Mahathir was a tyrant, bully and oppressor - Max

KOTA KINABALU - Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s admission that he was a dictator during his 22-year reign as Malaysia’s Prime Minister is a “classic understatement of the century”, opined Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) deputy president Datuk Seri Panglima Dr Maximus Ongkili.

In fact, Maximus, who is also the Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister, added this to his description of Mahathir: “He was a tyrant, bully and oppressor, especially towards Sabah political leaders.”

During Mahathir’s rule, Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) withdrew from Barisan Nasional on the eve of the general election of 1990 due to dissatisfaction over what was seen as indifference by the Federal Government over issues of concern in Sabah, such as illegal immigrants and Borneonisation.

The party had also accused Mahathir of being behind the issuance of Malaysian citizenship to illegal immigrants to erode support for PBS and wrest the state from the PBS-led state government.

He also had the Internal Security Act (ISA) to silence critics, Maximus pointed out and referred to Mahathir’s claim that even though he was a dictator no one went to the streets to demonstrate against him.

“Says who (that no one protested against Dr Mahathir)? Many of us who questioned his policies and actions ended up being detained under the ISA. (Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri) Zahid Hamidi and I myself ended up 59 days in detention by Mahathir’s orders,” he said in a statement yesterday.

Maximus quipped that many leaders of the opposition also had easily forgotten or “mudah lupa” (in reference to Tun Mahathir’s poem Melayu Mudah Lupa), that they too were victims of the ISA, a draconian law that has since been repealed by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s administration.

“It’s clear that many of the opposition leaders who also suffered under the dictatorial hands of Tun Mahathir are now sleeping with their enemy. In their desperation to be the government of the day, they discard any political integrity or principles they might have when they decided to be partners with Tun Mahathir in his relentless quest to overthrow our Prime Minister,” he stated.

He went on to say that Mahathir abused the ISA.

“Mahathir ran terror in Sabah towards political leaders, especially those of us who raised matters of state rights, the 20-Points Memorandum and Inter-Governmental Committee Report (IGC). To raise the subject of autonomy was taboo to Mahathir and the ISA was always there to be used against those who raised the matter.

“How different it is from Najib, who preaches autonomy and empowerment for Sabah and Sarawak? Worst of all was the lack of control of illegal immigrants (PTI) in Sabah. It was Mahathir who caused the unprecedented presence of PTI in Sabah and it was done for political manoeuvring and permanent destruction of the Sabah political and demographic landscape.

“The Sabah people will never forget Mahathir for the disruption and damage he caused to Sabah and its socio-political demography. Sabah tidak mudah lupa,” stressed Maximus.