Wednesday, May 23, 2018

Making Beeline to Curry Favour with Dr M




PREAMBLE: Views expressed herein are entirely mine. I am writing in my personal capacity as a blogger. It has nothing to do with whatever position I may hold.


LAST evening I was invited for a berbuka puasa with the Prime Minister, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, at the Perdana Leadership Foundation (PLF) in Putrajaya.

I saw many familiar faces - men and women - who during good and bad times had stuck with THE man.

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But I also saw many who had been absent from his berbuka puasa and other functions for quite a few years. I felt no sense of remorse when I greeted them with disdain.

They deserved it. They abandoned and disregarded the very person who made them rich and powerful in the first place.

What was his sin? Nothing! But these hypocrites and backstabbers shied away from him because they were afraid of losing their plump contracts, projects and concessions.

It’s hard for me to believe that they did to him. I have been is this business of scribing for 49 years. I met these people when they were young businessman struggling to make a name for themselves or were learning the ropes from their elders.

And it was during the 22-year that Dr Mahathir was Prime Minster (1981 – 2003), thanks to the good management of the economy,  that they rose to become millionaires and billionaires.

Some of them were not even businessman. They were academicians, civil servants and technocrats but the Mahathir era turned them into corporate figures – genuine and pseudo.

When Dr Mahathir was in power they celebrated him as if he was a “Tua Pek Kong” and man of miracle. He was lavishly praised and even more lavishly feasted.

But when he left office but yet continuing to care for the country, many of these people abandoned him for fear that supporting or just being seen with him would jeopardize their billion dollar contracts, projects concessions or subject them to the scrutiny of the Inland Revenue Board.

The situation became worst when he joined and finally led the opposition in an effort to save the nation by democratically overthrowing the kleptocratic government of (Datuk Seri I Mappadulung Daeng Mattimung Karaeng Sandrobone Sultan Abdul Jalil) Mohd Najib Abdul Razak.

The mere mention of Dr Mahathir caused them to cringe. Their fear of the government was childlike. It appears as if the puja of the “pawang buaya” and the priest from Sri Lanka had been put on them.

Of course there were those who were totally and completely devoted to the ousted Prime Minister and his wife (Datin Paduka Seri Puan Puti Reno) Rosmah Mansor.

They keep away from Dr Mahathir and whoever he was associated with.

The majority of them had not thought that Dr Mahathir and his new Pakatan Harapan (PH) team could pull it off against the money and might of Najib's Barisan Nasional (BN).

Very few businessmen dared to support him overtly. Those who did were punished. But there were a handful who, I am told, supported his struggle overtly.

I had bumped into some of these corporate characters while campaigning for PH. They camped in Langkawi to make sure that Dr Mahathir did NOT win the island constituency.

They brought with them entertainers and performers to draw away crowd from his rallies. I know some of these people. They were nothing when I first met them during my younger days but are today Tan Sri and billionaires.

Their hypocrisy and lack shame put me off. But still I accepted their handshake for the sake civility and common courtesy.

These people must know or, be made to know, that this is not BN government. This is the PH government which has promised to be different, open and transparent.

They cannot and should not expect their multi-billion ringgit public contracts, projects and concessions and, above all, their shenanigans, to be left unnoticed.

The new government has made it clear that mega projects and negotiated contracts will be re-examined and re-evaluated.

While the government may have to continue working with these people, it must take cognizant of the fact that there are many struggling businessmen and women who fearlessly supported the coalition.

Their sacrifices and bravery must not be forgotten. This government must endevour to give the best to the rakyat while helping genuine businessman to flourish.

They should never be sidelined in favour of the fat cats and top dogs of the central business district.

I have not the slightest doubt that Dr Mahathir still has the golden touch to make this country great again, Insya Allah.

I thank Tan Sri G. Gnanalingam for reminding me that I have not lost a single election that I got involved in – on behalf of the BN then and PH now. 

Alhamdulillah.

Cari makan is important but dignity is a virtue not to be forgotten. I cannot imagine millionaire Datuks and billionaire Tan Sris kowtowing to dedak eating konco of Mohd Najib.

Wallahuaklam.


20 comments:

Pakcik said...

You have given them an excuse why they become devoted to Najibrosmah, which is kena santau oleh rosmah

Unknown said...

Totally agree as it has been in their blood to 'kow tow' whoever is in power.

