No hard feelings, it’s been a healthy debate, you proved your point , I get to prove mine.

This is what freedom of expression and information is all about. At the end of the day, all us become ever more informed and gain in our wisdom.

I’d like to quote here what a Chinese blogger said in China during a recent heated online debate about Tibetan issue.. towards the ending, he said, “I’d like to say a word of blessing to those agreed with me, disagreed with me, condemned me, you have helped me increase my wisdom as always, in the spirit of free speech.”

Again, it’s an honor to debate with you.. I hope we will still have that many years to come…

Thank you for your thoughtful write up.. keep it flowing….

Woody..

Let’s not venture into US and Palestine.. but 1 fact, even US has patriot act, most Palestinians (or middle easterners) wants to become American citizen..and live in US.( pls don’t ask me to show evidence or ask me why… ..

Let’s go back home..

We need to face the hard fact that SEDITIOUS act was used mostly on political oppositions or those critical of ruling elite . When TDM himself called some race communist. I did not see policeman make report to have him arrested. When I see someone wish to bath in someone else’s blood ,showing weapons in threatening manner, I did not see him getting arrested. I did not even see their own peers trying to stop him even continue doing it for years.

Let’s face it, the act has been used and abused to silence dissenting voices. (I know you are going to say the guy apologized, so what ? damage is already done, that also is a big fact why BN lost many seats this time)

I think your long write up of “Justification to the extent of glorifying” on the past doings (both right and wrong) of TDM … is showing sign of mainstream media syndrome.

By the way ,I am no big fan of DSAI either, I am just critical of politicians in general. Also, to put “Karpal Singh photo with his dog” photo and labeled him as “Lion and his bitch” is quite unbecoming.. even I disagree of Karpal’s loose cannon behavior in some words and I liked your critical exposure of him.

Anyway, good night.

Woody.

good night to you too Woody. i apologise for any hard feelings. no offence ever intended.

TDM do not tolerate dissenting voice very well. He labeled anything that disagreed with him with as SEDITIOUS and make every possible move to “SHUT-IT-UP”, by jailing (ops lalang), by beating (remember the black eye).. anything kind torture you can think off .

I am sensing a overly biased analysis here to the extent of idolizing a wrongfully inhumane thing TDM did to be something justifiable in the name of peace. That is a bit of cult .
By the way, are you TDM fan club chairman ?

Woody.

Dear Woody,

Sedition - only involving race, religion and language. Sedition act introduced in 1948 by the british to curb the opposition of their colonial rule. Every country has this form of law. Even Singapore has its own Sedition Act. Do you think the opposition in Singapore enjoy as much freedom as our opposition? It’s a preventive law, created in the interest of security of the country. As in the case of Karpal Singh now, what do you think the Malays would feel and react if knowing Karpal, continued to say bad things about the muslim malay royalty and went on unchecked with his statements? With the absent of Sedition Act, there would be a major protest which may culminate into riots. Remember, a person alone is quite clever and won’t do stupid things. But gather them together, they will become a stupid mob. Please note that sedition doesn’t limit itself to antagonising just the Malays. If I accuse all the Malaysian chinese communists traitors and they are out to kill other races and make roadshows proclaiming this accusations all over Malaysia, I will no doubt be charged with sedition as well. It is a preventive law. Even the US has it in the form of the Patriot Act. Do you want to live in a country where because of racial sensitivity is admitedly quite high, riots are a daily consequence? It is better to prevent than to do fire fighting all the time. Until the day all Malaysians can prove themselves to be unemotional about their race, religion and culture, then probably Sedition Act can be rescinded. But I doubt that. We are a multi racial country. Culture and religion are two most sensitive areas. Keeping our mouths shut regarding certain areas is a small price to pay for the safety of our loved ones. Would you rather live in conflicted african countries? This is my honest opinion.

Mahathir was giving a speech during the OIC meeting as an Islamic leader when he said the jews rule the world by proxy. Jews were killing the Palestinians everyday since 1948 and they weren’t even slap on the wrist by the UN. Think. Why is that? It’s a fact isn’t it? if you follow the excerpt closely, after making that statement, the following paragraph, he said - jews were very smart. muslims should be like them, using brains instead of brawn. It was a speech addressed to Muslims asking them to work hard and to affirm their personality while the main point of the speech had been to persuade Muslims against using violence to pursue their aims. He was disappointed coz Jews’ domination of the world and Muslim nations’ inability to adequately respond to their atrocities. Note that his speech was defended by all Muslim nations in the OIC and had recievd standing ovation. But you fell by the propaganda perpetuated by anti mahathir and believed every lies they said.

for instance, in the black eye episode, it was rahim noor who punched dsai, not tdm. Rahim noor was sent to jail, lost his job and pension because of that etc. do you honestly think tdm ordered rahim noor to punch anwar? please lah. be more realistic. in rahim noor’s testimony, he punched anwar coz he was too emotional and stressed out coz anwar was giving him a lot of problems and taunting hi by calling him ‘anjing’. - read the materials from that case.

