TITLE : MAHATHIR GREAT MALAYSIAN HERO.

PREFACE

As the fourth Prime Minister of Malaysia, Datuk Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamad is facing a lot of challenges. Crisis after crisis rocked his government and even his leadership is at stake. But he never lost in those problems. Ironically, he carries through Malaysia to the new Era. No matter how strong the waves to drown him, he is still there. He shrewdly faced all the challenges. No matter how big the obstacles are, one way or the other, he always comes out with a very good solution. He is brave enough to confront his enemy and soft enough to deal with for those who want a compromise. Malaysian politics in the past has been full of dramatic events. Datuk Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamad keeps anticipating each of them in an unprecedented manner that sometime never came across in our 'bare mind'. Above all, I think, the challenge by (then) Finance Minister Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, backed by former Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Musa Hitam for the presidency of UMNO, is the most crucial one. Since then Malaysian politics has never been the sarne again. Political competition and conflict in an organised society arise over 'position scarcity' and 'resource scarcity' within an organised structure of rewards. Political scarcity occurs because no two people can occupy the same position at the same time in the reward structure. Nor can one individual occupy two different positions simultaneously - with a few exceptions, off-course. Only a small number of people can occupy these positions of great power, privilege and prestige. Since many people seek these positions, as Tengku Razaleigh, Datuk Musa and Co. tried to muster Dr. Mahathir for the top post, and only a few can fill such a limited number of valuable positions, conflict frequently develops over them. All these exist and keep happening around us today. The pattern of Malaysian politics lately is being dominated by the so-called 'power-struggle'. Having out-manoeuvred Tengku Razaleigh in the murky backdoor plays over party registration, Dr. Mahathir now has him outside of the UMNO. Onceoutside, Tengku Razaleigh formed 'Semangat46' and associates with PAS, HAMIM and BERJASA in what they called Angkatan Perpaduan Ummah (APU). To even more extreme APU now allies them selves with Democratic Action Party (DAP) - the opposition party known as the most racialist and chauvinist Chinese. Why did Tengku Razaleigh do that? The answer is obvious, to become a Prime Ministerat any price. As for Dr. Mahathir he has 'a crab story' which he says in Chapter 1. Conflict occurs when competitors disregard the rules. It becomes more complex when they seek to destroy each other in their quest for scarce positions and scarce resources. As in any games, they sometime cheat, political competitors 'more or less' follow rules unless they can find ways toeffectively circumvent themselves. But in the political game, it is nderstood that changing or violating these rules is acceptable. Thus, Dr. Mahathir amended several laws and some part of the constitution itself simply to anticipate the violators. What further strengthened Mahathir's hand is the power of state and party patronage. There has always been a degree of interaction between party and state machineries from the top down to the kampung (village) level, whether it involved the granting of trading licences or the awarding of public-works contracts and so on. The politics ofpatronage grew dramatically during the 1970s under the twin inlluences of the New Economic Policy's (NEP) push to create a Malay property-owning and commercial class and the buoyancy of government revenues due to the oil boom. In theory it is expected to flatten outin recent years as government spending has had to be curtailed and more emphasis is placed on private-sector initiative, but it has not worked quite like that for several reasons. The whole 1 980s, indeed, was full of drama, challenges and excitement. Dr. Mahathir is a master in governing and managing political crises. He is arguably the most analysed Prime Minister ever, the mosf relentlessly examined and the most controversial. This book is a compilation of analysis based on news and events that have taken place during Dr. Mahathir's era as Prime Minister since July 1981. I hope it can contribute something as a remembrance to our Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamad for his courage and guts to lead for a 'Greater Malaysia' . No doubt, it is a challenge for every Malaysian to appreciate his visions. And by compiling most of the major events in one book, I hope it can remind us what a great task Dr. Mahathir has to anticipate. This book is about politics, economics and social reformation in Malaysia during Dr. Mahathir's era. It is a full accounts on many controversial issues, from soleiy politics up to merely marriage problems that needed his immediate attentions in order to solve it. Some might not agree that Dr.Mahathir is a 'Great Malaysian Hero' as I named after this book But as a human