'Affirmative actions are never racist in spirit but Mahathir made it racist in action and in deed.'

Post-Dr M, we are all racists

Anonymous: The policies of the government decides the system in which are operating. When the government structures a racial ecology or racial social engineering, the people of the country will definitely become racial. It is the government which accentuates and encourages racialism.

They want racialism to thrive so that they can divide and rule. For the past 50-plus years, this is the only method they are good at. They did not try other methods or policies fearing they may lose power. When something can keep them in power for so long, why rock the boat?

This was the attitude until globalisation catches up and 2008 election open the eyes of Malaysians very widely.

Hamisu: No doubt, I am a racist. Would you expect anything less when every government policy is race-based. Any equality we demand is met by "go back to China/India", "don't test the patience of the Malays", "remember the social contract", "you should be grateful for being granted citizenship", etc. Let's all admit we do not have a national identity.

I have always strongly believed Dr Mahathir Mohamad has brought in development for a price that's too steep. The price is that of a failed government that retains its power by issuing threats to non-bumis. There are many occasions this has proven true. Look at the deputy public prosecutor in Teoh Beng Hock inquest, minister Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz and his big mouth, and many other Umno politicians who make Malaysia the source of jokes anytime of the day in the international arena.

Anonymous2: Dr Mahathir should be called ‘Bapa Rasuah Malaysia Moden'. During his 21 years in power, the integrity and credibility of all civil and national institutions have been destroyed. He has spanking hardware such as KLIA, Twin Towers, LRT, Putrajaya and the North South Highway to show as his legacy of wastage. All these build by public funds especially oil money which any fool of a prime minister can do.

He has failed to build on the human resources and software of the people and to elevate the country to a high-income one, create a world-class automobile, public transport and oil/gas industry, global high-ranking universities and nurture the innate talent and skills of Malaysians to be successful, remain in the country and be proud it.

All these will create reinvestment and wealth for the good of all. Instead he has only created a few billionaires and multi-millionaires from his cronies and his own family. He has failed the nation and must be brought to justice.

Swipenter: TDM (Tun Dr Mahathir) didn't earn the title of 'Father of Racism' for no reason. He now also distinguishes himself as the ‘Father of Blaming Everyone Except Himself' for all the existing problems confronting the country such as racism, religious bigotry and intolerance, endemic corruption, nepotism, cronyism, acute income disparity, declining education standards, failing democratic institutions, declining economic competitiveness, illegal immigrants, etc, as if they just crop up during TAB's (Tun Abdullah Badawi's) tenure and now Najib Razak's administration.

These problems take decades to take root and during his 22 years tenure they were given much leeway and encouragement to fester and grow cancerous. Affirmative actions are never racist in spirit but Mahathir made it racist in action and in deed. He made it very sure that Malaysians identify themselves by race/religion first and secondly by nationality. So now, we have a self-declared ‘Malay first and Malaysian second' DPM.

Dr M a misunderstood great leader?

Satinah Osman: History and posterity will judge TDM for sure. None, of course, would have anything good to say. He will be used as an example to teach others not to be one like him. His ego and arrogance have now seeped into the ‘idiotcrats' in the civil and related services and all these will help bring the nation to ruination. It is a pity that a great nation which was an example of multi-racialism and multi-religiosity is now on the path towards Burma and Zimbabwe.

VP Biden: The only reason people were glorifying him in the 90s was because the media was under his control and nothing wrong was ever written about him. Now with the alternative media, the truth prevails. I for one had never believed him, then and now.

Kleo: Sounds like author Ken, like many 'old timers' I've come to know, is still chained to the previous era of Mahathir worship. He/she has probably spent too many years glorifying Mahathir's great feats, undoubtedly aided by the ex-PM's ever loyal media, he/she finds it hard to comprehend this wholly alien barrage coming from bloggers and online news portals, people who are unfettered by the Mahathir-is-right culture.

How else could you explain why any right-thinking, fair-minded citizen would support a debauched racial chauvinist who allowed his men to plunder the country's natural resources (think the Felda RM70mil suit) and who hammered the judiciary unrecogisable just so he could silence Anwar Ibrahim?

Only years of consistent government propaganda could cause such damage to a person's intellect.

Equinox: Let the past be part of our learning curve so that history will not repeat itself. But judging from the way some people are already trying to create a personality cult around Najib, I am not too sure we have learned anything.

Steve Oh: Mahathir might have been a great leader had he not short-changed himself and the nation as he still does. The absence of incriminating evidence does not absolve someone of a crime - some are cleverer than others in covering their tracks.

I highly respected Mahathir for his 'clean, efficient and trustworthy' slogan but the revelation by former ACA chief that he was 'scolded' for investigating a corrupt official tilts against any notion he was blameless or sincere. There are other instances. You judge a tree by its fruit.

My hope for Mahathir is that he will come to his senses in the twilight of his life and realise that 'honesty is still the best policy" and building others up is more important than breaking them down. His greatest achievement is his political longevity and his biggest failing is to make his nation great. A political Godfather is a long way from a great leader.

Ida Bakar: Of course, it is far easier to denigrate one person. What Malaysians have conveniently forgotten is that Mahathir alone does not make the government. The population were happy to play along because many lives were improved during the Mahathir era.

At the end of the day, we are a democracy albeit a flawed one. We elected the Mahathir government over and over because (economic) times were good and we, the majority, would like to keep it that way.

Now is the time to stop playing the blame game, move on towards a better Malaysia, even when the information goes via the lines of Mahathir's MSC (Multimedia Super Corridor).