Honeymoon Over For Mahathir and Team

The honeymoon is over and the reality is about to kick in. Malaysia is still in deep shit after 61 years under previous corrupt Barisan Nasional (BN) government. And thanks to ex-premier Najib Razak, the country has accumulated RM1 trillion of debts. That debt holes, unfortunately, needs to be filled by none other than 33-million ordinary Joes and Janes.

Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said yesterday the government may have to devise new taxes and sell land and other “valuable assets” to pare down its debt. He said at the “Malaysia: A New Dawn Investors’ Conference” – “I don’t think new taxes are something that is welcomed by the people. But we may have to devise new taxes to pay our debts.”

Can you see the problems created when ignorant and illiterate voters blindly support a corrupt and incompetent government such as the previous BN government? Scumbags such as Mr. Najib had sold national assets and treasure to foreigners to bailout his 1MDB scandal. Now that he has been overthrown, the new government needs to – again – sell assets to pay the national debts.

Sure, Mahathir administration will probably sell assets such as land to locals – not foreigners – for housing development projects. But local businessmen and tycoon can only buy so much. They are no match to international big boys with deep pocket such as the state-owned corporations from China. That was why Najib had gone to China to raise money in the first place.

Mahathir has admitted that on top of selling land, the government “may have to sell valuable assets to pay the debt”. In order to get attractive pricing above what the local corporations are willing to pay, the government may have little choice but to sell such strategic assets to foreigners just to pay the massive debts accumulated by Najib and his band of thieves.

However, there’s another unpopular way to raise money to pay national debts – new taxes. Reading between the lines, Mahathir has probably made up his mind to introduce new taxes. Such taxes could be soda tax, inheritance tax, carbon tax, capital gains tax, property tax and whatnot. One way of another, people will pay the taxes. And people are going to be furiously mad.

Why should the new government take the easy way out by burdening and slaughtering the people with new taxes when all avenues have not been exhausted? Yes, there’s actually another “turbo method” to replenish national coffers that Mahathir administration hasn’t considered for political reason. It is a page out of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s playbook.

And yes, that express method is to confiscate all the assets and wealth accumulated by the previous corrupt BN government. Launched last November, the Saudi crown prince’s anti-corruption crackdown so far has netted the kingdom a whopping US$35 billion (£26.6 billion; RM145 billion), split between 40% cash and 60% assets. But that was just the tip of the iceberg.

Reported by the Wall Street Journal, the Saudi government’s mission was to confiscate cash and other assets worth as much as US$800 billion (£600 billion; RM3.3 trillion) in a massive crackdown on corruption and money laundering among the kingdom’s elites, including Prince Alwaleed bin Talal. As many as 1,700 bank accounts were frozen during the operation.

A settlement with billionaire investor Prince Alwaleed had generated an estimated 400 billion riyal (US$106.65 billion; £81 billion; RM443 billion). As of today, eight people detained in Saudi Arabia’s anti-corruption campaign remain in custody. In comparison, none has been detained in Mahathir’s so-called anti-corruption in regards to the infamous 1MDB scandal.

Najib Razak and Rosmah Mansor, the biggest crooks in the scandal were granted bails and allowed to live luxuriously at home while their daughter Nooryana Najwa Najib continues her pampered life in the U.S. and Mohd Nazifuddin had flown to Taiwan for fine wining and dining with Taiwanese actress Celia Chang (July 5th).

As Najib’s partner-in-crime, Jho Low (fullname: Low Taek Jho), continues burning billions of dollars stolen from 1MDB funds, other corrupt BN politicians walk away scot free. The simple fact that UMNO President Zahid Hamidi and his wife had no trouble swiping their credit cards to the tune of RM800,000 was already a red flag that they had spent beyond their legitimate income.

Two years ago, Mr. Zahid courted controversial when his plan to import 1.5 million Bangladesh workers into the country was exposed. Using his brother Abdul Hakim Hamidi as his proxy, each cheap labour would be charged RM3,000 each – potentially generating a cool revenue of RM4.5 billion for the Hamidi family. Has he been properly investigated and his assets frozen or seized?

Haris Onn Hussein, the brother of former Defence Minister Hishammuddin Hussein Onn has a 20.16% stake in Ekovest, a company awarded the contract to build the Setiawangsa-Pantai Expressway (SPE) at a cost of RM3.738 billion with a concession period with the Government for 53½ years. Why Mahathir allows the Hussein family to milk the cash cow for half a century?

Even an idiot UMNO warlord such as Tajuddin Abdul Rahman – nicknamed “Six Million Dollar Man” – is still a free and wealthy man today. His company, Detik Utuh Sdn Bhd, was involved in a fishy contract building Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) Tapah campus in Perak in 2013. Why he is still allowed to milk RM1.3 billion from a 23-year concession to maintain the campus.

MCA Deputy President Wee Ka Siong, despite being mocked and laughed off as “Cry Baby Wee”, became an instant billionaire through his pet project – the RM12 billion PKFZ scandal – first hatched in 2001. Together with Bintulu Mafia Chief Tiong King Sing, both corrupt politicians had been looting and plundering taxpayers’ money in the scandal but still walk around as if nothing had happened.

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Nazri Aziz, another UMNO warlord, became super rich by selling thousands of taxi permits. The gangster was also a buddy of Michael Chia Thien Foh, the errand boy who did all the money laundering activities for former Sabah Chief Minister Musa Aman. In fact, Mr. Nazri was so rich that he had publicly admitted that his son didn’t need to be paid while working due to his massive wealth.

Heck, there are hundreds of billions of ringgit that Mahathir can seize from the 191 corrupt UMNO warlords and 191 corrupt MCA warlords alone. Even at a conservative RM500 million to be confiscated from each of those warlords through an anti-corruption crackdown, the government can obtain RM200 billion to replenish national coffers, and reduce the RM1 trillion debts by 20%.

Last year, Nazri had joined fellow UMNO colleague Hishammuddin Hussein who separately called for an investigation into Mahathir’s wealth, and that of the old man’s family members. So, why is Mahathir holding back from investigating and confiscating all the ill-gotten money from the UMNO thieves? People are watching with astonishment his pussyfooting on his old corrupt UMNO colleagues.

The prime minister whined and bitched that the country’s debt mess had turned Malaysia from an Asian tiger into a small kitten. But this small kitten still suffers from a high cost of living and uncertainties. Mahathir should not introduce new painful taxes, but instead slaughter the fat corrupt BN pigs and return the stolen money to feed the kitten so that it can become a tiger again.

To hell with the rule of law. Between paying more taxes and torturing corrupt BN crooks for the return of money plundered, the choice isn’t hard for the ordinary people on the street. Mahathir wants Malaysians to brace for new taxes which involve some necessary sacrifice and pain. Why must the ordinary folks continue to suffer but not the BN crooks?

Mahathir Lambasted TMJ

“I don’t want to comment on the sultan because if I say anything that is not good, it’s not nice because he’s the sultan.

“But this TMJ (Tunku Ismail) is a little boy… He is stupid because he doesn’t know what is happening.

“So don’t talk. When you don’t know anything, don’t talk,” he told a special media interview in Putrajaya this afternoon.

Mahathir was asked to comment on Tunku Ismail’s statement that his father’s good deeds, such as giving lands to the people and government, were not highlighted.

The crown prince’s statement came in the wake of a revelation that a plot of federal land earmarked for the Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) was transferred to the ruler.

Sultan Ibrahim had since said that he was prepared to surrender the land without cost.

An Open Letter to Mahathir

Dear Dr Mahathir Mohamad,

With due respect to you, I hereby wish to speak honestly and truthfully what I have seen and observed, prior to, and since GE14.

First and foremost, I am a believer in fair play - righteousness, truth and justice. I had high hopes in Pakatan Harapan and in you being made the prime minister after the historic victory on May 9, 2018.

I believe all Harapan supporters wanted you to clean up the mess you created in the person called Najib Abdul Razak. You were the right man for that job. However, there are many things that you have done, that are not what we voted for.

We did not vote Harapan for you to sing and dance to Umno and PAS' tunes as could be seen in your U-turning on the signing of Icerd and the Rome Statute. We did not vote Harapan for you to fortify Bersatu by welcoming Umno "frogs" and "toads" into Bersatu.

