Got word that the former PM suffered a "mild" heart attack last night and has been warded for observation. Do pray for his recovery.
A happy update at 9pm, 10/11/2006: Dr M has been discharged from the Coronary Care Unit. He is now under observation in a "normal" ward.
He will have my prayers.
ReplyDeleteI agree, we must pray hard for his recovery. Considering the state of lawlessness of this country, I hope nothing stupid will be done to him.
ReplyDeleteDear all,
ReplyDeleteLet's pray for his speedy recovery, health and long life !
May God protects and preserves him.
Semoga Allah SWT memberkati doa kita semua agar TDM cepat sembuh, kembali sihat wal'afit dan dipanjangkan umur.
ReplyDeleteOh Nooo !!
ReplyDeleteI pray for his swift recovery too. Dr M had made such a larger than life figure that it is easy to forget he is an 80+ man with a cardiac history.
As a citizen who's formative years had been under his rule, I must say I can't imagine malaysia without him.
To Dr M and his family i'd like to wish a speedy recovery. The prayers of us Malaysians are with you.
May God bless and protect you.
He'll be stronger than ever.
ReplyDeleteSaudara Rocky,
ReplyDeleteKita berdoa. Saudara dan saya serta banyak rakan-rakan kita wartawan bebas berjumpa beliau semalam di majlis rumah terbuka anak-anaknya.
Datuk Seri Zam pun turut hazir. Aktivis Umno kawasan Datuk Seri Zam (Merbok)pun turut hazir. Apa yang mereka kata mengenai Datuk Seri Zam kepada saya tidak elok saya ulangi di sini. This is not the occasion.
Datuk Seri Zam bukan macam kita lagi. Dalam bahasa mesra orang Kedah, kita ini dipanggil pemberita cabuk. Tapi Datuk Seri Zam sudah lama meninggalkan dunia pemberita cabuk untuk menjadi pembesar politik negara.
Mengenai Tun, saya rasa dia perlu rehat. Slow down and take it easy. Sejak Sabtu lalu hingga semalam dia ke Saudi Arabia dan kemudian ke New Zealand.
Tetapi di dalam apapun kejadian ada hikmahnya. Tun kini dirawat di IJN yang berupa simbol mutakhir pengiktirafan beliau kepada kehebatan doktor-doktor anak watan yang melakukan pembedahan jantung ke atas beliau lebih 15 tahun lalu.
Tun begitu yakin dan kagum dengan kemampuan doktor-doktor anak watan ini sehingga beliau menganugerahkan mereka dan rakyat negara ini sebuah hospital khas untuk rawatan jantung iaitu IJN.
Bagi Tun, setiap butir permata ilmu dan setiap detik pengalaman wajib dimanfaatkan.
Kita berdoa.
Terima kasih.
Praying for a speedy recovery. He's very much needed now.
ReplyDeleteBro Rocky,
ReplyDeletePraying for Tun especially at this time goes wihtout saying. Of course, majority of Malaysian will pray for Tun as the country needs Tun more than ever as "Hakkamui" said "considering the lawlessness of this country".
Tun we all will pray for your speedy recovering so that you can save this country from the abused of the PM and his relatives and aides like Khairy, Kalimulah and Kamaludin.
Get well soon. Tun. Majority of Malaysians are with you.
I'm praying for you, too, Tun. I don't know whether you would make a better Malaysia (but maybe better than now), but you do add a certain check-and-balance right now, and for that, at least, we need you.
ReplyDeleteAnd as a fellow insan, I pray for your health, too.
i pray for his wellbeing. God Almighty, i pray, will take care of him and his health.
ReplyDeleteMay Allah alwsys bless and protect him. May Allah give him strength, sustenance and will.
We love Malaysia. We love Tun.
My prayers to TDM. May he take this opportunity to have a good rest eventhough i would not think he will stop thinking about his beloved country.
ReplyDeleteIn coincedence with the upcoming UMNO Assembly, may the delegates would also take some time during the break to visit him and close ranks.
We pray Dr Mahathir will have a speedy recovery. I pray he have a good rest at IJN. I pray he will come back healthier than ever.
ReplyDeleteSesungguhnya perjuangan Dr Mahathir belum selesai....
We pray Dr Mahathir will have a speedy recovery. We pray he have a good rest at IJN. We pray he will come back healthier than ever.
ReplyDeleteSesungguhnya perjuangan Dr Mahathir belum selesai....
