FORMER premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad might be a chameleon, but this doesn’t mean he shouldn’t be taken seriously and rebutted.I certainly agree with journalist Terrance Netto that Dr Mahathir despite his crankiness, should be rebutted in every possible way. Thus, the calls for the dismissal of his outmoded even fictitious ideas must be cautiously adopted.As I have said recently, Dr Mahathir is not a mere retired politician who has nothing better to do than create confusion and disorder in society. Unfortunately, he represents the interests of a certain class or segment of Malaysian society. This segment believes in the idea of Malay hegemony or the Malay-ness of society.In other words, despite the presence of non-Malays and their culture and vernacular education system, the country, referring to the peninsula, is a Malay land.From this perspective, even if the Federal Constitution is broad in scope, it must be seen from the perspective of Malay-ness.The very fact that Perikatan Nasional (PN) leaders like Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang can come together with Dr Mahathir to speak of the acceptance of the Malay Proclamation is an antipathy towards the DAP and others.
The notion that DAP is transforming the Constitution into a multi-racial one may be a product of Dr Mahathir’s wild imagination, but there are followers who subscribe to his ideas, no matter how preposterous they may seem.
Although Dr Mahathir may have retired and even lost his deposit in the Langkawi parliamentary election, his supporters believe that Malays are losing power in the country. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is seen as untrustworthy, owing to his perceived alignment with DAP due to their significant parliamentary seats.
Perceptions about the country, the position of the Malays and the non-Malays, the Constitution and others are difficult to manage in a political environment that is anchored in race and religion.Dr Mahathir might be gone in age, but he surely knows how to exploit race and religion to the benefit of the opposition. Anwar is right in dismissing Dr Mahathir’s fiction as he has better things to do.Nevertheless, given the salience of ethnicity and race in a politically-charged atmosphere, Dr Mahathir’s ideas might resonate among certain segments of the population in the country. This is the reason why Dr Mahathir and other politicians with extremist views must be rebutted in public. The problem like in any society is that the silent majority might be tired of the venom spewed out by Dr Mahathir, but as the name suggests, would prefer to be reticent.However, vocal individuals and political leaders who can separate fact from fiction should take Dr Mahathir to task.Every possible measure must be taken to expose his untenable ideas, myths, lies and untruths. Such a move might be helpful to distinguish what is right, what is wrong and what is acceptable. It is of the utmost importance that a tragedy doesn’t become a farce. – July 13, 2023
Prof Ramasamy Palanisamy is the DAP state assemblyman for Perai. He is also Deputy Chief Minister II of Penang.
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia.
