by Thoma Lee
My.sinchew.com
August 30, 2010
Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has predicted that racial tension would escalate if the New Economic Policy (NEP) type of policies is removed in favour of open policies which disregard the disparities between races in the interest of equity and merit.
The former prime minister has also warned that the time is not right for changes to be made to the existing pro-Bumiputera affirmative policies.
He said that the violent Communist revolution in Europe was caused by the disparity between rich and poor, and hinted that such a scenario could happen in Malaysia if the so-called economic gap between the Bumiputeras and the other races is not narrowed.
Hence, he suggested that the affirmative policies and programmes be continued infinitum, arguing that such a protection for the Bumiputera is still necessary and that a 20-year timeline is not enough for them to become economically on par with other races.
The NEP was launched in 1971 and technically ended in 1990, but most of its programmes are being continued.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak has announced that he would remove subsidies and many of the pro-Bumiputera quotas under his meritocracy-based economic reforms, but many Malay leaders, including Mahathir, want to retain the status quo.
Mahathir has become the leading voice of dissidence against the New Economic Model (NEM) initiated by Najib, insisting that the affirmative scheme must continue, or else the Bumiputeras would lose out.
Mahathir’s doomsday prediction that the country would plunge into a violent revolutionary situation like that of the 18th and 19th Century Europe if the affirmative economic policies and programmes are scaled is certainly alarmist and scaremongering, to say the least, and a witticism of the highest illusionary degree.
Mahathir talks as if all non-Bumiputras are rich and only Bumiputeras are in dire economic suffering. Granted that there are many Bumiputras in the rural who are really poor and deserving of government financial aid, but there are also many non-Bumiputras who are in similar appalling economic condition.
I am not saying that there should not be any affirmative policies and programmes to help those who are poor and underprivileged, but they should be based on needs, not on race. There are more poor Bumiputras simply because they constitute a larger portion of the population, and they deserve all the assistance to live a better life and lifestyle. So, do the poor of other races. The government affirmative policies and programmes should focus on thord e need of the poor of all races, not on any particular race irrespective of their economic status. MP Tony Pua’s suggestion that those who can afford luxury houses costing more than half a million ringgit should not be given discount under the affirmative programme is not without merit. The discount money should rightly be channelled to help those who cannot afford a simple decent home.
If we are to take an honest look at the May 13 incident in 1969, which, incidentally, was the raison d’etat for the formulation and implementation of the NEP, we should realize that basically race was just the whipping boy for what I believe to be the explosion of intensive frustration of the economic hardship suffered by the poor of all races – Malay, Chinese and Indians.
The May 13 riot was not racial per se. It was sparked off by the poor Malays being told by Malay politicians that the rich Chinese caused them the economic suffering, and the poor Chinese being told by Chinese politicians that the powerful Malays in the government caused them their hardship.
The riot was triggered off by the then massive suffering of many poor Malays and poor Chinese, both having reached the extreme intolerable level of economic and financial hardship. The intense manipulative racial stroking by irresponsible politicians of the already tense environment during the campaign for the May 10 general election detonated the already ticking economic time bomb, masquerading as packs of racial grenades all over the country..
The economic hardship was not confined to any particular race, and was fundamentally caused by an irresponsible corrupt government of the day. It was the demonic racist politicians who exploited the suffering poor and turn what was basically an economic deprivation problem into a racial bloodbath.
When I was doing a research paper on revolution for a course on history at the Flinders University in South Australia, I did a comparative study on the causes of revolutions in France (1789–1799), Russia (1917) and China (1911 and 1949). I found that there were five common factors that gave rise to the revolutions in these countries.
The first factor is that there was massive economic hardship among the general populace of the country. Many people were facing difficulties in even putting food on the table. Jobs were scarce. Children go to bed hungry. In such a situation, many became desperate, and couldn’t care less about any consequence, even if they were to resort to violent means to survive. These people become fertile ground for the seed of revolution to take root and grow.
