For Mahathir, nothing is ever his fault
YOURSAY ‘I thought Agong acts on the advice of PM, who was then Dr M.’
Late Agong wanted Salleh Abas sacked, says Dr M
Gerard Lourdesamy: These contradictory revelation of the events of 1988 from former PM Dr Mahathir Mohamad, ex-lord president Salleh Abas, former attorney-general Abu Talib Osman and the late Sultan Iskandar of Johor warrant the setting up of a royal commission of inquiry which the government has consistently refused despite making an apology to the former lord president and the sacked Supreme Court judges, including an ex-gratia payment of RM1.5 to RM2 million each.
Mahathir's version seems to contradict even the evidence recorded by the tribunal to investigate Salleh. It is incorrect to put the blame entirely on the late Sultan of Johor.
HRH (His Royal Highness) prior to his death had indicated that while he was displeased with Salleh's complaint about the renovations to the Istana Johor in Kuala Lumpur, the idea to sack the lord president came from Mahathir and he merely acquiesced in the decision.
The reason the lord president was sacked was because of the Umno case that was pending before the full bench of the Supreme Court which would have ended Mahathir's political career.
Aries46: Indeed, this is hogwash. It was an era when Mahathir was feared and he could do no wrong - the ‘Operation Lallang’ era.
The Salleh saga was personal and Mahathir openly went for it with impunity because of certain court judgments unfavourable to the establishment but particularly because Salleh wanted a nine-man bench for the Federal Court hearing of the then Umno deregistration tussle that looked unfavourable to Mahathir.
Looking at the case then many felt that the antagonist, Mahathir, was a goner on that one. As his days looked numbered Mahathir was in his elements, heartless as ever as he threw even the kitchen sink to rid Salleh and he even sacked the five judges that silently stood up for him.
Agong may have been angry over the purported letter but it was Mahathir who went all the way with vengeance to bury the non-compliant judiciary.
MinahBulat: Dr M, in 1984 you have passed several legislation to clipped the powers of the sultans, but this statement makes you look like you are a victim, forced to sack Salleh on the instructions of the late Johor sultan who was then the Agong.
Please do not bulls**t the nation with such ridiculous reason that it was because of noise from the Johor sultan’s palace in KL, that led to the sacking. The reasons are all well documented.
Peter Kandiah: Mahathir, I thought the Yang-diPertuan Agong acts on the advice of the PM, who was then yourself.
Kangkung: This old sociopath can truly tell lies. He is now trying to absolve himself by putting the blame on a person who is not here to defend himself.
Mahathir, you removed Salleh to take away the powers of our once independent judiciary. Don't lie because you will truly burn in hell for eternity.
Dr Suresh Kumar: If the late Agong had an axe to grind with Salleh, he should have confronted Salleh directly, not the other way around.
Why use the government apparatus to punish a man of integrity? Please do not try to fool the people, Mahathir. As I mentioned before, you have blood on your hands.
SemoLina: There he goes again, playing the blame game which he has honed to a fine art. No Tun, we are not buying what you have to sell. It's always somebody else's fault and never yours but we know better.
Next, you will be blaming Musa Hitam for starting Proton which is now in its death throes. Meanwhile you collect your monthly fees as Proton advisor.
Your attempts to portray a squeaky clean image of yourself are, at best, pathetic.
6th Generation Immigrant: This story must now, once and for all, be thoroughly investigated, confirmed and recorded right historically, as to who actually destroyed Malaysia's judiciary.
The Rulers Council, the Attorney-General's Chambers, the cabinet and its minutes of meetings and the former chief justice's personal diaries and records must all be reopened and scrutinised. Mahathir had officially today implicated all of them in one single breath.
Abasir: Mahathir is doing what Najib does with impunity - spew half-truths in the hope that stupid rakyat that Umno has cultivated will swallow them. All those who closely followed the assault on the judges and read what Salleh had to say, know the truth.
Common Good of Society: As we remembered, it was you, Mahathir, who removed the chief justice then because of several cases that were ruled against the government. As a result, the independence of the judiciary was gone.
We still see this today when certain judges were overlooked for promotion, thanks to the legacy you so proudly left behind.
Sam04: This awful old man has become a congenital liar and liberally changes the history of past events to suit his own personal agenda and legacy.
Vijay47: I too love fairy tales, or tall ones at least, where the other guy is always at fault. So Salleh, traitor he, complained about the Agong, and to uphold the king's dignity, you sacked Salleh. So far so good.
But the next chapter reveals you went on to dismiss all the other honourable judges also. They too complained about noise from the palace?
You being also a master in jurisprudence, do enlighten us whether judges need to be removed if they criticise royal noise; after all, you had just clipped the rulers' wings and dragged them through the mud.
I am sure you still recall how your accomplices in RTM and the media were equally concerned with the declining quality of the royal households. Pray explain also the need for the surreptitious plots you employed in the rape of the courts, as chronicled in detail by K Das in his book, ‘May Day for Justice’.
And for 27 years you kept all this a secret. But only out of your love for the Agong. How touching. Let us hear from the Johor prince.
I now see the painted picture. It was not just the Agong's fault, it was also that of the AG. Real martyr you are, sir.
I didn't know anything about the AG's action and yet you willing took the rap. What heroism, what sacrifice. They should build a huge monument for you. At Mount Kinabalu.
SultanMydin: Indeed, the crown prince of Johor must now come forward to defend his grandfather.
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