KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 5 - A day after his strong racial overtone, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has clarified that his statement yesterday was not meant to defend or to agree with Datuk Ahmad Ismail's racist remarks.
The former prime minister wrote in his blog today that his views expressed a day earlier was his feeling of disgust at the inability of the present Malay leadership to manage racialism.
"It is degrading for the second highest leader in the government to be apologising for every instance of improper behaviour by Umno members. The person who should apologise should be the culprit himself.
"If he refuses then he should face the Umno disciplinary committee," he said, referring to the Bukit Bendera Umno division head who today announced that he would not apologise for his remarks made during the Permatang Pauh by-election.
Ahmad in fact had told the press in Penang today that: "If the Chinese can question the special rights of the Malays, the Malays can also question the citizenship of the Chinese.".
Dr Mahathir said the Malays were feeling the loss of their political base and the Chinese and Indians appeared to be glorifying in the new political clout.
As a result, he said subjects which were regarded as sacrosanct were brought up and made to be entirely in favour of the Malays.
"Against this unfamiliar attack against them, the Malays are unable to counter. Their leaders have deserted them. In their frustration they tend to become abusive," he added.
In his posting yesterday, he blamed the Indian and Chinese leaders for not apologizing for alleged racist remarks against the Malays but who demanded apologies from the government's Malay leaders.
Today, Dr Mahathir wrote: "It took a long time for me to live down the label as a Malay ultra. I had gained such strong support from the Chinese community in the 1999 general election when the Malays deserted me that I felt I was no longer regarded as a Malay ultra by the Chinese generally (the Opposition Chinese excepted).
"I was grateful for the Chinese support and I had many times publicly acknowledged that much of Malaysia's development was due to the dynamic Malaysian Chinese entrepreneurs and businessmen. But of course there are still Chinese who regard me as anti-Chinese.
"I cannot please everybody. If I am again labelled as anti-Chinese and anti-Indian I really would not rebut. After all, my Cabinet colleagues and the people I helped to advance in their political career also condemn me."
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1. Restore the judiciary
2. Reduce corruption
3. Freedom of press
4. Fair to all races
5. Stop ISA
6. Reduce crime rate such as robbery and rape cases
Is this racist demand? All these demand benefits all races!