The prime minister whines about his impotence to change the Malay, berating the poor Malay for imagined laziness, stupidity and ingratitude. Well may he talk. Most of the problems are of his making.

They have nothing to be grateful for. The Malaysian economy is in a shambles, primarily because he is ignorant of fundamental economic principles. Anything is possible if there is oil money, and there is no accounting for how it is spent. He is the primary rogue who has presided over the waste of the national oil wealth.

He has placed his appointees over the major enterprises. He has given lucrative contracts to those who advance his goals, and allowed them to take advantage of non-tender projects.

Not content with poorly conceived public projects, he has ventured into a merry-go-round of privatisation and de-privatisation that has placed the country in immense debt. The debt load has increased from under RM10 billion in 1998 to over RM200 billion today, and there is little to show where this money has gone.

Malaysia is on course to follow Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil into the plight of national bankruptcy. Only the oil income remains to prevent default, and that is not a renewable or dependable asset.

He has built himself a grand palace at public expense. He has bought an expensive aeroplane to ferry him and his large entourage of cronies around the world. What other country is so generous?

Yet he cries of ingratitude.

The system of democracy has been destroyed at his hands. The candidates are all his lackeys, and have little in the way of experience or training to qualify them for a position of representation. They serve at his pleasure, and are daily in fear of his displeasure.

His coalition representatives, including many of the Malays he criticises, are so insipid they cannot make it to the Parliament for meetings, though they receive a handsome monthly dole from the public treasury.

The dominant party was declared illegal, primarily in response to his machinations, but he quickly formed a new party with his ally Daim, and together they took the treasury of the old Umno party for their personal account.

Crime and punishment

To tighten his grasp on both government and party apparatus, Mahathir so thoroughly corrupted the judiciary that even a cat cannot find a court where a fair finding is possible.

Every opposition party is taunted and victimised to weaken its function. The Election Commission is so untrustworthy that even the winners are suspicious of the results they report. Many enfranchised voters find they are not registered by election day, though many deceased voters are, and others find their names mysteriously stricken off without explanation.

Opposition voters are intimidated, and offered money to vote against their conscience.

The entire charade is presided over by Mahathir's Malays, Muslims all, who are corrupted by the same prime minister who taunts them, who is the un-elected leader of their party, and who says he leads the country by Islamic principles.

When corruption are brought to his attention, he does not insist that the law be upheld, and that the criminals be brought to justice, as is his duty. Instead, he covers over the crimes, insists that no prosecution be brought.

Journalists are cowed, the captive news media refusing to print what they write. There is no justice in the land, and this deterioration is the legacy of Mahathir, who is himself personally responsible. He is the rotten apple that has spoilt the entire barrel.

The officers of the police, acting under his direction, protect the criminals and persecute those who demand justice. The fault for this dereliction is his, and yet he has the brass to blame others.

No replacement

If there is fault to be found among the Malays, it can be traced to their patience, their generosity, their forbearance, that they have not deposed and punished this evil presence existing like a cancer in their midst.

Mahathir delights to demean the accomplishments of the Islamic world. But it is leaders such as he who are primarily responsible for the lack of education, advancement and development. The sultans, maharajahs and sheiks who have allowed Islam's lands to be ruled by Western governments are at fault.

For all his talk of Islam's past glories, it is Mahathir himself, as prime minister, who has allied himself with the foreign forces that still keep Islam from the road of progress and enlightenment.

He says he cannot retire because there is no one to replace him. If so, that is his fault, as he has failed to train and develop new leaders. To the contrary, anyone with talent or initiative, anyone with a sense of morality or ethics, is a vast improvement over Mahathir.

New leadership is not visible because he has taken care to discourage and dissuade them. They are a threat to Mahathir. He intimidates capable individuals with promises of false imprisonment. If they do not resign, or continue to show any sign of defiance, he carries out his threat. Thus, future leaders are to be found in Mahathir's prisons, and among those who are ISA graduates.

He does not surround himself with honest and capable men. His associates are of low character, fully capable of boldly lying before the cameras. Many are guilty of immoral and unethical conduct.

Home for rascals

But does he dissociate himself from them? No, he places the charges in his drawer, keeps them as insurance against future disloyalty. Many is the man on this damnable chain.

Men choose their associates as being much like themselves, and thus Mahathir damns himself through his choice of friends. Dictators come to visit, giving hugs and kisses, making cooing sounds at how they feel at home.

Mahathir makes of Malaysia a home for rascals. All see that crows flock together. It is a point of shame and disgrace for the people, but to all of this, Mahathir seems arrogantly indifferent and oblivious.

Mahathir talks volubly of the shortcomings of the Malay. Let us hear no more of such nonsense from this man. He is neither honest nor kind. Of the 99 names, he is the reverse of them all.

If there is anything wrong with the Malay, if there is anything wrong with Malaysia, on investigation it is found Mahathir is close to the fault. He says he cannot be replaced. The simplest honest man is his better.

There are distractions in the world. But these distant problems should not be used to shield and protect Mahathir. He must be brought to account for his misbehaviour.

The entire government is culpable. None in authority can be depended upon to correct the problem. This is a situation that calls for the concerted action of the entire rakyat . It is time for all Malaysians to prove to Mahathir that he is wrong, that he has wronged, and wrongly judged Malaysia.

He must be shown that he can no longer rely on the perceived laziness, incompetence and stupidity in the people he serves to protect him. When the full truth about Mahathir is known, more than his hands will be in jeopardy.

Leaders turned criminals

Mahathir claims Malaysia is an Islamic country. This is in a sense true, in that there is a Muslim majority. Constitutionally, Malaysia is a tolerant secular country, with religious freedom for all. Mahathir represents the dominant Muslim majority. When Mahathir is removed, his machinations fully revealed, it will be a great day for Islam.

It will be seen everywhere as a new beginning for the Islamic world, that a small part of it has awakened to the realities of its suppression. It is the leadership which must be improved. Foreigners can no longer be blamed.

The lack is local, that trusted leaders have betrayed the people's trust ... that the leaders have become criminals, yet are still allowed to lead and represent an honest and generous people.

Let us then remove the them and their poison, that the country's wounds may heal. In this, Malaysia asks the patience and assistance of all freedom-loving peoples everywhere.