and a few other writers who defend Tunku Abdul Rahman's legacy have my support.
However, I would like to point out that one should not and never lump Tun Abdul Razak, Tun Dr Ismail and Tun Hussein Onn - who all got Tunku to retire and hand over power to the new generation of leaders - in the same category as the Malay 'ultras' who undermined English and imposed racist discrimination, besides pampering the Malays rotten.
Tun Razak, Tun Ismail and Tun Hussein, who were educated in the West, were Malaysian leaders who believed in moderation. Non-Malays remember Tun Ismail and Tun Hussein fondly for their multi-racialism and moderation, but quite a few seem to consider Tun Razak as an 'ultra'. I would strongly beg to differ.
Tun Razak was a man who believed in compromise between Tunku's straight-forward multi-racialism based on strict equality, British-style, and the ultra's "Malay takes it all" attitude. The leading ultras of that time were Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Ghafar Baba, Harun Idris, and Syed Jaafar Albar.
While nobody can deny Tun Razak started the NEP, he however did not have in mind racist policies against Indians and Chinese. He wanted the Malays to get a bigger share of the economic and professional pie.
But he did not believe that merit should be thrown out of the window, or that English be downgraded. He repeatedly stressed that English was important and that Malays should not see the NEP as a gravy train.
In fact, ' berdikari ' (independent) was a term coined during Razak's time to remind Malays to stand on their own feet and not develop a subsidy mentality.
Razak's ideas are best summed up by the Barisan Nasional logo: the dacing ( weighing scale ) . It reflects the balance between Malay and non-Malay, man and woman, boss and worker, Muslim and non-Muslim, East and West, East and West Malaysia.
Prime Minister Mahathir's posturing in the last 10 years, which is the crux of Vision 2020, is very much in the mould of Razakism.
However, Dr Mahathir's first 10 years prior to Vision 2020 greatly undermined the noble intentions of Razak.
The Malays became spoiled during this time and the English language became undermined, despite the best efforts of Musa Hitam to put things right (Musa, a firm Razakist, was pressured by Mahathir supporters to leave the deputy prime ministership in 1986).
