A response to Jeswan Kaur's "Will Karpal's dream come true?"

Truthbespoken

There were six photos in Jeswan Kaur’s posting of previous and current PMs tittled “Will Karpal’s dream come true?” However, not all the personalities were given a mention in the posting. So as a Malaysian citizen I would take the liberty to rate their performance as leader of the nation/PMs as follows. But before doing that, I would like to include Onn Jaafar into the list. Here goes ... what say you about the ratings?

Rating as Malayan/Malaysian leader/PM:                                                  

1. Onn Jaafar – (90%) 
Reason:   He was 100% for national integration of Malayans.

2. Tunku Abdul Rahman – (80%) 
Reason:  Notwithstanding he was honestly for Malayans and subsequently Malaysians living harmoniously under the same roof, he bears full responsibilty for ousting Onn Jaafar from his original national noble objective.

3. Abdul Razak – (50%) 
Reason:   He was probably not comfortable with Tunku holding on to the PM’s mantle for too long. Unfortunately, he was also affected adversely by the likes and advice of Harun Idris and Mahathir and was convinced the Tunku was too soft on the non-Malays. He decided to overthrow the Tunku using violence on his countrymen. He set up the National Operations Council (NOC) and initiated the NEP aimed at improving the economic status of the Malays and other impoverised Malaysians which should last until 1990. However, his objective were later messed-up, hijacked, abused and extended by UMNOputras for anotehr 20 years ironically led by a Mamak.

4. Hussein Onn – (60%) 
Reason:  He was a real gentleman who was not overtly ambitious but was firm in ensuring that there must be no more upheavals during his PMship. He arrested the arrogant trouble-maker Harun Idris, placed him in prison and set the course for a more stable Malaysia. Being not so creative and un-ambitious, he soon surrendered his PMship to Mahathir Mohammed.     

5. Mahathir Mohammed – (30%)  
Reason:   He was a disastrous PM insofar as race-relations was concerned. He deliberately enforced and expanded on his divide-and-rule policies on Malaysians, controlled the press and the whole government machinery and brought in illegal immigrants to change the population demographics of Malaysians. Through all these, he banked on the uninformed populace mainly the Malay kampong people's gullibity to sustain his  rule. Even the grand projects and highways which were built under his rule were mostly crony-based or Petronas-supported and the people will still have to suffer the effects of paying him his share or his familily through his cronies for the next few decades! His legacy was one of uncontrolled corruption, cronyism and failed race-relations amongst Malaysians.

6. Abdullah Ahmad – (40%)  
Reason:   He was the one PM known best for his sleeping abilities yet he was the one who was consciously or unconsciously more liberal in allowing Malaysians to express themselves on matters of national concern probably through the influence of his son-in-law. He was a fluked-shot PM who became one when Mahathir decided he should have a mild deputy after having two strong deputies and one foremost challenger in Tunku Razaliegh earlier. He was forced to resign by his UMNO warlords after the 308 GE debacle but along the way he had already quietly amassed great fortune at the expense of the weak accountable public system and a new wife to his heart’s content.                                                                                                                                             

7. Najib Razak – (50%)  
Resaon:   He is trying hard as PM but he is not strong enough or has the political will-power to overcome and rope in those wayward politicians and warlords from his own party to stand out as a successful Malaysian PM. He just do not have the guts to hold himself up to perform the Hussein Onn’s act. With the baggages he is personally carrying in the submarine and altantuya affairs, he appears at most time to be a lame-duck PM being overshadowed by the domineering former PM Mahathir who is now still pulling the strings from behind the scenes and serving as UMNO’s supreme spiritual political head!                                    

All said, even in simple layman’s terms here, there are so much more to be demanded from all previous PMs to make Malaysia a truly outstanding, progressive and harmonious nation. So dear Jeswan Kaur, you may have a point in bringing forward Karpal Singh’s hope of having someone else in future, regardless of race or religion, to take up the mantle of Malaysia’s PM so long as the leader concerned is seen and accepted as a capable nation-harmoniser-and-builder! What else can Malaysians dreamily hope for under prevailing prospects and circumstances?