Salleh recounts Dr M’s red face moments

(Malaysiakini) – Communication and Multimedia Minister Salleh Said Keruak has reminded Dr Mahathir Mohamad of certain episodes during his 22-year tenure as prime minister.

“Doesn’t Tun (Mahathir) remember BMF’s high-risk investment in Hong Kong?

“Doesn’t Tun remember Maminco’s loss in controlling the price of tin? Doesn’t Tun remember the loss incurred by Perwaja Steel? Doesn’t Tun remember the forex scandal? Doesn’t Tun remember the privatisation of MAS?

“What happened to all these firms and investments? If Tun remembers these things, would he also not feel ashamed?” he asked in a blog posting this morning.

Salleh was responding to Mahathir’s earlier blog post, in which he rued the absence of shame among public officials in the current administration.

The former premier, who now heads the opposition coalition Pakatan Harapan, accused these officials of sacrificing values, principles and pride in return for rewards.

He also noted how the prime minister, his family and associates have been accused of embezzling public funds.

Describing the accusations as serious, Salleh said Mahathir is giving the impression that his administration was untainted.

The minister then listed a series of books regarding Mahathir’s administration.

“Read the books by Khoo Boo Teik, ‘Paradoxes of Mahathirism: An Intellectual Biography of Mahathir Mohamad’ (1995) and John Hilley, ‘Malaysia: Mahathirism, Hegemony and the New Opposition’ (2001). Also read books by DK Mauzy, GP Means, Harold Crouch, William Case, KS Jomo and ET Gomez.

“Their research can be summarised as this – Tun governed with Machiavellian principles, as well as practised cronyism and nepotism,” he said.

On that note, Salleh reminded Mahathir of a Malay proverb “bagai ketam menyuruh anaknyaberjalan dengan betul (a crab which tells its offspring to walk straight).”