Mahathir’s Reacts on Anwar Ibrahim as Selangor’s Economic Advisor
November 16, 2009
A Political Sanyasa Reacts to News of Anwar Ibrahim as Selangor’s Economic Advisor
Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad believes that Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) advisor Anwar Ibrahim does not know anything about the economy.
“He is a good speaker but not about economics. If you want to bankrupt Selangor, that’s the good advisor.Of course, you pay him RM1, you’ll get RM1 worth,” he told reporters after a special lecture on ‘Asia and the 21st Century’ at the Asia-Europe Eminent Persons Lecture Series here today.
Dr Mahathir said that Anwar, when he was in the Cabinet as finance minister, almost brought down Malaysia to its knees during the financial crisis.”He adopted the International Monetary Fund and made the matter worse. I don’t think he knows anything about (the) economy,” he said when commenting on Anwar’s appointment as economic advisor to the Selangor government.
Selangor Menteri Besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim announced that Anwar was appointed economic advisor to the state government, with a fixed monthly allowance of RM1, when wrapping up the debate on the state’s 2010 Budget last Friday.
- Bernama
TDM is a bitter old man who tries to rewrite history. He just cannot accept the fact that the legacy of the Malaysia he left behind as a nation is struggling to find its political, social and economic balance in the aftermath of his 22 years of “iron-fisted” rule. He cannot accept the tremendous injustice he has done not only to DSA but to countless generations of young Malaysians who have to struggle to re-establish a prosperous and united Malaysian nation all over again.
He cannot turn a blind eye to the tattered judicial and security institutions he has left behind for us to rebuild (God only knows how long that will take!). He cannot avoid knocking against the religious and racial walls he built that divide rather than unite the nation today. He cannot deny the tight security apparatus he left behind that binds us all in fear. He still wants to control and run the country when he should quietly fade and let the younger ones find their feet.
He is a bitter old man who knows the wrongs he has done and yet does nothing to right the wrongs or help mitigate the issues he has created knowingly and unknowingly. I would venture to add that for as long as he is alive, he will continue to be a hindrance to anyone including Najib who is Prime Minister. In 1996, Anwar was named Finance Minister of the Year by AsiaMoney, and in 1998 Newsweek International lauded him as Asian of the Year. Even today, Anwar Ibrahim commands the respect of the international community and he is a regular guest on international forums on Islam, Politics and Economics. Tun Mahathir cannot accept this reality and the possibility of the PKR de facto leader as our next Prime Minister.
si rusa - November 16, 2009 at 5:41 pm
Well done for Anwar Ibrahim. His real strength is the team of economists and technocrat-managers who are around to advise him. He will do a good job, given his record as our Finance Minister.
I share si rusa’s comments about the former Prime Minister who is a bitter cynic. I hope others will join si rusa and I in making their comments. It is time for the media to ignore him. Maybe, we should send Rosmah Mansor to tell the old man to shut up or else.
PKR Supporter - November 16, 2009 at 6:27 pm
He is a bitter old man who knows the wrongs he has done and yet does nothing to right the wrongs or help mitigate the issues he has created knowingly and unknowingly.- si rusa
VERY WELL SAID.
He is a DIVISIVE, MALEVOLENT, IMPETUOUS, LIME-LIGHT HUGGING, BITTER OLD MAN.
If only he keeps his own counsel and shut up after he had retired from UMNO, he would be better remembered by Malaysians and history might even judge him well.
As a retired PM, he is a disaster of the first magnitude with many sided personality, a hopeless enigma, a mixture of malignancy and madness, a soul with a long accumulating store of discontent and unrest and an old man with a melancholy preponderance for mischief.
He has a pernicious and growing tendency to sound groundless alarms, being unable to project any ennobling and invigorating influence on ordinary Malaysians, tends to be at the mercy of small prejudice as a consequence of his childish assumptions that the Malay minds are among the dullest and most vacant minds
Sadly, Dr M is one who generates and expand the fog of prejudice and ill-feeling and wholesale friction and discontent among Malaysians. He could have been a unifier, a great statesman when he wielded an unequalled and paramount authority in his 21 years as PM, yet the word “racial division” is written in indelible characters upon his heart, even after he had retired.
It is unfortunate that for a man of his advance age, that Dr M tends to extort from decent minded Malaysians expressions of irritability because every time he says something in the press, it is always something vicious backed up by a menacing attitude.