SALAM....HAMBA SETUJU BEBENO CAKAP DATUK KADIRR JASIN TUUUUU...MOH LE KITE DE DOA BANYOK BANYOK KAT TUN...DIA AMAT DIPERLUKAN SKRG....SUDAH LE BANYAK PENDERITAANNYA YANG TEMAN NENGOK...AMIN
ReplyDeleteMy family prayers are with you Dr.M. you a great man regardless of what others say about you.Maybe they will shower you with praises only after you death.They are not bloody jantan.But most msian will want the best for you sir.
ReplyDeleteGet well Dr.M , we still need you.
Long live Tun Mahathir. A man of great wisdom and character. You dont find such people in Malaysia anymore.
ReplyDeleteA great PM. Still as great as ever. Recover fast Tun. You have all our prayers. We need you to put Malaysia on the right track.
The present corrupt leaders have done a lot of damage to all your hard work.
Long live Tun Mahathir!
As we pray, remember that Allah knows best. Ours is but to pray, as prayers create hope, and hope creates srtength.
ReplyDeleteI hope the doctors will limit the amount of visitors he can have. He needs to rest - he's been shaking too many hands these last few weeks.
ReplyDeleteget well Tun, we still need you. Allah, lindungilah Tun M kami, semoga dia akan cepat sembuh.
ReplyDeletekami sekeluarga mendoakan semoga Tun cepat sembuh dan dapat kami berjumpa di Perhimpunan minggu depan,Tun Hasmah, be strong as always, our thoughts are for you.
Malaysia is very much indeed of Tun's wisdom.
ReplyDeleteGet well soon, Tun! We're praying for you.
Saya memohon kepada Allah SWT yang Maha Pengasih serta Maha Penyayang dan yang menentukan akan segala2 nya agar Tun Dr Mahathir yang amat saya hormati cepat sembuh dan kembali sihat dan dipanjangkan umur.
ReplyDeleteGet well soon Dr M.Hoping that you'll be on your feet again as soon as possible.
ReplyDeleteAdding my prayers for his speedy recovery and continued health.
ReplyDeleteTake it easy, dear Tun. Thank you for fighting for us. We love and support you always.
anakhujanbatu
Tun Sir,
ReplyDeleteMay you recover in time to present yourself at the UMNO do to face them and look at them straight in the eye like the Jantan you are. Let us see who is going to sheepishly look away.
While you are in IJN, please shoo away that Nazi, I mean Nazri kid and the Fat Lady if they are going to do a publicity stunt by visiting you Sir.
Get well soon Sir.
Got words from Sufi that Tun is okay and resting now.
ReplyDeleteget well soon Tun M. My prayers for you.
ReplyDelete~ i love Tun M long taim.
Dear Tun,
ReplyDeletePERJUANGAN KITA BELUM SELESAI....
Get well soon,semoga Allah Bless You.
Tun,
ReplyDeletesaya mohon kehadrat Allah SWT dengan mendoakan agar Tun segera sembuh seperti sedia kala.
Saya kagum dengan semangat Tun yang berkobar-kobar untuk negara demi menjamin masa depan anak cucu kami nanti.
Terima kasih kepada bro Bru untuk maklumat ini.
Wassalam.
Riong Biru said...
ReplyDeleteGot words from Sufi that Tun is okay and resting now.
===================================
Alhamdullillah.
Dearest Tun,
ReplyDeleteWe are praying hard for your speedy recovery. Take it easy and relax.
Long live Tun Mahathir!
Orang Sungai
Dear Tun Dr M
ReplyDeleteMay you continue to be our light
Teach us how to struggle & fight
For truth, justice and humanity
Never for material gain and money
I was too young to understand my elders
And, too proud to follow their orders
Please forgive me.
"Other people have struggled against greater odds. What is there for me? If I have to struggle I will struggle by whatever means possible" - Tun Dr M
ReplyDeleteIzinkan saya memetik kata-kata Naib Presiden PAS, Datuk Husam Musa:
"Semoga Allah menyegerakan kesembuhan Tun dan beliau dapat meneruskan peranannya yang sangat berkesan hari ini dalam memperjuangkan kepentingan agama, bangsa dan negara".
Dan, kata-kata Mahfuz Omar:
"Ketika negara diancam oleh kelemahan kepimpinan yang ada kini, negarawan dihormati sepeti Tun sangat diperlukan untuk memperbetulkan keadaaan".
TAK NAK LAH! UNDUR LAH!