We did not vote Harapan for Bersatu to infiltrate Sarawak and Sabah. We did not vote Harapan for you to appoint incompetent greenhorns from Bersatu to key portfolios and to saturate the cabinet with them.

The fact that Bersatu won only 13 seats (the lowest percentage) at GE14 is a testament that the Almighty did not want to give you or Bersatu more power than necessary.

Since Bersatu only achieved the lowest percentage of seats won at GE14, it is therefore against fair ethics when Bersatu started to welcome Umno "frogs" and "toads".

Instead, an anti-hopping law should have been put in place and firmly enacted to show that Harapan is serious about abiding by good, fair and sound standards and ethics!

We never voted Harapan for you to venture into another national car project. We did not vote Harapan for you to continue Najib's and Ahmad Zahid Hamidi's legacy of harbouring Zakir Naik (and granting him VVIP immunity), a fugitive wanted by India on alleged terror-related and money-laundering activities.

We also did not vote Harapan for you to ban the Paralympic swimmers from taking part in the Paralympic swimming meet scheduled to be held in Kuching (Sarawak). Your banning them has resulted in Sarawak losing millions in revenue. 

We did not vote Harapan for you to reinforce a race-based agenda. We wanted you and Harapan to save Malaysia. You and Harapan pledged to save Malaysia but you and Harapan are doing the exact opposite of your GE14 manifesto.

We wanted Harapan and you to keep your promises to all Malaysians (not just to the some Malaysians of a certain race. Must Harapan put some Malaysians on a higher pedestal than other Malaysians?

We did not ask you or Harapan to champion that, did we? It is the Malaysian agenda please, my dear PM and Harapan. Yes, a Malaysian Agenda! That was in your GE14 manifesto.

Then there is your jumping at lightning speed to defend the police against Suhakam's findings on the "enforced disappearances" of Pastor Raymond Koh and activist Amri Che Mat. How sure are you that the police were not involved in their abductions/disappearances? I won't be surprised if it is the same with Pastor Hilmy and his wife Ruth.

Justice and truth demand that they are found as soon as possible. And besides these four unfortunate souls, is Harapan doing anything towards getting justice for Altantuya, Teoh Beng Hock, Hussein Najadi, Kevin Morais, etc.?

Regarding Sarawak and Sabah, you and Harapan must work at righting all the wrongs done to the Borneo Partners (not states). As long as Sarawak and Sabah are still regarded as 12th and 13th states, as per the parliamentary bill presented on April 9, 2019, this is incomplete and inaccurate.

Sabah and Sarawak never entered into an agreement with the 11 individual states of Malaya. Therefore a new and more complete/accurate bill must be drafted and presented in Parliament again. Harapan must show genuine commitment, credibility, sincerity and strong political will to right all the wrongs done to Sarawak and Sabah.

Pointing fingers at GPS does not achieve anything fruitful except gaining political mileage, perhaps. MA63 clearly shows Sarawak and Sabah are equal in status to Malaya but why are there so much fewer parliamentary seats allotted to these two partners of MA63?

Another question: If Sarawak and Sabah were equal partners to Malaya, why is it that the PM and his deputy must always be from Malaya only? Did it say so in the original MA63? If it did, then what kind of equal status are we talking about. 

By the way, didn't the exit of Singapore in 1965 nullify MA63? Did Malaysia exist legally after Singapore left? Perhaps the Borneo partners should go for a legitimate referendum.

I am a believer of and an advocate for righteousness, truth, fairness and justice. Righteousness, truth and justice must stand tall together if we truly intend to save Malaysia. Be reminded - we have to give an account to our Maker in due time.

I expect to hear mature and responsible responses from the PM himself and the Harapan partners, especially the leaders in the cabinet. In conclusion, I write this letter not just to the current PM or government (though specifically, yes) but also to every subsequent PM and government-of-the-day.

Thank you.

God bless Malaysia and all Malaysians

Why Mahathir Should Stay On as Prime Minister

The following article by *Mariam Mokhtar* needs to be reiterated and viralized.

COMMENT | Let's be clear about one thing. The only thing I share with Prime MinisterDr Mahathir Mohamad is our initials - MM. That is all. I have been his critic for decades and was persuaded, just a few months before GE-14, to support/endorse Mahathir by two of his former critics, Zunar and Hishammuddin Rais.

Today, there are calls for Mahathir to step down. No! He should not.

The most dangerous political scandal, since GE-14, is finally cracking open like a ripe durian. It is an attempt to bring down Mahathir, his cabinet and Pakatan Harapan.

Mahathir said Malaysia's withdrawal from the Rome Statute was not because the international treaty was bad, but the confusion created by "one particular person who wants to be free to beat up people".

He added, "I find that this particular attempt to get the rulers involved so that they can get leverage, and even trying to get the rulers to sign some order against me."

You may have missed the bit about "getting the rulers to sign some order," because most of us would have been fixated on the "one particular person".

Can you imagine the dangers brought about by a power vacuum after Mahathir's removal? Think Iraq or Libya.

Guess who has been whipping up anti-Harapan sentiments, and re-engineered his image on social media.

Guess who despises Mahathir, because he is the only one with the guts to stand up against them.

Their fatal attraction has been festering for 26 years. How can the rakyat act against people whose business interests are so powerful that they swamp the small-time trader? How can the nation be protected against powerful people who forge long-term business deals with foreigners?

Guess why the ulama have an intense dislike of Mahathir. He dares to scold them and tell them to understand their religion better, instead of confusing their flock with their own warped interpretations.

Guess who else abhors Mahathir. The civil servants who benefited from Najib's largesse, some elite Malays who are crippled by their crab mentality, and the insecure Malays with their siege mentality. These form a volatile mixture.

Mahathir has started the job of cleaning up Malaysia, and he should continue. Moreover, he has to sort out the mess that lies between Putrajaya and that "red dot" across the Causeway.

Only Mahathir has the guts and political will to do this, but ironically, many Malays, on whom he has showered the most help, are among the most fractious, most fragile and most flippant. This is part of his unfinished business, and to ask Mahathir to leave now would be premature.

The Mahathir of today is not the Mahathir of the past. There are flashes of his former self, but by and large, he has most probably realised his mistakes and acknowledged that he needs to correct them before he retires for good.

Mahathir may be dictatorial, in that he brooks no dissent, but he is not a dictator. Mahathir and Harapan were democratically elected. There was no North Korean type of election, with only one candidate.

The Mahathir of today is a "milder" version of his former self. In the "golden age" of Mahathir, newspapers would be in fear of having to stop publication, and people would be locked up under the ISA. He compromised many institutions. He was the architect of Project IC. Having previously been accused of interference, he is now reluctant to be seen as a meddler, or tyrant.

Some of you may have the experience of buying a house, but when you moved in and found that the inside was full of old junk, the floorboards rotten, the roof leaking? You cannot put your own furniture in it, nor decorate it, until the repairs have been completed.

Malaysia is like this old house. Team Mahathir has moved into government and found 61 years of rot. Until most things are fixed, they cannot fully initiate the reforms.

Last year, soon after he was made PM, Mahathir knew who he wanted for attorney-general, and who should helm the key ministries. He has acknowledged that some ministers are disappointing, and he has ordered them to improve their act. Does he have enough capable people to make sweeping changes to his cabinet?

It seems to have taken a long time, but disgraced, former PM Najib Abdul Razak, Rosmah Mansor, Zahid Hamidi, Abdul Azeez Rahim, Isa Samad and Muhammad Shafee Abdullah are being investigated. The rest are being processed. Their time will come.

The waters around Putrajaya are still choppy. Until Najib has been punished for his crimes against the people of Malaysia, we cannot rest; therefore, now is not the time to change leaders.

Nor is it the time to have two leaders; a functioning PM and a PM-in-waiting. There is nothing more destructive than to pit two men against one another, with daily comparisons of their performance, as if it were a tennis match.

We would like to move forward, as a nation, to repair race relations, increase integration and improve the economy. We are sick and tired of the three "Rs" of race, religion and royalty. They are a distraction, especially when there are more important matters. 

Mahathir must resolve the Malay dilemma. He should think long-term, and not opt for short term gains. He should break that impasse.

