Wednesday, December 19, 2018

Mahathir is a Malay supremacist


Malaysiakini - Understanding Mahathir’s motives by P Gunasegaram:


Harapan leaders who wanted reform and a new Malaysia free of corruption, patronage and blood-sucking politicians who steal unashamedly from the people must be regretting that they ever let Bersatu and its chairperson Dr Mahathir Mohamad into the coalition.

For what he has done is to re-introduce this whole party-hopping play, which he did previously in Sabah to destabilise the fairly elected government, and now to increase the numbers of his own party which did rather poorly in the last elections. (For those who still think Mahathir won the elections, I have an alternate view, backed up with numbers which shows he likely did not.)

Does anyone really think that Umno MPs would start jumping ship like rats from a vessel which has not even sunk yet if they did not have some other place to go? Surely they must have a rather strong inkling of the place to go to. Why, there may even be money politics involved.

So far, 17 MPs have resigned from Umno, taking the number of seats it holds down to 37 from 54, making PKR the party with the single largest number of seats with 50, followed by DAP with 42. Some MPs have already been accepted into Bersatu whose number has now gone up to 16 from 13.

And where do you think this bunch of unprincipled, opportunistic lawmakers will be heading if they want to avoid the consequences of their actions in supporting the most kleptocratic government the world has ever seen?

The one that holds the reins of power with just 13 seats out of 52 contested, the lowest win rate of any Harapan partner, from the last elections, that's who - Bersatu. And perhaps Amanah as well which holds just 11 seats.

While PKR and DAP leaders have said that they will not accept any from this dishonourable lot who won on the Umno ticket and have now suddenly realised the errors of their ways, Amanah continues to vacillate while Bersatu says it will vet them before accepting them into their fold.

Amanah and Bersatu, with 13 and 11 respectively, are the smallest parties in terms of number of MPs, with PKR outnumbering them with 48 (immediately after elections before defections) and DAP 42.


Despite Harapan de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim saying publicly that theories over the impending defection of Umno members are meant to drive a wedge between him and Harapan chairperson Mahathir, even he must privately feel threatened by this development which could very well derail his chances of becoming PM.

Disproportionate numbers

It is becoming more and more obvious that Mahathir wants the two years he asked for to be prime minister, not so much to do what is needed but to strengthen his position so that he will be difficult to remove when the time comes for him to make way.

Despite having a small minority of seats, Mahathir used so-called prime ministerial prerogative to give members of his party wildly disproportionate numbers in terms of his ministers and deputy ministers. All of them except for himself, his son Mukhriz and Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin are novice MPs, ministers and deputy ministers.

Mukhriz became menteri besar of Kedah (despite PKR getting eight seats against Bersatu’s five). Apart from Mahathir and Muhyiddin, Bersatu got four full ministers, all of whom were first-time MPs and first-time ministers as well. This includes a 25-year-old whose first full-time job turned out to be a minister, probably a world record.

He also allotted his own party six deputy minister positions which means every MP in Bersatu became prime minister, Home Minister, chief minister, full cabinet minister or deputy minister - undemocratic because it was not representative.

There were many other more qualified material for ministers within PKR, both Malays and non-Malays but it was clear that Mahathir was going to be in control despite Bersatu just holding 11 percent of total parliamentary seats of the Harapan coalition.


Why did he do this? Because he wanted control of the cabinet, he wanted to be boss and he wanted to buy time so that he could get more MPs into Bersatu and diffuse the power that PKR and DAP, both multiracial parties, held within Harapan.

Mahathir never believed in consensus. For him, there is only one leader and that has to be him. Consultation is not his style. There was almost an early break-up in Harapan when he made Lim Guan Eng finance minister without consulting PKR. The DAP, delighted with Lim’s appointment, constantly said “prime ministerial prerogative” to Mahathir’s many questionable decisions - but not anymore.

Mahathir started to push - the more he could get away with, the more he pushed. Manifestos were not cast in stone; Harapan wrote the manifesto thinking they won’t win. Local council elections will raise racial problems. Icerd goes against the constitution. We need a third national car. He said all this and more.

All tainted

When Kim Quek wrote an article saying Mahathir should step down for reform to take place, Bersatu’s strategist Rais Hussin came up with a reply of which probably the main relevant point was that representation from Malays should not be spurned too quickly.