Somehow Dr M seems to have no capacity for urbanity and moderation and we would have thought he would have been chastened and refined by experience of his 21 years as head of the nation. By the common judgment of the thinking world, I would conclude that he has become someone complicated and infinitely embittered, lacking grace and gentleness of manner and constantly exposed to damaging criticism, and
Sad having to say such negative things to an old man but he deserves them.
Frank - November 16, 2009 at 6:35 pm
Maybe, we should send Rosmah Mansor to tell the old man to shut up or else.- PKR Supporter
Or else?? ISA…? Invite David Copperfield to stage the ‘Mongolian Disappearance ” Show using the military and police as extras and supporting casts, like how he makes the train and aeroplane disappear in public view.
Frank - November 16, 2009 at 6:52 pm
Perhaps he feels his Najib is more savvy and qualified to helm economic affairs of the nation. After all, his favorite 6-9 growth was there for all to see recently, exposing how he has better things on his mind than mundane matters relating to the dismal science.
But to be fair to him, and us, I think its good the Tun still wants to have his say. I’m sure more rubbish would spout from the nitwits in government sans the fear that it will be picked up by the old man and they grilled over the charcoals.
Mr Bojangles - November 16, 2009 at 7:02 pm
1.mahathir destroyed the judiciary n corrution was rampant.
2.anwar wanted power n decided that imf n world bank would
have hurt malaysian n toppled mahathir.
3.mahathir felt that anwar would gave up nep n destroy malays.
in summary,the jew destroyed the ringgit,imf put to task,the real
winner is the chinese.
picojayboy - November 16, 2009 at 7:30 pm
the real winner is the chinese- picojayboy
You mean the Mainland Chinese?? Yes of course!!!
Frank - November 16, 2009 at 7:34 pm
Difficult to argue with any of the comments above about Dr.M except the one point that I feel ought not to be overlooked – the way in which Dr.M reacted during the Financial Crisis. Single-handedly and against a universal cacophony of opposition he adopted his “my way” solution for the country and in the process made absolute fools of the World Bank, the IMF and other “experts”. Quite a feat I would say.
________
Isa, think again. Mahathir did not do it singlehandedly. I know that he had a team to do the work. His contrarian economics worked and even people like me will readily admit that his selective capital controls (modified version of the Chilean model) worked. But he lost the opportunity to undertake much needed structural economic reforms. So, just compare Korea and Malaysia today. Korea bit the bullet and undertook major reforms to improve governance and tame the chaebols (the citadels of Korean crony economics) whereas we protected the status quo through bailouts (like MAS) of crony owned companies.–Din Merican
Isa Manteqi - November 16, 2009 at 9:02 pm
According to Malaysian Institute of Economic Research (MIER) “Malaysia has had 46 years of fiscal deficit with surpluses in no more than six’. Out of the 46 years 22 years belong to YAA Tun. The Tun is the right man to speak on issues realted to the ecnomy but unfortunately he does not have the pedigree.
Thumb Logic - November 16, 2009 at 9:25 pm
The pot calling the kettle black.
One is a non-practising doctor and the other is an Arts graduate.And both trying to be an economist? Their qualificaiton: Politics. Their brains came from bureaucrats, they themselves have NO clue about economics.
The nasi lemak and the char koay teow sellers are as good an economist as these two unqualified wannabe-economists trying to bullshit their way through about economic development.
What a joke !
Frank - November 16, 2009 at 9:34 pm
So many govt. bailouts during the last financial crisis – for inveterate casino gambling addicts to shipyards to iron smelters. All revolved around the 1Ringgit Octo with his silent arm Diam Daim, after they got rid of their nemesis who demanded accountability and distributism.
Who can say that Anwar’s adoption of IMF and World Bank’s bitter pill would not have culled out the inefficent, corrupt, nespotic and crony instituitions that persist to stifle our economy today? Is this question academic?
Frank, you are absolutely right about the ‘Chinese’! They get blamed no matter whether the going is good or bad – a no win situation. Is it a wonder why they are sending their well educated kids to distant shores? Yet the establishment bemoans the “brain drain”… and can only keep the brainless back home. “Jaguh kampong” is not a by-word – it’s the official tagline!
Menyalak-er - November 16, 2009 at 9:48 pm
Frank,u got degree in kelentongology?Didnt u see the “debat minyak” last year?In that debate Anwar cakap harga minyak dah sampai maks dan akan turn..and hehe..look at today’s oil price..ya..during the go go 90′s,even the koey teow theng seller thot they were Julien Robertson,Soros..
jeff - November 16, 2009 at 10:12 pm
This old man is, in simple English, EVIL to the core of his being.
Even with one leg in the grave he has shown no remorse or repentance for his grave sins against mankind and God.
