July 10, 2012
COMMENT: Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad should not accept this award since it was not initiated by the current government (Hezbollah government). This was the result of lobby efforts by a third non official party. For this reason, the award ceremony will not be in Beirut, but in New York. Neither the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon nor any UN Agency will be involved.
While on the subject of Lebanon where we have stationed our troops under the UN banner, I recall that some time in 1998, Tun Dr. Mahathir granted the Hariri Government a loan of US500 million. The Cabinet endorsed the said loan after the decision was made by the Prime Minister.
No details were available at that time, and now, about the tenure of the loan, the rate of interest and other conditions or the status to this major loan to a politically troubled country.
Our Finance Ministry, I am told, is aware that the Lebanese authorities have asked Malaysia for a rescheduling of the interest, twice. Read here, here .They asked again in 2011 and Bank Negara Malaysia turned that request down. Instead of negotiating to lower the rate of interest on other loans from Europe, they wanted Malaysia to reduce its rate of interest to well below the prevailing rating for Lebanon.
Lebanon is still owing Malaysia. For the time being, fortunately it is servicing the interest on the said loan. But the situation there is so dire that Lebanon may eventually ask for debt forgiveness. And that means Malaysia may have eventually to write off this loan. It is time for our government own up to this possibility. At the same time, Tun Dr. Mahathir should give us an explanation why he put the rakyat’s money at risk by granting this loan to Lebanon.–Din Merican
The Sun Daily reports (July 8, 2012):
Tun Dr. Mahathir wins 2012 Rafik Hariri UN-Habitat Memorial Award
Former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has been named as
recipient of the 2012 Rafik Hariri UN-Habitat Memorial Award as a recognition of his leadership, statesmanship and good governance.
He was selected out of 13 other nominations from Dubai, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, United States, Canada, El Salvador, Nicaragua, India, Bangladesh, UK, Japan and the Philippines by the award steering committee on June 29.
He will be honoured in an award ceremony in New York on September 28, 2012.
“The per capita income in Malaysia during his time increased eight times. The model of thinking to get out of problems and crisis was almost the same as that of Prime Minister Rafik Hariri,” said International Jury chairman Mervat Tallawy in a press statement on the UN-Habitat website.
The statement noted that during Mahathir’s time in office, Malaysia underwent rapid modernisation and economic progress. He was a dominant political figure and won five consecutive general elections, and remains politically active after retirement.
“Malaysia was on the way to considerable economic progress during Mahathir’s time. It is recognised that he significantly influenced other developing countries to show how it is possible to develop rapidly in a very short time,” said UN-Habitat scientific adviser Professor Banji Oyelaran-Oyeyinka.
The Rafik Hariri UN-Habitat Memorial Award was jointly established with the Rafik Hariri Foundation and UN-Habitat in March 2009 in memory of the late Lebanese Prime Minister.
It is given to individuals, organisations or institutions anywhere in the world for significant accomplishments in the areas of: leadership, statesmanship and good governance, construction and benevolent activities in fighting urban poverty, and the implementation of the Habitat Agenda.
The award is presented biennially and the prize consists of a cash award of US$200,000, a trophy and a certificate. The previous winner of the award was Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
That money could be used to pay part of the interest instead of giving it to someone who already has billions. an award for approving US500m loan from our money?! As far as we are concerned they can keep him forever.
I expected more comments on the USD500 million to Lebanon, which was approved by the former Prime Minister and endorsed by his Cabinet. That loan is sizeable. No takers. –Din Merican
The major contribution of Dr Mahathir is to alert the world to the corruption of Western capitalism,and the trial of war criminal George Bush,but sadly they do not recognise these.”good governance” under Dr Mohathir is simply a joke!
Hmmm .. so this memorial does recognise corrupt leaders too. Then the right thing to do is to not to recognise this memorial !
Maybe it cost the Malaysian Government USD 500 million to lobby for this award to be awarded to a scumbag. Rogues by any name are still rogue’s.
If the RM500 million given to Rafik Hariri who is now Decsd., can his country be made liableor accountable on the so-called ” loan ” ? If the “money” is dead & gone, the Q is how to recover ?
Otherwise, people have the right to be skeptical, that in the loan transaction, as George Soros points out, a chunk or portion of it has been given as a kick-back to the ” Lender “…..wow..how much ? And, the rest written off, or what ? All done in the ” dark” in the first place ?
Paid to be honoured? Typical.
I personally have a problem with this ‘rapid modernisation adn economic progress ‘ they talk about. Skirts over the real situations here.
modern? look at our religous oppression
economic development? rapid for only a few.
First he buys himself a doctorate degree from an obscure university from Thailand. Then he secures himself the position of an economic adviser to an obscure country called Yemen. All participants in this blog were tickled pink when they read / heard of this appointment and were wondering why he did not decide to move to Yemen permanently.
Then he stained one of the hallowed halls in Santo Tomas University in the Philippines by giving a talk there on some silly subject. And now he gets this award .
Can’t believe the efforts being made to project a conman, a racist and a thief to the Malay mass as a leader of repute !
Can’t blame the guy. He is doing everything possible to repair what is left of his tattered legacy – assuming he has one left that the children of his grandchildren could be proud of.
Time is better spent reflecting on the dark-eyed virgins all 72 of them waiting for him. Just make sure it is not Lucifer behind that Gate.
Perhaps Lucifer finally met his match. Fiery showdown Bean.