Sure, yes. But won’t that be accepting MPs who had already compromised themselves? There were previous reports that Umno divisions got money from its former president Najib Abdul Razak’s accounts with funds that came from 1MDB. All BN MPs must have known, given the level of reporting which included filings by the US Department of Justice, that Najib had stolen money from 1MDB.

Yet they supported him - not one of them went against Najib. By that token alone, it would be fair to assume that each one of these MPs who now want to join Harapan through Bersatu was complicit in the kleptocrat government. In other words, they are all tainted - no need for Bersatu to vet them.

Was it not Mahathir’s aim to get rid of kleptocracy and let the law take care of those who conspired with Najib?


Why is he now doing things that go against this aim? The only answer is that Mahathir is prepared to tolerate corruption and even kleptocracy so long as the Malays held power - not power sharing but supremacy of the Malays, Ketuanan Melayu.

But his brand of ketuanan through Umno and his Umno-like Bersatu - which only allows Malays as members - is what brought the country to its knees leading to rampant kleptocracy. It has hurt the Malays most, except for the connected few commonly known as the Umnoputras.

This is, after all, a multi-racial country with Malays accounting for just over 50 percent of the population. Honest, corruption-free power-sharing is what is required with regard for all, and especially the poor, to take the country forward and bring it away from the Umno-style patronage and corruption, especially since the last half century after May 13, 1969.

Mahathir will not give up his aims of Malay supremacy without a fight. If getting rid of Najib was his only aim, he should have made way for Anwar by now. But no, his aims are larger than that which is why he jumped on to the winning bandwagon.
It is easier to understand Mahathir’s actions when we understand his motives. Mahathir is a Malay supremacist and therefore he will be a hindrance to honest reform. Harapan needs to think about how they can reform - with or without him. And how they are going to do it.

No mean feat, that.

6 comments:

  1. The horse trading strategy is working. UMNO is now split into five groups.

    Humpty Dumpty had a big fall and will never be put together again.

    Oh Happy Days, I’m Lovin’ It.

    As predicted Zahid Hamidi is living up to my 4D forecast - Same Same No Idea

    KJ was last seen in Bangsar humming the Queen hit song - I want to Break Free.

    Ku Li, the Nearly Man (nearly did this, nearly did that but never actually doing anything) where are you....? I predict he will suddenly re-appear at the last minute at UMNO’s death bed to offer a solution but it will be too late....

    QUOTE
    Umno now split into five factions, Zahid admits
    18 Dec 2018, 10:42 pm

    Ahmad Zahid Hamidi admitted today that Umno has split into five factions after it lost power for the first time in its history.

    The Umno president said that the first of these faction comprises those who want to maintain the status quo and not ally with any other parties.

    "The second group wants to join forces with a party in Pakatan Harapan, while the third wants to join forces with another Harapan party that has collaborated with DAP," he told a dialogue with Umno members in Kuala Lumpur tonight.

    It is believed that Zahid was referring to Bersatu and PKR respectively.

    The fourth faction, he said, wanted Umno to join forces with PAS in the opposition bloc.

    "The fifth group wants to form a new grouping altogether, not only in the opposition, but as a (grand) coalition," he said.
    UNQUOTE

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  2. The Thai psychic predicted
    - many people would be arrested in Malaysia in November 2018
    - Mahathir will be unable to continue to function in June 2019,
    - and his replacement will be an authoritarian figure (not Anwar).

    The 1st point has come true.
    106 people have been arrested so far over the Seafield temple riots. With the death of the fireman now a murder case, expected more to be arrested.
    More trouble , violence in the country.... akan datang

    Be patient...June 2019 is just round the corner. Not even enough time to launch the 3rd National Car.

    After that...No More Mahathir...wakaakakaka...

    After that...lets see.

    Perhaps Malaysia finished as a democracy, not even a pretend one.

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  3. a good read to scare the shit out of someone to stand straight up and totally forget about the soft clean toilet roll beside them

    there is another article yet to be written about pkr and dap supporters having a go at each other with bersatu supporters in a pitch battle because someone refuse to honour an agreement

    there is also another article yet to be released that manmanlai purchased a ranch in Argentina for a paltry some of rm1 and decide to throw in the towel following the footsteps of the daughter claiming politics is too dirty and sickening

    and while maddy is consolidating his supremacist power base with garbage another article will be asking for who? cause that would be more pertinent and revealing of his supremacist agenda

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  4. Wakakakakaka…

    For all guna's worth, he is analysing the political motives of a 93yr old politikus!