May he rot in hell….. earlier the better.
Sam01 - November 16, 2009 at 10:18 pm
“According to Malaysian Institute of Economic Research (MIER) “Malaysia has had 46 years of fiscal deficit with surpluses in no more than six’. Out of the 46 years 22 years belong to YAA Tun. The Tun is the right man to speak on issues realted to the ecnomy but unfortunately he does not have the pedigree.”
Tun dunno even know how to sell bengali roti..lol!!..so Mal had 6 years of bujet surplus..mm..those 6 years of surplus bujet must be under that arts garduate kot..;-)
jeff - November 16, 2009 at 10:27 pm
jeff
You must be an absolute dumb fool in trying show how intellectually smart you are by telling us that prediction of oil prices is a measure of whether someone is a good economist or not.
Try that to some primary schoolkids, they might believe you.
Frank - November 16, 2009 at 10:28 pm
If Anwar does not know anything about economy or economics how come Mahathir appointed and retained him as Finance Minister for such a long time? Anwar was good only until he became a threat to Mahathir who then decided to get rid of him. And we are expected to believe this. How silly of Mahathir!
K Das - November 16, 2009 at 10:54 pm
http://realfijinews.xanga.com/714088470/imf-world-bank-united-states-and-oqo-nei-atu/
He almost sounded like Frank trying to call us Terrorists by putting words on its head. But then obviously the IMF MD Strauss-Khan’s statement was absolutely true, that is, they would create a “virtuous cycle of peace and prosperity” for the IMF, not for under-developed poor nations like ours.
You see same words mean different things depending on which side of the table you are sitting on.
Mr Bean - November 16, 2009 at 11:23 pm
You fellas don’t deserve to win the elections because you keep giving Mahathir air time.
Mr Bean - November 17, 2009 at 7:22 am
From SusahKes published in MK:
Well, let’s see Dr Mahathir. You were responsible for:
1) Awarding privatisation contracts at hugely inflated prices
2) Bailing out MAS by paying higher than market value for its shares
3) Using Petronas to bail out your son
4) The loss-making Paya Indah Wetlands/Sepang projects
5) The loss-making Putrajaya development
6) The loss-making Cyberjaya/MCS development
7) The huge Bank Negara forex trading losses (which you conveniently called ‘paper losses’)
8) Bailing out Proton and passing the mess back to the taxpayers
I’ve only just mentioned the financial side. What about the ‘raid’ you made on the judiciary? What about the use of ISA/OSA? What about corruption?
Do you know how much of potential FDI we lost over the years because of the non-financial aspects of your dictatorship? Aiyo, Dr M, don’t ‘pusing-pusing’ la…
dinobeano - November 17, 2009 at 12:40 pm
What credentials has Tun Mahathir to say that Anwar will bankrupt Selangor ? This senile old man is more of a sourgrape and has an axe to grind anyway.
In fact, Tun M almost bankrupt Malaysia with his grandiose projects during his time. He singlehandedly instruct the Bank Negara to indulge in forex , a field which he knows nothing and lost billions of ringgit. He got himself and the country involved in the Tin Stabilisation scheme and lost billions in the deal.
He was instrumental in robbing the ordinary Malaysians by signing toll concessionaires to his cronies , allowing them to increase rates at periodic intervals. What is even more damaging is that he signed Malaysian public money to compensate the toll concessionaires when the collections at the toll are not enough.
This is all wrapped up under the name of OSA.
The question is : Why the need to classify a business venture private enterprise under the OSA ? Someone has something to hide !
Additionally, he bailed out his cronies and son when their businesses failed. Tajuddin Ramli’s MAS bailout is a classic example for ” stealing ” the rakyat’s money to pay his henchmen.
The failed Konsortium Perkapalan Bhd belonging to his son is another not mentioning Renong’s Halim Saad. Each of these bailouts amount to billion ringgit all at the taxpayer’s expense.
Tun M treats his country coffers as his own and thus have no locus standing to comment on others.
His other robbing of the Malaysians include pinching RM 5 from every passenger passing through KLIA using the airport tax structure to compensate the ERL system.
Hence, Tun M not only waste the rakyat’s money but also rob them in daylight with his subtle agreement built into the toll concessionaire and YTL’s ERL linking KLIA to KL Sentral irrespective of whether on takes the ERL or not.
fangseang - November 17, 2009 at 12:44 pm
“You fellas don’t deserve to win the elections because you keep giving Mahathir air time.” -Mr. Bean
Mr. Bean
Amen to that. On this one, I am in total consonance with you.
