Goodbye October 2003; Goodbye Tun Dr. Mahathir Muhammad; Welcome Pak Lah!

It is almost midnight here. Late noon today, Pak Lah had sworn in as the fifth Prime Minister of our nation, Dr. Mahathir and the fourth first lady, Dr. Siti Hasmah were awarded the title Tun, and at circa 5pm, I saw it on TV that PM 'punch-carded' his last day in the office.

As far I could remember, I spotted Dr. M three times in close vicinity. Once was when I was doing grocery shopping at the Isetan KLCC - and he was at the vege & fruits section; the next one when I saw him driving his 4WD along the Bukit Bintang road on a lovely Sunday evening; and recently, few days back, he visited my office, and upon waving, he uttered the word 'terima kasih' from the back of his new Perdana (plate number: 2020).

Nevertheless, during his 22 years in office, we have seen lots of his policies in place particularly of infrastructure and capacity building at the time when we witnessed two important landmarks of economic transitions; i.e. industrial (manufacturing-based) and the ever complex effort policies formulation to leapfrog the nation into a post-industrial-knowledge-based-economy.

Through his fiscal and monetary policies that are at times controversial, he had almost balanced out (18% vs. 30%) the economic participation among the people. And as a result, there are more and more middle class (near to upper) living prosperously in this country today. Although, I think that we could have been much better off given the wealth are equally distributed!

I only wish that lots had been introduced on social and welfare as much as what had Tun Abdul Razak did. Although Dr. M managed to reduce the poverty line from about 45% (? or was it 55%) when he started in the early 80's to about 5% today, most of them are continuation policies from his predecessor. Wonder whether those same policies are sustainable and effective in the long run.

Let's see what Pak Lah can formulate out of this. Let's also see what will Pak Lah do with the USD$40 billions of reserve as well as his promise of policy continuation. It will be an exciting period to witness and critically analyze on how will Pak Lah lead the nation as we grow towards becoming a virtue-based society (Read: National IT Agenda) in the forthcoming years.

What I admired the most about Dr. M is his ability to explain his visions in easy terms (albeit the ubiquitious propaganda vehicles - but tell me which leader isn't leveraging on that?) that he wrote most of his speeches, his ability to ask the right questions, (an important traits as a leader; this was told to me by someone who had the chance explaining to him issues in the country's learning technology; and recently the InfoSys chairman wrote this same observation in a featured section of Far Eastern Economic Review on Dr. M farewell), and most importantly, that he had built the Putrajaya.

I admired the last achievement simply because Dataran Merdeka and the downtown of Kuala Lumpur are full of colonial buildings and landmarks, that only made me loathe and detest seeing all those nostalgic from of colonialism infrastructure; but what the heck, tourists love them! Today, the administration center is a magnificent manifestation of his vision to rebuild our fallen Malacca. I won't mind my tax paying money going there. And if you mind about it, then it is simply your choice!

And by his virtue, the word proxy has new connotation to me. Apart of those proxy IPs we sometimes use to bypass certain restrictions on the Net, Mahathir has given a new feeling to that word from the most quoted part of his controversial speech few weeks back! And I won't go far discussing that in here.

[Picture: BAZUKI MUHAMMAD/REUTERS]

Comments

[Nair]

Dr Mahathir.

The rascal who has deceived, manipulated and destroyed ethnic Malaysian-Indians.

Time will arrive for him to burn in hell.

[cillawati anuar]

Salam,
Apakah pandangan anda jika hukum syariah untuk semua kaum Melayu, dihapuskan sama sekali di Malaysia dan semua rakyat Malaysia di bawah hak yang sama tanpa mengira kaum atau jantina sesorang itu. Olehkerana dari segi logik terutamanya kaum wanita tiada hak yang sama dengan kaum lelaki.

