Sunday, April 26, 2015

How A Nephew Of Tun Mahathir's (former Malaysian Prime Minister )Sees "Lee Kuan Yew" .

This was written 6 years ago when LKY is still alive. This article is still very relevant today after the recent passing of LKY.
How a nephew of Tun Mahathir's sees Lee Kuan Yew
IF ONLY THEY ABSORB WHAT IS WRITTEN, MALAYSIA WILL PROSPER BY 2020!
LEE KUAN YEW : AT 85 , THE FIRE STILL BURNS   
BY *AHMAD MUSTAPHA
*The writer is a nephew of Dr Mahathir.

Singapore's Minister Mentor, Lee Kuan Yew, 
who was Singapore's founding father, 
has always been very direct in his 
comments. This was the man who 
outsmarted the communists in Singapore 
(with the innocent help of Malaya then 
and the willing help of the British) 
and who later outwitted the British 
and outpaced Malaysia in all spheres.

Singapore practices corrupt-free 
meritocracy and Malaysia affirmative
action. The former attracted all the 
best brains and the latter chased
out all the brains. The Singapore 
cabinet consists of dedicated and
intelligent technocrats whereas Malaysia 
has one of the most unwieldy
cabinets. 
Not only that, brain wise it was below 
par not even good for the kampong.

With that kind of composition, one 
that is very brainy, naturally
Singapore, 
with no natural resources could 
outstrip Malaysia in every
aspect of development.

Malaysia, on the other hand, was 
too much preoccupied with its Malayness 
and the illusory 'Ketuanan Melayu' 
and was also more interested in 
useless mega iconic development rather
than real social and economic development.

Whenever Kuan Yew utters anything 
that was deemed to be a slight on
Malaysia, voices were raised admonishing 
him. Malaysia would never dare to 
face reality. That Singapore had 
shown that it could survive was a 
slap on those who believed that 
Singapore would fold up once it
left Malaysia. Therefore it was natural 
that these doomsayers would
try to rationalise their utterances to be in 
their favour to combat on whatever 
Kuan Yew commented.It's political jealousy.

Singapore achieved its development 
status without any fanfare. But
here in Malaysia, a development that 
was deceptive was proclaimed as
having achieved development status. 
It was trumpeted as an achievement 
that befits first world status. This
was self delusion.Malaysians are led 
to believe into a make believe
world, a dream world. The leaders who 
themselves tend to believe in
their own fabricated world did not realise 
the people were not taken in by 
this kind of illusion.

Lee Kuan Yew believed in calling 
a spade a spade. I was there in
Singapore when the People's Action Party won 
the elections in 1959. He was forthright 
in his briefing to party members 
as to what was expected of them 
and what Singapore would face 
in the future.

Ideologically, I did not agree with 
him. We in the University of Malaya 
Socialist Club had a different interpretation 
of socialist reconstruction. But he 
was a pragmatist and wanted to bring
development and welfare to the 
Singaporeans. Well! He succeeded.

Malaysia was so much embroiled 
in racial politics and due to the fear
of losing political power, all actions 
taken by the main party in power 
was never targeted towards bringing 
wealth to all. Wealth was distributed 
to the chosen few only. They were 
the cronies and the backers of the 
party leadership to perpetuate their 
own selfish ends.

Seeing the efficiency and the progress 
achieved by Singapore caused the 
Malaysian leadership to suffer from 
an inferiority complex.That Malaysia 
should suffer from this complex 
was of its own making.

In a recent interview, Kuan Yew 
said that Malaysia could have done
better if only it treated its minority 
Chinese and Indian population
fairly. 
Instead they were completely marginalised 
and many of the best brains left 
the country in droves. He added 
that Singapore was a standing indictment 
to what Malaysia could have done 
differently. He just hit the nail right 
there on the head.

Malaysia recently celebrated its 
50th year of independence with a
bagful of uncertainties. The racial 
divide has become more acute. 
The number of Malay graduates 
unemployed is on the increase. And 
this aspect can be very explosive. 
But sad to see that no positive actions
have been taken to address these 
social ills.

Various excuses were given by Malaysia 
leaders why Singapore had far outstripped 
Malaysia in all aspects of social 
and economic advancement. Singapore was small, they rationalised 
and therefore easy to manage. Singapore 
was not a state but merely an island.

There was one other aspect that 
Malaysia practises and that is to
politicise all aspects of life. All government 
organs and machinery were
'UMNO-ised'. This was to ensure 
that the party will remain in power. 
Thus there was this misconception 
by the instruments of government as 
to what national interest is and what UMNO vested interest is.

UMNO vested interest only benefited 
a few and not the whole nation.

But due to the UMNO-isation of 
the various instruments of government,
the country under the present administration 
had equated UMNO vested interest 
as being that of national interest. 
Thus development became an avenue 
of making money and not for the 
benefit of the people.The fight against 
corruption took a back seat.
Transparency was put on
hold. 
And the instruments of government 
took it to be of national interest 
to cater to the vested interest of 
UMNO. Enforcement of various enactments 
and laws was selective. Thus a 
'palace' in Kelang, APs cronies and 
close-one-eye Umno MPs could 
exist without proper procedure. 
Corruption infested all govt departments, 
the worst is the police and lately 
even in the judiciary.

Singapore did not politicise its instruments 
of government. If ever politicisation 
took place, it is guided by national 
interest. To be efficient and to be 
the best in the region was of paramount
importance. Thus all the elements 
like corruption, lackadaisical attitude 
towards work and other black elements, 
which would retard such an aim, 
were eliminated.

Singapore naturally had placed 
the right priority in it's pursuit to 
achieve what is best for its people. 
This is the major difference between 
these two independent countries.

Malaysia in its various attempts 
to cover up its failures embarked on
several diversions. It wanted its 
citizens to be proud that the country 
had the tallest twin-tower in the 
world, although the structure was 
designed and built by foreigners. 
It's now a white-elephant wasting 
away. It achieved in sending a man 
into space at an exorbitant price. 
For what purpose? These are what 
the Malays of old would say "menang 
sorak" (hollow victories).

It should be realised that administering 
a country can be likened to managing 
a corporate entity. If the management 
is efficient and dedicated and know 
what they are doing, the company 
will prosper. The reverse will be 
if the management is poor and bad. 
The company will go bust.

There are five countries around 
this region. There is Malaysia and
then Indonesia. To the east there 
is the Philippines and then there is
that small enclave called the Sultanate 
of Brunei. All these four countries 
have abundance of natural resources 
but none can lay claim to have used 
all these resources to benefit the 
people. Poverty was rampant and 
independence had not brought in 
any significant benefits to the people.

But tiny Singapore without any resources 
at all managed to bring development 
to its citizens. It had one of the best 
public MRT transport systems and 
airlines in the world and it is a very 
clean City State. Their universities, 
health care, ports are among the 
best in the world.

It is impossible to compare what 
Singapore has achieved to what 
all these four countries had so far 
achieved. It was actually poor
management and corruption, and nothing more. 
Everything is done for the vested 
interest of the few.

Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines 
and the Sultanate of Brunei
need good management teams.


They would not be able to do this 
on their own steam. I would advise 
that they call on Kuan Yew to show 
them what good governance is. 
Why look East to Japan when it 
is just next door across the causeway.

R Sivasubramaniam
Attach yourself to Him who is free from all attachments. Bind yourself to that bond so all other bonds may be broken. - Tirukkural 350 

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