counties even hailed you as their mentor and brother – never mind the fact that one of them is a fugitive today and the other is being critically appraised for having allegiance to military rule.
You bulldozed through mega projects and we despised those who had second thoughts about your plans for all Malaysians. And so with the rakyat backing you all the way we saw the birth of Proton; the rise of Petronas Twin Towers; the hatching of Formula One motor sports; the hacking out for the Bakun Dam – just to name a few.
Most of us senior citizens even remember how we were made to rubbish off Bapa Malaysia and hail you as the Bapa Moden Malaysia. And we all followed you all the way.
Even on that seemingly fateful day you shed tears at the UMNO rostrum announcing your resignation as the PM of Malaysia, your fellow ministers sprung to your side – right and left, pleading that you retract.
But today, in your vintage years, we are witnessing your diabolic intentions with crystal clarity a you unashamedly continue to divide we Malaysians along race barriers. Your Malay Dilemma is making a full circle indeed.
Your mega structures and projects have only made this nation more vulnerable to changing economic uncertainties. The Proton is today on the verge of collapse without a saviour investor take-over. Imagine where we would be today if only you did not ‘cheat’ on the Asian Car venture then to get your “Mahathir’s Malaysian car” going.
The Bakun Dam has punched a hole so deep into the gorges of our economic resistance that we may never recover – not to mention the damage to the livelihood of indigenous people or the marvels of mother-nature.
The Twin Towers had to be near-salvaged by a telco tycoon and still struggles to draw one hundred percent occupancy.
What about the BMF scandal? The tin ore scam? And many more sins against the rakyat that freely circulates on the World Wide Web.
But what is most hurting is the fact that having been at the helm of this nation for so long, you not only killed all succession plans for the nation leaving us with two PMs who are unable to lead a nation into the twenty first century. Even you have not lent your support but continue to batter at their kinks making them flip and flop.
Worse, during your tenure as a leader, you made us all believe that opposition parties like PAS were nothing but a band of Arab-like camel-riding sword-wielding ultra conservatives. Today we know that the leader of PAS is respected by all races and creeds. He is to many a fine example of a living saint. Ask any Kelantanese Malay, Chinese or India and they will tell that to your face without hesitation
You sacked people who are still fighting relentlessly to prove your misdeeds. In wanting to divide and rule you sowed the seeds of deceit, hatred, mistrust and above all suspicion amongst Malaysians.
And now in your sunset years you are not adding any value to the struggle of a single nation. You are still pitting man against man along race-based divisions.
Why? Why Mr Mahathir Mohammad?
Why are you not playing the role of a seasoned and wise politician, leading not just Malaysians but even our neighbors with words of wisdom, inspiration and integrity? What is terribly wrong with you?
Are you not aware that you may be remembered upon your tombstone as the Pontius Pilot of Malaysia – the leader who betrayed his own people.
