A pertinent point made by Tun Dr. Mahathir
Tun raised a very pertinent and important point today when he reportedly said that ministers who disagreed with him during his tenure should have voiced their opposition and resigned then.This exactly is the point many Malaysians in the streets and observers of Malaysian politics find it puzzling:
How could those Cabinet Ministers, including Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Najib Tun Razak, Samy Vellu and Ong Ka Teng who supported Tun's decisions when he was the PM now turn around, revoke the decisions they had made collectively and blame it - and everything bad under the sun before October 2003 - all on Tun alone?
Did Tun surround the venues of Cabinet meetings with the army, police, FRU or armed mob thratening other ministers to support his idea of, say, building the "crooked" or "scenic" bridge? Did Tun threaten to sack them if they did not express support for his ideas or decisions? Did Tun drug them and make them expressed support all his ideas and decisions in Cabinet meetings under undue influence?
This, of course, is not to say that a really bad decision such as the "crooked" or "scenic" bridge must never be revoked, but those who took part in the decision-making process in the Cabinet and initially supported the decision must not be hypocrtical and blame one "evil" ex-boss for all the stupidity. They, including Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Najib Tun Razak, Samy Vellu, Ong Ka Teng and other ministers who serve both administrations must be jantan enough to also admit their own mistakes and errors in supporting or not objecting to the stupid idea initially.
This is certainly not a personal attack on anybody but a point involving the collective credibility of the system of governance in Malaysia and the Government of Malaysia.
posted by James Wong Wing-On at 1:37 AM
2 Comments:
It is the practice in UMNO and BN that ministers will support the PM in power as they depend their being there on the man. This was started by Mahathir. He wanted all to just follow what he wanted.
Several of his deputies who disagreed with him were shown the exit some unceremoniously.
This was not so during Tunku Abdul Rahman's time as Ministers were there due to party positions and they had their own principles.
Aziz Ishak stood for what he believed and was sacked.
But how many now would do that. They would be unemployed and who would employ them any way after that. These are 'cari makan' ministers. They have no principle except to please the boss and continue being employed.
While I get your point James, avatar is right when he says that that has been the practice; one which Dr M himself entrenched.
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