Is Dr M really a statesman?
COMMENT | I waited a day to pen these thoughts. Dr Mahathir Mohamad turned 100 on July 10, and I'm not the type to spoil a birthday bash.
Call it decency. The type mentioned in Scott Fitzgerald's 'The Great Gatsby' as 'a sense of the fundamental decencies… parcelled out unequally at birth'.
And like all decent Malaysians, I often reflect on what we could have achieved as people and a country if our politics had taken a different turn.
Mahathir's tenure from 1981 to 2003 turned a multi-racial country into a Malay-supremacist state. It hasn't worked out well. How else can we explain his...
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Straits Times
6 hours ago
- New Straits Times
NST Leader: Of CJ and other judges
There was a palpable sigh of relief when on Thursday night the Chief Registrar's Office announced the appointment of Datuk Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh as the new chief justice, Datuk Abu Bakar Jais as the new Court of Appeal president and Datuk Azizah Nawawi as chief judge of Sabah and Sarawak. The sigh of relief is understandable. For months, unease had grown across many segments of society over who would fill the big shoes of Tun Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat. The big shoes were not due to her being the first woman to occupy the seat, but because she was a judge extraordinaire and later, chief justice extraordinaire. On July 2, when she retired, she left behind a legacy of judicial independence that is hard to beat. An extension of the service of a judge of such a calibre would have pleased the country immensely, but it didn't happen. Wishes aren't horses. For avoidance of doubt, the unease — there was even a walk for justice organised by the Malaysian Bar — wasn't about the extension of Tengku Maimun's service, but about perception of all things to do with the judiciary. Perception of justice is a good cause to fight for, but those given to wild allegations, which at places became venomous, made the national unease worse. When it comes to the judiciary, perception ranks high. England's chief justice Lord Hewart gave perception of justice its noble place as long ago as Nov 9, 1923, when he spelt out his dictum in Rex v Sussex Justices: "It is not merely of some importance but of fundamental importance that justice should not only be done, but should manifestly be and undoubtedly be seen to be done." As Malaysians "manifestly" and "undoubtedly" saw justice being done during Tengku Maimun's stewardship of the judiciary, they will now expect the same under the leadership of Wan Ahmad Farid as chief justice. It is clear that he has big shoes to fill. However, he has shown that he has just the "feet" for them as early as 2022, when he recused himself from hearing a matter concerning the admission of Queen's Counsel Jonathan Laidlaw to represent former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak. He did that to avoid any perception that might undermine confidence in the judiciary's independence. Before being appointed a judge, he had been actively involved in politics, even serving as a senator. Malaysian Bar president Mohamad Ezri Abdul Wahab praised the new chief justice for recusing himself: "In doing so, he made several significant statements on the importance of public confidence in the judiciary, stating that the perception of judicial independence must not be placed in doubt and that it is not a matter of trial and error." An independent judiciary is a precious gift to any society, and once it is lost, anarchy reigns, wrote Wan Ahmad Farid as a High Court judge when recusing himself on June 16, 2022. We hope the judiciary under the new chief justice's stewardship will do everything necessary to prevent the precious gift from being lost.
Focus Malaysia
10 hours ago
- Focus Malaysia
PAS claims Pahang is set to vote for PN in the next GE
PAS deputy president Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man claims public support in Pahang for PAS and Perikatan Nasional (PN) has significantly increased, indicating voters are ready to choose PN as the state government in the upcoming 16th General Election (GE16). 'This development is not only evident from the encouraging attendance at various grassroots programmes, but it is also supported by independent studies and on-the-ground observations. 'Moreover, we can see that the people are increasingly rejecting any explanations or statements by the government on various issues,' he said in a statement. The Cheka assemblyman Tuan Ibrahim also claims young voters, civil servants, and rural communities are increasingly rejecting the UMNO-Pakatan Harapan state government, forcing it to work harder to prove its competence. Backing the claims by the PAS leader, Pahang PAS information chief Ustaz Aireroshairi Roslan, stressed that UMNO must mentally prepare to become the opposition after the GE16, following the increasing public support for PAS from GE13 to GE15. He also said the 'PAS Leads Pahang' slogan taunted as mere rhetoric by UMNO shows that the ruling party is still in denial and refuses to accept the reality of the changing political landscape in the state. 'The strong public response to this tagline proves that the people are ready for a leadership change that is cleaner and more trustworthy,' he said in a statement, adding that UMNO is riddled with internal crises and leadership turmoil while PAS has strengthened party machinery. On the other hand, he also said the cooperation between DAP and Umno is now a heavy liability for the Malay party. 'How can UMNO claim to fight for the Malay agenda when they are willing to collaborate with a party that has always opposed the special position of the Malays?' he questioned. — July 19, 2025 Main photo credit: Bernama
Barnama
11 hours ago
- Barnama
Next Year's SMP To Adopt '2-in-1' Concept With State Ethnic Minority Festivals
REGION - NORTHERN > NEWS BATU KAWAN, July 19 (Bernama) -- The Ministry of National Unity is developing a new strategy to enhance next year's Unity Week (SMP) celebration by introducing a '2-in-1' concept at the state level, combining SMP with the celebration of ethnic minority cultural festivals unique to each state. National Unity Minister Datuk Aaron Ago Dagang said the initiative aims to recognise the heritage of ethnic minorities while providing a platform for Malaysians to appreciate the cultural diversity that shapes the national identity. 'For example, Perak will feature the Siamese community through the Songkran Festival, Sarawak with the Melanau's Kaul Festival, Sabah with the Rungus' Magahau Festival, Kelantan with the Orang Asli Temiar celebration, and Johor with the Bugis' Lepa-Lepa Festival. bootstrap slideshow 'The ministry remains committed to fostering unity, nationhood, goodwill, and volunteerism among Malaysians. These efforts are aligned with the Federal Constitution, the Rukun Negara, and guided by the National Unity Policy,' he said when addressing the National-Level 2025 SMP celebration at Batu Kawan Stadium here today. The third edition of SMP, held in Penang, was officiated by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and attended by Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow, Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek, Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Johari Abdul, and Deputy National Unity Minister K. Saraswathy. Commenting further, Aaron said the National Unity Index (IPNas), currently in its third implementation, is expected to achieve a score of 0.7, reflecting the level of unity among Malaysians. He added that the index measures key aspects such as inter-ethnic relations, perceptions of national identity, and social beliefs, serving as a crucial reference in formulating the ministry's policies and initiatives to strengthen national unity. 'Since 2023, various initiatives have been implemented, clearly showing that building the Negara Bangsa (Nation-State) is the ultimate goal of efforts to enhance unity,' he said. Aaron added that the Negara Bangsa (Nation-State) has now been designated as one of the main thrusts under the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP). In this regard, the ministry is conducting engagement sessions nationwide to develop the Negara Bangsa (Nation-State) Action Plan, which will culminate in the Negara Bangsa (Nation-State) Conference this October.