Secondly, while the majority of the population was suffering hardship, an elite class of economically powerful and corrupt officials and business people nonchalantly exploited the people. The people were heavily taxed, pieces of essentials keep rising, bribes were demanded for getting things done at government offices, the cops were trigger-happy, and many innocent people were persecuted and prosecuted on the most unsubstantial and flimsiest charges.
Such a scenario gave rise to a massive resentment and revulsion among the people. The circumstance was certainly appropriate for mass action to get rid of the immoral and corrupt political parasites.
Thirdly, the major influence and impact of the increasingly powerful mass media, particularly the newspapers, contributed to educate the general populace of their fundamental human and civil rights.
The people began to realize that they have absolute rights to a decent life and lifestyle, and that they are the actual bosses of those in the government and its administration. They began to demand for justice, fairness, economic equality, political freedom, liberty in organizing and operating their own well-being, and the rights to freedom of expression, worship, jobs and education.
In other words, the people have got up from their innocent slumber and became enlightened to the fact they have fundamental birth rights which they should protect, preserve and prevent from exploitation by the abusive and dictatorial authorities.
Fourthly, the rise of some well-educated idealistic charismatic leaders led to the mobilization and organization of the people into collective powerful pressure groups which took the lead to fight against the establishment. A massive people movement began to make the clarion call to the masses to stand up and be court for the nation. The charismatic people rousers became the powerful attractive socio-political magnets attracting the masses to march for change.
Finally, like Mao Zedong said, a mere spark will cause fire to a whole plain. In the case of 18th century France, Emperor Louis XIV and his successor Emperor Louis XVI mismanaged the nation’s finances that by 1789, the government was bankrupt. Louis XVI resorted to impose heavy taxes on the people. The people, who suffered from bad harvest, exploded in anger and attacked the Bastille (prison for political prisoners). The Fall of Bastille started the French Revolution. It spread out to other parts of France.
The explosive pressure cooker blew its cover and all hell broke lose as the people took to the street to demand for accountability and change.
Nearer our time, we have seen how the dictator Ferdinand Marcos of the Philippines was ousted by the People Power Revolution in 1986. The massive protest was brewing since 1983, after the assassination of opposition politician Ninoy Aquino, followed by the deteriorating economy, with the government plunging deeper into debt. By the end of 1983, the country was bankrupt, and the economy had contracted by 6.8%. The pressure started to build up until 1986 when the time bomb exploded.
From my studies on revolutions, we can observe that what gave rise to the massive visible, vocal and even violent demonstration demanding for reformation and transformation is basically the mass dissatisfaction, disenchantment and disillusion with the governing establishment, sparked off by just an unjust act.
There will not be any violent revolution in Malaysia, if there is a competent, accountable, and transparent government in Malaysia, which promotes and practices truth, righteousness, justice, equality, fairness, and caring concern.
Happy Medeka. May God bless our nation real good!
I predict, he will die standing up! he would resist fall even died.
By his equation of Meritocracy=racialist only indicates that he is off his bonker! The real Malays should ask him to apologize for insulting them. It is obvious that he had only one agenda in his last days; to pave a way for his son to ascend the throne! He is not really bother if the majority of the Malays can stand up and compete. though the sad thing is many still support him to insult their Maruah!! this also reflect the amount of grip he has over a good portion of the people in UMNO; no doubt after 20 plus years of gravy, the fear of losing it must be mighty great!!
Racist MMK is correct dat revolution occurs when there is disparity between rich n poor
In M’sia, d disparity between super-rich UmnoBputras + their cronies and poor nonUmnoB Malays + nonMalays will eventually lead 2 revolution
Down with UmnoB/BN
You think you’re an octopus, Mr. Madhathir. You must be really mad ‘cos your prediction are just a no no nonsense!
Go retire and enjoy life while you can, just like your “nyayuk” friend, for I predict that your second heart attack will come at any moment.
