A friend of mine called me up tonight asking me a question: Am I sad that Mahathir is leaving?
The question is loaded in that he was privy to my opinions during those tumultuous reformasi days, during which I had the 'honour' of being called misguided and naive by him, someone I've grown to respect.
All that aside, I can honestly say that I have no opinion other than one that treats him (the PM) as a person - that I'm happy for him that he has chosen to retire, because if I were him, I'd hate it if my company made me work well into my 70s! =P
Much has been said about the outpouring of emotions from the Malaysian society in general. I think that the capitalising of this historical change of guard (since we haven't had one in a long time), has got to stop. RM1.50 for an SMS for a competition for the best thank you note to him is outrageous. He's leaving, he's an icon, he deserves our dignified thank you - befitting the sacrifices he's made all these years.
Jikon posted earlier on this very issue, and I know exactly where he's coming from. The mindless symbolisms and fawning is sad - it shows that we are a society that does not know how to give a sincere thank you and farewell.
My first response to Jikon's post:
If I were him:1. I'd want all the mindless fawning to stop.
2. I'd like the whole of Malaysia 'berikrar' to not undo my work, to buck up and face challenges the world has to offer, and to stop doing things that make me cry during every UMNO General Assembly.PM is a great man, there's no doubt about it. A nice grand ceremony to bid him farewell would be great, you know, the kind where jets are flying over KL, and the streets are lined with men in uniform standing salute as a dignified procession with him being ushered out of Putrajaya/KL (have to go past KL) moves on. Then we commission someone like Latif Mohideen (spel?) to do a really nice piece on his term as PM. End of story.
Just hope that someone doesn't redo Lagenda in his name - oops.. someone did that already! =P
Then the thread went off on the 'look at everything he did for us' tangent, hence justifying any form of expression of gratitude... *sigh*
My second response to the thread:
No one here is saying that the Old Man does not deserve our thanks, it's just that there is a way to do it - classy, sincere, and dignified - befitting of his sacrifices to our country.The more we condone and encourage mindless symbolisms, the emptier a word of thanks or a show of support becomes, much in the same way that the Malaysian Book of Records is NOT a indicator of Malaysia's achievements...
It's all about actions people, not just empty words and promises...
I totally agree with you. Well, I agree that our PM has done well and all but there's no need to make a big deal of it anyway. I'm not quite sure what's your main point here, hehe, sorry dont have time to indulge into your blog now. Got Fluid and Electronic paper coming up in the next 2 days.
Posted by: haniff at 2003年10月06日 01:49Hey John, comments are for people to express opinions worthy of discussions. It is interesting how your "concise" input describes your position and perception on the matter.
Posted by: TiFische at 2003年10月06日 02:02Well, I for one think that Dr. M has done much good in changing the mindset of Malays. Just because the battle isnt over doesnt mean we have to babble and give him sHit for it.
He has done more than any leader has in the whole Asia region. Whenever he speaks, he speaks his mind at weighs the cost of effect for his nation we call MALAYSIA.
We need more leaders whom are able to go out there and just hit people on the spot for not being able to accpet their flaws.
SPEAK OUR MINDS.
Join me @ http://www.zarique.com/
Cheers.
Posted by: Zarique at 2003年10月06日 03:06Najah: Very true indeed. Gratitude for the PM should be expressed in deeds = everyone should strive to acheive what he wanted us to in the first place. I hope that all his farewell-hero-worship will stop because flattery isn't a very good way to compliment someone... just my 2 cents.
Posted by: benel at 2003年10月06日 08:05"...much in the same way that the Malaysian Book of Records is NOT a indicator of Malaysia's achievements..."
hi najah,
i like best your sentence as above... im sick of reading those rubbish recorded in the Malaysian Book of Records.
Thanks Fische for coming to the defence of my commenting facility.
However, seeing that this is MY blog, and realistically, one troll attracts another, I am exercising my prerogative to CENSOR that John character! ;)
Yes Nora, I think they should rename it to "The Malaysian Book of Rubbish" instead. Terbesar la, terpanjang la, tertinggi la, and all sorts of TER..arghhh what's the big deal?!
