Dr M: Change not always for the better

Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad cautioned against banking on a change of government to solve a nation’s woes as was being demanded in Tunisia and Egypt, saying today there was no guarantee that new leaders would do better.

“Should these revolutions succeed there would be new governments. But it is worthwhile to remember that change is not always for the better,” the former prime minister wrote in his popular blog chedet.cc today.

Dr Mahathir (picture)said the ongoing wave of popular uprising in the Arab world must result in better governments as underdevelopment in Muslim countries “almost invariably is due to government incompetence.”

“This is because most leaders upon achieving power would change and would forget the struggles and sacrifices which enabled them to be in power. Power corrupts as we all know,” he wrote.

He said that even democracy was no guarantee as elections could be fixed or a series of ineffective governments would be voted in and rejected in turn.

“This will cause instability. The country would be no better,” said Dr Mahathir, who led Malaysia for 22 years which saw the economy grow at a fast pace until the 1997 Asian financial crisis.

He said that to avoid this happening after a popular revolution, the electorate must not allow themselves to be manipulated but “this would be something new to them and they may not be skilled enough in exercising their power to choose.”

Dr Mahathir, however, called on the new leaders not to forget “the people who so courageously rose against the previous governments” and manage the economy well, create jobs and reduce corruption or “the same fate will be met by the new government.”

He also lamented the fact that there is no developed Muslim country and this caused the Muslim world to suffer oppression and discrimination.

“The reason for the oppression of Muslim countries and discrimination against Muslims that we see today is because they are underdeveloped and weak. They are labelled terrorists. They have no capacity to protect themselves.

“When powerful countries give aid, it is not free. They have to toe the line determined by the donors,” he said.

He said it was not true that being developed was not important to Islam or against its teachings but that it would regain respect for the religion.

“Does Islam teach us to be weak and poor, to be beggars incapable of defending ourselves? Certainly not.

“Indeed, what we will be doing is to restore the good image of Islam and counter the propaganda that Islam is the cause of the poverty and incompetence of Muslims,” he added. - Malaysian Insider