Marina Mahathir: before preaching to the world, teach your father first

KS Lee

I am not sure whether to be amused or sad at Marina Mahathir’s recent article, which appeared in The Star daily and was also reproduced in Malaysia Today.

The incident she narrated of two Caucasians being ‘’manhandled” by Ramadan stallholders mortifies me to be a Malaysian, and cautions me about visiting these bazaars.

But what amazed me more was her bit on inculcation of values particularly among the Malays. To quote her verbatim:

“What has happened to the sopan santun (manners) that we are known for, more so during Ramadan?

I grew up having manners drilled into me and if there’s one thing I am old-fashioned about, that would be it.

So I find it hard to understand when people are rude for no apparent reason.’’

I am curious to know who in her family “drilled” her. I find it difficult to imagine Mahathir doing such drilling on “sopan santun”. Or perhaps he believes in preaching rather than practising what he preaches! Which seems more up his alley.

To quote her again:

“If you’re polite, it is not news and you don’t become famous. But if you’re crass and crude, you get headlines and everyone remembers your name

There may be reasons for rage but what I don’t get is the infantile way it gets expressed.

Name-calling, jeering and shoving is the way of juvenile hooligans, not mature adults.

Have we regressed to such a childlike state that those are the only ways we can express rage?”

These statements by Marina are very telling and goes go a long way to explain the behaviour of her father.

Mahathir is suffering from a morbid fear of losing his grip of power and his fast slipping role of “kingmaker”. Mahathir when he retired unrealistically hoped he would continue to hold the reins of government by remote control. Unfortunately, even Abdullah Badawi would not docilely adhere to his dictates. But he was able to manipulate his resignation quite easily.

Next came Najib Razak, also with his endorsement. Much to his dismay, Najib showed he had a mind of his own and would not adhere to his manipulations either. In Mahathir’s book he had to go but the problem is Najib refuses adamantly.

So the good doctor has to think of a more potent medicine, as reviling the Prime Minister on social media, gate crashing his events like a “juvenile hooligan’’ have not worked. A more desperate scheme was hatched with his partners-in-crime, namely Sarawak Report Editor Claire Rewcastle Brown, The Edge and the opposition — doctored emails!

Unfortunately, the stars are not shining on the good doctor. His “source” had to get caught by the Thai police!

What would be Mahathir’s next ploy? According to his lackeys he has numerous other sources and tricks up his sleeves. Let us hope these hither to unrevealed sources would be more reliable and honest. The depths people once in “high places” stoop to wreak revenge and destroy a fellow being is shocking to even the most “unshockable” Malaysians.

Dear Marina, just like how you taught a young innocuous man manners on social media, is it not time you trained your aim at your father and gave him a few pointers on manners as he is clearly exhibiting signs of being “rudderless” and getting ruder and “kurang sopan santun” by the minute. A lesson in channelling his rage in socially more appropriate ways is much needed, especially during Ramadan.