Mahathir's Neverending War on Malaysians
As Malaysians today grapple with the realities of successive incompetent and ineffective governments – it is easy forget that around this time some three years ago, many of us were excited at the prospect of a new chapter in our country’s history. Yet what lay in store for us was years of political instability, mired by infighting and conflicting agendas, with the only constant factor being the presence of the elder statesman, Tun Mahathir. Despite being elected on a platform that promised a more equitable society, we were ultimately barraged with the same-old, same-old “the poor don’t work hard enough” narrative that is synonymous with Mahathir. What Malaysians actually asked for was a new vision that represents Malaysia Baru - one that includes Malaysians from all walks of life. Instead we got a return to Malaysia Lama - one that is characterized by Mahathir’s own brand of outdated and dangerous thinking. Take for example his mentality on the poor, where Malaysians remain poor becaus...