Pray to Allah that Tun recovers and is back to his old self. My thoughts to Tun and Tun Dr Siti Hasmah (what a marvellous wife and supporter she's been to Tun), and to Tun's family. Please take care of yourself Tun. We desperately need you now; only you have the clout, guts and authority to get Malaysia back on track.
ReplyDeleteTun, I remember what our standard of living was like before you came and "revolutionised" us. Your detractors can mock and scorn you, but they haven't the brains, self-confidence, self-conviction and ability to do what you managed in your 22 years of looking after us. They can deride Proton, but that was the first car my family could afford. You brought prosperity to us. My late father was a middle-level civil servant. No studies abroad, big houses, fancy cars etc for us. But we got jobs, saved money, managed to travel abroad for holidays, bought our own houses etc. All this because of your economic plans.
I still remember the fear during the Asian financial crisis and I admit, I was doubtful of the capital controls and ringgit peg. I remember how you believed in yourself and how you fought ALONE for Malaysia -- the abuse, condemnation, ridicule and predictions of economic suicide that was hurled at you both from local critics and those abroad. We know the end result.
It's because of what happened during the crisis that I now know deep in my heart that whatever you do, it is for the good of us Malaysians. Like any caring father, you just want to fight to ensure your "children's" well-being.
And I agree with Wiseone. Get someone to stand guard outside Tun's room with a broom to halau away all the hypocrites who will come with crocodile tears and fake concern. Maybe Marina, she's fierce enough!
And please, don't let Zam in. Maybe it was the "shock" of seeing him last night that brought on the attack.
amin..! - cw4324
ReplyDeleteGet well soon, Sir.
ReplyDeleteIn recent months, you've re-ignited the fire within all decent and sincere Malaysians to strive for a better nation to live in.
It is a heavy burden you carry, seemingly effortless on your part, but please rest assured that some of us will continue to address the tasks at hand.
Your efforts has not been in vain and it is only fitting that this be part of your legacy.
May Allah SWT grant you a speedy recovery.
Salam to DrM,
ReplyDeleteWalaupun sejak 1994 saya amat tidak suka pada DrM kerana beberapa kenyataan beliau terhadap agama dan hukum agama, tetapi saya menghormati DrM sebagai pemimpin yg di pilih majoriti dan sebagai negarawan yang berjiwa kental.
Saya doakan DrM sembuh seperti sediakala. Saya berharap DrM ambil peluang di IJN untuk berehat sepenuhnya dan bermuhasabbah diri. semoga DrM di beri keampunan dan hidayah setiap masa.
Semoga mangkuk2 hayun UMNo juga akan muhasabbah diri akan sikap mereka (terkini) terhadap DrM.
Semoga saya juga muhasabbah diri agar boleh memaafkan DrM di atas kenyataan beliau terhadap Islam di masa lalu.
Segera sembuh DrM kerana perjuangan(membersihkan UMNO dan BN dari korupsi dan salahguna kuasa) belum selesai....
I'm shocked as i was just there last night at his house, like you Rocky!
ReplyDeleteTun M, my prayers for your speedy recovery.
PS: nice meeting you Rocky :D
AA (ahem)
Hi,
ReplyDeleteIn Europe it is considered a criminal offense by doctors if the heart attack victim isn't given:
• huge doses of CoQ10 (this declines as you get older but your hear needs it), and
• Omega-3 fish oil (the Pristin and Pharmanex brands comes to mind).
This practice is neglected in the US which is ruled by the pro-pharmaceutical company FDA.
The MMA is very pro-FDA. We should pray that DrM's doc follows the European method.
We pray for Tun and we pray for ourselves; we pray for our children and for our future and most importantly for Malaysia before she becomes an alienated land, scorned by all. Please get well soon, Tun!
ReplyDeleteeven though lulu has her grieviances against this old man, it is not time for him to go now. he wants to set the record straight. to undo the wrongs currently happening.
ReplyDeletehere's to seeing another day, drM!
Hi again,
ReplyDeleteLet's remember the following...
Dr M insisted on having his triple by-pass in Malaysia.
DozeLah recently had his "minor" surgery, in Australia.
Speaks volumes on the differences in attitudes of each leader!
Tun, we still need you! Have a speedy recovery. I know you're a fighter, you can do it. Semoga Allah memanjangkan usia Tun.
ReplyDelete[Rocky's Bru: Marina Mahathir sent me an SMS this afternoon]
ReplyDeleteHi Rocky,
Can you please thank all the wellwishers on your blog on behalf of me and my family? We appreciate very much the many prayers and good wishes.
thanks,
marina
Tun M, we love you and we need you. dont leave us... we want to see you smile again. get well soon.
