YOURSAY | ‘Does he represent our aspirations for tomorrow or our hopelessness of today?’

'Some love me, some want me dead' – Dr M on bouquets and daggers

Vijay47: Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, you are a most confounding man. When I see you, I see the man who filled the nation with hope on May 9 last year, yet I also see the man who sank us into despair.

Who are you, sir, what are you? Are you our aspirations for tomorrow or our hopelessness of today? I grant that heavy is the head that wears the Malaysian crown, when both our today and tomorrow are so mortally coloured by a treacherous yesterday.

One year has gone by, we cannot expect miracles in so short a time. Changes have been wrought, institutional financial abuses seem to have been curtailed, government wastefulness appears to have been restricted, corruption is meeting its nemesis, and the architect of 1MDB is finally facing his day in court.

On these and such fronts you have been a runaway success, a grading of 90 percent may be too low.

I cannot complain that my personal material comfort is lacking. I enjoy a reasonable standard of living, attributable to some hard work, and more than abundant measure of divine intervention.

Hence, my anguish is towards the climate we live in when race and religion have arisen roaring and snarling. This is equally a concern you must address. I want to be assured that as a Malaysian I, too, can enjoy the rights, privileges, and responsibilities of that status.

You ask that we tell you what we want done. My needs are few and well within your authority – determine the truth behind the abductions of Raymond Koh and Amri Che Mat, punish those responsible for the killing of Teoh Beng Hock however high they may perch, and return M Indira Gandhi’s child to her.

I have often wondered how I would respond should I meet you in person. Wishing even the least ill towards you would be unthinkable and sacrilegious. I think – I know – that I will embrace you and count that moment as another blessing in my life.

Clever Voter: At Mahathir’s age, he should not be playing with communal sentiments in his responses to his political rivals. It's a no-win situation the moment he embarks on a race or religion battle.

He should take the high road, translate his vision and embrace an all-inclusive approach, not just for the bottom 40 percent (B40) income group, but also the middle class.

There is nothing wrong with pursuing a social agenda, but it has to be for all Malaysians, including Sabahans and Sarawakians. Why bother with all-Malay Bersatu when the only difference between this and Umno is personal preference, not philosophy?

Mahathir must embrace tomorrow. He talks about technology, such as electric cars. Which is fine, but take a look at what encumbers Indonesian president Joko Widodo.

We must leave behind religious battles. The prime minister must send Zakir Naik back to face charges in India. This is a no-brainer. How does the controversial preacher fit into our aspiration for a knowledge-based society? He doesn’t.

Mahathir has little time to be remembered as a statesperson rather than a politician.

Don’t Just Talk: Whatever it takes, Mahathir and Pakatan Harapan leaders have put aside their differences to save Malaysia from what was left behind by the kleptocratic Umno government led by Najib Abdul Razak.

Najib almost doomed us to Third World country status. Despite over RM1 billion found in properties linked to him, and despite facing multiple charges, he can still claim he is an honest man, and bring his ‘Malu apa, Bossku? (What is there to be ashamed of, my boss?) brand to every by-election – even in Sandakan, where there is no BN flag in sight.

'We don't go around shouting it out, but we have many achievements'

Kahlil Gibran: Mahathir says the Harapan government has achieved a lot despite being slammed for unfulfilled election promises.

Well, we voted Harapan only to get another BN. Two of the three ‘R’s – race and religion – remain and are officially part of the administration.

Harapan doesn’t seem like it cares about non-Malays, especially those in the B40. It has no poverty eradication programme.

The quota system in every aspect of life sees Malays still getting the lion’s share, while the rest have to share the scraps – particularly when it comes to Mara and government jobs. Harapan seems to not care how the others will survive.

We know from the past that Mahathir is racist, corrupt and vindictive. There is no way that he can be the driver of change.

The haste in which mega projects have been approved and the lack of transparency is very worrying. Case in point is the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL), where negotiations were handled by his trusted adviser Daim Zainuddin. How can we trust there was honesty in the negotiations?

As for Bandar Malaysia project, the previous government had terminated the contract with the Malaysia-China consortium because of non-fulfilment by the purchasers. Mahathir has reinstated the agreement with the consortium only having to pay a further RM500 million, in addition to the original RM741 million deposit.

The owners of Bandar Malaysia should initiate the master plan itself and then sell the land to be developed accordingly and make all the profits, instead of what the private consortium is going to make. This whole project is a farce.

The Penang Transport Master Plan, which is set to cost RM46 billion, involves the reclamation of three man-made islands, but there is no indication of how much the cost of reclamation would be, the time period in which this will take, nor are there feasibility reports or environmental impact assessments.

Yet again, important information has been swept under the carpet. We, the public, question whether the government is actually clean because so much transparency is denied.

When corruption surfaces, like with the Penang undersea tunnel project, the wrong person get charged. This is the New Malaysia.

ChuenTick: Sorry, Mahathir. It’s those unfulfilled election promises that have caused the disillusionment among many people who supported Harapan in last year’s general election.

No, we are not perfectionists expecting a 100 percent clean slate. But when simple policy matters are not implemented, it points to an intentional breaking of promises.

Oriole: Yes, there have been many shortcomings and unfulfilled election promises. However, now is the time to wrest the propaganda initiative back from BN – they’re winning the propaganda war, while Harapan continues to shoot itself in the foot.

Continue to expose BN’s excesses and abuses, with particular attention to its leadership, while winning the hearts and minds of the rakyat.

Sleepy: Important things are being looked into by the government, such as the cost of living. Plus, the fact that there are more voices to criticise is an achievement by itself.

Thus far, I am satisfied with Harapan, because overall the direction taken is right.

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