    His prediction might hold some water if mamak is still in his 50!

    And mamak is no Mugabe bcoz he has a good wife who has been nagging him to retire gracefully ever since been reelected into the world's oldest pmship.

    Hence, guna should use this piece of his as toilet paper:

    "It is becoming more and more obvious that Mahathir wants the two years he asked for to be prime minister, not so much to do what is needed but to strengthen his position so that he will be difficult to remove when the time comes for him to make way."

    Mamak is too smart to know about the consequences of a dynastic building. He has NO political maverick offspring within his family. Any son/daughter of his WONT last a yr within the vultures infested net he would built if dynasty will ever in his mind! The end result would be worst than he has 'planned'!

    His party's wildly disproportionate numbers in terms of ministers and deputy ministers posts r opened for speculations.

    Prime ministerial prerogative?

    Not unless there r consensus amongst the member parties of the PH! This was clearly proven when mamak was forced to relinquish his intended post of Education minister besides the pmship.

    As what sorts of interparty consensus, ONLY the inner working parties WOULD know. And none r talking!

    It is postulated that because mamak wanted control of the cabinet, he wanted to be boss and he wanted to buy time so that he could get more MPs into Bersatu and diffuse the power that PKR and DAP, both multiracial parties, held within Harapan.

    So, to achieve that 'aim', a bunch of unprincipled, opportunistic umno lawmakers will be enticed to join bersatu if they want to avoid the consequences of their actions in supporting the most kleptocratic government the world has ever seen.

    YES, they are all tainted!

    But accepting them into bersatu DOESN'T imply giving them the SAME powers as they used to enjoy under jibby's care.

    These frogs r recruited for a purpose that might be closed to few inner circle's hearts.

    It might be used to reshape Malay agenda (perhaps not in the mould of the failed ketuanan agenda). It might be something else.

    Besides there r always those residue umno gene infested champion kakis misinterpreting the 'motive' & trying to enrol their own abang-adik into the fold for a rejoice of the good old umno days!

    Yet, nobody wants to look into this angle!

    Getting rid of Najib was NOT mamak's only aim. Killing umno & thus reshaping the Malay agenda once for all IS.

    Hence mamak's consistent rejects about the various offers made by the different factions of the umno warlords!

    Mind u, not as an individual proposal BUT as various group proposals to get the possible BEST out of the deal with their combined numbers!

    Too bad, these frogs ain't no pek mo of s'wak.

    Mamak should have made way for Anwar. But no, bcoz mamak understand manmanlai too well to know that this guy IS a NATO, full of political Machiavellian game plans.

    Manmanlai initials talking to the royalties, the pas ulamas even when he ONLY holds nominal position of power! What can he promise to these people WHEN political consensus calls the day! He has drowned with power even before he is given power - just like how he manipulated pkr's policies within the confinement of bamboo river resort!

    If ever new m'sia needs to think about how SHE can reform - tightening the administrative consensual power IS the must!

    Perhaps, that's the legacy mamak wants to leave behind.

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  5. Like It or not, there is a need to keep the Malay/Muslim electorate support on-board.

    DAP is a mainly Chinese party with some Indians and almost No Malays in its leadership.
    Most Malays don't see PKR as fundamentally a Malay party, though Ah Moc thinks so. PKR is just too dependent on the non-Malay vote for them to be really trusted to look after the interests of conservative Malays.

    So...if Pakatan Harapan is NOT going to be a 1-term government, there is no choice but to grow the footprint of both Bersatu and Amanah.

    They should focus on building their machinery down on the ground instead of pulling over dubious MPs.

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  6. When 94% Chinese Malaysians voted in Pakatan, they also inadvertently voted for the rise of PAS. It will down to Pakatan and PAS henceforth.

    Had they elected Najib everything will remain stable. RM stable, Bursa stable, few jobs lost, no organisations shut down, Chinese investment will pile up. But no, those Chinese youngsters brainwashed and fed on Whatsapp/Faacebook/Instagram thought they knew better. Like my brother who said "well we can vote out Pakatan in 5 years if they useless mah...." Yes you will get PAS as the next govt when 70% of Malays migrate to PAS to punish the Chinese for their GE14 choice.

    Reap what you Chinese sow...

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