ReplyDeleteOn behalf of Dato' Mukhriz Mahathir and the rest of Tun Dr Mahathir's family, they would like to express their utmost sincere and deepest heartfelt for ALL the kind wishes, thoughts, doas and prayers during YABhg Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad's ill health being interned at IJN.
ReplyDeleteMay God Al Mighty provide Tun Dr Mahathir speedy recovery.
Tun,
ReplyDeleteGet well soon and we wish you a long and healthy life.
You make me proud to be a Malaysian and we need you to be around for a long long time to make a difference.
We pray for your speedy recovery.
Rgds
Tun M,
ReplyDeletewe love, we still need you.
We want to see you smile again. Get well soon.
Rocky!
ReplyDeleteI am a sceptic! After a mild heart attack you have to rest for at least two week before a rigorous activity. Tun M won't be attending the Umno Assembly for sure, although it was reported he will be at the front seat of the assembly, just a good old medieval diplomacy! In this way everyone can save face! What a lulu, eh!(sorry to still the phrase I kinds like it, what a lulu!)
Dear all,
ReplyDeleteMy prayers for Tun's recovery!
When I got the news, it felt like our country's life just flashed by me. Suddenly, you felt a kind of emptiness should his health turn for the worst.
To me, he will always be Chairman of the Board and his advice and direction are priceless.
So, please let's take a moment to ponder what Malaysia would be like without him. I shudder to think of the repercussions of his demise. Therefore, being selfish as I am and I am sure for the rest of us, our prayers for his speedy recovery.
May Allah bless and protect him!
He could use my heart, but I don't think it's in good shape either.
ReplyDeleteGet well soon, Doctor.
I hope that Dr M will recover soon. He is our HERO! Our country is forever indebted to him for all the good things (Proton), (Steel - Perwaja) he had done to the country. Hope he will attend the UMNO congress next week so that AAB can learn a thing or two from him. I am sure Rafidah is craying a lot now.
ReplyDeleteYup, I'm definitely not one of the "mudah lupa" Malays!
TDM
ReplyDeleteAs'alullaahal-'Adheema Rabbal-'Arshil'Adheemi 'an yashfiyaka.
I ask Almighty Allah, Lord of the Magnificent Throne, to make you well. InsyaAllah.
I hope he will get well soon.
ReplyDeletebut i have a feeling he will, just to make his stand at the assembly now that he has an invite.
a man whose heart is broken and no news in the mainstream media about him who spent 22 years building the country to what it is now.
Tun, get well soon. your people need you more than ever.
Like so many other Malaysians, I pray Tun get back to normal ASAP.
ReplyDeleteI hope Tun does not attend the General Assembly. We all need you for the long haul, Tun.
saya berasa malu mendengar keadaan Tun. Tun yang berusia masih memberi keutamaan kepada kepentingan rakyat dan negara atas dirinya. Bagi yang berkuasa perlulah bekerja baik-baik demi rakyat jelata, bukan demi kesenangan diri sendiri. Sebagai rakyat biasa, tidak banyak yang boleh saya buat. Saya berdoa Tun akan sembuh cepat dan rehat secukup-cukupnya. Tiba masanya, saya harap dapat dengar "tembakan" Tun lagi.
ReplyDeleteprayers from the uk.
ReplyDeletehttp://kakteh.blogspot.com/
May Almighty God shower him with blessings and have him back stronger than ever.
ReplyDeleteHaving only met him personally once, I can't describe in words, what it is like to meet him in person.
Get well soon sir!
Tun
ReplyDeleteWith so many people praying for Tun, how can Tun not recovered! I know that when Tun recovered Tun will be even stronger with even higher spirit to stand for the nation against those rouges like Khairy, Kalaimullah, Kamaludin and a few others.
I fully agree with "Atilla" who has said that someone station outside Tun's room with abroom to sweep away those actors and come with crocodile tears.
Thank God Tun was "asleep" when the sleeping PM came to "visit" him otherwise Tun may get another unnecessary heart attack. I do agree that it may be due to the visit by Zam that casued the mild attack this morning.
Tun, we know you are strong. We know that God is with you even though you did not use term like Islam Hadhari and etc. God is with you, Tun, because you are a genuine person and you love this country.
Tun, the nation needed you most and we pray that you recover with great speed to deal with those rouges that are bleeding the coutnry economy like parasites. May God bless you Tun.