Say anything you like to pleasure your conscience but in actual fact ~ Tun Dr Mahathir is a great leader whom Malaysians admire the most. Strong integrity and born to be leader. This what makes our beloved statesman the best
Just let that old senile mamak alone. The sooner people realize he is not only an expired politician but, an overspent talk cock deranged forked tongue hypocrite.
A Kerala Indian opportunist, who has enriched himself and his family riding on the back of ignorant true Malays!
cintanegara speak for yourself, majority of us do not share your views, simply because, we are not the privileged UMNO peeled dicks who depend on cherry picking!
Mr. cintanegara #5,
Mahathir a great leader whom Malysians admire the most? Then was he forced to step down by his own UMNO party members? And why did they throw shoes at him?
Look south to the little Red Dot. It owes its success story to a great Statesman popularly known by his initials-LKY
Malaysia was a fast developing country. 22 years under Mahathir, overtaken by Singapore’s LKY. Now Malaysia needs 25-30 years to catch up with Singapore. What do you think went wrong when he was PM?
How do you expect any fair minded Malaysian to respect such leader like Mahathir who at his age should be giving grace & showering love to all people irrespective of race & religion. Instead he is head strong in sawing seeds of fear & threat & unrest, dividing & breaking up the nation.
40 years of help in a single race is long enough. May be it has already backfired badly that a totally parasitic group of people have been created. Keep NEP for another 100 years & you will still find LARGE numbers of poor Malays who need help.
Lets face the HARD fact, there are many poor Malays in need of helps and the nation must do its best to help them. But, there are also many poor Indians & poor Chinese around who are in need of help too. Who is going to help them???
The damage that he had done to the economy, directly or indirectly, included privatization or rather ”piratisation” which only benefited his cronies, sacking of the judges, abuse of power, abuse of the ISA, clashes with Western leaders, building “white elephant” projects, stealing of timber through the 15 billion ringgit Bakun Dam project, repression of media freedom etc.
Ironically, it was he who said that it is easy to damage the economy within months but takes years to repair it!
Mahathief is mentally unsound …. sudah lar-lek. That is why he thinks and talk nonsense all the time, fearing that his time is limited.
I think we cannot condone such vile “wisdom” even from an elder statesman.
If he wants due respect, he should behave appopriately but if he is simply bent on stirring unrest, we have proper laws to deal with that.
I have two reservations about what Thomas Lee writes here.
First, I disagree completely that May 13 riot “was triggered off by the then massive suffering of many poor Malays and poor Chinese, both having reached the extreme intolerable level of economic and financial hardship”. This is more akin to official version and Thomas is naïve to believe it. Surely this thesis is not consistent with the fact that the riot started only in KL, and after it started, there were no significant racial clashes in rest of country or parts where the poor of all races were!
Secondly Thomas is (unjustifiably) dignifying Tun Dr Mahathir (TDM)’s prediction of revolution (if NEP were withdrawn) by bringing out here his research on the common factors and causes of revolutions in France (1789–1799), Russia (1917) and China (1911 and 1949).
There are many nuances to the meaning of the word “revolution”. If it were taken to mean the type of Communist and French revolutions in Europe involving popular uprising and overthrow of government of the day, it is obvious TDM is entirely off base to liken reaction against NEP’s withdrawal to these types of change…He is merely being extremely melodramatic and scaremongering in his relentless opposition to Najib’s tentative initiatives to deconstruct the race specific features of the NEP to a more need based one as it was originally intended by the NEM. I don’t think we should waste time citing research findings to rebut this man given his penchant to distort whenever he wants to further his argument on his point. .
If the word ‘revolution’ is taken to mean some kind of fundamental political change, albeit non violent, from that which is established, then from what we can see thus far, the ‘revolution’ that is taking place is more by way of:-
1. Najib’s NEM and 1Malaysia Government Transformation Programme (‘GTP’) which is supposedly the first steps towards the systematic deconstruction of the established order of NEP as it is now race specific implemented;
2. the political opposition by many people of vested interest in the NEP order including UMNO members who are expressing their feelings of insecurities of losing what they enjoy by moving over to support the very same NGO groups like Perkasa that TDM patronises. In that way they cannot be faulted as opposing openly within the party machinery their president’s platform of 1 Malaysia, NEM or GTP and yet could use the NGO vehicle outside the party to pressure for the NEM and GTP’s withdrawal.
