normanfernandez

OPEN REPLY TO TUN DR MAHATHIR “ WHY DID I CRITICISE THE PRIME MINISTER”

I have read your letter dated 21st October 2006 addressed to the “citizens of Malaysia”. It is not often a commoner writes a letter addressed to ALL Malaysians. But then you are different, I suppose. Since I am a recipient of your letter permit me to reply.

For a start, your letter seem to be cast a picture of a man who believes that he has been victimized and finds all his avenues to seek justice has been closed. Believe me, many Malaysians have experenced this. At least you have the internet as an avenue all thanks to the Instrument Of Guarantee signed by your administration guaranteeing no censorship of the internet. Malaysians can read about your plight. Many Malaysians never had this opportunity.

I note that you have signed off the letter as a Malaysian citizen and a Commoner. But judging from your regular tirades and ripostes against the present administration it gives the impression that you either have difficulty accepting the fact that you are no more the prime minister or you continue to believe that you are omnipotent.

You have had the luck and privilege of being chosen as the Prime Minister of Malaysia. For 22 years you lead Malaysia. You have been credited for engineering Malaysia’s rapid modernization. Malaysia’s physical transformation is obvious. After all you presided over a period of phenomenal growth and at the end of your tenure, Malaysia bristled with concrete symbols from a gleaming airport to an impressive skyline.

Internationally, for 22 years you made your voice heard and the world was your stage. Your acerbic comments made you a spokesman for the third world and your tirades against the West meant that Muslim countries could not have found a better friend than you.

Now, it is for the people and history to judge your legacy and the present political climate do allows the people to judge and freely express the opinion. There are many policies of your administration which have benefited Malaysia and Malaysians. Similarly there have been many policies and action of yours which Malaysians found to be despicable and reprehensible and pray it never happen again.

Reading your letter, it would seem that your main grouse and as clearly stated in your letter is that “the questions and issues raised have not been answered”.

Having acknowledged that you are a “commoner”, it is then well worth remembering that that the government of the day owes no duty to respond to your demands for explanation. At least this was what your 22 years in office had taught the common citizens.

You claim that a climate of fear has enveloped this country and allegedly Malaysia has become a police state. All because supposedly in your opinion no one is allowed and dares to criticise the prime-minister. You claim that the main-stream media are not allowed to admonish the prime-minister and functions that may involve criticizing the prime-minister are harassed, threatened by police and government leaders. Wasn’t this the hallmark of your 22 years administration ?

Surely you have not forgotten the reason why Tun Musa Hitam left office. Remember the pliant media which became your hatchetmen when during the tussle for the UMNO presidency it highlighted the headgear worn by Tengku Razaleigh (never mind you had worn a similar headgear in the past). Remember how easily you got offended and roused a national anger simply because the then Australian prime minister Paul Keating criticized and called you a recalcitrant.

You allege that under the present administration people are being detained and interrogated repeatedly. Lest you forget, October 27 was the nineteenth anniversary of the infamous Operation Lallang ? Remember the Anwar Ibrahim “black-eye” incident which you diagnosed the injury as self inflicted ?. Yet you have the temerity to call Pak Lah’s administration “police state”!

You demand the right to speak and require space and forum to criticize and more importantly demand that the present administration answers your questions. This is strange coming from a person who used all available apparatus to silence dissent. The willful silence by the majority of the population to comment, criticize or oppose you was because of the climate of fear you had created. The heavy price paid by the brave who stood up to you made many to keep quiet and apolitical.

Now that you have retired as Prime Minister, no one is asking you to just fade away. Having acknowledged that you are a commoner, live and experience life of a commoner. Only then you will realize what life for a commoner was for 22 years when questions were aplenty but answers were never forthcoming.

By the way you have yet to answer my 17 questions. ( See Malaysiakini)