your say 'M’sia became corrupt, institutions were destroyed, the people are poor. S’pore became clean, embraced meritocracy and...'

Pemerhati: There are some similarities between Mahathir Mohamad and Lee Kuan Yew. Both were dictatorial, they suppressed the opposition by using and abusing the government agencies that they controlled and have exhibited their racism through their statements.

Lee was criticised by a Malaysian Chinese writer in Aliran when he made a racist statement in the 1980s about the importance of maintaining the ethnic Chinese population at 80 percent in Singapore.

But the similarity ends there.

Malaysia under Mahathir became extremely corrupt and the top people stole hundreds of billion ringgit of the people's money and the important state institutions were destroyed. The people remain poor and get low quality service from the degraded institutions.

Singapore, unlike Malaysia became squeaky clean, embraced meritocracy and treated all its citizens fairly and equally. The people get first class service from its excellent institutions manned by the best people and their per capita income is five times that of the Malaysians.

Black Mamba: The destiny of a nation is not based on the supremacy of one dominant race but the integration of all coming together as a nation fused with it's various talents, colour and diversity to move into the 21st Century. We in Malaysia have them all, unfortunately things have been hijacked to serve the corrupt masters perpetually.

Confused: Both these expired leaders, Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Lee Kuan Yew, play the role of racism. One uses race and religion to cover up his ancestors’ origin so that his generation/family dynasty will be secured and the public is placed under a shell enforcing selectively religious laws.

The other is trying to maintain his dynasty forever. Empire don’t last. They are crushed when the wave of realisation strikes the people.

KSN: The comparisons between Mahathir and Kuan Yew are totally amusing. If you meant both are alike, your conclusions are irrelevant and not true. Malaysia and Singapore are in different worlds and different in every way.

Singapore represents all that is good and that a progressive nation should be. Malaysia in it's present state is a nation that should not be. Both were dictators, but LKY used methods that the Mahatama Gandhi would disagree with to build the nation that Singapore is today.

Mahathir used his methods to destroy the country, propagating racism and his idiotic racial supremacy, completely eating into the fibre of peaceful and harmonious people of Malays, Chinese, Indians, etc.

If mentioned in the same sentence together, the examples of these two should be used to expose the narrow mind of TDM and his inferiority complex.

Wanderer: LKY is a pure Chinese, so it was so easy for him to see race from one angle. Whereas, Mahathir is from Kerala India, and has refused to acknowledge his roots. He’s a Melayu by legislation. A fraud.

Mwong: I have always read Netto’s articles with delight and marvel at his keen analysis, facts and conclusion. However this article destroyed all my previous admiration for his writing skills. Either he was sleeping or drunk while writing this article comparing both men as essentially from the same mould. They are worlds apart- one was heaven-sent and the other hell-bent on creating chaos and destruction for minorities. I will stay away from your articles unless Netto keeps his analysis honest.

Keturunan Malaysia: Mahathir’s Dilemma: There is a son of the soil, Whose forebear sailed from Kerala, In the land of the Ganges, To the shores of Kedah, In Malaya of the East Indies. As the story goes, A healer he became. Unable to fulfil his heart's desire, He changed his game, And built his empire.

Oh, on they came. All through his time. Pals, buddies and cronies, All happy and fine, Skilled in hoarding monies. He's old and senile, And long left office. Retirement is no fun time. Unable to keep his peace, He still complain and whine.

Big Mouth: Fighting for equality is not racist, fighting to be a supremacist is racist. There is no similarity between the two, irrespective from which angle you look at. One is smart and knows he is smart. The other thinks he is smart and he does not know he is moronic. One is an enlightened despot, the other a third world tribal leader akin to Idi Amin, except he doesn't wear a uniform.

Democrat: Both are similar, dictatorial and racist. But LKY is a big mouth small time commie who thought that just because he developed a city state, is too clever to advise large countries and continent. LKY sought to ensure the economic and investment support of US, UK ,etc. LKY who destroyed and sued opposition politicans to their underwear, is no role model.

Mahathir pretends to be more Malay than Malay and instigated Malay racism to make a career for himself and billions for his cronies while running Malaysia like a dictator, destroying civil institutions.

Atay: Both are trying to undo what they had done. It seem that the more they talk and write, they will not undo what they have done. These problems they are facing will only disappear when both of them are six feet underground

4056: Lee Kuan Yew was consulted by world superpower leaders like US presidents, Britain and China and they have him flown to meet them. Kuan Yew’s poor counterpart from Malaysia had to pay US$1 million just to meet ex-US president George Bush.

Read LKY’s memoirs and Tom Plate's book on LKY and compared it to Barry Wain's Malaysian Maverick. Go and find out also what Tun Razak and Hussein Onn said of Mahathir.

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