Tun
ReplyDeleteMalaysians know that you had suffered for the nation becasue you love thsi country too much and you do not want to see Malaysia to be destroyed by the nation's enemies like Khairy, Kalimullah aned Kamaludin, who have been protected by the KNOW NOTHING PM.
We know that you had to suffer for us like a father who loves his children and will do anything for them even if he had to suffer in pain.
God bless you Tun. We pray that you will be on your feet very very soon.
Please do not entertain those THIEVES from the half past six cabinet minister - ask someone to give them a standard answer "TUN IS ASLEEP, PLEASE COME NEXT MONTH!!.
i am 36 years old. i was too young to appreciate what tun razak and tun hussein onn did for us. from my formative years, dr m was the only PM i know. 'bersih, cekap, amanah' is the slogan my friends and i remember until today. some of us still remember the lyrics of 'setia' too.
ReplyDeletewhen i was in school, i remember taking the sri jaya bus no 50 to TTDI to go for tuition. my tuition teacher's house was in the 'boondocks' of TTDI's burhanuddin helmi area then. it would never have occurred to me then that highways would and could be built from the boondocks to jalan kuching, ampang, batu caves.
like attila, my father was a middle-level civil servant who, while able to put sufficient food on the table for his family, could not afford to send me abroad to study. it was sheer hard work, my mother's nagging and most crucially, the economic plans in place then that earned me a scholarship to study abroad. this is something i am eternally grateful for, for it has helped shape the person i have become today.
as anonymous (8.03pm) said - "it felt like our country's life just flashed by me" when he first got the news. i felt the same way.
tun - your tenacity, masterful intelligence, wit and dry humour have encouraged, inspired, amused and made me damn proud to be a malaysian. u are an inspiration to us all and u are the only true PM i know.
take care and keep well. your journey has not ended. my thoughts and prayers are with u.
Hello Bro Rocky,
ReplyDeleteMe and a few Malaysian friends from MANHATTAN, New York mendoakan semoga Tun cepat sembuh dan sentiasa dilindungi Allah. Kita juga mendoakan agar Allah sentiasa melindungi Tun M and Tun Hasmah selalu.
Doa kami sentiasa mengiringi kesejateraan Tun M and Tun Hasmah
Amin..
Achi Combi New York
Myself and my other mates wish the Doctor all the best. We all have confidence in Malaysian doctors, and would never go abroad for treatment (unlike some people who go for simple sinus surgery in Aust.).
ReplyDelete3 cheers for THE DOCTOR, and the IJN doctors!
United Kingdom
Anonymous (1.33am) "With so many people praying for Tun Dr M, how can Tun Dr M not recovered!"
ReplyDelete- Not if a lot of people are also praying very hard that he doesn't recover!
So, my friends, let us all ramai-ramai pray extra hard and double and triple our prayer count, so that, if God is weighing our prayers, He/She will makbulkan the prayers that ask for Tun Dr M to get better!
Doa buat YABhg Tun Dr Mahathir and the mother of the nation Tun Dr Siti Hasmah.
ReplyDeleteSemoga Allah SWT memanjangkan usia Tun Dr Mahathir satu-satunya pemimpin yang telah banyak berjasa & berbakti untuk agama, bangsa dan negara.
ReplyDeleteInsyallah.
Kami semua mendoakan agar Tun cepat sembuh. Amin
ReplyDeleteTun,
ReplyDeleteTerima kasih. Hanya Tuhan sahaja-lah yang dapat membalas jasa Tun. Kami anak2 kedah & SAHOCA mendoakan agar Tun sehat hendak-nya.
Banyak-kan beristirahat bersama keluarga. Dah lama sangat Tun bekerja keras.
Salam kaseh dr rakyatmu.
semoga Tun cepat sembuh. rakyat (silent majority) amat sayangkan Tun Dr. Mahathir, hanya pembesar haprak yang bencikan Tun.
ReplyDeleteOur prayers are with you Sir. And your family.
ReplyDeletehask & family
Our payers are with you, Sir. And your family.
ReplyDeletehask & family
Thank God. I think he's ok now.
ReplyDeleteAbout a decade ago, her proud daughter once described TUN M as BRUTALLY HONEST. His recent comments about the way the country is managed (or rather mismanaged)are indeed brutal but honest. Just so that MALAYSIA continues to be a success story in the eyes of the world.
ReplyDeleteThough TDM is iron-man but his heart is soft. That's caused him warded in IJN.
