your say 'The difference between the China model and Umno (read: Mahathir) model is that the Chinese government shoots people who are corrupt.'

Mahathir: Dictatorships can be good, too

Multi Racial: That Dr Mahathir Mohamad said dictatorships are good must be the biggest joke in this century. Mahathir cited China as an example of a successful dictatorship.

But China has had its darkest hours and during those dark hours, the country suffered for a long period. Those darkest hours were due to bad leaders. China was lucky that after the death of Mao Zedong, the country was lead by Deng Xiaoping. It was Deng who changed things around. What differentiates Deng from the others is that he chose successors who continued with his good effort.

But what about other countries? Apart from China, look at the other dictatorial countries such as Zimbabwe, the Philippines under Marcos, Burma, North Korea, Cuba and Malaysia under Mahathir himself.

Look at the damage he has inflicted on the country. We may have many nice buildings but what has happened to our judiciary, our education, our security, our country's wealth, etc? The evidence is clear - dictatorship is bad.

ONG: Of course, dictatorship can be good for the people, but only for certain people, especially the type of people that will only react to the cane, and who otherwise have a single-track mind of wanting to become rich not by honest hard work and endeavour, but by demanding self-proclaimed 'lord of the land' God-given special rights and privileges. In Malaysia, we have many such people.

A Kamal: China is a country undergoing reform after the suffering of countless of people. Its dictatorship is no longer acceptable and this is recognised by the current leadership. Mahathir, what is strange is you think Malaysia is in the same company as China.

David Yee: When someone is at the top of the food chain, it's easy to say positive things, namely how the sun shines on them 24/7. Sustainable nations like Japan, Australia and even Finland do not have dictatorships, but rate much better socially and economically.

Ninety-nine percent of dictators will be heading for failure without the support of the people they lead. They fail to see their heinous crimes, like the Internal Security Act, cronyism, persecutions, character assassination, whitewashed corruption, judiciary failure and their own lies when they have absolute power in their hands.

Perhaps history will rewrite itself more accurately when they have passed on.

Dood: China is a human rights' hell. Maybe that's why Mahathir thinks so highly of their form of dictatorship.

Rolls-Royce: How thick-skinned can you get, Mahathir? We made progress during your ‘dictatorship'? Let me see what progress - oh yes, we have certainly made enormous strides in cronyism, corruption, nepotism, wastage, white elephant projects, squandering and pilferage, profligacy, eroding and destroying the judiciary, the civil service and ‘eunuching' the parliament and other institutions of government.

Yes, these are your ‘progressive contributions' to our beloved Malaysia.

Albert: The difference between the China model and Umno (read: Mahathir) model is that the Chinese government shoots people who are corrupt. Whereas in Malaysia, the Umno-led government (especially during Mahathir's 22 years rule as PM) encourages not only corruption but rampant corruption.

And most high-profile corruption cases involving Umno Malays and cronies have already been stamped ‘NFA' (No Further Action). The Umno-led government is also not bothered that some Umno Malays and cronies are living obscenely beyond their means.

In addition, the China model benefits the masses whereas the Umno model continues to enrich the already filthy rich Umno Malays, cronies and their families, leaving behind a large number of poor rakyat of all races.

Tough for Najib to get two-thirds, says ex-PM

Sarajun Hoda: If ex-PM Abdullah Ahmad Badawi was really a bad PM, it was you (Mahathir) who handed the premiership to him. Did anyone put a gun to your head for that?

Thanks to Abdullah, there is a little more democratic oxygen in Malaysia. Mahathir wanted PM Najib Razak to rule as if Malaysians are cows - as if during his 22 years his treatment of Malaysian as donkeys were not enough.

I pity Abdullah for being subject to such obnoxious comments from a senile ex-PM but slowly, Mahathir is proving the evilness, wickedness and the lack of humanity in him. Mahathir might be remembered as the one person that did the most damage to Malaysia. It will take centuries before Malaysians get over paying for his sins.

Jimmy Ng: How typical of Mahathir, blaming the person that he handpicked to be his successor, when in fact, it was really him to be blamed for all the excesses that finally came to the knowledge of the general public. The rakyat finally realised by March 2008 that they had been hoodwinked into supporting a regime that really did not have their interests at heart but were only serving the interests of a few Umnoputras.

Rolls-Royce: If Mahathir had not resigned earlier, what happened in 2008 would have happened in 2004 and by now, probably, we would already be on the path to recovery. Abdullah may have been inept, but he was certainly not as scheming, treacherous and cunning as Mahathir.

To Mahathir, who can be better than him?

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