YOURSAY 'Mahathir, we shall not not let you take away our sacred civil liberties because the BN government and the police cannot do a good job.'

The price of freedom is more shootings, warns Mahathir

your say Pemerhati: Former PM Dr Mahathir Mohamad is the prime cause of the rampant crime in Malaysia.

This is primarily because he implemented racist and discriminatory policies against the Chinese and Indians to impress the majority Malays so as to get their votes and stay in power and steal billions.

The quality of almost the whole public service, including the police force, deteriorated sharply as the criteria for recruitment became race and religion and not merit.

A few hundred thousand locally-born Indians were denied citizenship, and hence the ability to work legally, and thus many of them were forced to turn to crime to survive.

Mahathir also committed treason by giving hundreds of thousands foreigners citizenship illegally so as to win the elections.

If Mahathir had maintained the high standards in the police force and provided employment to the locals instead of foreigners, there would be very few criminals as most locals would be working and the few criminals would have been easily tackled by the competent police.

Aries46: During Mahathir's 22 years of guided democracy, the draconian ISA and Sedition Act were like a 'sword of Damocles' over the people and the highlight of his iron-fisted rule was the record number of opposition politicians and activists incarcerated under the ISA.

In 2004, Malaysians gave the biggest mandate to date when Abdullah Ahmad Badawi promised to dismantle 22 years of cruelty and corruption under his predecessor.

Mahathir was despised mainly because of these cruel streaks and this obsession seems to have festered all the way into his twilight years.

His weird analysis of the crime wave that equates freedom and liberty of the people with shooting, maiming and killing is a sad reflection of his warped and contorted mind.

Mahathir is a noted proponent of draconian laws that allows incarceration without trials as these are double-edged sword that can be used to silence critics of the establishment. His senseless utterances must be treated just as what they are.

Ferdtan: Is this our ex-PM for 22 years speaking? Just because he is old, it doesn't mean that he can talk illogically without any basis and concrete evidence.

If the police cannot control and handle the present situation of rising crimes using the existing laws, then all of them should resign and let others who can do the job to do so.

Mahathir, we shall not - repeat, shall not - let you take away our sacred civil liberties because the BN government and the police cannot do a good job.

Tehachapi: Tun M, do you really mean what you say here or just looking for attention. You are completely out of your mind to equate greater freedom to more shootings.

This is a totally stupid statement coming from you. Stop the nonsense. It is time for us to seriously admit that despite huge spending boost to acquire advanced equipment and pay increase, our police have failed us and now public safety is under threat.

Can this be the result of corruption which had been raised before? Without this admission and proper diagnosis, the root causes of police failure will never be known nor correct remedial actions taken.

The Firearms Control At has failed as there are guns all over. Why? Start the review of police organisation from all possible angles. Please don't make light of this matter as citizen's lives are at risk.

Unless the government can protect citizen's life, liberty and allow them to pursue happiness, the government has no legitimacy and ought to be replaced.

Cogito Ergo Sum: Mahathir is spewing his nonsense again. What has freedom got to do with shooting and killing, pray tell? He has degenerated from being known as Dr Umno to the villain, Dr No.

TehTarik: Countries with greater civil liberties like Northern Europe have a low crime rate. Countries with restricted civil liberties like Somalia, Afghanistan and Pakistan are violent with some of the highest crime rates in the world.

Mahathir is partly responsible for the spiraling crime wave. The crime rate is high because:

1) Mahathir marginalised the Indians during his 22-year reign.

2) Income inequality with the second highest Gini coefficient in Asia, as Mahathir enriched a select group of cronies (rent-seekers) at the expense of the poor.

3) He used the police force to harass the opposition, resulting in nearly 50 percent of manpower assigned to internal security (spying on political opponents).

Studies have shown that countries with minimal disparity between the rich and poor have some of the lowest crime rates in the world.

Also the police force needs to be independent and apolitical, unlike our PDRM (Royal Malaysia Police) which has been misused for selective persecution of political opponents.

Quigonbond: The price of corruption running amok, and not freedom, is more shootings. How did the guns get into Malaysia in the first place?

Unlike the United States, there is no second amendment on the right to bear arms.

There is a leakage somewhere, and our border security and Customs are not doing a good job or otherwise keeping closed eyes to smuggling.

James1067: Civil liberties and freedom is not the cause of rising crime but incompetence by the relevant authorities.

If the country is managed properly in all departments, we won't see criminals, corruption and any other crimes at this level. Tun, stop playing the blame game.

The twisted logic of Dr Mahathir

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