ReplyDelete..water drop;
..water drop;
the above two lines are merely not wordings at all but my TEAR DROPS!
Hope he soon be well.
GOD bless HIM!
Truly M'sian
I still remembered, how the world respected Malaysia, and how proud I was when I was abroad and say I am Malaysian. The foreigners will say, "Oh Malaysia, Mahathir, very tough, very good!", and they really mean it. Without him, Malaysia is still "the country above Singapore". He may be the only PM I know, but he definitely is the one that give us pride to be Malaysians. I do not feel the same under AAB anymore. Power corrupts, yes, and I do believe it applies to Mahathir as well, but at least the country comes first. It's the other way round now. I'm really ashamed about the state affairs now...sigh..
ReplyDeleteAssalamualaikum dan salam sejahtera kepada semua yang mengasihi dan menghormati Tun.InsyaAllah doa kita semua akan dikabul Allah Yang Maha Mengasihi,Maha Pemurah,Maha Penyayang.Semuga Tun cepat sembuh dan pulang untuk bersama keluarga yang juga banyak berkorban untuk nya dan kita rakyat Malaysia.AMIN.
ReplyDeleteThis is the article which appears in LA Times where Marina insightfully describes her father as brutally honest
ReplyDeleteBlunt Malaysian Leader Has an Answer For Everything
Politics: With his economy ailing and some wanting him dead, it's been
a rocky year for Mahathir, but he refuses to back down.
By DAVID LAMB, Times Staff Writer
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia--He wouldn't put it quite this way, but the
past year has been a bit mystifying to Prime Minister Mahathir
Mohamad, who has towered over Malaysian politics as none before him
and whose legacy, until an economic crisis, had seemed assured.
Why would Malaysians call for one of Asia's longest-serving leaders to
resign after all he's done for them? Why would his most trusted ally,
a man he created politically, turn on him? Why would the West vilify
him after he used free markets to build one of the world's
fastest-growing economies? Why would journalists brand him a dictator
and anti-Semite when his record is nothing of the sort? Why would
radical Muslims call for his assassination when he is a faithful
Muslim?
Mahathir, 73, who is as blunt as he is combative, has never ducked a
fight or hidden behind a "no comment," and in a recent interview, he
had explanations on each count. They reflected his anger and sense of
betrayal: He created the very model of the capitalistic nation that
the West encourages in Southeast Asia, only to see 40 years of
economic progress undone, he says, by Malaysia's enemies in the West.
On foreign journalists: "Yes, I think they deliberately lie.They don't
like the way I talk back to them when they are wrong. They live on the
misery of others. They live on creating misery for others. They live
on telling lies about others."
On the West: "The West is constantly running us down, saying we as
Asians can't set up a good government, that we must be corrupt and all
that. I would like to point out the West is no less corrupt, and maybe
more corrupt. So don't be racist and make out as if Asians are corrupt
[and] Europeans are not."
On anti-Mahathir demonstrations in the streets: "If you look carefully
at that picture [on a recent magazine cover] you will find that these
so-called reformists are people who wear torn clothing, you know, the
kind of hippie people who are beer drinkers, with Budweiser on their
shirts. I don't know if it's true, but these people claim they
were paid to demonstrate."
On former Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, the erstwhile ally who
was ultimately sacked, arrested, beaten in jail by the police chief
and, finally, convicted on corruption charges: "He tried to overthrow
me. He's the one who turned the issue into a political problem. The
fact is he couldn't accept that he's not the first minister to be
removed. Others have been removed and found guilty by the courts, even
of murder."
On tapes that Islamic fundamentalists have secretly circulated calling
for the assassination of Malaysian leaders: "They are trying to stir
up the worst kind of feelings among Muslims. We have never had these
things happen before. But some crazy chap might just do something
crazy like assassinating people. We take the threat seriously."
All vintage Mahathir. Strong-willed, stubborn and very much a
visionary, Mahathir may be, after 18 years in power, the last of a
breed. As societies in the region become more open and democratic, the
day of leaders staying at the helm for a generation or more and
single-handedly shaping the destiny of their countries--Ho Chi Minh of
Vietnam, Suharto of Indonesia, Lee Kuan Yew of Singapore, Mahathir of
Malaysia--may well be nearing an end.
Mahathir still punches a time clock when he comes to work every
morning. He endlessly scribbles notes to himself in 2-by-3-inch spiral
notebooks on ways to uplift Malaysia. ("Improve the infrastructure of
water sewerage," says the most recent entry.) He drives himself
through this capital on Sundays, making notes on potholes and parks
that need sprucing up. He's even been known to stop by the new airport
to check the cleanliness of public bathrooms.
