What is Dr M’s intention? — Lim Mun Fah
JULY 2 — Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad again played the same old tune. He said that Chinese voters might be the kingmakers in the next general election as Malay voters, the majority, have split into three groups supporting Umno, the PKR and PAS, and become the minority.
At first, we thought his grumbling was meant to remind Barisan Nasional that Chinese votes are crucial and, therefore, they have to fight for these votes to ensure a victory in the next general election and avoid a hung parliament.
However, when you try to think positively that Dr Mahathir was stressing that Chinese votes are important, he made a sharp turn and said that to please Chinese voters, the three Malay-based political parties Umno, pKR and PAS have kept playing up racial issues to meet racial demands.
He also made a bold assertion that racial issues would become the main theme in the next general election.
The colour and the taste of Dr Mahathir’s remarks have changed and no matter how you view it, you will find that it is filled with racism.
You might like or hate Dr Mahathir personally. As a follower, you might think that he is a great politician; as his opponent, you might think that he is a total a strategist.
Strategists and politicians are resourceful and able to think deeply and plan carefully.
However, there are still differences between strategists and politicians.
Political strategists play all kinds of political ploys, while politicians are broad-minded and farsighted.
Politicians will not praise you as an angel before an election and call you a devil right after the election, but strategists will.
Politicians will not play with fire and stir racial sentiments to win, but strategists will.
Although strategists are astute and resourceful, they can never achieve greatness even if they are ambitious, as they lack a politician’s mind.
Is Dr Mahathir a politician or a strategist? I believe that history will give him a fair appraisal.
I am worried, however, what impact would be brought to Malaysian politics by his “kingmakers” remark?
What is his purpose, actually? Is he really trying to create inter-racial suspicion, mistrust and fear to save Umno and BN’s regime, as claimed by the opposition?
Is he trying to unite Malay voters by hinting of a racial threat to arouse the awareness of crisis of the Malays, in other words, inciting racial sentiment?
Regardless of how he defends himself, as a member of the younger generation and a citizen, please allow me to borrow his admonishment for his “rebellious” daughter: “Please be wary of your words and deeds for the sake of the country’s democracy and progress, and please be sensitive to avoid becoming a stumbling block to the unity of the people!” — mysinchew.com
* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.
