Dr M says Najib can save PPSMI: The falling out between Mahathir and Muhyiddin?

To have Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad (a man who hated the British like poison) to come out in defense of the English language is really something like a 180° about-turn looking West, linguistically speaking only. One of the very rare times that Dr. Mahathir has put on his thinking cap and saying something sensible. Science is definitely not a subject that our kids should learn using Bahasa Malaysia because many scientific terms cannot be translated and carried by BM.

It may be alright if we say “bas” while the Orang Inggeris say “bus” as the sound of both almost the same. Science students will tell you the same cannot be applied in scientific terminology. Our Malaysian scientists trained in BM Science in future will make a mockery of themselves if they speak at international forum and the other delegates have to crane their ears and still at a loss to know what the speakers are talking about. 

From the face of things, to the ordinary eyes, Dr. M’s move is just a paradigm shift, but an analysis of events, stories we have been hearing, reading and receiving from grapevines, blogs, kopitiam talks, etc., seem to suggest a shift or a break-up of the so-called 3M Alliance (Mahathir, Muhyiddin and Mukhriz). This linkage between Mahathir and Muhyiddin never occurred before, so the breakup could be due to some mega project(s) and political strategy going drastically sour and irked Dr M.

The answer, my friends, is probably written in the wind, the wind that carried rumors to my distant ears that the change of attitude could possibly have something to do with up and coming, and derailed projects in Johor such as: Double Tracking Rail Project being the final leg of EDTP project in the Peninsular, the Segamat-Tangkak and Central Spine Expressway, mega property projects in Iskandar Region (hidden reason for DPM’s recent visit to Singapore), and even perhaps the RM50 billion newly announced Petronas Pengerang project in Johor (Muhyiddin’s home state). But what I gather from the various blogs, news articles and news from close friends back home in Malaysia, the most controversial and likely one is the Double Tracking Rail project from Gemas to Johor Bahru as a start-off point and breakup of this 3M Alliance, for the following reasons.

All Malaysians know that the original contract was awarded to MMC (Syed Mokhtar Al-Bukhary) by Dr Mahathir during his reign as PM. Then Pak Lah cancelled it, and Mahathir started his campaign to kick out Badawi which he did successfully. The in-coming PM Najib was supposed to toe Mahathir’s line, but Rosmah wanted it her way (killing Mahathir’s favorite song softly “My Way”). Then came RPK’s article about making millions by being PM Najib’s golfing partner in which it was revealed George Kent’s Big Boss, Tan Sri Tan Kay Hock, demanded RM500 million from China CREC, RM200 million for Rosmah and RM300 million for himself.

Even though Puan Sri Tan Swee Bee (Kay Hock’s wife) and Cindy (Desmond Lim’s wife) had been paying for all Rosmah’s overseas trips and extravagant shopping, the revelation by RPK forced Rosmah to temporarily give Tan Sri Tan Tay Hock and company, a wide berth, while friendship and gratitude may remain in tact.

This was when Kay Hock went to Muhyiddin (a Johorean) and Mukhriz (with Mahathir’s blessings) to grab the project with another Chinese horse since CREC was tarnished by RPK. This was the start of the 3M Alliance with the main objectives to secure the project, to remove Najib (and say good-bye to Rosmah), to install Muhyiddin as PM and Mukhriz as his Deputy (the dream of Mahathir Dynasty coming true for Dr Mahathir to finally retire!)

However, this idiot Muhyiddin is never liked by the Johor Malays including MB Ghani Othman and Kerishamuddin (for obvious reason Mukhriz going on top of him) including least of all, the Sultan of Johor. You will find that whenever Muhyiddin goes to Johor, it is always balik kampong Pagoh, his constituency and his only base to prop up his tenure and dying popularity in UMNO.

Something must have gone astray in the 3M Alliance, either to do with the projects or politics. We don’t know, but we know Dr M is not happy with Muhyiddin and he has no qualm showing his displeasure publicly, wielding his influence within UMNO as usual.

It does seem to the Rakyat that the 3M is more focused on 3P – Power, Politics and Projects, the common denomination of which is Money.

JO