Regina Lee | Feb 9, 11
Malaysiakini
Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad had pointed at the direction of the police over Ops Lalang, which saw 106 people arrested including top political dissidents under the Internal Security Act in 1987.
In the most recent book on Mahathir, ‘Doctor M: Operation Malaysia – Conversations with Mahathir Mohamad’, the former premier of 22 years revealed that he was furious over the mass crackdown.
“Well, I would have handled it differently, except that the police wanted to do these things because they say it is necessary…
“I actually met all of the opposition members (beforehand) and assured them that they would not be arrested. And you know what the police did? They arrested them. My credibility is gone,” he said.
“You must have been furious!” retorted Tom Plate, the interviewer and author of the book.
“Yeah, but what can I do? You see, I have to accept that they are the people on the ground that makes a decision. I give general authority to them,” continued Mahathir, who was known as a strongman who brook little dissent.
Regrets, I’ve had few
In the 1987 crackdown on Oct 27, over one hundred people – mostly opposition and a handful of MCA and Umno politicians – were arrested while the publishing permits for The Star and Sin Chew Jit Poh and Watan were revoked.
The government had explained that the second largest ISA swoop since the May 13 racial riots were ‘necessary’ to contain rising ‘racial tensions’ from the protests over the appointment of non-Chinese educated principals to Chinese vernacular schools.
In response, Umno held a counter protest, where notably then Youth chief Najib Abdul Razak led a mammoth rally in Kampung Baru days prior to the arrests.
Mahathir, who was the PM at that time, also said that in retrospect, he may have had some regrets over the clampdown.
“Yeah. Regrets … I mean you have to trust the police, because you have to work with them. They are the people who have to look after security, and when they advise you that the tension is very high, that it might explode into racial riots, and they need to take this action, you can’t tell them no.
“You don’t, you see, because you know less than they do. See, and you have to trust the people who are the implementers. I have no means of verifying everything that they say,” he said.
You don’t argue with men with guns
Later on in the book, Mahathir betrays a hint of timidity with the police force.
When Plate asked whether Mahathir’s control over the police, even as a powerful prime minister, was not absolute, the elder statesman agreed.
“No, not absolute. You have to learn to live with the people with guns,” he said.
“But then, does that make you to some extent a hostage of the people who have guns?” asked Plate.
“To a certain extent… everybody is. You see, you have to give people the means to enforce, and then of course they are better equipped than you are. You have to accept the fact that when they tell you that certain things need to be done, you have to respect them.
“If you keep running them down – there have been instances where they were run down by the government as being incompetent, corrupt and all that – what happens then?” he asked, hinting that the police may in the end go on strike.
Choosing the ‘wrong’ successors
While recounting his previous experience with former protege and deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim – whom Mahathir would later sack from the cabinet in 1998 – the former PM conceded that he had problems picking his successors.
“I got my blind spots, you know. You could say that I choose all of the wrong successors,” he said.
“One of my biggest mistakes was choosing my successor,” Mahathir repeated himself later.
Mahathir had quarrelled with most of his anointed deputies, including former deputy premier Musa Hitam.
After stepping down from power in 2003, he appointed Abdullah Ahmad Badawi as the fifth prime minister. However, the two too quickly fell out of favour.
‘Conversations with Mahathir Mohamad’ is based on a series of interview by veteran American journalist Plate.
Am I supposed to believe the old snake ?
I was there. I sat there while he ranted and raved. He never took anyone’s advice but his own. He was his own counsel. We could not object because we knew his mind was made up.
Ops Lallang was no different from his decisions to corner the tin market, to allow Nor Mohamed to speculate on foreign exchange, and to peg the ringgit to the US Dollar in 1998. It was no different from his decision to get rid of Salleh Abas and most of the Federal Court.
The old snake always felt that he had a superior brain to others, and he showed this time and time again. He had this perpetual smirk on his face, and I am certain he had this smirk when interviewed by Tom Plate. Mamakthir probably felt that he could pull wool over Plate’s eyes, and he did.
This old goat is a compulsive liar. I don’t believe him.
Since when the police become more powerful than him?
Who signed the detention papers? The police or the Home Minister.
Since when did Lim Kit Siang, Guan Eng and Karpal become threat to national security?
Was it the police which canceled the licenses of three newspapers?
This goat blames everyone except himself. He may as well blame the Jews for Operation Lalang.
Mamak was and has been a pampered and tyrant old farting machine who doesn’t even tolerate his grandchildren’s little grouses….
He should not have appointed his successor, like Mubarak who appointed Suleiman….. more riots as a gift for him
By now we know that LKY is a great leader who really and sincerely works for the well being of his country and the ultra hypocrite mamak is just a selfish fellow enriching himself and his family and also his cronies.Shame on this liar.