being, nobody is perfect. Not Dr. Mahathir and more over me. Everybody is bound to his own weaknesses. Since he took office in 1981, Dr. Mahathir has sought to change the country through a series of new ideas, policies and slogans which have won the suppon of most Malaysians. However, in contrast to the early years, some of the policies and decisions 'backfire' and met with resistance and criticism from various quarters. But, this in no way dampened the determination of theleadership to forge a 'Greater Malaysia' . Thus, while there were evere tests, the events must be seen as pieces being formed and reformed to lay the foundation of the future nation in a greater and broader perspective. The Malaysian should not ask whether or not ' Dr. Mahathir is doing the right thing' for none has provided a complete answer to the perennial problems of politics. Rather, the question should be what insights his visions. Those whom their critics has always been 'condemning others' must first look deep inside of themselves. "Are you better? Or in other words, "Look, who is talking?" I'm not saying Dr. Mahathir has 'done nothing wrong' . But, as nobody canavoid from not making mistakes, I think Dr. Mahathir is 'our great leader', who so far making history for a greater Malaysia. This book is about the leadership of Dr. Mahathir Mohamad. It escribes how he managed this country with visions and courage. I have ttempted to convey the very positive view on hts leadership. I believe the task of a Prime Minister is the most precious, challenging, and rewarding one for a politician. Although, many eyeing for the post, at a cenain period of time only one can fill it Tengku Razaleigh and others must wait with a great passion otherwise the 'Malays will eat each other' in the quest for the power while others will, off-course, 'laugh' at us. Even now some already called he politician as 'primitive', as described by Tun Suffian. We are still lucky not being called as 'man eater politicians' as it is going to be unless we stop quarrelling and return to the fold.The problems our society faces today and most likely, theproblems it ill face in the foreseeable future, require both large and small scale solutions which only a strong government and a well determined leadership can provide. Thus, as Dr. Mahathir is trying his besLw we as rakyat (citizens) must not 'blind our eyes' or 'deaf our ears' from the truth. We must see and accept the facts that Dr. Mahathir is doing a great job up there. In completing this book, I owe a great thanks to many friends, fellow journalists and institutions. It would be too long for me to list all of them here. To them, I can only express my great passions. after three years of 'exile' living in overseas, I found that Malaysia is the only nation I shall belong to. When my former 'boss' Tun Datuk Patinggi Haji Abdul Rahman Ya'akub no longer hold the powerin Sarawak, most of his aides found their ways overseas. They are 'thorn' for the Chief Minister, Taib Mahmud. So do I, having served as an editor of Sinar Sarawak and having done other 'groundworks' for Tun Datuk Patinggi Haji Abdul Rahman Ya'akub since 1979, at last I found myself in dilemma. Tough decision, but I had to make- up my mind. Then, I found myself already in overseas 'healing my heart'. To Tun Datuk Patinggi Haji Abdul Rahman Ya'akub, Cikgu Haji Mohd Deli haji Abdul Rahman and Zaiton Haji Abdul Rahman, for a different reason, I always remember the years that had passed when we were together. We cannot change the fate, so now we are in a different boat altogether. To Datuk Haji Abdul Aziz Mohamed, I thank you for your attention hen we met 'out of blue' in Sydney. Your contributions in terms of ideas and financial helped me in making this book into reality. To my brothers Abdul Rahman and Osman Haji Hamzah, I would like to tell you one thing, 'Be a Good Intellect'. I would like to thank these people who have assisted me in various ways in preparing the final manuscripL They are students of Universiti Sains Malaysia, Osman Hamzah (Manjah), Cikgu Fadhil, Wak Dos, Jimmy, Azmi, Mat Det, USM librarians, USM Komsis Cahaya, National Library, Residents of the Kepah, New South Wales University, University of Sydney, Australian College of Journalism, Residents of 21, Terry Street, Sydney, Abdullah Ali and Heider in Quackers Hill, Australia. Thanks also to friends and colleagues, whose advices I found easy to solicit while writing this book. My great appreciation goes to Ahmad Sanusi Ashaari (Human Resources Ministry), Mohd Taib Ibrahim, Zarinah Man (HRM), Ibrahim Saat (Immosa Resources), Mohd Ali Jaafar, Sa'ed Haji Hamzah, Cikgu Abd. Wahab, Sapiah, Latifah, Abdul Karim, Khalifah Haji Hamzah, Zahrol Abdul Aziz, Dr. Nana, Iwan Natapradja and family in Sydney, Bibik Dedeh in France, Dr. Helen (San Deigo), Aminuddin Jamal bin Jamaluddin (UPM), Zakaria Haji Abdullah (UPM), Saiful Adli (MKN) and last but not least Hasnol and Shahrin from LBG NIAGA, for their countless contributions. To the readers, enjoy reading. I hope this book - MAHATHIR: GREAT MALAYSIAN HERO - can contribute as a valuable reference.

Mei 1990 Hasan Haji Hamzah