Dr Mahathir, you're no Tunku

YOURSAY 'Please do not compare yourself with Tunku Abdul Rahman. He was a statesman and you were nothing but a clever politician.'

Dr M: Yes, Filipinos given citizenship, it was all legal

Gerard Lourdesamy: Fourth PM Dr Mahathir Mohamad, please do not misrepresent first PM Al-Marhum Tunku Abdul Rahman (TAR).

The granting of citizenship to the Chinese and Indians (who had already been in Malaya for decades) was a condition for independence. In return, the special position of the Malays was recognised in the Constitution.

In fact, the British favoured dual citizenship for the non-Malays - that of independent Malaya and of the United Kingdom and Colonies - but Umno was opposed to this. So don't talk rubbish.

Your idea of citizenship was to give every Filipino Muslim who got off the boat from Mindanao, Sulu or Pahlawan, including terrorists, instant citizenship with the right to vote.

So please do not compare yourself with TAR. He was a statesman and you were nothing but a clever politician.

Pemerhati: Mahathir used various crooked strategies to win elections to stay in power for 22 years and then rob the country blind.

The strategies included the classic divide-and-rule method by using race and religion; massive gerrymandering with the active collaboration of the crooked Election Commission (EC) where the electorate in the constituencies in many rural pro-Umno areas are one-tenth the size of the pro-opposition urban areas; using the completely monopolised media to spew lies and demonise the opposition; rigging the postal and normal voting system by various methods such as using phantom voters and getting illegal immigrants to vote by illegally giving them MyKads and instant citizenship, especially in Sabah.

Several months ago, PAS members saw similar operations being carried out in Selangor. Only a massive swing can overcome the crooked and fraudulent system put in place by BN and give Pakatan Rakyat a win in the coming general election.

Starr: Mahathir wouldn't admit any wrongdoing. No doubt, the scheme was an attempt to shift the political equation in Sabah in favour of the Muslims. This coincided with the Umno's entry in 1991 when the state registered a spike in population. This resulted in the ouster of the then Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) government in 1994.

Illegals were given ICs within days, not months of arriving from boats, never mind about years like what was claimed. The evidence revealed at the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) clearly bears testimony to the ground reality.

In any case, Mahathir can't explain why should Sabah's population increase be quadrupled between 1970 and 2010, and why Muslims made up the entire increase?

As a responsible government, it shouldn't never have allowed such a situation to arise to such an extent as to alter fundamentally the social fabric and political landscape of Sabah. It's not a question of authority, but responsibility.

LittleGiant: I do not want even one MIC, MCA and Gerakan candidate to win in the next general election. These parties have to be destroyed completely and punished appropriately for their allegiance to Umno-BN over the past 50 years.

There are thousands of 'stateless' Indians and Chinese in the peninsula who were born in Malaysia, lived in the country for many decades and had contributed to nation-building. They were educated in Malaysia and could speak fluent Malay.

Why then the government kept rejecting their applications for citizenship on some flimsy excuses? Isn't it obvious now that these thousands of Indians and Chinese were given the runaround just because they were non-Muslims?

Kairos: The people who should be most affected and angry are the Sabahans. Here you have first-hand evidence of a malpractice and the perpetuation of an injustice that all of us have suspected all along.

The illegal Muslim refugees from southern Philippines as well as Bangladeshis and Pakistanis were given citizenship with the primary objective to boost the Muslim population in Sabah.

The secondary objective is a political one - to vote for BN. Clearly, the order came from the very top of the nation's leadership. This is absolutely nauseating.

This revelation ought to cause anger and resentment among the locals. If they continue to remain silent in the face of such overwhelming evidence, then it must be concluded that they are permanently castrated. Come on, speak up!

Q..!: My mother was in this country for 46 years and she died with red IC (identity card). She married a Malaysian citizen and gave birth to two children and spoke Malay as good as any makcik.

Why was her application denied but the Filipinos were granted citizenship? Answer me, Mahathir.

A Selangor Voter: In the 1999 elections, there was a petition filed to challenge the results of the Likas state seat in Sabah. Justice Muhammad Kamil Awang allowed the petition and declared the result null and void on grounds that there were illegal immigrants voting in large numbers.

It was alleged that then chief justice Eusoff Chin called Muhammad Kamil to strike out the petition on the grounds that the judge had no jurisdiction to question the electoral roll, which the judge rightfully refused to do so.

The RCI must also specifically tackle this matter too. The EC must be called to testify. It, too, must be investigated.

Not Confused: I'm a foreigner - I think that as it is said to be legal, maybe it is an opportune time for me to apply for citizenship. I wonder if I will get it without having to swear allegiance to BN?

If that's the case, I will stay as I am, thank you.

Anon: Perhaps Tunku made a very bad mistake by giving citizenship to Mahathir's grandfather, who was from Kerala, India. - Malaysiakini