…just because, all the sub-human officers involved in this distasteful lowly act, were probably dead or senile by now. Would they be able to defend themselves? Who gave the directive and who was lying?
Mamakutty, do you really expect us to believe an “honest liar”, unprincipled and definitely lacking in integrity to be trusted with his words?…. good try anyway……
If his words can be believed, s..t can also be eaten.
Something is terribly wrong with him, for being ashamed of his original race … registered as an Indian to study in Singapore … then transformed himself into another race … then become a PM … and now a frustrated man.
Just discovered, Hitler’s memoirs! In it, he wrote about releasing all the jews from the gas ovens but his police refused!
“I actually met all of jews (beforehand) and assured them that they would not be arrested. And you know what the police did? They arrested them. My credibility is gone,” he said.
.
.
Now did someone copy his memoirs in malaysia? wakakaka!
And who was the Minister in charge of the police force then?
Mamakthir doesn’t have much time left. Instead of repenting, and telling the truth of his actions, he now starts to tell the opposite – that he was not responsible for some of the worst human rights abuses in this country. Why would a person who is about to meet his Maker do such a thing ? Doesn’t he know that telling lies is also a sin under any Holy Book ?
The answer to this is quite simple – he will exhibit his Michiavellian attributes right to the very end. He wants to pull the wool over the eyes of an American journalist. He wants to demonstrate how naive American journalists can be. I bet that when he is at the dinner table with his sons, the old fox will be smiling as he recounts how stupid the American journalist was to believe every word he said.
When one’s deed went terrificly wrong >>>Human tendency is always first finger pointing >>Blame this and that …it’s err to be human…
Doktor Tun3 Mathadir…rakyat can only forgive you on conditions and terms >>
BUT you still need both forgiveness and cleansing thoroughly >>how pay up yr price and repent absolutely.
Why are Malaysian ministers become cleverer after they retired?
Tun Hanif Omar was the igp in 1987. Now does he agree with what the mamak claims?
Over to you, Tun Haniff Omar.
#1, Godfather, you are right. No wonder he stooped to insult Lau Lee in his way having failed to match him in his thoughts and actual performance as a national leader. He could only find hardcore followers like Ibrahim Ali and PEKASA who could only rant at the top of their voice! the sad thing is many still read his blog and glorify his grandeur oblivious to all the half-past 6 projects that benefitted only cronies!
Then ask for a Royal Commission to investigate the police chief. Let both of them tell the truth
wow his memory is selectively fantastic! He can remember events in 1987 but can’t recall any events in 2002 when questioned during the VK Lingam RCI!
Don’t believe this inveterate liar for a second!
He planned it, gave the orders and made sure you and Karpal were arrested.
He then window dressed it by having some BN MP’s arrested but they were all relaesed within a few weeks while DAP’s top 2 were imprisoned for what, 2 years?
Now he wants to make it appear he was helpless and blame the police. Bloody unprincipled racist bigot!
dpp
we are all of 1 Race, the Human Race
The police comes under the home minister. And the home minister comes under the prime minister.
Oh wait. Wasnt, for a period of time, dr mamak the home min too – as well as the fin min?
Wow.
Now what is he saying? He has to defer to people with guns?
Operation Lalang was to detain over a hundred people to ‘protect’ them from UMNO Youth under Najib Razak.
Mahathir, or as he says, the police was only trying to ‘protect’ them. He only signed the detention orders in order to protect these hundred over people.
So you must all be grateful to the Great Leader, Mahathir, the one who can do no wrong and who have all your interests at heart.
Thank you Dr Mahathir.I really appreciate your good deed and may god bless you in hell immediately to guide those ex-hell maker to repent for their sin.
If the police could override the prime minister, then what does that tell us of our country. It has degenerated to a POLICE STATE. But then again, who signed the detention order. If it was not Mahathir then who else? Surely they must still have the records somewhere or have they shredded the document as well?
He is not real ‘Malay’ and so, acts cunningly like ‘king cobra’.
This old mamak, is not only evil but also a compulsive liar. I think he has no soul. Just a complete absence of any goodness.
Is there any once and for all that happened to be the most devilish word in world wide dictionary to describe his personality in one masterpiece citation(praise)?I think he has a complicated split personality disorder by the effect of his own doing so that he is unconsciously living in his own secluded world.The pressure from the dark side within his personality is putting overheated steam on this old machinery to justify his legacy to his future generations to enjoy as accustomed ritual handed over to self-multiple family,cronies,elitist and whatnot crumbs to be thrown into the eagerly hunger pang csl,ktk and s..ck..ers.
Bloody incredible tale spun by this Satan.One will never find another fork tongue as smooth as his!