Malaysia’s richest man Robert Kuok recalled in his memoir that the nation’s second prime minister Tun Abdul Razak had asked acting PM Tun Hussein Onn to implement the meritocracy system while he was undergoing treatment in London.
However, Hussein said admittedly he was powerless in effectuating the change.
With our Umno leaders today prioritizing their hold to power, getting the message across to them is even more unthinkable.
We have sadly missed the opportunity for some real reforms and as such we are destined to continue ploughing on down the road of racist politics.
Quoting Robert Kuok: “The train of the nation had been put on the wrong track. Hussein wasn’t strong enough to lift up the train and set it down on the right track.”
With our Umno leaders today prioritizing their hold to power, getting the message across to them is even more unthinkable.
We have sadly missed the opportunity for some real reforms and as such we are destined to continue ploughing on down the road of racist politics.
Quoting Robert Kuok: “The train of the nation had been put on the wrong track. Hussein wasn’t strong enough to lift up the train and set it down on the right track.”
That's hardly believable when Razak was the man who introduced the NEP after the May 13 riot.
Since Merdeka to May 13, the Malayan/Malaysian Constitution already had a 15-year affirmative action for Malays, but May 13 somehow told Tun Razak that was NOT enough, thus he constructed the NEP.
We now know that even 150 years for affirmative actions won't ever be enough.
One of the men by his side had been Mahathir, the then-Young Turk who berated Tunku for his love-of-Chinese and was even rumoured to be among those who had wanted to remove the kind hearted just man from his PM position.
The then young man who lost his Alor Setar Selatan seat in 1969 after telling the Chinese voters in his constituency he did NOT need them, went on a merajuk tirade including blaming PM Tunku for the ills of the Malay community. He was expelled from UMNO.
Those Mahathir-ist Young Turks wanted a PM who's more Malay than being mere Malay to ensure the Malays had a fair share of the national 'gravy'. There was a tremendous grudge against the Chinese getting the lion's share of it.
That the national 'gravy' was brought about by careful business policies and practices, hard work and prudent spending were probably not even considered.
Robert Kuok's story of how Tun Razak wanted more and more of MISC's shares at par value for the Malays has been an indication of the Young Turk's lust for the national 'gravy' minus the risk of capital investment and minus hard work. Oh, by the by, it's known that Tun Razak asked Mahathir to return to UMNO.
Yes, once Tun Razak cooked that 'rice' of an idea that The national 'gravy' was justified for due rewards for 'some', that wonderful 'privilege' became a sweet national 'bubur' cum santan, so how could Tun Hussein reversed that 'bubur' back into rice grains?
Besides, Tun Hussein as PM was besieged left and right by the 'ultras' from Razak's PM days. If Hussein Onn had implement the meritocracy system, wouldn't he have been made into another Tunku (much disliked by young Malays at that time) by you know who?
Hussein's strange choice of DPM should be explored to know what pressure he was under to make such a decision against his personal views. But as an indication, his post UMNO political beliefs were dead set against the rule, policy and political machinations of Mahathir.
u seem very upset mahathir is not mentioned in rk bio yet, thats y u wrote tis article with many fake guessing to shift the blame. go write yr own fake bio la.
ReplyDeletepathetic to suggest my post is about Kuok's biography
Delete"Hussein's strange choice of DPM should be explored to know what pressure he was under to make such a decision against his personal views"
Deleteperhaps u shd replace explore with exploit, u r more talented of the latter.
Don't go around blaming this guy, that guy, this dog, that monkey.
ReplyDeleteIn my 30 years of running a fairly successful organisation, I have been very clear about Rule Number 1.
The person who holds the position has both the authority and accountability to get the job done.
I hold Hussein Onn accountable for what occurred during his time, just as I hold Mahathir accountable for his time as Prime Minister.
And, I equally hold Najib Razak accountable for what is happening under HIS auspices today.
should we then hold Tunku responsible for May 13?
Deleteyou say things when it suit you
Yes, we should hold Tunku responsible for May13!
DeleteHe was the head huncho of the country then, & yet he couldn't forsee what's coming, especially coming from his 2nd in-command!
That's his biggest blunder in managing a country!
In fact, he was reminded numerous time. He was just naively thinking that no one would betraying him!
May13 had his fair share of tainted blood, making him a bitter man in his later life.
And now we are asked to choose between Mahathir and Najib...can't imagine what my grandchildren will have to choose from; at this rate!
ReplyDeleteWho to choose ? Even Hamlet had it easier !
DeleteAhh...such a difficult decision.