'Picture of Him . . . Is Often Inaccurate'
A physician before entering politics, Mahathir--or Dr. M, as many call
him--most admires President Nelson Mandela of South Africa among
today's leaders, enjoys the novels of Wilbur Smith and Robert Ludlum,
finds time for few hobbies other than horseback riding, is
uncomfortable with small talk and appears not to have enriched himself
during 35 years in politics, Western diplomats said.
"He's acerbic, crotchety and self-righteous," said one European envoy.
"That said, I'd agree the picture the West gets of him is one-sided
and often inaccurate. He's done a lot of great things for Malaysia,
and on some controversial issues he's right. But he never dodges a
question, he takes risks and that gets him in trouble."
Mahathir, for instance, stirred up a hornets' nest last year when he
blamed Malaysia's economic crisis on hedge-fund traders such as George
Soros and on Jews. "I'm not saying every Jew is bad," he said, "but
the fact remains Soros is a Jew and he attacked us. Just because I
said that doesn't mean I'm anti-Jew."
Though branded by some as an anti-Semite because of the comment,
Mahathir is the one who overcame opposition from Parliament and
Islamic groups to bring an Israeli cricket team to Malaysia two years
ago. He also sponsors Israeli students on two-week study tours to
Malaysia "because we believe there should be understanding between
Muslims and Jews." Mahathir's fight for women's rights led in 1997,
after a
seven-year battle in Parliament, to Malaysia becoming the only
Southeast Asian
country with a law against domestic violence. And when a radical
mullah recently said, "It would be better to wallow in mud with pigs
than shake the hand of a woman," there wasn't a word of protest, even
from groups supporting women's and human rights. Only Mahathir lashed
out publicly against the comment.
While most remain silent, he stands up to fundamentalists who want to
turn Malaysia into a sectarian Islamic state. He also, Western
political analysts say, is the primary force that created racial
harmony and a large middle class in a society populated by Malays,
Indians and Chinese--a contribution Mahathir considers his proudest
achievement.
In 1969, race riots in Malaysia claimed 300 lives. "I think the reason
he irritates so many people is because he doesn't fit the Hollywood
stereotype of an Asian," said his daughter, Marina Mahathir, a
41-year-old activist against AIDS and for women's
rights. "Asian leaders are meant to be 'yes-sir, no-sir.' They are
polite. They avoid controversy and conflict. Dad doesn't cater to
that. He likes to fight. He's brutally honest. That's the problem. But
it's not his problem. It's other peoples' problem."
Trying to Erase Inferiority Complex
In the span of a generation, Mahathir took Malaysians from the rice
paddies to the semiconductor plants. He is obsessed with making
Malaysia an industrialized country by 2020 (which is the license plate
number of his locally produced Perdona sedan), and he is still shaped,
he admits, by the experience of growing up under British colonial rule
and being told Malays were inferior, uneducated and not capable of
accomplishing much worthwhile.
"We grew up with an inferiority complex, being told we were aborigines
from the jungle," said Sen. Zainuddin Maidin. "Now, foreigners come
here and look up at the tallest building in the world, at the newest
airport in the region, and they say, 'Wow, look at all Malaysia has
done.' "That gives us psychological esteem. That's Mahathir's great
strength. He's given us confidence. His weakness is his stubbornness
and the fact that he will sacrifice friends to achieve what he
believes in."
When Malaysia became independent in 1957, per capita income was $350 a
year. By the beginning of 1997 it was nearly $5,000, and Malaysia had
been transformed into one of Asia's economic "tigers." It was the
trendy place for hedge-fund managers to park their funds and billions
of dollars poured into Malaysian stocks and projects, often without
much research. On June 17, 1997, the International Monetary Fund
praised Malaysia's economic fundamentals and said Mahathir's policies
justified
the confidence investors had shown. Two weeks later, the currency in
neighboring Thailand collapsed, heralding a crisis that eventually
damaged economies across Asia and around the globe. Hedge-fund
managers pulled their money out of Malaysia
as quickly as they had put it in. "The economic tigers," Mahathir
said, "have now become whimpering kittens."
Economic Woes Increase Calls to Step Down The Malaysian currency, the
ringgit, lost 60% of its value, per capita income by late 1997 had
fallen to about $1,500, and $100 billion was wiped out of the local
stock market. Mahathir says the meltdown
has cost Malaysia $140 billion.