The following day, a foreign reporter asked TDM whether does he think dsai’s injury was self inflicted. TDMdm said - could be. It was the reporter who suggested that idea, not TDM. But before long, all sundry thought TDM thinks Anwar’s injury was self inflicted. Now i am saying the fact. I watched that interview that fateful night. i heard clearly what the reporter had said. now that incident was one of the propaganda to demonise tdm. but i digress. he called dsai homosexual based on the convincing reports by people who went to see him. even karpal singh said dsai was gay. Did you think tdm himself witnessed the act? he got a lot of other things to do. He just based his accusations from the overwhelming evidence he was presented.

As for DSAI being a foreign agent. I have some doubts about it. I believe he is western friendly. I do not know why is that. Maybe they hold some secrets about him. But I find DSAI to be really really friendly to the US which is highly suspicious for someone who claimed to be pro islam. The US is never known to be pro islam. So you are judged by people you are friends with. See this video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEYnh9Yvtew and this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mrNv44WoJck&feature=related

Abt the star, they were reporting something seditious. Ops lalang was done to lessen the racial tension. what’s that got to do with people disagreeing with him? Ops lalang caught people from both sides. the opposition and the government. It was a clear case to simmer down racial tension. not about disagreeing with tdm. please read further about my article regarding the tun salleh abas case. there was a mention of ops lalang there. Don’t let facts being skewed by prejudice. like i said, doing something popular is not the same as doing something good for the country. that would be irresponsible. Just like how anwar promised 20% oil royalty to Sabahan whereas other oil producing states he didn’t say he would raise it. That would be a popular but irresponsible thing to do. Other states will not receive the necessary funds as most money will be for Sabahan’s MPs. Do you think money grows on trees? Do you honestly think all the money will go to the people? Don’t be naive. Politicians, from both sides, will always be their selfish, self centred self when they come to power. See how his mind works? Trying to be popular and jeopardising the nation is his forte. TDM is not perfect. I don’t like his forceful way of dragging the nation towards modernisation too fast for its own good. In the effort, a lot of soft skills and ’soul’ of the people were lost coz being replaced by ‘for love of money and progress’. But at least he has a strong character and strong leadership. A young fledgling nation needs that kind of a leader at least. Not a flamboyant and rhetorical leader like DSAI.

By the way, I’m not the chairman of TDM fan club. Does it exist? If not, would you like to be it’s first chairman? But that would be a conflict of interest since you’re the secretary general of DSAI’’s fan club aren’t you? peace!

Thanks

Done

Power struggles and rivalries are part and parcel of politics, but only the coarse and the vulgar reduce them to gutter slanging matches.

Dr Mahathir, as far as I know, has always maintained his dignity even when being critical.

Basically that’s what I’m comparing to when I commented on the “rudeness” of AAB’s cabinet. Not the nature of power shifts and seizures in Malaysia, but the manner of those involved in them. AAB’s administration seems to be populated by a bunch of rude and ill-mannered louts!

Regardless of all the accusations hurled at the man, I don’t think anyone can accuse Dr Mahathir of ever being crude or uncouth. Like other earlier politicians of this country, on both sides of the divide, he always showed class and breeding becoming of a leader and a representative of the people. Which is why calling Abdullah Badawi “shameless” and Najib Tun Razak “cowardly” are actually strong words for him.

It is on record that Dr Mahathir sent a letter to Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman asking him to resign following the 1969 election and the ensuing race riot. But the letter (to quote Dr Bakri Musa, the Malaysiakini columnist, who did a lot of research on Dr Mahathir when writing his book ‘The Malay Dilemma Revisited’ ) “was written in traditional Malay form filled with self humiliating terms like patek and hamba (slaves), and was excessively deferential as a peasant would in addressing his lord and master.”

I believe that was the Malaysian political culture. It was a culture of fierce political fights, but minus the rank rudeness of today. At least till the ‘reformasi’ of Anwar Ibrahim, I’d say.

Well, that has been our culture in Malaysia political landscape , try to marred the previous leaders. Incidentally, Anwar also chipped saying that “he is not sure” if Tunku “even conscious of what he is saying”

New York Times, July 8,1988
Woody.

JMD : The Star was shut down in 1987 due to the seditious articles they had published in the run up to the Operasi Lalang. Not only The Star but Mingguan Watan as well. Both papers played racial sentiments on two races - Chinese and Malays. Both were suspended.

Dr Mahathir’s treatment towards Tunku was consistent. He cherished the old man. He respected him. But he did not agree on some of Tunku’s stand. He wrote a letter to Tunku in 1969, asking him to resign as the Tunku wasn’t able to overcome the plight of the Malays then. He criticised the Tunku in 1987 and 1988 because Tunku had become a political enemy by being in Semangat 46. It was a politically important to criticise Tunku’s stand in that matter as the Tunku was Semangat 46’s adviser and patron! But, at the end of the day, Dr Mahathir did seek forgiveness from the Tunku in 1989. He apologised to Tunku as any Malay would be for criticising an elder statesman.

Anyone remember a picture of Dr Mahathir holding Tunku’s hand as he helped Tunku going down the stairs in the Umno General Assembly sometime prior to Tunku’s death? That was a remarkable picture where old hatred between them were gone and replaced with sense of deep empathy and mutual respect.

Even long after Tunku’s death, Dr Mahathir was respectful towards Tunku. He named Putrajaya in respect to Tunku’s name (Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj). Did he named Putrajaya as Razakjaya or Hasmahjaya? No.

As for Anwar, well we know him as only looking after his own political survival.