For months, Mahathir Mohamad had been enjoying himself – bashing and condemning everyone and every country he didn’t like, as if the world revolves around him. He has slammed the U.S., Hong Kong, India, Israel, Singapore and even Myanmar. In the process, he has insulted the Hindus, Chinese, Jews, Americans and practically everyone who was non-Muslim.
Fortunately, he was not the President of the United States. It was also lucky that Malaysia was not America. If Malaysia were the military and economic superpower United States and its leader happened to be Mahathir, he could have had launched military strikes against any nation that refuses to “kowtow” to him – sending the world into oblivion.
We’re talking about the man who could not accept criticisms even from fellow Muslim brothers. When a Turkish author, Mustafa Akyol, criticised Mahathir over his remarks against the Jews during a talk in the United Kingdom, the Malaysian prime minister immediately slammed Mr. Mustafa. Mr. Mahathir said he has every right to express his opinion in the name of free speech.
But when his own “chief strategist” Rais Hussin told a forum that the present government was in serious danger of losing the election if polls were to be called, Mahathir went ballistic – threatened that any member of his own party PPBM (Bersatu) found making statements or announcements that could spoil the image of the party would be subjected to disciplinary action.
Mahathir’s hatred towards the Jews is legendary, so much so he made personal attacks when he described them as “hook-nosed”. Perhaps his advisors should advise him that US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are closed buddies. Mr. Trump is someone you don’t want to offend because he couldn’t care less about political correctness.
Despite criticisms from the Muslim world – even with threats of new terror attacks – Trump defiantly and stubbornly announced on December 2017 the United States recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, and ordered the relocation of the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, something that past presidents had not dared do.
Mahathir had labelled Israel as a criminal state for terrorising Palestinians. He had condemned the Myanmar people for their treatment of the Rohingya Muslims. He had indirectly slammed China for suppressing, oppressing and repressing the Muslim Uighurs. He had anticipated applauses and cheers from Arab nations and the Muslim world, but he got none.
Clearly, the 94-year-old man missed very much his first stint as the country’s prime minister (from 1981 to 2003) where he was treated as the ultimate Muslim hero for speaking against the West. But today, all his former dictator buddies – Egyptian Hosni Mubarak, Libyan Muammar Gaddafi, Zimbabwean Robert Mugabe, and Indonesian Suharto – had either suffered a terrible death or lost power.
Besides using hate preacher Zakir Naik to condemn China for its mistreatment of Rohingya Muslims, Mahathir had poked his nose in the internal affairs of Hong Kong, saying its leader Carrie Lam should resign over the city’s increasingly violent pro-democracy protests. But the Hong Kong chief executive was a political appointee of Beijing so it was a criticism against China.
Hong Kong protesters are angry about what they see as creeping interference by Beijing in their city’s affairs despite a promise of autonomy in the “one country, two systems” formula under which Hong Kong returned to China in 1997. To suggest that Carrie Lam should step down, Mahathir has not only interfered in China’s sovereignty over Hong Kong, but also condemned Beijing’s internal policies.
On Monday (Oct 21), Mr. Mahathir, obviously panicked, told all and sundry that Malaysia could be hit with trade sanctions amid rising protectionism highlighted by the US-China trade war. “Economically, we are linked to both markets, and physically we are also caught in between for geographical reasons. There are even suggestions that we ourselves would be a target for sanctions,” – said the premier.
Interestingly, Malaysia was placed on the U.S. Treasury watch list for currency manipulation in May for its bilateral trade and current-account surplus. Of course, the central bank – Bank Negara – has denied the nation manipulates its currency and said it supports free and fair trade. However, it’s true that Mahathir was responsible for foreign exchange losses suffered by Bank Negara in the 1990s.
Together with then finance minister Anwar Ibrahim and ex-Bank Negara advisor Nor Mohamed Yakcop, as well as Daim Zainuddin (finance minister from July 1984 to March 1991), Mahathir administration had intervened and involved in speculation of currency trading from 1992 to 1994. As a result, the country had lost at least RM31.5 billion when their gambling stunt backfired.
Fortunately, being labelled a currency manipulator doesn’t come with immediate penalties, even though it can rattle financial markets. But Malaysia’s trade surplus of US$26.5 billion last year with the U.S could land the country in trouble, if Trump administration decides to slap Malaysia with sanctions. To be fair, the U.S. has also added Singapore and Vietnam to the list.
Mahathir will definitely know if his anti-Semitic is the reason the U.S. punishes his exports-reliant country with trade sanctions. Trump should fairly slap Singapore and Vietnam with sanctions too, without which is clear indication that Malaysia is being targeted solely due to the prime minister’s toxic mouth on the world stage.
Singapore, China and the United States were top three biggest export destinations for Malaysia between January and August this year. India, on the other hand, was the country’s 7th biggest trading partner in 2018. Hong Kong, surprisingly, was Malaysia’s 4th top trading partner last year. Amazingly, Mahathir has offended all those countries, one way or another.
India – one of the biggest importers of Malaysian palm oil – was toying with the idea of imposing trade restrictions on the Southeast Asian nation. Modi government wants to send a strong signal of its displeasure to Malaysian government over its interference in the internal affairs of India, after Mahathir accused New Delhi of having “invaded and occupied” Jammu and Kashmir.
New Delhi was also not impressed when Mahathir stubbornly and arrogantly chooses to protect and harbour Zakir Naik, a controversial Indian Islamic preacher wanted by the Indian government for spreading hate speech, laundering money, and funding terrorism. The drama of Mahathir, whose Indian ancestry is a public knowledge, looking down on India didn’t end there.