Posted by: jemi at 2003年10月06日 09:29My sentiments exactly.
He is not a God or something.
I'm not sure what he thought about all this extra fuss on him - would like to hear from him himself.
I mean, tak rimas ke kan? heh.
The Malaysia Book Of Records was initially started for good purpose. There should be records like oldest man, tallest building, and other amazing records or feat that are diificult to achieve.
However, Malaysian being a Malaysian, they go and do stupid records like the longest bread, or pudding or longest flag and maybe largest karipap and other outrageous or rather useless records. See where this Book of Records is heading to?
We should be competing on the world stage like the fastest car and all instead of competing among ourselves making longest roti canai. Duh!?!
Posted by: haniff at 2003年10月07日 09:20heh we have the tallest ice kacang, the biggest mooncake, the most roti canai made in like 10 minutes (?) ...
man, it looks like we are competing in the food arena!
Posted by: maria at 2003年10月07日 11:44I havent seen Tengku or Razak or Hussein cried before when they were PM,but this old man create record for cying 3 years in a row during the Perhimpunan...that's a record!!! and should be recorded in the Malaysian Book of Rubbish!
Shedding croc tears is something telling a lie is another. He flys around the globe & critise Bush,Blair & Sharon,etc2 for all the bad things they do,but in his own backyard there so much TAIK around -ISA,corruption,misuse of power etc he couldnt be bothered. But,yet we Malaysian is full of praise for a 'dictator' disguise as a WIRA DUNIA Ke-3. It really piss me off and hope that he will disappear for good or be thrown in Sungai Buloh when November come!
Posted by: ali allah ditta at 2003年10月07日 15:55it's true what Dr M said.
malaysians are a whiny lot.
to quote h.d.thoreau,
"the fault-finder will find faults even in Paradise."
regardless whether it's the longest, tallest etc, the people who were involved in making it into the Malaysian Book of Records actually worked hard at what they do, & should not belittled. it showed that they 'boleh'...malaysians 'boleh'.
we should be proud of our other fellow malaysians, not slamming them.
j. gitomer said, "People try to rain on your parade, because they have no parade of their own."
my two cents.
Posted by: sam at 2003年10月07日 18:27sam- It's okay to have a good spirit but good spirit in longest roti canai?? Com'on dude
Posted by: haniff at 2003年10月08日 14:33malaysian being malaysian. ha ha. that's what you guys show here. making big fuss out of nothingness. now, that's truely malaysian. what do you get rambling here? do something, say it out loud to where it worth. no offense, just thinking aloud.
Posted by: dmun at 2003年10月08日 16:43Since this Malaysiana Digest is a popular(?) place for Malaysian bloggers, we are in fact making our points clear in a place where it's worth.
Making big fuss of nothingness - I think that's more human being human than malaysian being malaysian.
Posted by: Haniff at 2003年10月08日 21:08I visited some neighbouring countries , I ordered tomato juice at a stall by the roadside when trying rice , fried catfish and vegetables . The lady came brought a glass with small pieces knife cut in it with sugar . No ice of course . The light was gasoline where we used here in 1960s .
Here even in kampung , hawker will use electrical blender . Felda people , I visited to a wedding , airconditioner fixed to their wooden cubical house and they will be better off when Felda get listed on the KLSE soon .
We don't take for granted on what we have now . A developing country can easily buy a new Volvo or Manz bus and put it on their road . That's a lot easier compared to building network of mass transit transportation that we have now . Oh yes that tiny island already one have long time ago , but how about the larger countries around . No easy thing boy . Our highways , from north to south , east and west make one of the best infrastructures around for who ? For we all . In return , we can make money , foreigners as well .
Oh yes , kampung will still be kampung just like New York is New York and won't be the same like Ohio or London and Stirling . Kuala Lumpur and Kuala Pilah cannot be the same . Still felda people are watching ASTRO too !
I can put Dr Mahathir just like Ronaldo or Beckham in football or Tiger Woods in golf and Muhammad Ali in boxing . The old man deserves to be congratulated . Hopefully Pak Lah and future leaders can do better than him , that's the old man's wish too :)
Let us contribute and not lambasting or just plain critique on what people have done .