If Najib is chosen, we rakyat could have our wealth multiply by thousands of folds....endless wealth funds..2MDB, 3MDB, 4MDB and so on and so forth. Didn't RPK affirmed that 1MDB has its 47 ( or is it 52 billion ) intact ? Those who claimed it disappeared into thin airs are all fake news ! Who else could have more accurate and truthful information than RPK ? Only stupid fools believe that Rafizi and that Tony Pua fellas.
Also, as a welcome bonus, if we choose Najib, Fei Chai can then safely dock his yatch in Malaysian waters and we get to hear more cheerful news of partying day and night, although not with the likes of Paris Hilton and her ilks again.
If we choose Najib, then PAS under the wise,righteous and charismatic Hadi can provide us with his impeccable guidance which will take our nation to greater height. It would seemed that Saudi Arabia under the new prince has, according to our esteemed Hadi, has lost its true path and has gone to the Jews and Zionist. Our great Hadi did not mince his words when Saudi dared to put the organization IUMS of which Hadi is the vice president on the terror list. Dare we hope that with the imminent collapse of Saudi under the rash prince, Malaysia under the wise and brilliant Hadi could now play a more meaningful and powerful role in Islam ? To achieve this, Jakim should be allocated 10 billion instead of that paltry 1 billion.
If we choose Najib, we would soon be in the high-income club, and this would mean our standard of living will be dramatically enhanced and every household will be owning at least an autonomous Tesla.
There are more goodies I'm sure if we choose Najib...we just have to sit back and think slightly harder.
And if we choose Mahathir...well, err, well....( ok, let's take a breather and come back another day to come up with a list the goodies for rakyat if we chose Mahathir).
come now children wakakaka do I have to repeat this, stop bickering, its not productive
ReplyDeleteKT have to realize if you keep whacking someone incessantly, repeatedly and feeling smug about it realising that you won't get into trouble with the authorities it naturally make others act defensive even those on the peripheral
if you abhor racists, bigots and those ketuanan freaks that you obviously think is detrimental to nation and race relations, it would be interesting to hear your thoughts about an incident where someone vow to drench his Kris with the blood of pendatangs
Tun Hussein as PM was besieged left and right by the 'ultras' from Razak's PM days. Bcoz he hold true to the idea of what razak wanted was correct!
ReplyDeleteU r right that it's hardly believable when Razak could ask Tun Hussein Onn to implement the meritocracy system. That would totally put his ketuanan initiatives to disarray!
He was encroaching himself in such an entanglement bcoz he was willingly forced not to work with a tough alliance like Ghazali Shafie.
With the combined stand of the 3 umno vice presidents, he chose mamak as his deputy. Thus setting the Malayana train on a wrong course.
PM Tun Abdul Razak asking acting PM Tun Hussein Onn to implement the meritocracy system?
ReplyDeleteI think this is misreporting by Lim Sue Goan.
TAR did not ask THO, it was RK who implore THO to do so.
RK said the train was already on the wrong track, THO's weakness does not allow him to rectify the wrong track.
TAR was no saint, as the pro-Najib factions are trying to make him out to be.
It was on TV. I watched it when THO made the announcement that he had appointed Dr M as the DPM. It was a short and brief broadcast.
ReplyDeleteI was young then and still schooling, and didn't know much about politics. In my heart I asked - 'tak ada yang lebih tua dan lagi lama ke'?
Many years later... "The formation of UMNO Baru is an act of treachery and cannot be forgiven either by the members of the original UMNO or new UMNO. Despite the deterioration in my health including a heart attack, I responded by declaring that I would fight the traitors till the bitter end”. ~Tun Hussein Onn.
Robert Kuok's writing is in its way self-serving and less than honest.
ReplyDeleteKuok was essentially a Tunku Abdul Rahman crony. Getting virtual monopoly over the supply of surgar to Malaysia cemented the foundations if his wealth. All his latter empire building were exercises in using money to make more money.No doubt he is one Very shrewd businessman.
There isn't that much difference in principke with subsequent Mahathir cronies and Najib cronies being handed monopolistic or oligopolistic power over whole sectors of the Malaysian econony.
I won't comment on what you wrote as I have lil' or zilch knowledge but I know he was the late Tun Dr Ismail's good friend and could be possibly related as one of his daughters married a Malay, probably Tun Dr Ismail's son or nephew or someone
Deletei think they r diff, the first 3pm dun really enrich themselves or their family, but i wouldnt say they r morally better, just the malay worldview on wealth change much in mahathir era.
DeleteWakakakaka...most of the assets of yayasan tr were nominated umno assets turned private when tr died.
DeleteThis is WHY all the other Razak offsprings scumbling for defense when pink-lips was trying to claim his 'fortune' was inherited!