MARIAM MOKHTAR is a defender of the truth, the admiral-general of the Green Bean Army and president of the Perak Liberation Organisation (PLO). Blog, Twitter.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.

Why Nurul Izzah is Wrong about Mahathir

1. It was disingenuous (hypocritical) of Permatang Pauh MP Nurul Izzah Anwar to tell Singapore’s Straits Times that she was “broken hearted” at having to work with “a former dictator (Mahathir) who wreaked so much damage, not just on our lives but the system”.

2. Perhaps not many would want to work with Mahathir, but those who do work with him, including the people, do so because they remember the state of the nation before Pakatan Harapan (PH) took over federal power last year.

3. Let us remind ourselves how we got to this situation, where a 93-year-old man had to come out of retirement to serve the nation once more. Who else could have kicked out Barisan Nasional and Najib Razak?

4. Anwar could not have done it on his own. The charismatic Anwar is best known for his oratory and his close ties with the Muslim brotherhood, but he can’t even control the infighting in his party, PKR.

5. Lim Guan Eng could not have done it on his own, either. His party, DAP, has been demonised for decades by Umno and Malay extremists. In a way, Mahathir working with Lim as the finance minister goes some way in repairing the damage for which he is also partly responsible.

6. PAS under Abdul Hadi Awang has little hope of uniting Malaysians. Even if Nik Aziz were still alive, PAS would have gained little traction with the public. Today, PAS hopes to align itself with Umno, using race and religion, to conquer Putrajaya.

7. Even Umno’s Oxford-educated Khairy Jamaluddin, a prime minister-hopeful, failed to recognise the signs of a failing party, a broken economy and a suffering people.

8. Remember, too, that it was Nurul Izzah who allegedly chased after Mahathir when he was in London. Together, they initiated the first steps to form PH and to use the PKR logo for GE14.

9. No one who is lazy or who leaves homework undone should ever attempt to work with Mahathir. Those who are close to him tell me that he is a workaholic. He starts his meetings on time. He goes through the list of items to be discussed with hardly a break. He conducts spot checks. He makes do with little sleep, and he can be a pain when he micro-manages.

10. In his earlier days, when he had a clinic in Alor Setar, Mahathir used to give free treatment for the poor. In the villages, the Malays adore him and many Felda townships welcomed PH canvassers during GE14 when previously they would have been turned away.

11. Neither should anyone forget that Mahathir was the architect of the modern Malaysia we inherited: from the tips of the skyscrapers dominating the Kuala Lumpur skyline to the depths of depravity of the Ketuanan Melayu ideology.

12. Many households in villages are the proud owners of Protons, but on the other hand, those who benefited from the AP system live a life of luxury that few of us can even dream of.

13. When Nurul Izzah said the “former dictator” had “wreaked damaged on Malaysians and on the system”, she did not mention that her father was also part of the problem. Ask any Malaysian who was in school or university in the 1980s about Anwar’s role in the Islamisation of Malaysia.

14. Today, a well-travelled, well-read and well-informed Mahathir has probably realised the mess he created through the imposition of race and religion. In order to preserve his legacy, he knows that he must put things right.

15. Mahathir is aware that ours is a complex nation because past policies have polarised people and forced them to live separate lives. Their children are sent to separate schools, they live in separate housing estates and work in separate fields. Most Malays join the civil service while the rest enter the private sector. Religion is not a unifying factor, and race-based parties compound the division.

16. When he came to power last May, Mahathir wrote to the Agong requesting the removal of Apandi Ali as attorney-general. Apandi was replaced by constitutional expert Tommy Thomas. Thomas was the unanimous choice of all PH leaders, and his appointment, it was hoped, would reassure the business world and the international community and show that PH means business and is serious about reforms.

17. Mahathir is also aware of how far Umno leaders have let things slide since he left office nearly two decades ago. He understands the fragility of the situation and knows that if he introduces a slew of reforms overnight and does too much in one go, he risks alienating Malay support.

18. Remember, too, that many Malays in the civil service are still loyal to Najib. They undermine the current administration. How can they be weeded out? They are not going to expose themselves. Nurul Izzah, of all people, should understand that.

19. Instead of giving up, she should have helped with the effort. She knows that if Najib were still in power, none of the changes made over the past 10 months would have happened. If Malaysians gave up as easily as that, we would never have achieved the success of May 9, 2018. Our work of rebuilding Malaysia is only half-finished. Democracy is not accomplished as soon as the election is over.

20. We still have a lot of work to do to unite Malaysians and to move past racism and religious intolerance. Giving up now because of one man who is in a hurry but who has to work with inadequate tools shows a lack of moral fibre.

TO ALL MALAYSIANS, DON’T GIVE UP ON CHANGES NOW, WE’RE ONLY HALFWAY THERE.

WE ARE DESTROYING THE FUTURE OF THE MALAYS AGAIN

*DEAR DR MAHATHIR, WE ARE DESTROYING THE FUTURE OF THE MALAYS AGAIN – DO YOU REALIZE THAT?*

Ok here is Part  2 . This is a long letter I received from a teacher in Pahang. She is giving first hand feedback about the situation in the sekolah kebangsaan or government schools. They have become religious ghettos.

Good evening Mr Syed,

Haven’t written to you in some time. Busy with the new school term. Kind of really disappointed that there are hardly any changes made to the education curriculum. Was so hoping that Maths and Science will be changed to English.

It shouldn’t be that difficult as there are currently DLP  programs (Dual Language Program) in schools which have chosen maths and science in English albeit a small selection of schools. So it would have been good to make it compulsory to have Maths and Science in English in all SK schools.

As long as it is not compulsory the schools will not comply with it just like DLP now. My school is one of the top schools in K – – –  –  Mr Syed.

And when the school head had a vote for DLP all the teachers (sadly all Malays) said that they were unwilling to teach in English as they did not feel confident in that language. So my school did not opt for DLP although it is one of the schools that is a good candidate for having DLP.

The irony is Mr Syed, these teachers were all under the PPSMI program earlier which Tun M had introduced whereby Maths and Science was in English. So they had the experience in teaching in English and would not have had encountered any problems. But yet they gave a silly excuse of no confidence. I had to just shake my head upon listening to them.

And the best part you know Mr Syed, why they were having no problem with teaching English earlier and not now? Cause earlier Tun had announced a 5-10% allowance for all Maths, Science and English teachers. So at that time they were falling over themselves volunteering to teach Maths and Science in English.

But now, since there’s no moolah to be made, the teachers’ attitude is why should I bother and do extra when there is nothing in it for me. So you see Mr Syed, sometimes teachers are at fault. And my school head agrees with the teachers although I had debated with him the pros of having Maths and Science in English.

It was just no – because then the Bahasa Kebangsaan usage will be affected. What can you do with such educationists.

   Second issue is the pendidikan Islam subject. Was hoping that this too could have been looked into by the new term. It is not so difficult just to cut down the periods.

Instead  we still have

6 periods of Pendidikan Islam.
3 periods of Bahasa Arab.
2 periods of Tasmik.

11 periods a week. The most among all the subjects.

BM and English (together)  have 10, much less.   Science has a mere 3 periods. Go figure.

And to my amazement, one of the first things on the agenda for this year’s staff meeting was to announce that the PPD (district education office) has implemented a new program. Naqeeb and Naqeebah (I am not too sure of the spelling).

It’s a mentoring program for the ustaz and ustazahs in school to carry out. They are each to take certain amount of students as their mentees. All to make sure the students master the Islamic Studies and Quran.

Unfortunately we do not hear any such programs being done for the important subjects like English, Maths and Science. It is like everyone has just one agenda. To memperkasakan Pendidikan Islam in SK schools.

I really do not know where are we heading with our school curriculum.
It is getting worse by the day.
And unless some drastic changes are done to it SK schools are going to be religious schools.

As it is, my school, a missionary school is also having problem getting the non Muslim students. Their enrolment is dwindling by the year. And it is a sad thing to see. Hopefully we see some changes soon. Sorry for my ramblings and rantings Mr Syed. Have a nice day.

