This is his legacy

Vijay47 : I wonder what drives a 97-year old Mahathir Mohamad towards making frequent forays into public view, displaying opinions that can only earn him not so much contempt as pity. Perhaps he considers himself an equal of Mandela, Nehru, or even Mao Zedong – if indeed he harbours such delusion, it only confirms our doubts about his ability to grasp reality.

The Lee Kuan Yew legacy continues to haunt him. Mahathir Mohamad is a spent force, if at all he was one to begin with. Yes, he may have brought some change to the Malaysian landscape but he would be remembered most for being a raving fanatic, bent on arousing racist fervor in gullible followers who apparently number more than the sane mind would believe.

After his Ketuanan Melayu performance, he ventures into something called Proklamasi Melayu. Does one laugh or cry? He seems unable to realize that even his ignorant sheep have discarded him – in his recent attempt at politics, not only did this Don Quixote and his cohorts lose at the polls, they were truly thrashed. And he wants to make a comeback?

Mahathir Mohamad’s perpetual mantra of the forgotten, deprived Malays, excluding no doubt his family, may have gained some traction if accompanied by fact and logic. Instead, they must shock even the most rabid of his supporters. I am no psychiatrist or psychoanalyst, the closest I come to medicine is that I may resemble a witch-doctor who once operated at Pekan Rabu, Alor Star.

But I would believe his life-long deep-sated problems in attitude stem from his acute realization that he would never count as a natural Malay, only a few providential words in our Constitution suggest so. This has been his eternal torment, clouding his vision, eating into his soul day and night. Physician, heal thyself, the hour draweth alarmingly closer.

Jordan Tan : Those who failed to learn from history are condemned to repeated it. This makes M an illiterate as defined by Alvin Toffler. “The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn. ” ― Alvin Toffler (4 Oct 1928- 27 June 2016)

Mahathir obsessive attachment to wealth paralyses him to live in denial. Attachment is the great fabricator of illusions; reality can be attained only by someone who is detached. Simone Weil (3 February 1909 - 24 August 1943)

A man of his age, exposure and accumulated experiences as a leader of a nation for almost quarter of a century and his extensive travel around the world on tax payors account still fails to persuade him to appreciate the truth that no human can take to the grave all his accumulated wealth.

Naked he comes into the world, naked he returns to dust. He cannot be taught anymore, he is the victim of his own flaw and false conviction. He who will not reason, is a bigot; he who cannot is a fool; and he who dares not is a slave. Sir William Drummond (26 Sept 1769-29 March 1828)

The incident of avarice and lust for riches have claimed countless victims throughout history. Suharto,Ferdinand Marcus and Joseph Estrada were all in the same league to educate Mahathir that illicit wealth is illusive. There had been many teachers who taught us the wisdom of real work and honest living, and path of death in pursuing fast riches.

Leo Tolstoy story, “ How much land does a man need” is one such story. Then we have the historical account of Alexander the great who instructed his generals to scattered his gold and treasures on the procession path of the day of his burial, and two holes to displayed his open palms in his coffin ,that no one can take anything to his grave.

Closer to our present era, Oliver (8 July 1898-15 Aug 1964) contributed to the observation of the folly of money. If a man is after money, he's money mad; if he keeps it, he's a capitalist; if he spends it, he's a playboy; if he doesn't get it, he's a never-do-well; if he doesn't try to get it, he lacks ambition.

If he gets it without working for it; he's a parasite; and if he accumulates it after a life time of hard work, people call him a fool who never got anything out of life. To understand the foibles and peculiarities of Mahathir’s character formation and the factors that influenced and shaped him, just turn to this book for insight and understanding.

Hugh Missildine classic literature, “ The inner child of the past Why is there so much animosity between Mahathir and Anwar Ibrahim? The quote from Mahathir’s invisible mentor may shed light on this behavior. Fraud and deceit are held by Machiavelli as necessary for a prince to use.] Violence may be necessary for the successful stabilization of power and introduction of new political institutions.

Force may be used to eliminate political rivals, to destroy resistant populations, and to purge the community of other men strong enough of a character to rule, who will inevitably attempt to replace the ruler. Machiavelli has become infamous for such political advice, ensuring that he would be remembered in history through the adjective, "Machiavellian".

“People should either be caressed or crushed. If you do them minor damage they will get their revenge; but if you cripple them there is nothing they can do. If you need to injure someone, do it in such a way that you do not have to fear their vengeance.” ― Niccolo Machiavelli

Mahathir recent move to be a speaker in the Malay dignity congress. His motives? “Of mankind we may say in general they are fickle, hypocritical, and greedy of gain.” “Men are so simple of mind, and so much dominated by their immediate needs, that a deceitful man will always find plenty who are ready to be deceived.” Exciting days ahead when Anwar allows the full force of the law to take its course for those who are corrupt and embrace instant riches!