Dr.M undoing his legacy

Dr.M should stop ranting and raving

If there is a single person who had profoundly influenced our lives and those of our children it is none other than our former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. In fact many of our children have never known any other Prime Minister other than him. At an age when people usually retire gracefully, leave the public scene, take care of their health and enjoy their lives with children and grand children, Dr.M at 82,has chosen the arduous path to continue to actively’ serve’ the nation and the people in his own ways by even willing to go jail.

Now he has a drastic step to resign from Umno, the party which he was a member since its formation 62 years ago and its undisputed leader for 22 years, just to achieve his aim of overthrowing his hand-picked successor turned nemesis and prevent Anwar from becoming prime minister. We admire him for his fighting spirit and endless efforts to put things right in his own way.

Reacting to the report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Lingam Video scandal,Dr.M wants the opportunity in court to expose the misdeeds of judges. As the PM he was responsible for the appointment of judges and if there were discrepancies in that he too is also responsible for it although the offence could have been committed by the judges themselves.Why didn’t he act against these errant judges like he did against Tun Salleh Abbas and his colleagues?

Lobbying for appointments and promotions invariably breeds corruption and supporting a system that encourages such practices is wrong as promotions and appointments should be awarded based on seniority unless there are genuine reasons to deny that to the person next in line.

It would be grave mistake for Dr.M to think the whole country; in particular those who disagree with him, are against him and out to ‘fix’ him. On the contrary a vast majority of Malaysians, young and old from all races have great respect for him as a capable leader who brought much development to the nation.

I do not think Malaysians are cruel enough in wanting him to be hauled into court and charged like a common criminal for the wrongs he might have done. Who does not make mistakes? All leaders however great they may be do make mistakes and wrong judgments occasionally. No one however powerful and brilliant is invincible or indispensable.

Mahathir’s fears that the Malays will lose their rights and privileges if Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi remains as Prime Minister or of the Opposition takes over power is unfounded. How can their rights be taken away when those are guaranteed in the Federal Constitution and accepted by all? In fact his practice of using such imaginary threats like the West, the Jews and the own non-Malay citizens is the cause of the predicament of Umno today.

Using such imaginary threats to unite the Malays which were successful before is not going to work anymore with the younger generation who are better informed and want a formula that will guarantee lasting peace in a multiracial Malaysia. Will myopic and skewed racial politics ever provide that lasting peace that new generations of Malaysians yearn for?

I am sure Dr.M has enough wisdom and foresight to realize the nation is slowly evolving into a multiracial one and he should not stand in the way to stop that metamorphosis. As a former PM and elder leader he should stop his ranting and raving and instead work towards building a new Malaysia which does not identify its citizens by ethnicity but by their true loyalty and patriotism.If he fails to that and keep insisting on blaming everybody else,other than himself,he will only be undoing his own legacy as the Bapa Kemodenan.

Dr.Chris Anthony