"Of course, I'm angry that 40 long years of toil and sweat have been
destroyed in a very short period of time," Mahathir said. "On top of
that we're being blamed for destroying our economy when we know we
weren't the cause. To re-create this wealth will take a long time, a
decade or more. It's the waste that angers me. So much wasted effort,
so many lost dreams."
There are still many Malaysians who support Mahathir. Many others
appreciate his achievements but think it's time for him to step aside.
He said he had intended to retire last year--a plan that was derailed
by the economic crisis and the Anwar affair. But he said he won't quit
now because it would appear he was running from tough times. He plans
to stand again in the next general election--Malaysia's elections are
legitimate, hard-fought and do not provide the prime minister with a
free ride--which will be held by April 2000.
And how would Mahathir, who had heart bypass surgery in 1989, like to
be remembered by history? He chuckled softly, which is about as
demonstrative as he ever gets. "Oh, I really don't care," he said. "In
40 years I'm not going to be around, and when you are dead, people
will say nasty things about you. . . . It doesn't make a difference to
me. I just want to do what I can for my country while I'm alive."
Copyright 1999 Los Angeles Times. All Rights Reserved
En Rocky
ReplyDeleteKita semua doakan Tun supaya cepat sembuh dan mendapat kekuatan yg berlipat kali ganda.
- Namun, NST hari ini di page 4, ada menyiarkan satu berita "Worries about missing Shah Rukh Show". Bagi saya, Tun bergurau. Siapa tidak kenal Tun. Apa kata En Rocky? Apa yg NST maksudkan?
"...His weakness is his stubbornness
ReplyDeleteand the fact that he will sacrifice friends to achieve what he
believes in."
- Quote by Datuk Zam in the article written by David Lamb as posted by Anonymous.
I don't agree with Zam on this. I think it is Tun's strength to be able to sacrifice something he holds dear for a greater good. It takes a lot of courage to do something like that. Wonder has Zam ever sacrificed anything for a greater good?
===================================
ReplyDeleteOh, I really don't care," he said. "In
40 years I'm not going to be around, and when you are dead, people
will say nasty things about you. . . . It doesn't make a difference to
me. I just want to do what I can for my country while I'm alive."
Copyright 1999 Los Angeles Times. All Rights Reserved
=================================
Dear Dear Tun
That is why we love you & need you.
That is why you will always be my hero!
God bless.
Our Father, which art in heaven,
ReplyDeleteHallowed be thy Name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done,
in earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
As we forgive them that trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation;
But deliver us from evil:
[For thine is the kingdom, The power, and the glory,
For ever and ever.] Amen.
Hey twolooks,
ReplyDeletePresident Kim of North Korea is looking for someone who can write like you, willing to pay high salalry. Interested please call 0215-68234424
===================================
ReplyDeleteAnonymous said... (7.22PM)
Hey twolooks,
President Kim of North Korea is looking for someone who can write like you, willing to pay high salalry. Interested please call 0215-68234424
================================
Hey Anonymous (7.22PM)
Read again-lah, u silly cow!
Ayoh! U wanna be sacrcastic, huh?
twolooks didnt write the article on Tun Dr Mahathir.
Pramitpal Chaudhuri (of hindustantimes) did.
Kelmarin,
ReplyDeleteIsn't it not clear still to you that they need to make a fool of themselves to make them feel good.
TDM/IJN - 1. AAB/AUS - 0.
ReplyDeleteTo the doctors in IJN that are treating Tun. May Allah give you the wisdom and strength to help get Tun back on his feet.
ReplyDeleteRasa sedih sangat as to what's happening to Malaysia. It's like a sick joke. I wish it was all a dream.....
Malaysian in Perth ;-)
Get weel soon, Tun. The country needs you.. We needs you.. You are the last pahlawan we have now..
ReplyDeleteI have been been told that among Pak Lah's supporters they are speculating that Tun is faking the heart attack because he's afraid to attend the forthcoming general assembly.
ReplyDeleteHow preposterous and downright silly can that be?!
Get well soon, Tun. We need someone like you especially to thwart the ridiculous FAZ... the most stupid idea that has come out thus far...
This is for Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad
ReplyDeleteyang amat dikasihi & disayangi.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxJ8sHM6VmU&mode=related&search=
That's a fitting tribute to Tun Dr Mahathir.
ReplyDeleteI became so weepy watching the video clips and listening to the songs.
Tun is indeed a warrior!
My prayer for you. Get better. Soon
ReplyDelete