The Dr M legacy and myth

2 days ago, I asked “what will happened”?   after Dr M’s latest move. I also mentioned that his son Mukhriz would not leave and that there would not be any MPs leaving UMNO. Some grassroots may leave but most will stay behind.

The events of the past 2 days proved that there was no mass exodus , no MPs leaving the party. Theresa Kok, the MP from DAP,  was quoted to say in NST today that if he cannot persuade his own son to quit, how is he going to persuade other MPs to quit?

Dr M should take a leave from Dr Lim CHong Eu, one of the Gerakan founders and former chief minister of Penang, who did much to improve the economy of Penang , turning it from a resourceless entreport (which lost its free port status) to an industrial hub, a silicon valley of sort… Dr Lim, after his loss in 1990 General Election, had never meddled in the internal politics of Gerakan. In fact, any retired politician should behave like Dr Lim, not just Dr M.

Let us recap what Dr M had done in his 22 years as PM.

Malaysia’s economy was 3 times that of South Korea in the mid sixites, ahead of Taiwan and on par with Singapore.

 In the seventies, at one time, our currency was slightly stronger than the Sing Dollar. I was at that time studying in Singapore University, and I remember that every holiday I would buy fruits and other titbits back to Penang, beacause those things were much cheaper than in Malaysia,  thanks to our strong currency then.

In the early eighties, when Dr M took over the premiership, South Korea and Taiwan was about the same level as us. Singapore was already way ahead, and their currency had appreciated 50% against ours.

By 2003, when Dr M stepped down, S Korea’s and Taiwan’s economy was many times of us. Singapore currency was more than 2 times ours.

From 1980 to around 2000, the whole Asia Pacific area was booming due to the influx of investments and technology. Any country with an open economy would have boomed under the circumstances. So Malaysia, as well as Indonesia, Thaland all boomed. Only those countries that practice semi open or closed economy did worse than us, like Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar. Even Vietnam is playing catching up. So, during that time, even if Dr Mahathir did not become the PM of Malaysia, Malaysia would have progressed similarly, or maybe even better.

That is to say, even if we have an average PM, we would have done OK economically and not worse than Dr M.

During that period . SOuth Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and SIngapore all did many times better than us.  Singapore with a population of 4 millions, has about the same GDP as ours now, and is poised to overtake us anytime.

So in fact, Malaysia lagged behind other countries economically as compared to South Korea, Singapore, taiwan and Hong Kong. We would soon lag behind Thailand, Vietnam if the same Mahathirism is at play.

So it is a myth that Dr M had been the architect of modern Malaysia.

His leagcy? The twin towers, Putrajaya, the palatial residence of the present PM and a compromised judiciary, increasing racial polarisation, deteriorating standard of governance…….the list goes on.

 

 

Dr M’s mathematics?  Snow is black and charcoal is white….

                                (Picture from Scott Thong’s Buuuuurrrning hot )