My comments : Thank you for this information. I further asked this teacher from Pahang to clarify what the non Muslim students do when the Malay students are studying 11 periods of agama, bahasa arab, tasmik etc every week. Here is her reply :

For me I am a year 6 teacher Mr Syed…so for the (non Muslim) year 6 students during Pendidikan Islam they have moral…during bahasa arab they have extra classes with their science, maths, BM or English teachers. Or sometimes they come to the self access learning centre and surf the internet to do online learning. Tasmik is carried out an hour after school dismissal for my school. So non Muslim students  are allowed to go back. And Muslim students carry on an hour of tasmik.

My comments  :  I checked with another teacher here in Petaling Jaya who said the same.  She said that in her school :

“We have agama, tasmik, Quran, and Arab lessons.

Agama 6 periods
Tasmik 2 periods
Arab 3 periods
Ulum 2 periods

[That is  13  periods of agama related classes].

The most no of periods compared to other subjects”

I dont think even Saudi Arabia, Iran or the Taliban in Afghanistan have as many religious classes in their government schools.

Tuan-tuan, anak Melayu menghabiskan 11 hingga 13 waktu kelas  seminggu untuk belajar agama yang mana anak tuan-tuan “tidak boleh menggunakan akal”.

Sebab mengikut ustad,  memang agama itu adalah perkara yang tidak boleh digunakan akal untuk memahaminya.  

Pada masa yang sama, anak-anak bukan Melayu pula menghabiskan 10 waktu kelas  ‘tambahan’  Bahasa Inggeris, Sains, Matematik, Bahasa Melayu, Moral dsbnya.

Jadi setiap minggu, setiap tahun dan untuk bertahun-tahun lamanya (dari darjah satu hingga ke tingkatan lima ia itu selama 11 tahun)  anak-anak bukan Melayu memenuhi dada mereka selama 11 waktu pelajaran setiap minggu untuk mempelajari ilmu tambahan dalam Sains, Matematik, Bahasa Inggeris, Moral, BM dsbnya.  Mata pelajaran ini semuanya perlu penggunaan akal.

Sebaliknya anak-anak tuan-tuan pula menghabiskan masa yang sama untuk mempelajari perkara yang ‘tidak boleh digunakan akal untuk memahaminya’.  Itulah ajaran agama.

So tuan-tuan dan puan-puan ibu bapa Melayu dan Islam – fahamilah kenapa anak-anak tuan-tuan hanya boleh memenuhi jawatan kerajaan, di syarikat kerajaan dan syarikat monopoli kepunyaan kerajaan (MAS, TNB, Maybank dsbnya) yang tidak perlu bersaing.  Tetapi fahamilah bahawa setiap tahun kerajaan boleh menyediakan hanya beberapa ribu jawatan kosong sahaja. Tetapi setiap tahun beratusan ribu anak muda masuk ke dalam labour force kita – untuk mencari kerja.

Bukan semua anak-anak tuan-tuan boleh dapat jawatan kerajaan.

Fahamilah bahawa syarikat swasta kepunyaan bukan Islam, syarikat kepunyaan orang asing dan lain-lain menawarkan jauh lebih banyak peluang pekerjaan daripada bekerja dengan kerajaan.  Tetapi mereka lebih memerlukan kepada pekerja yang mempunyai kelulusan yang berguna. Kelulusan dan pendidikan yang boleh menghasilkan produck dan perkhidmatan yang baik. Lulus agama tidak boleh baiki komputer. Atau faham perniagaan. Kalau tidak percaya lihatlah Menteri Pendidikan. Dia adalah kelulusan agama. Menteri yang paling dungu.

Fahamilah bahawa akhir sekali anak-anak tuan-tuan  akan menjadi pekerja ‘low level’ sahaja seumur hidup mereka.

Maka janganlah membakar kelambu, membakar rumah sendiri, membuat demonstrasi jalanan tak tentu hala atau menjerit dan melolong jika pada satu masa depan nanti anak-anak tuan-tuan tipis peluang hidup, susah cari kerja, kurang pendapatan, niaga tak maju, tak tahu majukan niaga, tak tahu memikir, tidak dapat bersaing, tak tahu cara bergaul dengan manusia lain, menjadi sosial misfit di pentas dunia (menolak ICERD) dan sebagainya.

(To digress – di atas muka bumi Allah swt ini hanya ada DUA buah negara Melayu Islam ia itu Brunei dan Malaysia. Kedua negara Melayu Islam ini menolak ICERD. Talk about being international social misfits. 

Dalam seluruh dunia, hanya EMPAT buah negara menolak ICERD ia itu North Korea, Nauru, Malaysia dan Brunei. Maksudnya 50% daripada negara yang menolak ICERD adalah negara Melayu Islam. Eloklah tu.  Satu dunia ketawakan kita. Kita duduk sama rendah, berdiri sama tinggi dengan North Korea dan Nauru. Very good.  Tahniah.)

Back to Tun Dr Mahathir, there is a huge tikus that has entered through our backdoor. While we are building superhighways, skyscrapers, ports, cities etc there is a tikus that is quietly eating away at the labu from the backdoor.  Quietly destroying everything that we have built.  Quietly destroying the Malay society.  This tikus besar is the religion infested sekolah kebangsaan.

According to the ustad fellows religion is a “tidak boleh menggunakan akal” proposition. And yet we are teaching 11 to 13 periods a week of ‘tidak boleh menggunakan akal’ subjects to Malay Muslim children. 

While at the same time the non Muslim kids are filling their minds with moral studies, extra classes in science, maths, BM and English. Or self learning centers where they  surf the Internet.  Or they go home one hour earlier than the Malay Muslim kids. 

Since the tasmik classes are held AFTER school hours, this also means Malay Muslim parents must come an hour later, the bus sekolah must come an hour later, their children are hungrier because lunch is delayed an extra hour and so on.

Both the teacher in Pahang and that parent in Kelantan (in Part 1 earlier) are hoping that the new PH government will change this.

HERE IS THE BIGGEST THREAT.

11 periods of agama related classes, tasmik, bahasa arab, then solat hajat, solat zuhur etc etc means that the majority of the teaching force in the sekolah kebangsaan are now graduates of madrassah, sekolah pondok, sekolah tahfiz, Deoband, Al Azhar, Sudan, Jordan and from other “sh-t hole” countries.

·         These teachers with agama backgrounds now  form the majority of our sekolah kebangsaan teachers.

·         So this means that very soon gurubesar and pengetua sekolah kebangsaan will also be from this religious studies group.

·         religious Ultimately the entire Ministry of Education will also be from this group.

·         The Minister of Education is already a jihadi.

·         This is the angkatan tentera “tidak boleh menggunakan akal”.

I also found out that in many schools, the cikgu agama have assistant teachers to teach them. Meaning there are TWO cikgu agama to teach one class at the same time.

Whereas in the same school the Science, Maths and English teachers are alone, they have no assistant teachers to help them. This country is wasting its resources on guru agama and ignoring the guru sains, matematik dan Bahasa Inggeris.

Percayalah – anak-anak  tuan-tuan akan menjadi kuli dan buruh – termasuk di negeri orang lain.

19  years ago, in my FIRST face to face meeting with Dr Mahathir – in the PM’s office in Putrajaya – I told Dr Mahathir that he was the cause of the religious rot creeping into the country.  I told Dr Mahathir he was responsible for creating the JAKIM, IKIM, IISTAC, expanding the mahkamah syariah network, etc etc.

He had also brought in Brader Anwar and the Ikhwan Muslimin into Malaysia. For almost 15 years Brader Anwar introduced the religious cancer into the country.

Dr Mahathir asked me ‘So what should I do?” 
That was the moment I was waiting for. 

I told Dr Mahathir :  ‘stop manufacturing these religious graduates. Stop populating the government departments with these religious people’. Stop sending young people to study at so many of these religious institutions here and overseas.   Once you stop manufacturing them, then their influence will automatically die away. 

Soon after that Dr Mahathir stopped government funding for the sekolah agama rakyats.  University Malaya also shut down their Fakulti Pengajian Islam  in Nilam Puri,  Kelantan.

Then DISASTER. Three years later Dr Mahathir retired [in 2003].

Then Badawi came in –  ‘saya mencari Imam Shafie’ took over. Jahanam.
Then Super Moron came in – the Salafis and Saudis flew into the country.
[Now Zakir Naik is here].

A great  disaster has befallen the Malays and the Muslims in this country. A very great disaster.