The third and more important ‘revolution”, if it ever happens, is whether Malaysians in the next GE will replace the BN.
By a fluke shot it could happen (ironically) due to the race rhetorics of these NGOs and their patron intended to galvanise Malay support for existing NEP order against reforms.
One great thing about T Mamak, he will still be talking in his grave!….and, still an undying desire to fill his hole with his ill gotten goods!
///First, I disagree completely that May 13 riot “was triggered off by the then massive suffering of many poor Malays and poor Chinese, both having reached the extreme intolerable level of economic and financial hardship”. This is more akin to official version and Thomas is naïve to believe it. Surely this thesis is not consistent with the fact that the riot started only in KL, and after it started, there were no significant racial clashes in rest of country or parts where the poor of all races were!///– Jeffrey
I agree.
Thomas should have read what Tan Sri Abdullah said about what happened on the evening of May 13 when he was with the late Razak. He said that the call by Razak to Harun Idris was half an hour too late to have prevented May 13 incident. Surely that phone call did not change the economic position of the rich or poor in the country, had it been made an hour earlier.
Just to say a little more on where I left off in preceding posting I refer to what TheMalaysianInsider’s writer (Clara Chooi) wrote on 30th August under the caption “Nazri blames BN’s chauvinism for low support”. The following excerpts relate to Merdeka Center Survey (‘MCS’) – (Quote) “Nazri picture was responding to the results of a Merdeka Center survey that showed 45 per cent of Malays were dissatisfied with Umno while only 44 per cent were satisfied Umno performed even worse with the Chinese community with only 12 per cent saying they were satisfied while 55 per cent were dissatisfied. A total of 34 per cent had evaded response suggesting the possibility that a larger number than the 55 per cent could be dissatisfied with Umno.” (Unquote). IF MCS poll were accurate (I say “if” because I am not sure that it really is), it could mean that the chest thumping and fierce racial rhetoric of these NGOs led by TDM may backfire to alienate than win more Malay votes. This holds true if ordinary Malay voters who are traditional vote bank for UMNO perceive these kind of heightened race talk serves to vindicate what the Opposition alleges – that the NEP is defended by only a vociferous segment of people having vested interest in it and that its benefits have not broadened down to the wider target group which it is intended to benefit. It could occur to at least some of these voters why the UMNO president takes a U-turn by his 1 Malaysia, NEM and GTP which is a radical departure of sorts from its traditional raison de etre of race based NEP and incurs the political risk of face-off with UMNO’s warlords and vested interest – unless may be it is true that the present state of affairs, if unchanged, will lead the country to dire straits (in Idris Jala’s words “bankrupt”), which surely will not benefit Malays as a majority group…..
After all no one is sure that this kind of race-baiting could help win over any portion of the Malay vote bank that had voted for PKR and PAS in last election.
The rising popularity of Perkasa may be due to support from existing UMNO members whom Perkasa once mentioned form 80% of its members and supporters. It may not be due to support from general Malay populace. Even if I were wrong on this, what is Malay supporter believing in what TDM and Perkasa say to do if he opposes 1 Malaysia, NEM or GTP espoused by UMNO president as his political platform? He cannot vote for Perkasa because it is an NGO and not a political party. Neither will he, UMNO, if according to Perkasa it is not taking care of his interest via the NEP. So where does his vote go, if it were not to Perkasa or UMNO or spoiled????