PR Bloggers at times have no sense of perspectives and unable to see the bigger picture. They keep doing the cut and paste articles on statements from UMNO Ministers, the PM and from Dr. M.
PR bloggers are helping UMNO to sustain the agenda for national conversation for a longer period than necessary.
The problem is PR leaders have nothing innovative or interesting to say to fire up voters’ imagination.
Anwar should organise a seminar and invite RPK to give a lecture on how to set an agenda for national conversation.
See how SMS, emails and blogs talking about Bala and putting BN and Najib on the defensive. Now who initiated that? Not PR.
What’s wrong with these PR chaps. The substance between their ears have gone pickled, is it?
Frank - November 17, 2009 at 1:07 pm
Prof Jomo K.S.’ book “M Way” remains relevant if we
want to study Dr M’s record in managing and mismanaging the economy.
Nevertheless, to be fair, his decision to go against
IMF advice in the Asian economic crisis of the late 1990s should be applauded.
The troika of the IMF, World Bank and the WTO are designed to promote a world where transnational corporations can roam the world freely to the benefit of the latter and their national elites.
Phua Kai Lit - November 17, 2009 at 1:42 pm
Dear Frank
Allow me to post a second message.
I posted a “Brainstorming for Malaysia” list of policies that PR can consider adopting for their Election Manifesto for next GE. I’ve sent this on to the PR intellectual-politicians. You may want to check it out.
I would like to add two more items to the list i.e.
“Malaysia recognises dual citizenship (and also makes it
easy for ex-Malaysians to apply for permanent residency and to regain their Malaysian citizenship)”
“Malaysia sets up a Truth and Reconciliation Commission on the May 13 Tragedy”
Phua Kai Lit - November 17, 2009 at 1:49 pm
Phua Kai Lit.
Do not ask for the moon. As it is M’sia is still a better place for everybody to cari makan, live peacefully and have freedom. Now you think that May 13 is a bloody trajedy and what about the communist era after wwii. They(koumingtang) were doing ethnic cleansing, yet some people still want Chin Peng be forgiven and be accepted as a hero to this country?
What?Dual citizenship? Are you out of your f**k**g mind!
As it is today we have bad leadership problems. And not a time for making demands. So frankly do not be so arrogant, without the chinese m’sia can still prosper.
hbg - November 17, 2009 at 5:37 pm
“As it is M’sia is still a better place for everybody to cari makan, live peacefully and have freedom._ – hbg
In a way you are right. But you can say the same thing to the South African Blacks during the apartheid years.
If you are an UMNO member, yes, your description of Malaysia is fine.
What nonsensical “freedom” are you referring? This UMNO-BN government shaft down the toilet the Federal Consititution, and if you are non Muslim, your life is still ruled by Syariah law because of some idiotic moral police who don’t give a shit to the secular laws.
hbg, either you are living in a cave or you have been reading too much of NST and Utusan Malaysia.
Frank - November 17, 2009 at 8:00 pm
Phua Kai Lit.
Great wish list you have produced. Good for discussions at International Seminars and Conferences.
Those bums in UMNO would put your wishlist on all their Hari Raya cards, Christmas Cards, Deepavali Cards and Chinese New year cards and sent to all Malaysians.
“Malaysia sets up a Truth and Reconciliation Commission on the May 13 Tragedy” ….
They even refuse to set up a Royal Commission to investigate the murder of a foreign national, murder of a woman, a lover of the PM’s closest adviser and a woman alleged to have sexual; relations with Najib our Prime Minister.
I suggest you makethis call for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission an oral tradition to be remembered by your descendants, so that one day some 5 generations later, it may materialise.
But it is worth dreaming about!!! Soothes the pain today.
Frank - November 17, 2009 at 8:06 pm
Bro.Din, there you go again. Why must you give this senile old man the airtime. Just forget about him. TDM ini ibarat ‘buat yang sudah terlampau masak.” Bila 2 boleh jatuh. Sudah tidak ada guna lagi kerana sudah busuk.
Reaksi dan jawapan beliau pun sudah jelas menunjuk beliau sudah senile atau pun sengaja memberi jawapan yang bodoh.
However, perkara2 seperti ini tidak akan berlaku jika Khalid bijak menjalankan tugas sebagai MB. Cara menangaini isu YBK pun tidak bijak. Come on Khalid !!! Zainal Sakom was only saorang guru mengaji di kampong Serendah dahulu. Tak kan tidak boleh lawan.
In short, the MB simply does not understand how to the state. Period.
Thnks
ariffdanial - February 4, 2010 at 12:50 pm