In conclusion I would like to share an old story with Dr Mahathir [its actually supposed to be a hadith] which my father told me when I was a very young boy. I have mentioned this story before. This hadith is actually about a prayer or doa that one should recite to chase away the temptations of the devil.

The story goes that one day while the prophet was walking in the street  a man came and befriended the prophet. The man asked to walk with the prophet. When the prophet asked him who he was the man became evasive.  The man said that if he identified himself, the prophet would become angry. The prophet reassured the man that he would not. The man insisted he would reveal his identity only if the prophet promised not to get upset or angry. The prophet promised him and the man said that he was the devil, the syaitan. The prophet instinctively wanted to recite the special prayer but again the man reminded the prophet of his promise.

Then the man said that he just wanted to walk with the prophet for a while to prove that the devil [syaitan] was not always evil. The prophet said ok and they walked along. Then they came to a stall selling drinks and the devil told the prophet ‘let us have a drink here’. Which they did. The man put down his cup and then wiped a wet finger on the counter of the drinks stall.  Immediately a fly came and set on the sticky residue. Then a lizard came to catch the fly. A cat [the typical restaurant cat]  came and tried to catch the lizard. Then a dog jumped out of nowhere and tried to catch the cat. The whole drinks stall was overturned. The prophet looked at the devil and said, ‘there is nothing good to be gained from your presence’ and then he recited the special prayer to chase away the devil.

The moral of this story is : The  shaytan or satan can never bring any good.  The satan will only bring calamity and disaster.  It is like cancer or radioactivity. They both kill. You just cannot treat radioactivity. You can only contain it and make sure it never pops out into the open.

In his second term as PM I hope Tun Dr Mahathir can see better what is good and what is bad.  Let us thank Allah for this second chance in power. We will not get a third chance.

PM Tun Mahathir Answered Questions on Gas Pipeline Scandal, Petronas Scandal, New Parliament, New Cabinet

BNM head resigned without any concrete reason.
Gas Pipeline - China money used to pay for 1mdb.
New Parliament sitting on 16th July 2018, abolish GST & Fake News law.
No warships of other countries around Malaysia, preferably, as in Malaysia's policy.
ECR to be renegotiated because Malaysia cannot afford - defer or terminate if possible.
Petronas and Sarawak court cases to be decided by the Court.

PM Mahathir Withdrew Himself As Education Minister

New Malaysian Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad will no longer take on the education ministry portfolio, after members of the public pointed out that his coalition's manifesto had pledged that there would be no double portfolios for the premier.

"I cannot break (the manifesto pledge) at the moment," he said in a video posted on his party's Facebook page on Friday (May 18).

"Unless of course there is a demand that I take up the education portfolio."

The new education minister is former university lecturer Dr Maszlee Malik from Dr Mahathir's Bersatu party, he added in a press release later on Friday.

The U-turn comes a day after Dr Mahathir announced that he would also be the education minister, saying he felt this was something he should give attention to as "many people are uneducated in this country".

While the news was welcomed by many, others pointed out that Pakatan Harapan's manifesto states that "the Prime Minister will not simultaneously hold other ministerial posts, especially the post of Minister of Finance". 

There were reports that leadership had not recalled this themselves in deliberations, thinking that the prime minister was only barred from the finance minister position.

A veteran leader of Pakatan Harapan's Democratic Action Party Lim Kit Siang said he was "stumped" himself. 

"Apart from PM cannot be FM, not aware that PH manifesto proposed PM cannot hold another portfolio," he tweeted on Thursday.

In a media release on Friday, Dr Mahathir also announced the names of several other ministers, including those who will helm the ministries of transport, health, agriculture, housing and human resource. 

A foreign minister has not been appointed.

Altogether, the names for 15 positions - including the prime minister and deputy prime minister posts - were submitted to the king. The names have been approved and they will be sworn in on Monday at 11.30am, said the media release.

Malaysian Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad announced on Thursday (May 17) that he will be concurrently Education Minister, in a sign that he intends to be a hands-on leader. His deputy, Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail will helm the Women Affairs and Welfare portfolio.

 The Cabinet will be sworn in on May 21, pending the Palace’s agreement, the prime minister said in a press conference. “I took the post because there are so many people who are uneducated,” Dr Mahathir, 92, quipped when asked for his decision to name himself Education Minister. He added that he is keen to revamp Malaysia’s education system to help it keep up with the times.

 “The system that we have now is outdated,” he said, explaining that Putrajaya will consider using new technologies such as computers and teaching software to aid educators. Analysts said Dr Mahathir’s decision to take on the education portfolio is not surprising given that he has always taken an interest on education issues in the country. He was also Education Minister from 1974 to 1978, rolling out a new school curricula for both primary and secondary schools designed to offer holistic education to create balanced, all-rounded individuals.

 Dr Mahathir also introduced the policy of teaching mathematics and science in English in 2003 when he was Malaysia’s prime minister but it was scrapped by the government of Najib Razak six years later, claiming that it was unfair on children who were not proficient in the language. “Before he stepped down as prime minister (in 2003), he mentioned that he was worried about Malaysia’s education system. So this time, he will be hands-on to improve what he felt he left out,” Dr Oh Ei Sun, the principal adviser to public policy think tank Pacific Research Centre told TODAY.

 Mr Rashaad Ali, a research analyst at the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies’ (RSIS) Malaysia Programme, added that while some might want to see a new face at the helm of the Education Ministry, Dr Mahathir's “reputation as a taskmaster might just be the tonic needed in an area badly in need of refreshing”. “I do not think this is indicative or a lack of quality ministerial candidates from Pakatan Harapan as all parties have their fair share of intelligent and critical MPs, but rather appears to signal Dr Mahathir's own desire to bring education as his own pet project,” he added.

 The announcement will once again put the spotlight on the workload for Dr Mahathir given his age. His wife, Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali, had expressed concerns over his health, noting that he doesn’t have enough sleep. "On one night, he went through 200 (government) documents until 4-5am. At 7am, he was already in the office," she said in a post on the Kelab Che Det Facebook page on Wednesday. With Thursday’s announcement, Dr Mahathir has to date named five people to the Cabinet.

 Last week, he appointed Democratic Action Party (DAP) secretary-general Lim Guan Eng as finance minister, Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia president Muhyiddin Yassin as home affairs minister and Parti Amanah Negara Mohammad Sabu as defence minister. The remaining eight Cabinet positions would be divided between the four parties in Pakatan Harapan (PH) pact. “This doesn’t represent the strength of each party.

Some will get more, some less later,” he said on Thursday. “At this stage, we are not taking into account the strength of the parties, but we will do so when we appoint the other ministers so that we have a size of 25.”

 Dr Mahathir said the delay in naming his Cabinet picks was due to overlapping demands, noting that “some wanted to hold certain portfolios.” "We will announce it probably tomorrow (Friday) if I can do things in time. If not, we may have to delay (the announcement)," he said, adding that the ruling coalition’s presidential council will be expanded to included Mr Anwar Ibrahim, who walked free from jail on Wednesday after a royal pardon.

 One appointment Dr Mahathir confirmed on Thursday was that of Mr Mohd Shukri Abdull as the new Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief. He will replace Mr Dzulkifli Ahmad. Mr Shukri retired two years ago as the MACC deputy chief commissioner. “We have appointed Mohd Shukri because he has the experience as being part of MACC,” said Dr Mahathir. “He has a lot of expertise and knowledge in handling the current criminal activities.

He fought against any wrongdoings in the MACC and Najib’s role in blocking investigations.” Turning to his meeting with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Saturday, Dr Mahathir said he will ask Singapore for help on investigations into financial irregularities in state-owned 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) if it was needed. “He (Mr Lee) said he will be helpful, and if there is a need for me to ask him for help, I will shout for help,” said Dr Mahathir, adding that both sides have not determined any specific topics that will be brought up during the meeting.

 “We haven't fix any subjects, we will have a discussion and if he raises any issues we will discuss them,” he said. “But at the moment, I am still trying to figure out our stand with regards to certain issues which have not been finalised yet.”

Mahathir Helped Free Anwar

He walked out of Cheras Rehabilitation Hospital at 11.30am Wednesday (May 16) a free man and is now en route to Istana Negara to meet the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Muhammad V.