PM Mahathir’s insult of India’s democracy and judicial system has obviously rubbed the 1.32-billion population nation the wrong way. Despite boastfully telling the world that his newly installed government was committed to the rule of law, the 94-year-old premier arrogantly said he would not deport the radical and extreme preacher – even if India asked for it.
Hence, it was absolutely hilarious when Mahathir also complained of being bullied by powerful nations, referring to a campaign by European countries against Malaysia’s palm oil. It appears that he wants the privilege to bully everyone, but would cry, whine and bitch when he is at the receiving end. A trade war with India together with trade sanctions from the U.S. (and probably China) will send the country into financial meltdown.
His latest complaint, however, was cleverly designed as a pre-emptive warning that he is not to blame if indeed India eventually boycotts Malaysian palm oil and other products. It is also not his fault if the U.S. decides to specifically target the country with trade sanctions. And it is certainly not his leadership problem if the country plunges into another financial crisis due to boycotts and sanctions.
Other Articles That May Interest You …
- Trade War – Malaysia’s Plan To Buy Sugar & Buffalo From India May Be Too Little, Too Late
- Mahathir’s Toxic Mouth Invites Retaliation – India May Limit Imports Of Malaysian Palm Oil & Other Products
- India Rubbished Malaysia’s Claim Over Zakir Extradition – Has Mahathir Become A Serial Liar Like Crooked Najib?
- Congrats PM Mahathir & Zakir Supporters – India To Slap Extra 5% Import Tax On Malaysian Refined Palm Oil
- Congrats Mahathir – Zakir Gets More Radical, Tells 7 Million Ethnic Chinese To Go Back To China
- Careful What You Wish For – Zakir Naik Attacks China & Instigates Muslim World To Fight The Asia Superpower
- The Price For Harbouring Zakir Naik – India May Hike Tariff On Palm Oil From Malaysia To 50% From 45%
- Sri Lanka Terror Attack Mastermind Identified – Was He Inspired By Preacher Zakir Naik?
- Done Deal – Trump Keeps His Promise, U.S. Embassy Officially Moved To Jerusalem
- Snake Oil Salesman Zakir Naik – Preaching Muslims vs Non-Muslims
|
|
October 22nd, 2019 by financetwitter
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Comments
This country produces a lot of Palm Oil, We have a good crowd of trained scientists and Research workers. It is HIGH TIME we did Research on converting Palm Oil into COMBUSTIBLE FUEL and DIESEL OIL .
He is as big a failure as his Vision 2020. Malaysia is even worst of than when he announced that Vision 2020.
Mahathir panicked? The writer obviously wanted to change our mindset or rather he himself has something against Mahathir. We the College and University students of 1974 – 1978 era knew him too well that whenever he speaks he has got something up his sleeves. Panic is the last that would described him.
Maybe he got the facts not accurate, but it is happening. Somebody has got to speak on the wrong doings in the world today. The issue is dominance and practiced genocide. Don’t turn it around to be a religious issue. It was just an excuse for some country. Anyway, can anybody remember the last time a leader dare to speak as such. And talking about, the writer conveniently forget that after the speech, the rep from other countries flocked to express their support
Talking about India stopping the imports of palm oil, is India the only importer of palm oil? Even if it decided to import from Indonesia, ask yourself the origin of the companies operating in Indonesia
Then Mahathir government has nothing to worry and should continue bash India – don’t stop!
Dude, just because palm oil companies operating in Indonesia are Malaysian does not mean their workers are “Felda settlers”.
He is insulting India and supporting Zakir Naik because a certain Javanese immigrant called him a Mamak. Someone even asked him about his ancestry when he was in Japan. So he has an identity crisis to fix. He has to show how much contempt he has for mother India to impress the Malays he is two hundred and ten percent Malay.
Do you know why he slap more charges on that Orang Java then that Orang Bugis hero. Not only that NON of those charges are about the 1MDB. That is because almost all of those guilty of 1MDB will go to jail. Too many crooks espeacially the Tuans took from 1MDB . If you put all of those guilty ones in rison the Malays will be left with a very big political vacuum.
But that Javanese he is NOT going to forgive.That is why they dont include the 1MDB.
It was great that Modi of India put a halt to the import of Malaysian palm oil. High time to teach old Mahatir a lesson.
The old man good for nothing, but to poke his nose into the neighhbours affairs whilst back in his own backyard , everything were in a choatic stage due to his administration
Just who is he to comment on other countries?
He thought he is still the voice / champion for the Muslim countries, but alas, the world has changed so much that even Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman has vowed to recognise and normalise trade with Israel if the United States helps him “defeat Iran and take control of the Middle East.”
So what is Tun M still championing about, when the Saudi has become friendly with the Jews?
Back to the main topic: Tun M couldn’t even put the house in order (whether it is intentional, that’s another story):
1) He failed to fulfill the election manifesto
2) His “rule of law” is a joke (only selective and to his own benefit)
3) The country has become more and more openly racist, divided and regressing
So on what ground that he criticised other countries?
I could only hope that he stops commenting other countries affair/conflicts (Jammu and Kashmir was another landmine that he stepped on, for the wrong reason), and start putting our country in order.
But the hope is very slim because he is still very much living in the last century where he assumed information is still a controllable commodity (he thought that we are stupid and couldn’t find the real news behind the world conflicts) and his iron-wrist & cunningly racist ruling method (just look at how he is turning DAP into an MCA-like lapdog, even though DAP is a multiracial party) would work.
We should expect more foreign investment exodus as long as this country is still a mess.