In my career life, it's the same as when you're in a position with power - u'll be like sugar whereby ants will crowd you...if you are no longer in power, they'll just shy away from u.

It reminds me of the reality show SURVIVOR series.



Tom said...

Good stuff. I'm glad someone wrote this. I guess it's the feudal mindset that still pervades this country that makes it so. Time to shake off those shackles Malaysians. Drain the swamp, Tun.

Zalman A said...

"While the government may have to continue working with these people, it must take cognizant of the fact that there are many struggling businessmen and women who fearlessly supported the coalition."

Datuk,

It was quite clear that just before PRU14 there was a directive from the top to carry out a vendetta, via LHDN, against any businessman who might lean towards supporting PH.

This was clearly pointed out by Tun himself in the months before PRU14.

I hope that LHDN now reviews these cases.

In a mature democracy, anyone should be free to support whom they wish without any fear of authority being misused to silence them.

The saga of Tony Fernandez and his special AirAsia plane created for Datuk Seri I Mappadulung Daeng Mattimung Karaeng Sandrobone Sultan Abdul Jalil is just a symptom that big businesses are trying too hard to curry favour.

It shows we have not matured fully yet.

Now, after more than 60 years since Merdeka, we should.


dt rahman pekan said...

WE KNOW TUN M AS A VERY FORGIVING HUMAN, ESPECIALLY AT THIS LATE STAGE OF LIFE.

KALU ADA YG MELUTUT N MENANGIS UTK MEMOHON AMPUN N MAAF, PERCAYALAH , TUN AKAN TURUT SAMA MENANGIS N MEMAAFKAN MEREKA.

HANYA SAYA MERAYU KPD TUN M AGAR "BEWARE OF GREEKS BEARING GIFTS".

I M QUITE SURE TUN M IS VERY FAMILIAR WTH THIS QUOTATION FROM SUN TZU (THE ART OF WAR) :-

"IF U KNOW D ENEMY N KNOW YRSELF,U NEED NOT FEAR D RESULT OF A HUNDRED BATTLES. IF U KNOW YRSELF BUT NOT D ENEMY,4 EVERY VICTORY GAINED U WIL ALSO SUFFER A DEFEAT. IF U KNOW NEITHER D ENEMY NOR YRSELF,U WIL SUCCUMB IN EVERY BATTLE".

SAYA TURUT MENDOAKAN AGAR TUN M AKAN BERJAYA DLM 'USAHA' MURNI NYA TANPA D GANNGU GUGAT OILH PIHAK2 YG BERKEMPENTINGAN.

WALLAHU'ALLAM.

Samyew said...

Spot on....

Zalman A said...

Salam Datuk,

On a different topic, Arul Kanda is in very deep trouble.

Those who followed the 1MDB saga from the start know of all Arul & DS Mappadulung's claims (in Parliament!) about the "magic units" that were supposedly in Singapore.

Now we learn this:

1MDB director Datuk Kamal Mohd Ali. called the US$940mil (RM3.743bil) worth of investment "units" held with Singapore's BSI Bank and US$1.56bil (RM6.21bil) worth of overseas investment "funds" belonging to 1MDB Global Investments Limited as "scams".

"These investments are worth purportedly some RM9.8bil, which if redeemed, would be more than sufficient to meet 1MDB's financial obligations for the next few years," said Lim. "Datuk Kamal called these investments a scam. That's the director himself saying it.

If so, Arul must have been aware fully that this was a lie from the very beginning.

It was a lie to cover-up the fact that the money had been stolen.

As for DS Mappadulung...tak payah cakap lah.



Adion said...

I tot this is the culture of golongan marhaem only, who have nothing but depend on the goverment support.

A pity to know that org kaya dan bijak di Malaysia pun still hoping for TDM tongkat instead of them helping him.

Bujang Senang said...

Life is such.... when you are down nobody will be seen around you. When you are up, the ants will swarm you. That much is human conscience despite professing a religion.

Aku said...