Anwar was initially scheduled to be released on June 8, 2018, after his five-year sentence that started on Feb 10, 2015 was reduced for good behaviour.

Anwar was supposed to speak to the press outside the centre upon his release, but the sheer hubbub from supporters and media prevented this.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad is already at Istana Negara.

Guards at Sungai Buloh prison said that all of Anwar's personal belongings have been sent to the rehabilitation centre.

PKR communications director Fahmi Fadzil earlier said that Anwar is scheduled to hold a press conference at his home in Segambut at around 4pm.

"Anwar will then perform terawih prayers at his home before attending the rally at Padang Timur tonight (May 16)," he told reporters.

The PKR de facto leader has been granted a full Royal Pardon by the Agong, said Anwar's lawyer R. Sivarasa.

"The Pardons Board had presented recommendations to the Agong, who agreed to give Anwar a full pardon.

"He is not only physically free but free to participate in the nation's politics, as past convictions have been expunged," said Sivarasa.

He said Anwar is likely to spend a few days resting and visiting friends here and abroad.

"Maybe in about six weeks time, after Hari Raya, we will begin the process of getting him (Anwar) back into Parliament," he added.

Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has arrived at the Istana Negara to meet the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Muhammad V.

Anwar made his way here after being released from the Cheras Rehabilitation Hospital at 11.30am Wednesday (May 16).

He arrived at the palace at around noon, and among the first people to greet him there was Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, reported Bernama.

Anwar went in through Gate 1, but media personnel were not allowed to wait there and gathered instead at Gate 2.

The board was to deliberate on the release of the PKR de facto leader and prime minister-designate.

Last Friday (May 11), Dr Mahathir said Sultan Muhammad V had expressed his willingness to grant a full and immediate pardon to Anwar.

The Royal Pardons Board meeting was supposed to be held on Tuesday (May 15) but this was postponed to Wednesday.

Anwar Ibrahim walked from his prison hospital a free man at 11.30am (1.30pm AEST) today into a Malaysia transformed by the stunning electoral victory he helped orchestrate alongside his once-sworn political foe, Mahathir Mohamad.

The 70-year-old democracy champion looked jubilant as he emerged from Kuala Lumpur’s Cheras Rehabilitation Hospital smiling, waving and giving a thumbs-up to crowds of media and well wishers.

Mr Anwar was to have addressed waiting media but was quickly bundled into a black SUV alongside his wife, deputy Prime minister-designate Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, amid increasingly chaotic scenes and a frantic media scrum.

He will instead hold a press conference later today and then address a public rally in a Kuala Lumpur park around 11pm local time.

Police and security struggled to hold back screaming crowds as Mr Anwar, dressed sharply in a slate-blue suit and burgundy tie, was driven out of the hospital where he has been recuperating from shoulder surgery in recent months.

His first appointment as a free man was with King Muhammad V who granted his formal pardon this morning, three years after the one-time deputy prime minister under Mahathir Mohamad between 1993 and 1998 was jailed on a second politically-motivated sodomy charge.

He also attended a working lunch with new Prime Minsiter Mahathir Mohamad and the leaders of their victorious Pakatan Harapan (Alliance of Hope) coalition.

The first conviction and jail sentence was under Dr Mahathir in 1998 after the two men fell out over how to handle the Asian Financial Crisis.

“The appeal for a full pardon for PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim was presented and considered by the 51st Pardons Board meeting,” a statement issued by the Palace shortly after his released said yesterday.

“In line with article 42 of the federal constitution the king, on the advice of the Pardons Board, concerns to grant a full pardon and immediate freedom to Anwar Ibrahim effective from the date of the Pardons Board meeting.”

Mr Anwar has led Malaysia’s reformasi movement for the past two decades — some eight of those from prison.

His expected re-entry into Malaysian public life comes as the country is undergoing a major political transformation following last Wednesday’s shock electoral defeat of a government that has ruled the country for 61 years.

Mr Anwar’s People’s Justice Party is now part of Malaysia’s new ruling coalition government, led by the 92-year-old Dr Mahathir, the country’s fourth and longest serving prime minister who was sworn in as its seventh last Thursday.

The two men set aside 20 years of enmity earlier this year to join forces in an extraordinary political union to unseat now-ousted prime minister Najib Razak who Dr Mahathir said yesterday could soon face charges in connection with the 1MDB global financial scandal.

Underpinning that reunion was a pact: Dr Mahathir, who turns 93 in July, would seek a royal pardon in the event of their victory and eventually hand over the Prime Ministership to Mr Anwar.

While many Anwar loyalists will be eager to see that transition happen soon, Dr Mahathir said yesterday it could be one to two years before it takes place.

Mr Anwar too has said he is in no rush to take over the reins and is happy to allow Dr Mahathir to first set the country’s economy back on course and resolve a number of high profile corruption scandals, including 1MDB

Najib's Investigation to be Expedited

Reports and Cases against Najib will be expedited and to be resolved as soon as possible, said PM Mahathir.

Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said on Tuesday that he was confident that prosecutors will be able to build up a strong case to bring charges against former leader Najib Razak over graft claims linked to debt-laden state fund 1MDB.

Speaking via video conference to The Wall Street Journal CEO Council Meeting in Tokyo, Tun Dr Mahathir, 92, said: “We are slowly getting to the bottom of things and many of our senior officers are volunteering information accompanied, of course, by documents. We think that within a short while we will have a case against him, we will be able to charge him.”

Dr Mahathir added that he is facing the problem of “trying to trust people to investigate him”.

“Some of these people who were with him had sided with him and we do not know who is going to be loyal to this new government,” he said.


When asked if he might be willing to cut a deal to spare Datuk Seri Najib, if he were to offer information that can recover assets to recover part of the US$4.5 billion (S$6 billion) that is allegedly lost by 1MDB, Dr Mahathir would only say: “No deal.”

SEE ALSO: Malaysia's 92-year-old PM says he'll stay in office for 1-2 years
Dr Mahathir had personally ordered travel restrictions on Mr Najib last Saturday after news spread that the latter was about to fly off to Jakarta for a short break.

Former Prime Minister Najib’s Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition government was ousted in the historic election held last Wednesday (May 9) that marked the first time power has changed hands in the history of Malaysia.

Jailed politician Anwar Ibrahim will receive a royal pardon on Wednesday, Dr Mahathir said, which will pave the way for the Pakatan Harapan (PH) prime minister-in-waiting to run in a by-election and become an MP.

Dr Mahathir, who first led the country from 1981 to 2003 under Umno, is currently Prime Minister under an agreement with PH that he would eventually hand over power to Mr Anwar, whose Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) has the most MPs in the four-party alliance.

He told the conference on Tuesday that he will remain as prime minister for one or two years – and would continue to play a role in the background even after he steps down.

In the immediate future, however, Dr Mahathir said Mr Anwar will play the same role in the PKR coalition as leaders of the other three parties in the alliance.

Mahathir Update On New Cabinet, Anwar, Najib Investigation, Sacking of AG, etc.

PM Mahathir's first working day update (Monday 14th May).

Replaced AG, who is asked to go on leave. Update on Jho Low's whereabout. Cabinet formation and restriction imposed on corrupted officials including Najib and Rosmah.

PM Mahathir's Message For Sabah and Sarawak

New PM Named 3 Ministers

PM Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has announced the appointment of three Cabinet ministers and an advisory council. PKR leaders were, however, conspicuously absent, signalling that the lineup was, perhaps, not final.

Tun Dr Mahathir: First Press Conference As The New Malaysian Prime Minister

Congratulations to the new Prime Minister of Malaysia. Well Done!

First Speech as Prime Minister Again

Malaysia election 2018 results: Ruling party SHOCK defeat as 92-year-old secures VICTORY

MALAYSIA election results shook the world last night as 92-year-old Mahathir Mohamad secured a shock victory, ousting Najib Razak's ruling party for the first time in the country's history.

Malaysia went to the polls yesterday and Najib Razak’s long-ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) party lost seats in key states that have traditionally been strongholds.

Riding a surge of late support was Mr Mahathir and his Pakatan Harapan (Alliance of Hope) party, who have secured the majority of 112 seats needed.

