TUN DR MAHATHIR SKEWERED ON HARDTALK

I had the occasion to watch Malaysia's former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad on BBC the other day and the old man gloriously stuffed both feet into his mouth to spectacular effect.

The interviewer Stephen Sackur asked all the questions that angry Malaysians like myself have been waiting to ask the old man. The lies Mahathir spouted on television was staggering. Has he not hear of the word KARMA?

In the 23 years Mahathir was the prime minister of this blessed country, he hammered in a dividing wedge between the main races of this country so deeply, that the old man must never ever be forgiven for his stupidity and racist policies.

He could have used his position to bring all the races together and the country would be even more unstoppable than it is now. But he never did.

(Let's face it folks -- Malaysia is what it is today and where it is because of the dynamics of the different races living here and galvanising the country forward. For any one race to think it is ahead of another is stupid. Look at country's around us -- frankly, they are all lesser countries compared to Malaysia.)

Mahathir systematically screwed the country's education policies, encouraged racist hiring policies at public institutions, royally shafted the judiciary and the country's media simultaneously and does not have the dignity to admit what he has done.

Late in his dictatorial political career, only then did Mahathir realise what our most beloved Tunku Abdul Rahman knew from day one: that the country is a dynamic force because of the different races that make up Malaysia and that education is a key point to the salvation of the country (by bringing people together and opening young minds that are full of potential). Dr Mahathir sang praises of the important role played by the non-Malay business communities in the development of Malaysia (as if it was a new thing!) only at the very end of his dictatorial reign but it was too late -- he had royally soured the intra-race relationships in the country.

The concession to Mahathir that English be used in the teaching of Maths and Science also came a bit too late -- being multilingual has always been an asset to any thinking person and during Mahathir's reign, he should have have at least made an effort to safeguard the education institutions so that not-so-bright education ministers under his leadership didn't screw around with the nation's most important asset: EDUCATION!!!!

Most all all, Mahathir should never be forgiven for screwing around with our national anthem, Negaraku. Thank God we have reverted to the stately and dignified tempo of our beloved song under Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's leadership.

Kudos also to our present PM for bringing back Bunga Raya into prominence. I see it being planted everywhere and it is a beautiful sight to behold indeed when the flowers are blooming -- which is throughout the year! Our national flower is a better city-beautification option than the useless non-indigenous palm trees that were being planted everywhere at one point.