Dr M: Malaysians now have a (1MDB) PM who believes cash is king
A foreign writer has written about “cash is king” 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) Prime Minister Najib Razak and published in the online eTN Global Travel Industry News.
The report quoted former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad as saying “Malaysians feel helpless” and that Malaysia “is a country where bribery and corruption are rife”.
No News Is Bad News re-posts the report for visitors and readers’ reading pleasure:
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| Corrupt Malaysia in 2011 at 50% … today? |
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Former PM Mahathir says Malaysians feel helpless
RITA PAYNE, SPECIAL TO ETN SEP 30, 2016
Not many 91-year-olds can fill a conference hall. The exception is the former Prime Minister of Malaysia, Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, who was given a rock-star reception by the mainly Malaysian audience of over 200 people in London last week. He condemned the abuse of power by the current government under Najib Razak and expressed his fears for the future of Malaysia.
Dr. Mahathir painted a disturbing picture of a country where bribery and corruption are rife. He gave a rundown on the masses of money accumulated by Najib which he used to fund his lavish lifestyle.
Dr. Mahathir said: "We accord the Prime Minister more power than allowed in the constitution. Now we have a Prime Minister who believes that cash is king. The Prime Minister of Malaysia should not have so much money." Dr. Mahathir said this dubiously-acquired wealth gave Najib license to do what he liked.
According to Dr. Mahathir, Najib has brought newspapers, the police, and the judiciary under his control. "If you report to the police, you and the lawyer will be questioned by the police and accused. If you report anything to the police, they will act against you. You cannot remove him in parliament, because he controls everyone. The National Security Council has been given extraordinary power. People can be killed, so people live in fear of their lives. People in Malaysia feel scared and helpless."
Dr. Mahathir served as Malaysia's fourth Prime Minister from 1981 to 2003. Not surprisingly, he did not refer to criticism of his own track record as Prime Minister, especially the persecution and jailing of the opposition leader, Anwar Ibrahim. Dr. Mahathir confirmed that he had recently met Anwar who is still in prison. He said they now had a common interest - both agreed that Najib should be removed.
Reaction to Dr. Mahathir's lecture was mixed, although it was generally perceived as an exercise to promote the recently-formed Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia. A representative from Malaysian Progressives United Kingdom said: "There were arrays of questions being directed at Malaysia’s fourth Prime Minister, Tun Mahathir, and one caught my attention – why is race-based politics very much the domain of the political sphere in Malaysia? The response was very much expected by the Advisor of Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia: the formation of the party was a result of the burgeoning demand for a new leadership without stripping the essential value of the party, which is race-oriented. Tun Mahathir also highlighted that a large number of Malaysians felt unsafe if their political privilege is being shared across all races, which begs the essential question, in what direction is this 'reform' heading?"
A Malaysian writer, who was also at the lecture, said Dr. Mahathir proffered Bersatu as the party to restore Malaysia to its erstwhile glory: "Among the Malaysian left, there is a deep suspicion about Dr. Mahathir's motives. Most of them suspect him of using this new party to elevate his son to some political office. With the conservatives who are fed up with Najib's government, Dr. Mahathir offers some hope, but with diehard Najib supporters, Dr. Mahathir is seen as a threat to the nation's 'stability."
A Malaysian commentator, who declined to be named, said the opposition is like a headless chicken, without a common plan or leadership. In his view, the chance of the opposition being in a position to unseat Najib is remote.
Dr. Philip Murphy, Director of the Institute of Commonwealth Studies, which hosted the lecture, was impressed by Dr. Mahathir's oratorical skills: "We were treated to an unforgettable political masterclass by one of the most enduring figures in the recent history of Southeast Asia. Unlike many politicians, who feel more comfortable with set-piece speeches than with the challenges of questions and answers, Dr. Mahathir spoke briefly, but then took questions from the podium for over an hour. Dr. Mahathir was dry, sly, witty, charming, and provocative. But above all, he displayed a commanding presence. One could easily forget that he is 91 years old. After hearing his trenchant criticisms of the current Malaysian government, one member of the audience asked if he was ‘untouchable.’ Untouchable or not, he certainly seems to be unstoppable. This was a great evening for the Institute of Commonwealth Studies."
"Dr M: Najib told me ‘cash is king’
BY BOO SU-LYN
Saturday June 13, 2015
07:06 PM GMT+8
UPDATED:
June 13, 2015
10:41 PM GMT+8
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| Former Prime Minister, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad delivers his speech at The Cooler Lumpur Festival in Kuala Lumpur. — Picture by Yusof Mat Isa |
The former prime minister who has been critical of the direct cash handouts to lower-income groups, also mocked the Najib administration’s alleged payments to supporters to hold “I heart PM” placards.
“You can’t give money to the population, but he said ‘Cash is king’,” Dr Mahathir told a press conference after speaking at the Cooler Lumpur Festival here.
“You don’t ask your girlfriend to give a placard. If they love you, they’ll love you,” he added, referring to the “I heart PM” placards held by Barisan Nasional (BN) supporters that were seen commonly in the run up to the 13th general election two years ago.
Dr Mahathir also expressed disappointment that BN recorded its worst ever electoral performance in Election 2013 under Najib’s leadership.
“You didn’t even do as well as the sleeping prime minister,” said Dr Mahathir, referring to Najib’s predecessor, Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.
The ruling coalition lost seven more federal seats than in Election 2008, where it had lost its customary two-thirds parliamentary majority.
“I’d said before, ‘if you do worse than Pak Lah, you should resign’. Then 1MDB (came),” he added, referring to the debt-laden 1 Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB).
Dr Mahathir said he could not accept it that the state-owned fund was “losing billions of government money”.
When asked if no one was good enough for Dr Mahathir after having criticised the country’s first prime minister Tunku Abdul Rahman, followed by his hand-picked sucessor Abdullah and now Najib, the Kedah-born said: “If I thought no one was good enough for me, I would never have resigned.”
“I thought there should be people better than me. I resigned on my own; it’s not because people were fed up with me,” he said.
He added that it would be wrong if he doesn’t criticise wrong things being done.
Dr Mahathir also said if BN loses the next election, those who purportedly cover up wrongdoings will be held liable for being an accessory to the crime.
Dr Mahathir has been openly pushing for Najib’s resignation, citing the controversy surrounding 1MDB that is facing a huge debt burden of RM42 billion.
- See more at: http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/dr-m-najib-told-me-cash-is-king#sthash.3ssNod9F.dpuf"
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