Adakah kita dapat menerima kritikan yang di buat berdasarkan sensitiviti manusia biasa dan logik biasa mengenai isu isu agama tanpa bersifat defensif semata mata, walaupun di dalam agama islam yang sebenar adalah kewajiban semua umat islam mempertahankan maruah agama mereka jika ianya di kritik atau dilalaikan.Seperti mana yang berlaku di negara negara Arab. Antara Tradisi lama budaya Arab tidak jauh dengan praktik agama islam hingga ke hari ini, adalah jauh dari kesimbangan keseluruhan untuk masyarakat islam samada di negara negara islam di asia tengah,
yang tidak putus putus bergolak samada untuk isu politil, masyarakat, sosial, tradisi yang bergolak dan terlalu remeh dan boleh di katakan zalim.
Mereka boleh mengatakan perang antara negara negara barat bukan silap mereka, tetapi dalam realiti masyarakat mereka sendiri , bagaimana pandagan anda mengenai sikap sikap mereka tehadap wanita terutamanya selalu di kawal kebebasan mereka bertindak atau memilih kehendak mereka sendiri adalah sangat sangat terhad. Tradisi arab lama; masih lagi di praktik , seperti di Afghanistan masih lagi terdapat keluarga yang menikahkan anak mereka untuk mas kahwin yang tinggi. Anak perempuan berumur 10 tahun, dilarang ke sekolah kerana suaminya tidah mahu yang dia akan menjadi lebih berpengetahuan dari suaminya sendiri.Senario sedemikian adalah situasi biasa di sana. Cuba berikan pandangan anda mengenai isu ini. Sebelum kita memikirkan meluaskan politik keislaman kita di Malaysia mari kita berdialog seluas luasnya jika benar benar mangislamkan politik akan meringkaskan hidupan harian kita dengan membincangkan realiti samada di dalam negeri atau di luar negara kita .Saya lebih rela untuk tidak menzalimi sesorang daripada melihat seseorang itu di zalimi oleh sistem atau mesin kezaliman yang kita tidak tahu bagaimana menghentikannya.Bunuh, pukul, sekat,butakan mata, pekakkan telinga, bodohkan bangsa atas dasar agama, adalah sesuatu yang berlaku di realiti hari ini dan semalam.Pekakah kita apa yang berlaku di sekitar anda?Hati hati jika berkata sebab kerana mulut badan binasa.Jika saya mengutuk bagsa islam dan perbuatan dan fikiran mereka munkin ianya suatu sikap menggadai nyawa.
Apakah pendapat anda hari ini bom bom di lekatkan di badan kanak kanak dan wanita untuk jihad. Adakah kita bangga dengan sifat patriotism mereka dan kalau tidak mengapa tiada siapa yang membuka mulut mangenai isu ini? Banyak lagi isu isu kecil dan besar mengenai tingkah laku masyarakay islam sedunia yang di katakan yang terunggul di dunia.
Bagaimana kita dapat mengubah nasib bangsa islam hari ini yang merasakan hanya agama islam dalam semua konteks kehidupan adalah jawapan dan cara hidup islam adalah yang terunggul di dunia.
Katakanlah islam itu terbukti suatu alat yang tidak dapat menghentikan lagu lagu yang menakutkan dan mengekokan (kekok) semua bangsa islam.Kerana mereka ingin ke syurga Allah. Yang mana merasakan mereka mempunyai kod islamik mereka mungkin lebih yakin dengan diri mereka sendiri dan menyarankan semua yang di sekelilingnya jangan menaikan darah mereka jika ada diaantara saudara mereka yang tidak ambil endah mengnai soal islam.Adalah di larang berperilaku sesuka hati , kalau tidak umat umat yang nak pergi syurga Allah akan hukum atau mengecam perbutan orang orang yang di lihat seperti dajal.Pujian kepada semua wanita atau anak gadis yang bertudung dan jelingkan mata kalau wanita atau ank gadis yang membuka aurat.
Saya takde masa nak mengumpat yang bertudung, tetapi dari pengetahuan terdapat gadis yang bertudung adalah semata mata menggunakan tudung sebagai aksessori untuk melindungai kesan kesan kemerah merahan di tengkok yang di tinggalkan olleh kekasih mereka atau sebagai alat mengata kan 'baik anak mak' atau alat jiran sebelah kata'jiran kita di sebelah baru kahwin agaknya , nampak alim orangnya'. Tudung alat kamouflage;yang paling berkesan di Malaysia untuk orang jangan nak sebok sebok ambil kesah hal orang. Buku bertemu ruas.
Higga ke lain kali.

[Sayed Majeed Marackar]

Well there is any chance to talk over phone to Mr.Mahathir Mohamed

[loha]

hidup Tun Dr. Mahathir Muhammad!!!!!

[Tahir]

I tried to get the email address of the great HERO but alas. I could not get it. If somone knows then please tell me.

[abang]

DR MAHATHIR MOHAMAD WEBSITE
http://www.perdana.org.my/

[azim]

i will be with u tun m.you are my heroe!!!!!!!

