YOURSAY | ‘If Dr M said Najib is very corrupt, then he (Najib) has been a good disciple.’

My open letter to the fourth PM, Dr Mahathir

Kingfisher: Much of letter writer Addin Aiman's observation about Dr Mahathir Mohamad's successes and failures as leader is true.

And the suspicion that the social, racial and the institutional origins for the present-day allegedly indulgent, corrupt and repressive governance is a consequence of Mahathirism appears widespread.

What seems incredibly shocking and requires extensive research and analysis is why the majority of Malays did nothing to mobilise effective discontent against their leaders and arrest the eventual decline.

Herein lies the failure of the community to adopt progressive values commensurate with the challenges and opportunities that a transition from an agrarian to an industrial society requires or even necessitates.

The dysfunction in multiracial relations became a crucial disadvantage, and the social engineering that led to the dominance of Umno and its leaders over governance and national resources and Umno's use of money to retain political power at all cost have become disruptive.

Turvy: “I suggest that you leave the people in power to administer the country according to their own respective ways, rightfully,” said Addin.

What on earth does this line mean - that Mahathir had messed up the nation when he was in power, so let others mess it up further, now that they are in power?

Donplaypuks: Addin thinks two wrongs can make a right.

He says nothing about alleged fraud and CBT (criminal breach of trust) involving 1MDB. Nothing about PM Najib Abdul Razak lying to the world about the RM2.6 billion 'donation' with money allegedly stolen from taxpayers.

Yet, he thinks Mahathir should stop attacking the crooks, fraudsters, looters and plunderers. Why? It can only be because he is really Najib's paid cybertrooper.

Mahathir's past misdeeds are a separate matter. It is Najib who is leading Malaysia into disaster and economic failure. It is Najib who has to be stopped before we descend into fourth-world international pariah status.

Aries46: I don’t understand this writer’s message.

He praises Mahathir to the hilt as the best PM we ever had, but blames him for all the rot in Umno that has caused ills in this nation.

He pleads that instead of trying to undo his (Mahathir’s) mistakes to protect his legacy, he must leave the present decadent regime and its plundering leaders to continue their abuses unabated.

The writer is all tangled up in his endeavour to tell Mahathir to lay off Najib.

It is irrational and futile to concede the evils of the present regime that has taken the nation to its lowest ebb but plead for non-interference for the pillage to continue. This is an inapt attempt by an immature writer.

Johnjames: Addin's open letter to Mahathir provides some food for thought for all of us.

Indeed, as PM for 22 years, Dr M could and should have done much to create a corruption-free Umno. Yet left a very difficult legacy to his successors - Pak Lah (Abdullah Ahmad Badawi) and Najib.

Whatever Najib did today as PM and president of Umno is just a continuation of Dr M’s work. If Dr M said Najib is very corrupt, then he (Najib) has been a very good disciple.

Anonymous #12566075: Though the writer is right on Mahathir's failure to cultivate and bring up capable leaders for the nation, even to the extent of killing potential leaders like Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, Musa Hitam and Anwar Ibrahim, one can say he (Mahathir) deserves what he has done in the past.

However, the country is now facing unprecedented crisis as a result of Najib's corrupt and ineffective administration, and condemning Mahathir will not solve the problem.

All right-thinking Malaysians, especially the Malays, should confront the situation head-on. Blaming and accusing one another is not an option.

Adi Purusa: The author seems to condone cronyism, corruption and racism when he describes Mahathir 'as probably the best prime minister Malaysia had had…'

Malaysian voters, especially the Malays, have knowingly overlooked corruption because of short-term benefits. Corruption is common in young democracies and if there is no willingness to reject or punish corrupt politicians at the polls, the cancer grows.

In a democracy, corruption undermines the quality of representation and actual transfer of wealth. Elected politicians make decisions motivated by the desire for personal enrichment rather than the welfare of its people.

What Addin does not understand is that there is a changing world order and Malaysia has not risen to this challenge. That young Malaysians are frustrated and there is no sense of direction is of no concern to him.

Patriot1: I beg to differ on the closing paragraph of Addin’s open letter. The country is being gradually run to the ground, that is why people are demanding changes.

If we adopt an indifferent attitude to what is happening to our country, God help us!

Birdseye: "I suggest that you leave the people in power to administer the country according to their own respective ways, rightfully," said Addin.

So let them be as corrupt as they like. The writer is young and pompous, just like any other 20-year old idiot.

Justine Gow: It is fine for the author of this letter to criticise Dr M for what he has done.

Nevertheless, if the purpose of the criticism is to absolve someone, who is currently in power, of an even bigger wrongdoing, then this letter deserves to be tossed into the dustbin.

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