The new PM, who will become the world's oldest elected leader at the age of 92, released a statement this morning calling for the urgent formation of a government and for him to be immediately sworn in.

"There has been some delays over a lack of understanding of the constitution, but we'd like to make it clear that there is an urgency here: We need to form the government now — today," Mahathir said.

"That is because currently there is no government of Malaysia."

Sitting PM Razak said he accepted the decision of the vote but argued that no party had won a majority, calling for the country's King to make a decision on who will lead the country.

He said: "I accept, and my friends also accept, the verdict that has been delivered by the people and because no party has gotten a simple majority, therefore the king will be making a decision as to who will be the prime minister."

After urging caution early on in the evening, the Election Commission confirmed last night the opposition alliance had secured victory.

Mr Najib, whose father and uncle both served as Prime Minister, had suffered a loss of support following a series of scandals in recent years.

Mr Mahathir had previously served as Prime Minister for 22 years until 2003.

In recent years he ended his retirement following after becoming angered at Mr Najib's scandals.

A simple majority of 112 seats is required by a party or alliance to rule, a number Mr Mahathir said his party had won.

He said: "We believe that from our official counting that they're left far behind.

"The likelihood is that they will not be forming the government."

He later said he expected to be sworn in as PM in the next day or so.

Protests have begun as opposition supporters fear a controversially-tight final result - with anger growing over postal votes and allegations of fraud.

Many Malaysians living abroad were unhappy with the polling day falling on a Wednesday, as millions of voters were unable to cast their vote.

And last night riot police were called to a results counting centre in Ayer Hiram, Jahor, after crowds were seen stopping unmarked cars from entering.

Hundreds of people can be seen in photos taken at the scene, amid rumours the election commission has refused to sign off a victory for the opposition.

BN has faced a far greater challenge in this election than ever before amid public anger over the cost of living and a multi-billion-dollar scandal that has dogged Mr Najib since 2015.

An election-eve opinion poll suggested support for BN was slipping and Mr Mahathir's alliance would land the most votes in peninsular Malaysia, home to 80 percent of the population in this Southeast Asian nation.

However, under Malaysia's electoral system, the party or alliance with the majority of parliament seats wins, and going into the poll most experts believed that was within the prime minister's reach.

Voters complained on social media groups of long queues outside polling centres, which resulted in a waiting time of up to three hours for some. Opposition leaders had called for voting hours to be extended.

Most results are expected before midnight local time (5pm BST) but the count may spill into the early hours of Thursday.

Malaysia's majority ethnic-Malay Muslims support BN for affirmative-action policies that give them government contracts, cheap housing and guaranteed university admissions.

Mr Mahathir's opposition alliance, which counts on urban votes and support from the minority ethnic-Chinese and Indian communities, hoped that with the former leader of UMNO as its standard bearer it would draw in Malay voters traditionally loyal to BN.

However, Mr Mahathir is a polarising figure and many voters are suspicious of him because of his attacks on independent institutions when he was prime minister between 1981 and 2003.


Mr Najib has been buffeted by the scandal over 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), a state fund from which billions of dollars were allegedly siphoned off.

U.S. Attorney-General Jeff Sessions has described the scandal at the fund set up by Najib as the worst form of kleptocracy.

The U.S. Department of Justice has filed several lawsuits to seize more than $1.7 billion in assets believed to have been stolen from 1MDB.

Mr Najib, who was chairman of 1MDB's advisory board, has denied any wrongdoing and has been cleared of any offence by Malaysia's attorney general.

Power is a Najib family trait, with his father Abdul Razak and uncle Hussein Onn also serving as Malaysia’s prime minister in the past.

When his father died he became an MP at the age of just 23, soon after he graduated from the University of Nottingham.

After serving in a variety of cabinet roles he became Deputy Prime Minister in 2004 and Prime Minister in 2009.

Whether he still holds this role at the end of play today remains to be seen.

Mahathir to Lead Malaysian Opposition

 Malaysia’s opposition named Mahathir Mohamad, 92, as candidate for prime minister in an election that must be held by August. 

Mahathir Under Attack from Johor Sultan for his Wild Remarks

The Sultan of Johor has criticised Dr Mahathir Mohamad for trying to play “racial politics” in an attempt to drive away mainland China investments from the state, The Star reported in an exclusive interview with the state monarch, published today.

 Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar accused the former prime minister of “creating fear, using race to fulfil political motives”. “He’s playing the politics of fear and race, which have no place in Johor as I do not believe in racial politics. “He is insulting these rich Chinese property investors. They are not hard up for Malaysian citizenship. Many of them have properties in other countries including Australia and the United Kingdom.

 “He’s not stupid, he’s just selfish and opportunistic,” Sultan Ibrahim told The Star, citing Mahathir’s allegations about Putrajaya intending to give Malaysian citizenship to 700,000 mainland Chinese intending to stay in Johor Baru (JB). The monarch said Mahathir had also crossed the line with his “lies” on the issue of land being sold to the Chinese.

 “He is saying that huge tracts of land have been sold to the Chinese, giving the impression that Johor is surrendering land to the Chinese and that we are giving up our sovereignty. “He is even comparing how we gave up Singapore to the British,” Sultan Ibrahim was quoted as saying by the daily. The ruler was referring to reports over the past few months, where Mahathir had been attacking the Forest City development project in Johor, saying that “already thousands of units have been completed and sold to mainland Chi­­nese.”

Aside from saying that land was being sold to fo­­reigners, Mahathir had also said that there would be mass immigration to take up residence in new enclaves in the state. “Let me ask him this, Forest City is to be built on reclamation land and most of these units are condominiums.

In simple language, these units are up in the air. They are strata units. “I would like to ask Mahathir if these foreign buyers can just take their apartments back home or carry off an inch of the reclaimed land,” Sultan Ibrahim said, according to The Star.

 Referring to Mahathir quoting the Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg on the 1MDB issue as well as the development projects attracting mainland Chinese investors to Johor, the ruler said it was something the former PM had detested before. “He used to hate the western press but now he is quoting everything from the western press. He has forgotten many things he has done.

 “I find that Mahathir and his allies are only talking negative things, most of which are a figment of his imagination and evil thoughts. “I feel sad for him because he had to lower himself to this point. It is okay to disagree but please do not concoct things,” The Star quoted Sultan Ibrahim as saying.

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MAHATHIR'S RESPONSE:

Malaysia's former prime minister, Tun Mahathir Mohamad, has responded to criticisms by the Sultan of Johor over the sale of land to Chinese companies in the southern state, insisting that such deals are detrimental to the country, unlike foreign investments in the manufacturing sector.

The escalating feud between Dr Mahathir and Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar has centred on the US$42 billion (S$60 billion) Forest City development, which will see four islands reclaimed on the Malaysian side of the Johor Strait and turned into a giant township.

The project is helmed by the Hong Kong-listed Chinese mega-developer Country Garden and a company controlled by the Johor ruler.

In a letter to The Star newspaper yesterday, Dr Mahathir, widely credited with modernising Malaysia and boosting its manufacturing sector during his 22 years in power, wrote: "Yes, I promoted foreign direct investment (FDI). But it was not about buying land in Malaysia, developing it and selling it to foreigners who will stay here. FDI is about investment in the manufacturing industry.

"Malaysian companies will construct the buildings and Malaysians will work in the industries. They will acquire skills and start their own manufacturing business."


He added that Malaysians are capable of undertaking the land development projects being given to Chinese companies, which he said then sell most of the properties to their countrymen.

SULTAN IBRAHIM OF JOHOR said (Dr Mahathir) is giving the impression that Johor is surrendering land to the Chinese and that we are giving up our sovereignty, comparing even how we gave up Singapore to the British. I would like to ask Dr Mahathir if these foreign buyers can just take their apartments back home or carry off an inch of the reclaimed land.

MORE THAN A MILLION FOREIGNERS

There will be in all more than a million foreigners living in JB Forest City and the 60 other developments. These new places will not become a foreign country but they will have an inordinate percentage of foreign people. If they stay long enough, they will be entitled to become citizens of Malaysia.

"When foreigners buy land, there is not even an inflow of capital. Much of the money will be borrowed locally (in China). And they can do their business with their own banks. Whatever foreign companies earn will be expatriated, and will result in outflow of capital," he wrote.