On the other hand, we are reasonably confident that it has certainly alienated the Chinese vote bank (if by-election results in Sibu and Hulu Selangor were any indication). We have not measured the effects of this kind of heightened race rhetoric by TDM and Perkasa on the traditional supporters of MCA, Gerakan MIC, SUPP and other BN’s component parties, especially its effects on its ‘Fixed Deposit states in East Malaysia! The way TDM and Perkasa fire away, it is as if UMNO alone can win the GE even if the rest of BN component parties lose their traditional support further due to their rhetoric! In this sense TDM who has created UMNO Baru and is all out to preserve its dominance may well be the one who ultimately undermines it and contributes to its loss of power via election. That’s another ‘revolution” that he has not predicted!
Mahathir’s bogeyman tactic of May 13 replay is certainly not new.
If Tun Dr Mahathir were that strategic a thinker as he is sometimes attributed to be by some admirers, surely he ought to know that the bogeyman of other races – and May 13 – which worked in 1969 may not work in 2010 unless it thinks Malaysians are all encapsulated in an unchanging time capsule for 40 years! Surely he must also know that the kind of Opposition parties and their players that gained inroads in 1969 GE were not similar to those who made inroads in 12th GE in 2008.
I would say it is not wise to keep on using same tactics that have worked before under different circumstances and conditions as if they could work just as effectively under changed circumstances and conditions. What makes him think that these tactics are immutable and perennial in their applicability and effects???
Thomas – you call that Mahathir’s prediction??? It is more like Madhatter’s scaremongering.
Read the real history of the May 13 race riots. Some one who shall remain unnamed was instrumental in engineering those riots. And he is thinking of doing the same again?
Its not Mahathir prediction, but Mahathir’s fault. If racial tension should flare with the removal of NEP, its his fault and no one else. The man is singularly responsible for the mutation of the Malay insecurities into racism and irrational hatred. If there were fault lines before him, there were small and he not only increased them, he made many more new ones while superficially covering it up, knowing full well he was building fundamentally increasing divided society. His intentions were always malicious, evil, hateful and even ignorant and arrogant.
Its not important his prediction. All we need to know is that if things go bad, its his fault. Its up to us to clean it up and its starts with ignoring him.
the vile ex-statesman speaketh again. he is good at talking about helping poor bumipoor-tras, but look deeper, you can see what he and his cronies really want.
Continuum of NEP to enrich the umnoputras till infinitum. That’s what he cares about. 22 years he did nothing to help, but to implement racist policies, now he is talking kok. This is not ‘Malay Dilemma’ but ‘Mamak’s Dilemma’.
This is the rakyat’s prediction: you will kick the bucket this year and the country will be harmonious again. Oh, dont forget to bring along that ali guy with you.
He also predicted that he would be sent back to Kerala when PR wins the 13GE. That is why he is racking up racial tensions, so that emergency rule can be established
I say Mahathir is a great leader ……. amongst the likes of Idi Amin, Marcos, Suharto
In actual fact, May 13th have nothing to do with racial tension at all.
It was misinterpreted in such a way as to create fear and sensitivity among us.
It started all because of a bunch of dissatisfied and disgruntled leaders who goes on a rampage and killing spree when their party lost partially in the 1969 election.
It was caused by a band of political leaders who lead their supporters and goes amok, as an act of vengeance against the chinese for rejecting them at that time.
Most ordinary malays are not involved in such a dastardly act as the fighting happened mainly in KL and southern cities.
Most of the leaders who started the provocation are now dead ,except for one, who is still standing and fanning hatred among us.
Let’s not be tricked by this false impression as a bunch of leaders from either parties doesn’t represent whole lot of us from either race.
So let’s be aware and not be “brainwashed” as for now!
53 yrs after Malaya n 47 yrs after M’sia
40 yrs of NEP!
