Tongue-in-cheek from the Grand Old Man

Writing for the Malaysia Insider,Debra Chong reports this interview with Tun Mahathir about current events amidst the outcry and fury of the 180% about turn in policy in the teaching of Maths and Science and the explosive controversy of the ex-Selangor MB's palatial mansion.

KUALA LUMPUR, July 10 – Age has not made him any more mellow. Outspoken former prime minister Tun Dr Manathir Mohamad, who turned 84 today, was his usual forthright self in a no-holds barred question-and-answer session here after giving a keynote address at the closed-door forum on the position of Malays and the royal institution from the perspective of 1 Malaysia.

In good spirits, he made light and tongue-in-cheek comments on many issues that are causing a stir among the multiracial, multi-religious Malaysians.

Q: What’s your birthday wish?

A: My birthday wish is very big. It’s not achievable within my lifetime. It is to see a Malaysia where people think they are Malaysians and are not linked to anywhere else.

Q: What was talked about inside the hall?

A: I think the talks were actually a reaction to the situation now, where Malays are accused of being obstacles to the growth of the national economy, obstacles to national unity, obstacles to everything. They feel dissatisfied about these accusations so they spoke at length about what is happening to the country. I feel this is a good development because they have to know the real situation in the country today.

Q: You have been criticising Najib’s English language policy, the move to revert to Malay. Do you think he has been disregarding the people’s wishes or taken the wrong steps?

A: Yes, yes. I’ve said this so many times before. This policy was implemented during the last year I was prime minister and I had very definite reasons, supported by the supreme council of Umno, as to why we should teach science and math in English.

It is not about trying to learn English, it’s not about trying to learn Malay. It’s simply just an acknowledgement of the fact that today’s knowledge comes to us in the English language. Just as in the past, Arabs, when they became Muslims, studied Greek in order to acquire the knowledge of the Greeks and subsequently the Europeans from the dark ages studied Arabic in order to acquire the knowledge of the Arabs.

Today, the knowledge is with people who write in English. And for that reason, we want to learn English to acquire the knowledge, not just to learn English.

Science has got a special language, English, for itself. That’s why it’s very important that we use English in order to study science and math.

Q: Tun, following the scrapping of the PPSMI policy, are you starting to openly criticise the Najib government?

A: Well, I say what I think. I’m not criticising anything. It’s something that will affect the future of our children.

Q: The results of the blog poll showed more than 70 per cent objected to the policy reversal. Will the results be conveyed to the government?

A: Ya. I try to evaluate the public’s views, especially from the parents who visit my blog, lah. Of the 26,000 who responded, 80 per cent do not agree with teaching Maths and Science in the national language or Chinese or Tamil.

Q: Are you suggesting that the supporters of this PPSMI have to give their suggestions to the government to abolish the policy?

A: Yeah, I made the blog poll so we know the public’s real opinions. And certainly after I get the results, if I can’t present it in other ways, then at least I will put it in my blog. Hopefully the government reads my blog.

Q: Tun, has the decision to reverse the policy caused you to reevaluate your opinion of Datuk Seri Najib’s first 100 days in office?

A: Well, it has. For me, that is one of the negative things.

Q: How would you say he’s been doing so far then?

A: Well, there are so many things that I do not agree with. But that is my personal opinion. I’m entitled to have my opinion.

It doesn’t mean that I don’t support the government. But I think the government is doing the wrong things, like wanting to build the third bridge and many other things.

Q: So how would you rate him?

A: I haven’t made a study yet, not a very scientific study. But so far, I think the negatives are more than the positives.

Q: Tun, you said Muhyiddin did not consult you before he scrapped the PPSMI. Do you expect them to consult you every time there is to be a change in policy?

A: No, I don’t expect anything. But it was nice of him to see me and brief me with his officers.

But it was a briefing. Although I did give my opinion, it was not reflected in the announcement that was made. It was just a briefing the day before they officially adopted it. In fact, it’s quite obvious they are not going to change their mind even if they talk with me.

Q: Ah, Tun, how would you rate Najib’s first 100 days performance?

A: Again, you ask the same thing. [Laughs] Well, I’m sorry to say this but more negatives than positives. I saw somebody has made an assessment and almost nothing is positive. I’ve got this printout from the Internet – no freedom of the press, no information, OSA is still there, ISA is still there, everything is wrong. But that’s not my opinion lah.

Q: Can you elaborate on the negatives, which you say are more than the positives? Apart from the third bridge and the reversal of policy.

A: There are a number of things. I said just now about the bridge. The third bridge appears to be suggested without any proper study. If you do that, I’m afraid you will not solve problem of traffic in Johor Baru. At the same time, you might create a problem for ships doing into Pasir Gudang. Things like that.

And also, certain appointments of people who have been found to be corrupt by the party are still holding office in the government. And there are a lot of others.

Q: Tun, you’ve said the NEP is not an obstruction. Do you feel the NEP should be continued?

A: For me, we need an opposition party. If there is none, we may do wrong and there is no one to reprimand us because there is no one in our party to reprimand. So for me, I don’t care if it is DAP, PAS or any other party as long as they are the opposition party and they reprimand. Not all their criticism are constructive or have a good basis but you still need to be reprimanded. If not, we will still do the wrong things.

Q: I meant the NEP, not DAP.

A: For me, we’ve had the NEP for 38 years. During that time, the economic growth for Malaysia was among the best among developing nations. And we found that foreign investors were willing to come in even with the NEP. So to make a decision that the NEP is an obstacle to the economic growth of the country is inaccurate.

The real obstacles are the many other countries which have started welcoming foreign direct investments and they have lower costs. The other thing that is causing us to have problems with economic growth is the world financial and economic crisis. Those are the causes, not the NEP.

Q: How do you see the position of Malays in Malaysia in the next 10 years?

A: In the next 10 years to come? [Laughter] How am I to tell? [More pronounced laughter] Up to the Malays themselves. If they want what’s good, they will get what’s good.

But they must act. If they just accept, then something not good may happen, maybe in five years. In the time of, Tun Abdullah, everything was spoilt, but the Malays never said anything. Umno, MCA, MIC, Gerakan, PPP spoilt, the government was spoilt, the treasury was spoilt. I never heard the Malays complain. Sometimes, they didn’t even know what was going on. We vote, we support, that was all.

Q: How are the Malays to take control if there’s no NEP?

A: Ya lah. They should have but the Malays themselves should have used the NEP but we found there were many abuses. We gave AP, they sold AP; we gave contracts, they sold the contracts; we gave licences, they sold the licences. That’s the fault of the Malays, they must correct that. Even with the NEP, they don’t know how to use it, then until when...[cut off]

Q: So it’s not the NEP that’s wrong?

A: Not the NEP’s fault. It’s our fault.

Q: Tun, earlier you spoke of Najib’s negatives. What are the positives?

A: Well, he has been meeting more people. Secondly, he does not sleep. [Much laughter]

Q: Morally-speaking, do you think that Datuk Seri Khir Toyo’s million-ringgit mansion has tarnished Umno’s image?


A: Yes, I think so. He has to explain where he got the money. Don’t just say RM3 million. I think it’s much more than that. I, too, have a house. My house in the Mines cost me RM1 million. His is how many times grander than mine.

What a laugh! Still his cheeky self in spite of being 84 today!