YOURSAY 'How many billions did his cronies, including his son, lose and had to be bailed out by taxpayers' money before they become 'business savvy' people?'

Mahathir asks on live TV, what's Project IC?

your say Mahashitla: It's brave of ntv7 interviewer Sheahnee Iman Lee to pose the Project IC question to former PM Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

Not only was Mahathir confounded, but one could sense the silent anger from his immediate response of feigning ignorance. As usual, he again tried to justified his treasonous act and blame Tunku Abdul Rahman for doing worse.

And again, his justification of cronyism was worse. How many billions did his cronies, including his son, lose and had to be bailed out by taxpayers' money before they become 'business savvy' people?

Here are a few examples - Renong, Malaysia Airlines System (MAS), Perwaja Steel, Malaysia International Shipping Corporation (MISC), Bank Islam, etc.

Hplooi: The current economic model is egregously rent-seeking. In the name of handing a whole business sector to a crony, ostensibly to create world-class bumiputera businessmen, we have created an edifice built on rent-seeking.

Prices of sugar or rice or even 'sin goods' (wine, pork, spirit, etc) rest on a piece of monopolistic fiat. So because of this raison d'etre to create 'instant' Melayu-baru-global, we have 'accident-waiting-to-happen' Al-Bukhary.

We have Proton-walking-dead-propped-up-by-the-people, a proud global company, and we have many, many (under the radar) fiat monopolies where we have to, whether we like it or not, pay a certain percentage to the chosen crony.

Allforchange: Mahathir, so when an RM2 company is given multi-million dollar contract, that will make a business man out of the owners? Ten years ago, your logic would have been accepted blindly, today Malaysians have awakened.

A trishaw man may not have the need for such money but given even 1 percent of the RM1 million, he could upgrade to driving a taxi/school bus/start a transport company with one small lorry.

Tun, all successful businesses today started as small business. That is how economies are built - on solid foundation - not by setting up dubious companies that syphoned money away in the name of business.

You no longer belong to this new age, Tun. At your age, you should start spending more time on religion and stop politicking around.

Good Men: Mahathir, why do you condemn a trishaw man as having no ability to do business? Circumstance and opportunity prevent many from reaching their full potential, but they are no less able. It doesn't make them less than you.

In fact, when they continue to strive in spite of hardship that they are born into, when they continue to strive in the midst of adversity and lack of opportunity, when they continue to strive, honestly, without wavering or sacrificing principle for economic gain, then these people are so much more than you, and so much more deserving of our respect.

But you, Mahathir, the father of corruption, you evil being that prostrates yourself at the altar of money and power, would never understand such men and women of honesty and principle.

Onyourtoes: Which businessmen you gave money to was based on business acumen and good track records? The last time I checked, almost all of them failed miserably.

Under your watch alone, how many times was MAS bailed out? What about Eric Chia and Perwaja? Remember Abdullah Ang? Maminco and Makuwaza Securities?

What about the great architect of Forex trading and his subsequent appointment as your second finance minister?

By the way, Tunku Abdul Rahman gave citizens to those who can't speak Malay to gain Malaya its independence. He was the one who gave you your 22 years of moronic rule and immeasurable wealth.

Otherwise, I am quite sure you will still be a miserable small-time physician in Langkawi or somewhere. So be grateful to him. You drink water, you must know the source.

Anonymous #52720663: In his book, ‘The Malay Dilemma', Mahathir did not raise the issue of Tunku giving citizenship to the Chinese and Indians.

But, after hatching the sinister plot to change the demographics of Sabah illegally, he is now trying to justify it. He must be taken to task for what he has done to this country.

Like the witches in the olden times, there is a punishment befitting such crimes against Malaysian humanity and we all know what that is.

LittleGiant: In a way, the country's mainstream media (MSM) has to be actually thanked for giving so much coverage to Mahathir, especially during this election period.

The more the MSM 'expose' Mahathir, the better and easier for the country's voters to make the right decision and that is to end BN's rule on May 5.

Apa Ini?: I've heard some very racialist arguments in my time but nothing hurts as much as hearing this evil ex-PM continue to blatantly use race and the Malay language as the basis for all considerations.

All must bow to race, first, implicitly religion - Islam - and hey presto, you are up there among the blessed privileged whether or not you are a good, kind, loving and deserving citizen and your forefathers have been working and contributing to the country for generations.

They just failed to fill in the forms at the right time - and promised to vote BN.

Mahashitla: Mahathir should have claimed that he cannot remember anything about Project IC. That would have saved him the embarrassment of pretending not to recognise those infamous words.

It would also have saved him from telling more lies, which only he himself believes to be the truth, on national TV.

JooGuan: Let's ask ourselves a simple question and be honest: if he is conscience free, why did he wait until today to "admit" this was happening in the past? And by the way, he was admitting to this when the whole world already knew about it.

Anonymous #79199503: PM Najib Razak's main failure is his fear of arresting Mahathir for various offences. If only Najib has the guts, he would not be in the doldrums today.

Oilman: To me, Mahathir is the most dangerous, despicable, dastardly, depraved and demonic character in Malaysia right now. If anyone can bring the country to complete anarchy, he can, and he is definitely cold-blooded and merciless enough to do so.

I am convinced he is probably plotting something really vicious and malevolant even as we speak. After all, he has the most to lose if Anwar comes to power, and he will do his utmost to prevent that from happening, even if it means destroying the country.

My only hope is that there are some right-thinking folks around him, especially in the police force and Special Branch, and they can stop him in time. Mark my words, this guy is wicked and vile.

Jean Pierre: Sabah is littered with immigrants from Pakistan with ICs. I suppose they had been living in Malaysia for ages and speak Malay, too.

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