Nonbumis hv been skrewed 4 40 long yrs
N d end is still not in sight
Maha racist MMK even warned dat removing NEP would precipitate revolution n violence
When NEP was implemented in 1970 2 last 4 20 yrs, nonbumis had 2 face racial discrimination n tighten their belts 4 20 yrs
They hoped 4 better days ahead after d sacrifice
20 yrs went by n with MMK as d then PM, NEP was extended
Now it has bcome a Never Ending Privilege or Parasitism
Now 40 yrs after implementation of NEP, things got worse 4 nonbumis
Kena yelled racist taunts, asked 2 go back 2 ancestors’ motherlands, told 2 b 2nd or 3rd class citizens n kowtow 2 Ketuanan Melayu
After kena r@ped fr d front 4 20 yrs, d victims were asked 2 turn over 2 b s0d0mised 4 who knows how long
Ban ban enjoy lah 4 those who still cling 2 UmnoB/BN
This old fox should predict when he is going to be cursed and punished in the Hell!?
Grant you! When this old fox gone, our Bolehland is much better place to live and breath!!! All mamaks must be cursed in hell for their hypocrisy!!!
///I say Mahathir is a great leader ……. amongst the likes of Idi Amin, Marcos, Suharto/// – #23 by JJx
The use of the word “great” is (after a pause) acceptable, only if it is used in morally neutral sense and measured by impact of the so-called “great” man’s thoughts and actions, whether good or bad, on events, destinies of men and nation, then and after. By such a measure, any immoral anti hero could be ‘great’ and Hitler would figure amongst the greatest in terms of scale of his impact – by unleashing World War II and loss of millions of lives!
And Hitler was not even strictly a German by birth but more an Austrian. He was born on April 20, 1889, in the small Austrian village of Braunau Am Inn just across the border from German Bavaria. However he had the uncanny instinct and ability to embody mobilize and exploit the insecurities, anxieties, complexes and resentment of the German people (that he came to embrace as if he was one) at that point of time of the Great Depression and to articulate and provide relief for their insecurities by championing Germans’ Nationalism – and patriotism – and galvanizing them as their savior and leader, using the Jews and western powers as bogeyman.
Someday somewhere more research must be done on characters like Hitler, Napoleon or even Alexander and other revolutionaries, their common psychological links and common circumstances they found themselves in, some of which briefly are:
• A Mega Ego, a sense and belief in their own sense of destiny to a degree so selfish that it often ignores the collective good;
• Supreme egocentric-ness is combined with intolerance of other lesser beings in terms of intelligence or culture and convergence of other traits of personal vindictiveness, naked greed for power and material aggrandizement given sharper edge by their intelligence and cunningness;
• They are people of high energy level and linked to excess in whatever they do – eg mega projects & endeavours;
• They are each foreigners, immigrants, seeking desperately for acceptance of a wider group whose interest they overzealously champion beyond ordinary enthusiasms;
• Right place and time – where and when the constituency from whom they seeks to manipulate for support are ridden with insecurities, anxieties, complexes; (In Hitler’s case the Germans were then humiliated by Versailles Treaties manacling their sovereignty and were suffering from the Great Depression.
• An ability to coincide and package together that supreme ego with that of the communal insecurities, anxieties, complexes.
Don’t all these sound familiar??? We should be wary and guard against danger where there is a convergence of such traits in person and leader against such given circumstances, if we’re to learn anything from history about their devastating effect that, in morally neutral tone and language, may sometimes be described as “great”.
with 100 thousand of us who hate racist.monopoly,unequals,quota,putera/puteri right even they are not from keturunan raja/bangsawan, this is call unright to sultan.spacial rights, lets die for your country and others human brothers who belive in eveybody is equals..Go to north,pratice thing that similar hand/auto m cteen, by the right u get what u need, we all fight for saviver and equals, don”t let them treat tread us..
The gap between the rich and poor has never been wider since independent…..let alone corruption.
This guy doesn’t know what he is talking about…he just want to be seen as a ” hero ” to the Malays.
It’s called The Mahathir Dilemma – how to remain relevant for the sake of his son, and how to ensure that his 22 years of oppression would not be “reviewed” by his successors.
Well, I have some news for the Mamakthir – when PR marches into Putrajaya, there will be a royal commission to investigate his abuse of power, and his tolerance of corruption amongst his cronies. Allah keeps Mamakthir alive so that he can witness for himself the truth about his abuse.