Kua is both right and wrong on Mahathir

Kua: After ‘betrayal’, Harapan now answerable for Dr M’s scandals

Pemerhati: The old Pakatan Rakyat alliance alone, without PAS, will definitely lose the next elections as many Malays will not vote for them.

The country now is going downhill because of massive corruption and alleged theft of tens of billions by the present racist Umno leadership, which also practices apartheid-like discrimination against the non-Malays and strongly believes in ‘ketuanan Melayu’ and Islam.

But Pakatan Harapan with Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Muhyiddin Yassin and Anwar Ibrahim as leaders is likely to get support from the majority Malays.

These leaders by their past actions and behaviour have shown that they have the same weaknesses with respect to corruption and the theft of the people’s money and they are also racist, believe in discrimination and in the ‘ketuanan’ philosophy.

But if Harapan comes to power, it is likely to be much less corrupt and racist because otherwise Harapan will collapse as DAP is unlikely to accept any extreme actions.

Thus, a Harapan victory would be better for Malaysia as it will result in less extremism, less theft and more development.

Trueglitter: Kua Kia Soong, despite the outrageous vehemence of your condemnations directed at Mahathir via your reiterating a litany of latter’s shortcomings during his performance as ex-PM for 22 years, we are unable to fathom the sincerity or explicit reasons for your vindictive outbursts.

However, it has led us to feel exceedingly disappointed that being Suaram’s advisor, you had failed to acknowledge the importance to exercise better restraint and be less judgmental toward a senior statesman like Mahathir, particularly at a time when the election draws so near.

Basically: Bringing change to completely rotten Bolehland requires creative solutions and thinking out of the box. The same old line of thought will not work for long since Umno-BN has all the resources to wiggle out of a tight situation, as the period from 2008 to the present has proven time and again.

Kua is like a man in a sinking ship trying to plug all the holes at once. By the time he is half finished, the ship would have sunk.

Hong Kong ended large-scale corruption by offering amnesty in a concerted effort to put a stop to the scourge.

Malaysians will eventually have to consider the same, or we will never likely see an end to corruption, and things will keep going the same path with the same people shouting from their high horses.

Anonymous 2460391489930458: Let’s get this straight; no one is answerable for someone else’s wrongdoing. Dr M is accountable for his own actions, not for those of the other Harapan leaders.

Do not cloud the issue. To my understanding, the reformasi agenda has stayed its course. There has been no departure from its goals. Over time, since 1999, the political landscape has radically changed.

Today, the challenges are somewhat different from that during Dr M’s time. Today, we have to contend with a relatively new but grave phenomenon – widespread kleptocracy.

Because of this, the reformasi agenda has to be widened yet another notch. Ironically, the “tyrant” who triggered the movement is today possibly the most qualified to lead it.

Politics is dynamic. The sand keeps shifting and if your mind does not evolve with the times, you will sink.

Ib: Reformation is about the government. Not about revenge. The reformation agenda is intact. Reform is about the future, revenge is about the past. Please let’s not get stuck in the past.

TheAxman: This is not about Mahathir vs PM Najib Razak, this is about democracy. BN has remained in power for so long that they become unanswerable to all their sins.

Everything and everyone, including our judiciary and the Election Commission (EC), is tainted. Only when we vote them out, we can see some improvement.

If we don’t see an improvement, we vote the next government out too. Democracy means that the government is answerable to the people, otherwise the people will kick them out.

Therefore, we have to start by voting the current government out!

Mushiro: No one in Harapan is saying that Mahathir is an angel. But look at the situation in Malaysia even before Najib became PM, and it is an open secret that millions have been allegedly siphoned and it is still going on, unabated.

So, if it is only the devil who can topple Najib, then Harapan has to team up with the devil. With three strong and equal partners – DAP, PKR and Amanah – it will not be possible for Mahathir to hijack Harapan if they won.

An ‘unrepented former autocrat’ is not as dangerous as an ‘unrepented current kleptocrat’ as the kleptocrat still has his hands in the government’s kitty.

Dr Suresh Kumar: “Even before Najib became PM, and it is an open secret that millions have been allegedly siphoned by Najib and it is still going on unabated,” said Mushiro.

Yet, Mahathir endorsed him to be the PM, did he not? Why? Because Mahathir thought Najib will support his son, Mukhriz, to win one of the Umno vice-presidency which will eventually pave the way for Mukhriz to become PM.

Najib did not do that and the old man sulked big time and got out of Umno. The last straw for the old man was when Najib sacked Mukhriz as the MB of Kedah.

Had Najib given his support to Mukhriz and made him one of the vice-presidents of Umno, do you think Mahathir would be doing what he is doing today by aligning himself with the delusional and directionless opposition?

Anonymous 29051438068738: The fact that Kua is simultaneously right and wrong simply mirrors the latest Malaysian predicament… or is that the new Malay dilemma?

Anwar: Morally, I am 100% in agreement with Kua. However, on a practical level – not being a career politician myself – I am in no position to publicly oppose whatever strategies Harapan leaders deem necessary to take down the most cruel and corrupt regime in Malaysian history.

It’s not viable to simply “storm the Bastille” by mobilising the masses against the power structure. Not only will blood be shed, but we have seen what happened after the French Revolution – nothing!

Anonymous 29051438068738: Every one of Mahathir’s “accomplishments” listed by Kua is factually correct. The damage he caused (deliberately or unintentionally) will continue to be felt by coming generations.

Cumulatively, his actions and policies have served to retard the nation such that no remedy appears feasible. Except one. Mahathir is the only remaining remedy.

It is only he who can fill the current leadership void and it is only he who can, with the clarity and wisdom of hindsight, roll back the crippling policies and corruption-enabling processes he set out decades ago … and restore whatever little remains of the country’s future.

For that alone, he should be supported.

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