Mahathir's Kerbau on Accepting Criticisms

MM Online:

Biggest lesson from ‘M for Malaysia’? How to accept criticism, says Dr M

BY YISWAREE PALANSAMY

Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad speaks to reporters at the premiere of ‘M for Malaysia’ at GSC Pavilion, Kuala Lumpur September 10, 2019

Picture by Hari Anggara

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 10 ― Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad today praised the M for Malaysia documentary, produced by his daughter and granddaughter on the workings of democracy in the country, as a balanced film which even managed to highlight some of the negative sentiments associated with him when he was the fourth prime minister.

The Langkawi MP labelled the film a factual one, and as a lesson for everyone, on the need to accept criticisms.

“I think it’s very factual, it is not one-sided. All those things about me which are bad were also told. All the things that happened during my time.

“I think it’s a lesson for everyone to see, that you have to put up with criticisms, as much as you like to be praised,” Dr Mahathir told reporters, after catching the premiere.

The film is directed and produced by his eldest granddaughter Ineza Roussille and real estate tycoon Tan Sri Lee Kim Yew’s daughter, Dian Lee. Ineza’s mother Datin Paduka Marina Mahathir is the executive producer.

While I do NOT doubt the sincerity of the film making people, like my matey Marina Mahathir (who must by now be mad at me for attacking her father), her daughter Ineza and Dian Lee, I reckon Mahathir is not sincere in his assertion that “I think it’s a lesson for everyone to see, that you have to put up with criticisms, as much as you like to be praised”.

We have just recently witnessed how he bare his fangs at Rais Hussin, his own Pribumi Party strategist for saying that PH may lose in GE15 if it does not get its polices correct. For more, read my post Someone speaks the Truth:

PPBM PRIBUMI supreme council member Datuk Rais Hussin Mohamed Arif said PH appears to have stopped listening to the public after one year in Putrajaya and needs to address five key issues if it is to retain its hold on power

Picture by Hari Anggara
In the lead up to the Rantau by-election, Rais Hussin with prescience said that PH had failed to learn from their earlier twin losses in Semenyih and Cameron Highlands, or to take heed of the urgent need to explain to voters about why some manifesto promises have yet to be delivered.



He lamented that PH has yet to improve on its communication strategy and has instead allowed some ministers to make silly remarks about “flying cars”, in an apparent jibe at Entrepreneur Development Minister Redzuan Md Yusof’s recent announcement that Malaysia will develop a flying car.



Rais continued: Rantau would be tough for PH, a 50-50 chance. Recent election results did not favour PH. People on the ground had not felt the positive effects of our policies.

“People need to be convinced and we have yet to establish a manifesto committee. In Semenyih, when I talked to people. they say ‘we have trouble putting food on the table but you are talking about piring terbang’”

Rais added that he was not surprised PH lost Semenyih because the coalition lacked a proper narrative, and still has not found one.

“When we are not doing enough, the opposition’s narrative becomes the dominant narrative”.

"New" Malaysia - Freedom of Information & speech

The ensuing debacle in public, in which he threatened Rais with party disciplining (see The Emperor is unhappy with Rais Hussin), was a shameful indictment on Mahathir's intolerance, even for his own party strategist.

And then there was his usual sarcasms on remarks he didn't like, contrary to his kerbau pompous 'have to put up with criticisms', and which he made to comments by Charles Santiago and Ronnie Liu.

Mahathir could only use sarcasms on them because they were NOT from his own Parti Pribumi (as Rais Hussin is) 

Related:

(1) Irredeemable Recalcitrant Dictatorial Mahathir.

(2) Behind the most successful Mamak in Malaysia, there is a Chinaman???