Mahathir’s Merdeka Day lies – a pack full of them

Mahathir’s Merdeka Day lies – a pack full of them

September 1, 2018 Raggie Jessy

TTF: The following is a news editorial by The Sun Daily (original editorial far below) that was reproduced (lines in blue) to incorporate reactions by TTF (lines in red):

(Edited at 10.45 am for clarity)

SUN: KUALA LUMPUR: Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said Malaysians today are relieved to have finally removed Barisan Nasional (BN) from power and have Pakatan Harapan (PH) as government after 61 years.

TTF: This was generally true right after the 14th general election (GE14) concluded.

However, whether or not Malaysians are still as relieved as they were post-GE14 is subject to debate, as many have become disillusioned with Pakatan Harapan after realising that the coalition misled the rakyat on virtually every occasion and is pinning the blame squarely on the previous administration for its own mistakes.

SUN: The Prime Minister said many among the public felt suppressed under the previous regime.

“They feel they are no longer oppressed. There was fear before. (That) you can’t do this, you can’t do that,” he said at the Malaysia Baru celebration organised by Malaysians for Malaysia (M4M) in conjunction with the 61st National Day celebration, here, today.

TTF: This is a lie.

Many felt it easy to express themselves under the Najib administration as the administration was open to criticism and never politically castrated dissenters.

The freedom that was granted for one to express dissatisfaction against government back then is made manifest when one considers that Pakatan held multiple rallies without proper permits but was let off the hook on most occasions.

SUN: The veteran statesman, however, admitted PH was finding it difficult being the government and delivering on its election promises as it has no experience in administering the country.

TTF: This is another lie.

PH comprises many past government leaders and spouses or aides of those leaders who are now holding key government positions, including Mahathir himself, who previously held the post of Prime Minister for 22 years.

Apart from Mahathir, you have Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin (who some say has resigned or will resign), Datin Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail (who is the wife of a former deputy Prime Minister and gets her cues from him) and Dato’ Seri Azmin Ali (who has been Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s aid since his UMNO days), all of whom are well accustomed with the ways of government.

And let us not forget Lim Guan Eng.

Like Muhyiddin and Azmin, he once led a state government and knows very well what it takes to control an administration.

Yet, all the blunders and disasters by the present administration were brought about by the failures of these people.

SUN: He said many of the pledges in the Buku Harapan were included thinking the coalition would not be successful in toppling BN in the general election.

“Many things that we put in the manifesto thinking we would be the opposition, but now we are the government. We are slow (in implementing pledges) because we are not used to being the government,” he said.

TTF: This is yet another lie.

On the 1st of June 2018, Mahathir alleged that Pakatan Harapan needed more time to fulfil pledges outlined in its ‘10 promises in 100 days’ manifesto for GE14 as “Barisan Nasional had greatly damaged the country.”

Mahathir said this without explaining in any amount of detail how Barisan could possibly have caused destruction to the economy which, every right thinking Malaysian knows, was triggered by Pakatan from the moment it assumed power.

Then, on the 16th of July 2018, he alleged that the manifesto wasn’t a bible that Pakatan had to follow and abide by religiously, meaning, he admitted that the coalition had no intention whatsoever of fulfilling its manifesto pledges from the get go.

This, coupled with his latest statement (above), qualifies as an admission on his part that Pakatan did indeed make fake pledges just to topple Barisan Nasional.

SUN: Mahathir said among other promises that PH had drafted in the manifesto with being the opposition in mind, and to keep “the BN government” in check, was to name an opposition member as the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chairman.

“But what to do (they are now the opposition). We have promised, so we have to have ourselves examined and scrutinised by the opposition,” he said.

TTF: As I have proven earlier, Pakatan never once believed it would remain the opposition and was confident of wresting Putrajaya from Barisan. 

But that’s besides the point. 

For Mahathir to say that Pakatan made pledges thinking it would remain the opposition is utter stupidity.

The reason being, Pakatan’s manifesto was a published verbal declaration of its intentions, motives and pledges subject to it wresting control of government from Barisan.

What this means, is that Pakatan did believe it had a chance of winning GE14.

But thanks to Mahathir, we now know that the only reason it prepared the manifesto is because it knew, that by doing so, it could con the people into ousting the previous Barisan Nasional administration.

SUN: Mahathir said the coalition had also not expected that the road after the May 9 polls would be a rough ride, claiming they had initially thought the hardest part – winning the election – was over.

“The people decided they want to change the government, not so much for PH, but to get rid of so and so (referring to former premier Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak). We have done that. But we realised that was the easy part.

“Now that we are the government, there is a little bit of discomfort. People who have been opposing the government for 61 years are finding it difficult to be the government. They don’t know how to behave,” he said.

TTF: This is true, but only in part.

Many government leaders are indeed behaving as if they are still members of the opposition.

However, as I pointed out earlier, key people in the current administration are well accustomed with the ways of government and are the ones blundering most.

So let’s not use the excuse that “people who have been opposing the government for 61 years are finding it difficult to be the government.”

SUN: The Langkawi MP, however, pledged that the government would do its best to deliver on its election promises.

BN leaders and certain quarters of the public have recently criticised PH for failing to keep to its election pledge after only a fraction of its “10 promises in 100 days” were implemented.

TTF: Another pledge from Mahathir after failing to fulfil all other pledges?

Can we even trust anything he says anymore???

KUALA LUMPUR: Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said Malaysians today are relieved to have finally removed Barisan Nasional (BN) from power and have Pakatan Harapan (PH) as government after 61 years.

The Prime Minister said many among the public felt suppressed under the previous regime.

“They feel they are no longer oppressed. There was fear before. (That) you can’t do this, you can’t do that,” he said at the Malaysia Baru celebration organised by Malaysians for Malaysia (M4M) in conjunction with the 61st National Day celebration, here, today.

The veteran statesman, however, admitted PH was finding it difficult being the government and delivering on its election promises as it has no experience in administering the country.

He said many of the pledges in the Buku Harapan were included thinking the coalition would not be successful in toppling BN in the general election.

“Many things that we put in the manifesto thinking we would be the opposition, but now we are the government. We are slow (in implementing pledges) because we are not used to being the government,” he said.

Mahathir said among other promises that PH had drafted in the manifesto with being the opposition in mind, and to keep “the BN government” in check, was to name an opposition member as the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chairman.

“But what to do (they are now the opposition). We have promised, so we have to have ourselves examined and scrutinised by the opposition,” he said.

Mahathir said the coalition had also not expected that the road after the May 9 polls would be a rough ride, claiming they had initially thought the hardest part – winning the election – was over.

“The people decided they want to change the government, not so much for PH, but to get rid of so and so (referring to former premier Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak). We have done that. But we realised that was the easy part.

“Now that we are the government, there is a little bit of discomfort. People who have been opposing the government for 61 years are finding it difficult to be the government. They don’t know how to behave,” he said.

The Langkawi MP, however, pledged that the government would do its best to deliver on its election promises.

BN leaders and certain quarters of the public have recently criticised PH for failing to keep to its election pledge after only a fraction of its “10 promises in 100 days” were implemented.

Source: The Sun Daily