Former premier Mahathir Mohamad, himself often described as a megalomaniac, insisted it was the Chinese in the country who were the greedy ones, implying that they were also ingrates for not appreciating what the BN had done for them although they were ones who benefitted the most and not the Malays.
“BN has given a lot to the Chinese. Look at Kuala Lumpur. If not for Khazanah, what do Malays have? We are not asking a lot, we just want our small share,” he told reporters on Sunday.
Opposition leaders have often raked up government data that shows RM54 billion of shares having been distributed to the Malays since the New Economic Policy was launched in 1971. But todate, only RM2 billion remains in Malay hands - a fact that suggest massive corruption by the Umno elite against the working class Malays.
During the years 2000 to 2009, RM888 billion was also transferred out of the country in the form of illicit outflows, according to renowned watchdog body Global Financial Integrity.
However, till now and despite continuous grilling in Parliament, the BN government has failed to give any proper answer. Mahathir's son, deputy Trade minister Mukhriz, even went so far as to condemn the GFI for having ulterior motives and wrongful computation. He declared there was no need to investigate the GFI report despite calls from prominent citizens and civil rights groups.
Still in attack mode after all these years
The 85-year old Mahathir ruled the country with a fist of iron for 22 years, retiring only in 2003 but still wields significant influence in Umno, where he is the acknowledged leader of the conservative right-wing Malay nationalists, who claim to treasure racial and political supremacy.
Due to Mahathir's divide-and-rule policies, Malaysia's multi-ethnic groups have failed to gel together a national unity despite 54 years of independence from British colonial rule.
Just yesterday, two blogs that are widely believed to be funded by him together with Umno newspaper, Utusan, accused the DAP of wanting to set up a Christian state that replaces Islam as the official religion.
The sheer bizarreness of the accusations initially shocked the nation, although by now most Malaysians, including the Muslims, are exasperated rather than panicked.
Many did not know whether to laugh at the farcical nature of the plot or to cry at the sad state, inter-racial relations have deteriorated into thanks to Mahathir and his ilk, including Perkasa president Ibrahim Ali.
Yet Mahathir, true to form, chose to attack rather than defend.
“Chinese are different from Malays. Malays support BN because they can see benefits, of which the Chinese get the most benefits. Chinese are looking to Penang, they want power. That’s why their judgment is different from Malays,” he said.
Wants GE only in 2012
During his time in power, the Chinese gave him their support, choosing routine and safety rather than democracy and standing up for their rights. They also failed to question him for the massive fraud and corruption that marked his administration.
But as the years passed, the situation grew worse due mainly to the racial brainwashing given by the National Civics Bureau or BTN to young Malay graduates and civil servants.
Instead of closing, the racial divide widened and in March 2008, the non-Malays finally gave up on the BN, voting the Pakatan Rakyat led by Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim into power at 5 states.
The next GE is not due till 2013 but Prime Minister Najib Razak has indicated he wants it much earlier. There are signs that it can be as early as June 11 or July 11.
Nevertheless, for reasons of his own, Mahathir is against the idea and has publicly voiced his objection to snap polls, suggesting 2012 instead. The MCA has also said it needed "more time" to prepare for the GE.
Whether Mahathir, who has been accused of squandering at least US$100 billion of taxpayers' wealth, believes the BN needs more time to convince the Chinese to give them a second chance, or he is pushing for more to time to cover his own tracks is unclear at this stage.
“Extremists want everything. Not all Chinese are like that, but you have extremists, same with Malays, even in Umno. Not one race in this country will be able to get 100 per cent of everything they wish for,” the ex-PM continued politicking.
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