[basit siraj]

i am from pakistan but now study in malaysia kl .can u kindly give me the e-mail adress of mahtir muhammad former prim minester of malaysia

[Vuyo Jack]

I am an African Muslim and a citizen of South Africa.May I ahve the email address of the former Prime Minister of Malaysia- Dr Mahathir Muhammad.

Thank you

[ct]

ok!!!!!

[Ghafar Babu]

-I am looking for a copy Mahathir'd original identity card, where his name reads as Mahathir a/l Mohammad. Will pay up to RM10,00 for it.
- I am writing a book on Mahathir's Indian heritage and hope to visit his late fathers village in Kerala, South India. Any information on his ancestral village or his father(relatives) would help. I have contacted Matahir himself for help, but he has told me to lay of.... so I need your help.

Terima Kasih.

[kassimyousuf]

Well no body botheres to reply to my query.I am really disheartened.I wish to know the E mail address of Dr Mahathir.Will any body respond?

[kassimyousuf]

Would you please send me the personal e mail address of Dr.Mahathir?
Thank you.

[Pushpa veni arumugam]

I'm pushpa veni from pahang but right now i'm studying at uniten. actually i want to congrats our ex pm for his wonderful way he handle our country. He is a very great person and i use to know after he resigned ther no news about him. what is tun dr doing now? can u send his photo and i realy miss to hear something about him.
I also want to know how can he handle our country very well and he got a very powerful mind. thank you.

[ADNAN A/L AI BUWA]

asssalamualaikum.

Nama saya Adnan a/l Aibuwah dari johor bahru.Saya anak angkat Echow A/l Din Guan dari kampung Padang Sedau kedah.Bapa saya sudah meninggal dunia.Saya pernah kenal Tun.Tun pernah berjanji hendak menjadikan saya anak ankat pada tahun 1979.Saya minta maaf tak jumpa Tun pada 1993 kerana saya kene tipu dengan seseorang yang berbangsa siam.semasa saya pergi klinik Tun dulu pada tahun 1979 saya tanya dr disitu,dia kata tun pergi kl.Dah lama saya mencari tun.saya harap sangat Tun dapat menghubungi saya di talian 012-7169849

nama;ADNAN A/L AI BUWA
NO IC;720611-02-5019

SAYA DI JOHOR BAHRU BEKERJA,SAYA MEMPUNYAI HAL PENTING UNTUK DINYATAKAN PADA TUN.SAYA HARAP MASSAGE INI SELAMAT SAMPAI KEPADA TUN.

SEKIAN. TERIMA KASIH.

[nurul adiya aini]

you so luck

[Llewelyn Menchavez]

I'm from the Philippines. I've been to Malaysia once and I'm studying right now POlitical Science and we have a class report and our report is about Malaysia. COuld you please send me the contributions of Dr. Mahatthir to Malaysia.

THanks

[Hazwani Binti Abad Rahman]

saya suka akan pentadbiran dr.M 'n' i hop the new PM boleh jadi seperti beliau yang tersangat baik sekali walaupun saya tidak mengenali dirinya dengan dekat.

[Soeparto]

Can you help me to get Dr. Mahathir Mohammad home address?

[mohd khairul fahmi bin mohd aniffa]

dr.mahatthir is a clever leader and have a high mind.
i belive that dr mahathir always thinking about country and all people in the world.But at the same time,dr mahathir not forget about economic and tecnology

[haxa]

Dear Rana,

Thank you for commenting on my blogs. For a start, this link will be of great help to you:

http://thestar.com.my/mahathir/

Otherwise, of the late there have been lots of publications on Dr. M. The best one if I am not mistaken compiled the thoughts (e.e speeches) of Dr. M during his 22 years in
the office.

Besides, you could also find some books written by the man himself as well as people who support and critic his ideas. You may get them at:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-form/104-2570462-2291142

Wish you luck in your research.

Regards,
-haxa

[Rana Rashid Ali Khan]

Hello
I am RANA RASHID ALI KHAN (A PAKISTANI JOURNLIST)..ita realy a big information here plz send me more about the life of ex pm DR MAHATHIR MOHAMMAD.
THANKS
REGD AND BEST WISHES
RANA RASHID ALI KHAN
SUB EDITOR "DAILY SOOREATE HAL"
OPP AG OFFICE CERCULAR ROAD FAISALABAD
PUNAJB ..........PAKISTAN
E MAIL. beforeyou@hotmail.com