Dr Mahathir defuses anger at Q&A session

Chan Kok Leong Kamles Kumar Chan Kok Leong, Kamles Kumar Updated 8 years ago · Published on 14 Mar 2018 10:41PM · 4 Comments

Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad (front row, fourth from left), his wife Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali (front row, fifth from left), Hindraf chairman P. Waythamoorthy (front row, third from left) and participants call it a night, after a lively Q&A session, at KL Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall, yesterday evening. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Farhan Nazmi, March 14, 2018.

A QUESTION-AND-ANSWER session with Dr Mahathir Mohamad came to a premature end after members of the audience asked the former prime minister about his track record with the Indian community.

Dr Mahathir was taking questions that had been submitted during registration when two in the audience stood up to ask why he had not resolved the problems in MIC when he was prime minister.

Former MIC central working committee member K.P. Samy said: “As prime minister then, why didn’t you step in to help the Maika and Aimst University issues that caused many problems for the Indians?”

He said although the two entities received assistance from the government, the Indian community did not benefit, nor did they own the two entities which belonged to select leaders.

At this point, the emcee interrupted to call a stop to the session, but Dr Mahathir indicated that he wanted to respond.

“Can I try to answer this?” said Dr Mahathir.

“In the first place, I’m not the creator of Maika Holding. It was created by MIC, with the leaders’ consent. After that, there was bad management and that was how many Indians lost a lot of money.

“The government could help but it could not manage the funds that were given. The same thing happened with regard to the university. We gave the permission and we gave the money but what happened was something else.

“And I think this is where (I would repeat what) I said just now – the Indians need not just one party and certainly not one man alone.

“In the time that I was in government, I only saw one leader. There was no change. And once he’s there you can’t change him. And what he does, his followers support. Otherwise he won’t be there.”

He said PH gave Indians more choices as they could choose to be represented by multiracial parties such as PKR and DAP.

“Then there will be competition to be the more popular. And as such, the Indians will be better represented.”

The crowd appeared satisfied with the answer as the emcee announced the end of the session. But a youth whose question had not been answered stood up to protest, which led to a brief shouting match between him and the organisers. Dr Mahathir defused the situation by saying he would take two more questions.

In the end, Dr Mahathir answered three questions before the session was closed.

The evening ended peacefully enough as the audience clustered around the 92-year-old to take photos with him before he left with his wife, Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali.

Maika was conceived in 1982, under then MIC president S. Samy Vellu, to enable Indian Malaysians to participate in the country’s economic growth. 

However, Maika failed to give investors good returns and in 2000, it was taken over by tycoon G. Gnanalingam’s G Team Resources, which paid RM106 million to resolve problems and pay off shareholders. – March 14, 2018.

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Comments

  • Dr.M's experience shows the way..

    Posted 8 years ago by MELVILLE JAYATHISSA · Reply

  • When I was a university student , Indian students shone laser light on Samy Vellu, the then MIC supremo, when he attended one of of utm’s Indian cultural night , to the extent that Samy Vellu walked out of the stage angrily.

    When Dr.Mahathir left, Samy Vellu was toppled easily - no one from the Indian community really objected to his removal.

    The reason I say this is that dr.mahatiir claiming he had no other option but to abide by Samy velu’s whims and fancies becuase the Indians gave their unanimous support to Samy Vellu , is hard to reconcile when seen in the light of the above two examples.

    Rather than see Dr Mahathir as being forced to accept Samy velu becuase the Indian community supported Samy velu unequivocally , i think the simpler explanation is that Dr Mahathir was the one who forced the Indian community to accept Samy velu as the leaders of the Indians, by refusing to recongnise any other leader for the Indians save for Samy velu .

    Samy velu was extremely loyal and patronising to Dr Mahathir , at least as long as Dr Mahathir was the prime minister , and Samy velu can be counted on to retain the Indian support for BN whihle keeping the indian demand in return for their loyalty low - for these two reasons , I think Dr Mahathir perhaps found it convenient to keep Samy velu as the representative of indians .

    Dr Mahathir’s explanation is one way of looking at what happened - the way I see it is another way to see how it happened .

    In science , if two explanations appears equally valid., the one that is simpler is the one that will be accepted as true .

    Between the two version of the events above, , you decide which is simpler la

    Posted 8 years ago by Nehru Sathiamoorthy · Reply

  • Tun showed who was the politically shrewd and took the questions with ease, whether you like his answers or not is another matter.

    Posted 8 years ago by Awang Top · Reply

  • Old school. Where Najib fails miserably. Everyone knows Mahathir helped propped up Samy Vellu BUT anyone who have run big organisations knows, if a very selfish but strong leader stab you, the price is very heavy.. You try to distribute power but its very common for managers to revolt against losing power and make youy pay a too heavy price.

    Posted 8 years ago by Bigjoe Lam · Reply