Kadiag, السلام عليكم ( Assalaa / mu / a'lai / kum.),
Izin aku singgong sikit pojok hang dlm 'posting' hang sebelum ni... pasai berakiagnya 'hegemony UMNO'.
Maghap Kadiag, kali ni aku tak setuju lansong dgn pendirian hang.
Pertama, 'hegemony' kalu hang maksodkan " ...the social norms that established the social structures (social and economic classes) with which the ruling class establish and exert cultural dominance to impose their Weltanschauung (world view)—justifying the social, political, and economic status quo—as natural, inevitable, and beneficial to every social class, rather than as artificial social constructs beneficial solely to the ruling class." (Antonio Gramsci, Wikipedia).
Hujjah aku lagu ni Kadiag,
Pertama, 'hegemony' dah berakag dan beselerak selama lebih 60 tahun lebih, jadi nak kata 'peristiwa 9 Mei' akan menhapuihkan
kebobrokan begenerasi agak payah~ macam anak Almarhum Pak Aji Usop Rawa di parlemen rujog pd pepatah Yunani purba.... Aristotle (384 BCE – 322 BCE): "One swallow does not a summer make," Sebab begitu lama, cengkaman 'hegemony' ini ke ataih Malaya, maka nak cabut kesan dan nyahkan dia jugak akan makan masa yg lama...
Kedua, struktur sosial, dan ekonomi masih utuh, misainya pengaruh struktur 'feudal' dlm:
a. Raja2 melayu bugih, yg serang Mat tehag bekali kali, sampai sorang tu dgn terang2 dan lantang suroh rakyat sokong MOI.
b. Seteruihnya Macam Shukri Abdull kata dia dan boss dia Abu Kasim (SPRM) 'mecadang' pada majlih2 kepala agama (jugak
di pangge 'payong rakyat') supaya 'MOI kena diganti, pasai keh duit SRC international, anak syarikat IMDB tu, tapi dak behase....
Ambik kira jugak pengaroh parti agama yg sokong depa di kelantan dan Trengganu mencacak naik sunggohpon pimpinan depa
terang2 cenderong pd pimpinan kleptokrasi... pimpinan yg kebanyakkan sarat dgn nilai2 kekabilahan (tribalism) dan 'feudalism'.
Panglima ATM jugak dilapog tanpa kekok sikit pon pi kata kena sokong kerajaan dan MOI. Macam tu kebanyakkan pimpinan penjawat awam, media, unibersiti2 dll. Misalannya ada bunyi2 selain lembaga hasil mengambik tindakkan 'bepilih' depa ada ka kutip cukai drpd
MOI dan kepala2 pemodai yg 'bepangkalan' di Hongkong, Ostolia, kepulauan Virgins ....?
Kedudukkan elit ekonomi teruih utuh, antaranya Robert Kuok, cukong yg tekaya dan yg berdekad miliki monopoli pemgimpotan gula, dikatakan jugak menjadi 'pemulih' koperasi MCA yg bemasaalah (Multi purpose ka apa ka)
balik jadi 'pemulih' ekonomi Malaya pulak sebagai ahli majlih watak2 tebilang ka apa ka, yg hang jadi jurucakap.
Pada aku Mei 9, 2018 hanya meropakan satu titik bemolanya usaha2 insyaAllah merobah dan menkubog budaya 'hegemony' keparat ni
kpd satu sistem yg lebih insani.
Maghap sekali lagi Kadiag,
Aku

Unknown said...

Syabas PH.Sebenarnya kemenangan bn di pilihanraya kecil di sg besar dan kuala kangsar merupakan malapetaka buat bn dan satu hikmah buat ph.fikir fikirkan.sekali lagi syabas ph yg tiang serinya adalah TUN.

safiai saad said...

Salam sdr Kadir,
I think what you describe is actually part of our life. I remembered Dato'Musa Hitam once said that, after he resigned from deputy prime minister post,every one shunned away from him. I guess it is part of our political culture or to be specific Malay political culture.Nobody want to associate with losers.
The loser become the carrier of leprosy disease, nobody want to be closed to him.It is contagious.

Only DS Anuar and Dr Mahathir are successful come back kids and better still it is the new kids in town..Every one loves winners.
As the saying goes,ants are always attracted to the sweet sugar and not ...........

I rest my case sdr Kadir.
You are now the institution in Journalism.Selamat menjalankan ibadat Ramaddan.

TESSA said...

Salam Datuk

Very happy to see Tun Mahathir our PM again. I think its normal for those yang ada power ramai datang keliling memuja berkoyan-koyan walaupun masa dibawah tiada yang memandang dan peduli.

Nampaknya kenalah Tun Mahathir pilih sendiri antara kaca dan permata. Datuk pun boleh bantu memilih, kenalah saya lobi kat Datuk lepas ini :D

sukasamasuka said...

