Critical Thoughts

By serendipity I came across excerpts of an interview with Tunku Abdul Rahman, the first Prime Minister of Malaysia, by K. Das of the Far Eastern Economic Review. Where Mahathir is concerned, the Tunku sure does not mince his words. Even though this interview was recorded some twenty years ago, it seems that the observations Tunku had on the senile old man may not be too far off the mark after all.

Here are the pertinent quotes related to his opinion of Mahathir. I have purposely left the quotes as they are so that you can discern for yourself what he has to say.

ON MAHATHIR MOHAMAD
He could set up a republic in this country within two weeks. All he has to do is put it to the parliament with his two-thirds majority, they accept it and if the consent does not come or is not approved or disapproved within two weeks, it becomes law. And so, he can turn this country from a monarchy into a republic in two weeks.

He is an irresponsible man. He cares nothing for class, for law, for order, for the constitution. What suits him, he just does it. You remember once he said that you must be loyal, you must not idolize the leader? But what did he do? He called everybody to parliament to swear allegiance to him. Now he is going round the country on a so-called campaign . . . campaign for what? To support him, not to support the party.

DAS: HE’S DEVELOPING A PERSONALITY CULT?
No, he suffers from that disease–inferiority complex. That is one of the diseases we find in the political world. Look at Idi Amin–he got 10 Englishmen to carry him in a chair in order to overcome his inferiority complex. That is dangerous.