Dr Mahathir, who now leads a Malaysian opposition party, also said Chinese deals in Malaysia should be transparent. He called for the publication of "all documents about the investments, the number of workers, their home countries, the buyers, the banks which finance and all expatriation of funds".

The former premier, who remains influential despite stepping down in 2003, is campaigning to unseat Prime Minister Najib Razak and has repeatedly criticised the Malaysian government's huge push for Chinese companies to enter various sectors of Malaysia's economy, including land and sea transport, energy and property.

In his letter to The Star, Dr Mahathir said his assertion that Johor will be flooded with Chinese nationals was based on previous news reports.

"There will be in all more than a million foreigners living in JB Forest City and the 60 other developments. These new places will not become a foreign country but they will have an inordinate percentage of foreign people. If they stay long enough, they will be entitled to become citizens of Malaysia," he said.

A top Forest City official has said that the development could house 700,000 people, when fully completed in 20 to 30 years' time.

Dr Mahathir's letter was a response to The Star's interview with Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar, published in the English daily on Monday.

The Johor ruler had said he was "deeply offended and hurt" by the attacks against mainland Chinese investments in the state, saying that the attacks, if left unchecked, would drive away investors.

Sultan Ibrahim had said: "(Dr Mahathir) is giving the impression that Johor is surrendering land to the Chinese and that we are giving up our sovereignty, comparing even how we gave up Singapore to the British."

The Sultan also said: "I would like to ask Dr Mahathir if these foreign buyers can just take their apartments back home or carry off an inch of the reclaimed land."

Mahathir Heart Attack Again

Mahathir was so riled up about things not going his way since 26th July 2016 that he blew his top. As he gave Daim an earful about Kadir and the three Tan Sri, he started having chest pains and was rushed to hospital.

According to Siti Hasmah, since 26th July Mahathir has been restless and has not been able to sleep at night and what she dreaded most happened yesterday at 9.00am.

Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s wife, is not too happy about her husband’s extremely active and stressful lifestyle. She felt that at this stage of his life Mahathir should slow down and not burn his candle from both ends. And what she dreaded most happened yesterday morning at 9.00am.

Mahathir was admitted to the IJN for what was reported as chest pains or chest infection. Siti Hasmah knows that Mahathir is pushing his luck and that the stress may kill him. According to Siti Hasmah, since 26th July 2016 when they were in Jakarta,

Mahathir has been very agitated due to the mess up of the press conference that was supposed to have been held that same day but which had to be aborted instead. Since then Mahathir has been restless and has not been sleeping well. Mahathir’s first heart attack was in 1989 when he was suffering extreme stress and almost got ousted by Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah and his ‘Team B’.

Then he suffered his second heart attack during Hari Raya of 2006. At that time Mahathir was actively campaigning the length and breadth of Malaysia to oust Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. That same evening he was discussing whether Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah was ready to take over from Abdullah and, more importantly, whether he would toe the line, when at 3.00am Mahathir suffered a heart attack and was rushed to hospital.

The doctors decided he must undergo surgery if he was going to survive. But then Mahathir suffered post-surgery complications and a serious infection so they had to operate on him again. This time, however, they gave Mahathir a less than 50% chance of survival and the family braced themselves for the worst. Somehow Mahathir survived what many said he would not survive. Since that 2006 heart attack, though, Mahathir has had many more close calls.

This was what one Umno Blogger, ‘Big Dog’, wrote in September 2007. Since 8 November last year (2006), Tun Dr. Mahathir has had three heart attacks and hospitalised in IJN. He was admitted into IJN upon returning from Johor Bahru on 10 February 2007, where he made the call for UMNO leaders to not fear leadership change and again on 15 May 2007, whilst on a private visit to Langkawi.

The latter was a rather serious attack and he was flown back to Kuala Lumpur and admitted immediately to IJN the moment the IJN specialist who flew to Langkawi to treat him managed to stabilise him and he was able to take a flight. That was what was reported in 2007.

Since then Mahathir was hospitalised in Australia in 2010 and again in 2013 for a chest infection — and again yesterday at 9.00am for the same thing. Some say it may be more than just a chest infection and they are basing their opinion on the events just before they had to send Mahathir to hospital.

Yesterday morning, Mokhzani, joined Mahathir for an early breakfast where he told his father he might have to face charges of insider trading. On 29th July 2016, his ex-partner, Datuk Yeow Kheng Chew and two others — Paulene Chee Yuet Fang and Tan Yee Chee, his remisier — were charged for insider trading. These three were acting under his instructions so that means he, too, faces the risk of that same fate.

That was when Mahathir blew his top and grumbled at Mokhzani as to why he went and did a silly thing like that knowing that they are very vulnerable and would be at the mercy of the powers-that-be. Surely Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak is not going to go easy on him considering what they have subjected him to.

The sentence under this charge is a maximum of ten years jail and if Mokhzani gets sent to jail for ten years Mahathir is not going to be around to see the day Mokhzani walks free. Mokhzani and Mahathir had a heated exchange and the son blamed the father for the predicament. If Mahathir had not been so gung-ho about ousting Najib then Mokhzani would not be facing this problem.

Mokhzani then left in a huff after which Mahathir phoned Tun Daim Zainuddin and grumbled about the stupid move that Kadir Jasin made that resulted in the planned press conference — that was supposed to have been held against the backdrop of the announcement by the US Justice Department and the US Attorney General — having to be aborted.

Mahathir said if the 26th July plan had not been screwed up then Mokhzani would not today be in deep shit. Mahathir also told Daim he has been trying to contact former Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief Abu Kassim Mohamed, former Attorney-General Abdul Gani Patail, and former Bank Negara Governor Dr Zeti Akhtar Aziz but all three are not taking his calls.

They appear to have cut off all communications with him and Mahathir is boiling mad because this means he cannot move forward and is stuck in a rut. Nothing appears to be working in his favour. Yesterday Muhyiddin Yassin went to the office of the Registrar of Societies to register their new party. But it appears like the reception for this new party is lukewarm and not as hot as he had originally expected.

Then there is also the matter of whether the proposed name of the new party can be approved since they are using ‘Bersatu’ in the name, which is also being used by Umno. So in the end if the ‘Bersatu’ in the name is not allowed then they might be left with just ‘Pribumi’.

Mahathir is juggling too many balls in the air at the same time and he is getting very agitated. And Daim was no help as well because he was not very reassuring and sounded quite negative. In fact, Daim sounded downright condescending as if he was just humouring the old man knowing that disagreeing would get him nowhere.

And that was when Mahathir started to feel unwell and had to be rushed to hospital. At first they thought he was having yet another heart attack or stroke. The official story is that he is having a chest infection. Insiders say he is in hospital just for a routine check up. But why go for a routine medical check-up on the day that his new party is being registered?

There was panic at first when word got out that Mahathir was rushed to IJN. What bad timing. They wanted the focus to be on the registration of Mahathir’s new party and not on Mahathir being rushed to hospital. Chinese who strongly believe in feng shui say that this is not a good sign for Mahathir’s new party. I remember back in 1999 when the Terengganu Menteri Besar, Wan Mokhtar Ahmad, slipped and fell as he climbed the steps to enter the nomination centre in Kemaman to file his nomination papers.

Chinese said it is a bad omen and bad feng shui. This meant Wan Mokhtar was going to fall. True enough, not only did he fall but the whole state fell as well. What is more interesting about this whole thing is that Mahathir was really pissed big time with Mokhzani.

He practically blamed Mokhzani for being stupid and for getting caught for insider trading at a time when they need to go all out to attack Najib and try to bring him down. In short, the way that Mahathir reacted was as if be believed that Mokhzani was guilty. His beef is not that Mokhzani was being fixed up on fabricated charges but that Mokhzani did actually commit the crime of insider trading.

And because of that he has now jeopardised what they are trying to do by opening up a vulnerable spot when they can get hit. But what probably triggered Mahathir yesterday was when Mokhzani turned round and blamed him for the problem.

If Mahathir had not tried to kill Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak then they would have nothing to fear. So it is Mahathir’s fault for attacking Najib and not Mokhzani’s fault for committing the crime of insider trading. I suppose even a strong heart like Mahathir’s cannot take that sort of allegation.