Datuk,

Weeeeeeeeewwww!...buka puasa dengan Tun...hebat nya...I never had the opportunity even to see him in real life.

Most Sabahans feel Tun is too far away to bother about Sabah except during election.

Probably this is true considering the fact that people like me is sitting at the bottom of an ocean, so we hardly know what's going on about the passing of a Tsunami.

Again, I check with my gardener regarding the priest from Sri Lanka...he did not seem to recall anything peculiar, except such priests do exist...and, normally clad in saffron-robe...going round places asking for food and stuffs...and, in return may offer some religious services...you may call them pooja which otherwise is harmless.

If "pawang buaya" refers to Tun Mahmud Taib, TYT of Sarawak...or Pawang Bujang Senang...he is the "White Rajah"...good friend of Tun...very good friend I must say...after all, he delivered BN seats consistently to UMNO when Tun was the the 4th PM...Tun banyak berhutang budi...jadi Tun kena tutup mata sebelah la...itu kita tau...Tun pun manusia juga ba.

Al Lahuma said...

Assalamualaikum Dato. It is good that you have written about these shameless bunch.

TRS said...

Banyak rakyat yang menyarankan tindakan diambil terhadap pegawai pegawai kerajaan yang bersubahat dengan kerajaan BN untuk menekan rakyat tapi saya lihat tak banyak yang meminta kerajaan PH mengambil tindakan kepada pegawai pegawai kanan LHDN yang membuli rakyat dibeberapa tahun kebelakangan ini demi untuk memenuhi sasaran yang ditetapkan Najib untung kepentingan dirinya sendiri.Kerajaan patut memberhentikan sistem budget LHDN yang bergantung kepada komisyen dari kutipan cukai kerana sistem ini membuat pegawai pegawai badan ini lebih agresif menekan rakyat kerana tahap gaji dan bonus mereka bergantung kepada komisyen dari kutipan cukai.

Unknown said...

I like to put on record that there is no glory days except from 1957 to 1981. Public records show poor to bad management from 1981 to 2017. PH is put into office to repair all those cummalative damages of policy along the lines of "Kaum"torkrasi, "Agama" tofkrasi and "kleptokrasi". The rakyat wants the end of those nonsense and persue a policy of "Kekitaan,Ketuanan Rakyat and Kemakmuran bersama".

Pardon truly? said...

Datuk,
Reported by Malaysiakini that Anwar said in Permatang Pauh that the Agong backdated his pardon back to 1998. Hard to believe this.
What is going on here please?
Who did the investigation for the pardon to be given from 20 years ago?
Please Datuk, shed some light for us the rakyat.
Wouldn't the Agong have been a much younger man 20 years back and was he truly informed of the events then till now?

Nenekghuffran said...

Bagi nenek biarlah dia nak ckp apapun pasal pengampunan ini. Minta ampun ni jika kita buat salah... Jika tidak, buat apa nak minta ampun. Bukan ke dia juga suka melaungkan 'lawan tetap lawan'...
Tun M tanpa rehat bekerja untuk negara... Tapi si Anwar ni sejak bebas sibuk dgn siri jelajah untuk apa?...nak tunjuk dialah 'hero'konon...
Sebagaimana dulu nenek berdoa semoga Tun M akan menjadi PM semula, begitu jugalah skrg nenek berdoa semoga bukan Anwar yg jadi PM selepas ini..

Ozz Samat said...

Please let us know who they are. Malaysians want to know those snakes who sold their souls to the devil.

About Me

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I was born in 1947 in Kedah. I came from a rice farming family. I have been a journalist since 1969. I am the Editor-in-Chief of magazine publishing company, Berita Publishing Sdn Bhd. I was Group Editor NST Sdn Bhd and Group Editor-in-Chief of NSTP Bhd between 1988 and 2000. I write fortnightly column “Other Thots” in the Malaysian Business magazine, Kunta Kinte Original in Berita Harian and A Kadir Jasin Bercerita in Dewan Masyarakat. Books: Biar Putih Tulang (1998), Other Thots – Opinions & Observations 1992-2001 (2001), The Wings of an Eagle (2003), Mencari Dugalia Huso (2006), Damned That Thots (2006), Blogger (2006), PRU 2008-Rakyat Sahut Cabaran (2008), Komedi & Tragedi-Latest in Contemporary Malaysian Politics (2009) and Membangun Bangsa dengan Pena (2009).