A Weak Government is not good for Multi-racial Malaysia

A Weak Government is not good for Multi-racial Malaysia
http://www.chedet.com/2008/05/weak-government-is-not-good-for-multi.html
|||Today 06:10 PM|Dr. Mahathir Mohamad
I would like to thank all visitors to chedet.com. for their kind words and for
welcoming me to the blogosphere. To be honest, I was indeed surprised by the
overwhelming response to my weblog.

To my critics and detractors I welcome your comments, but I would appreciate
that responses be focussed on the issue that I blog. This is to allow a healthy
debate and to gauge points of view which differ from my own.

I apologise that due to the overwhelming traffic, I may not be able to respond
to all comments and queries as much as I would like to. I will be selective and
respond to points repeatedly raised by commentators in relation to what I've
posted.

I shall also not respond, unless absolutely necessary, to issues that have been
raised and answered by me in other forums, especially those pertaining to
unsubstantiated allegations.

With regards to my first posting on the appointment of judges, most commentators
disagreed with my comment that when Government works with the opposition it is a
sign of weakness, and that I consider the opposition as the enemy.

Politically, the opposition is the enemy. Being forced to work with the
opposition is not undemocratic but it shows up the weakness of the Government.

A weak government is not good for multi-racial Malaysia. It leads to unwarranted
challenges against its authority. Governments cannot please everybody. If a
Government cannot be firm and is forced to flip-flop there will be a lack of
confidence which does not augur well for the smooth implementation of policies
or project. Some people might already have noticed this.

A Government with little need for opposition support would be better able to
disregard the sniping that all Governments must face. It should however take
note of opposition views and respond where necessary.

In today's context, the Federal Government is unable to initiate necessary
changes to the constitution and would be held to ransom every time.

One of the most important things about a two-thirds majority is that there would
be hardly any threat of defection. Today we hear of this threat everyday. The
leadership of the Barisan Nasional is like a cat on hot bricks. And cats on hot
bricks cannot achieve anything.

Previous Federal Governments had never failed to obtain the two-thirds majority.
As a measure of strength, a two-thirds majority allows a Government to do
everything on its own and be totally independent.

But perhaps the proposed request for opposition support is made with sincerity
in the spirit of democracy.

The question is why now? Why not when the Government had 90 percent majority
after the General Election of 2004? Changes to the way judges are picked could
have been done after the 2004 resounding victory.

I have always been of the opinion that this country must have a strong and
independent Federal Government which can then serve the country and people
without fear or favour.

But I have been on record in advocating a strong opposition. This is to ensure
the Government does not stray from the right path, or abuse its authority.

The combination of a strong (two-thirds majority) Government and an Opposition
with the capacity and willingness to check abuses by the Government would serve
Malaysia well.

As to the Government's latest proposal to set up a judicial commission, is it
because it now thinks it is a good thing or is it a desperate attempt to win
back the support it has lost?

As for my criticisms of the leaders of the present Government, I believe I have
every right to do so. Retiring from the Government simply means giving up
authority and power. It does not mean I must abdicate my role as a citizen. I
have every right to be concerned over the flip-flopping mismanagement of this
country and that of the party I helped to revive in 1987. The party does not
belong to Dato Seri Abdullah alone. Nor is it meant to support him as leader
even when he mishandled the elections and the country. The party does not belong
to me either. It belongs to all its members. Presently the members are not
permitted to be critical. They can merely say yes to what Dato Seri Abdullah
says or does.

Since the opposition is also supporting Dato Seri Abdullah, if I do not
criticise, then no one will. And without criticisms the Government and Dato Seri
Abdullah can really go wrong.

(Reminder: I welcome criticisms and critical comments and I will publish them.
However, I will not publish comments containing profanities and demeaning
references to certain names. Anonymous postings will also not be published.)




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