Pride and prejudice - an open letter to Dr Mahathir

LETTER | Dear Tun,

I am so proud of you. At the grand old age of 93, you are the world’s oldest prime minister. You are Malaysia’s guide and guardian. The world was speechless when we elected you back to power in May 2018. They must have thought you could not hack it at this age. But you proved them wrong.

I felt proud of our country on May 9, 2018. We were, for the first time, a beacon of democracy to the rest of the world. For once, other countries looked at us as an example of how the common man could triumph over an unimaginably unscrupulous, powerful and corrupt regime. It felt so good to be praised after being a laughing stock for years. You played a pivotal role in making this possible. For that, I will always be grateful.

In your speech during the general debate of the 73rd session of the General Assembly at the UN in New York, in September 2018, you had said:

“A new Malaysia emerged after the 14th general election in May this year. Malaysians decided to change their government, which had been in power for 61 years, since independence. We did this because the immediate past government indulged in the politics of hatred, of racial and religious bigotry, as well as widespread corruption. The process of change was achieved democratically, without violence or loss of lives […]

"Malaysians want a new Malaysia that upholds the principles of fairness, good governance, integrity and the rule of law. They want a Malaysia that is a friend to all and enemy of none. A Malaysia that remains neutral and non-aligned. A Malaysian that detests and abhors wars and violence. They also want a Malaysia that will speak its mind on what is right and wrong, without fear or favour […]”

Throughout my childhood, you were our prime minister, and I grew up thinking of you as our own "Iron Man". You put Malaysia on the world map. You were determined to see our nation succeed and “Wawasan 2020” was a phrase we were all familiar with. You helped us to manufacture our national car, and you stood up to the West. I was proud of you for that.

Fast forward to today, when I once again felt pride when I heard what you said about the issue of the Rohingya crisis, during the 34th Asean Summit held last week. You suggested that an independent international community should monitor the repatriation of the Rohingya back to Myanmar to ensure that they are not persecuted or tortured in any way.

I was proud when you raised the issues of bringing the perpetrators to justice; the proper treatment of the Rohingyas, and the commitment to increase humanitarian efforts. It is wonderful that the leader of my country is able to show empathy, support and commitment over the plight of this unfairly marginalised community. Without international support and communities working together, we cannot move forward. That is what you said. That you appear to be willing to take a stand on this thorny issue is indeed commendable.

I know that you have always been an advocate of peace and that you have urged countries to work together for the harmonious good of the whole. In Malaysia, you have reminded us that our diversity is our strength and that we must stay united. Do not let race politics destroy the unity in this country, you said.

And yet …

I respectfully submit that you do indeed harbour unacceptable prejudice towards certain communities. There have been times where you have contradicted your abovesaid call for peace and goodwill towards mankind and humanity. This seems to happen most often when you refer to Israel and the Jews. There have been many times in the past, particularly when you are addressing an international audience, that you have openly condemned the Israelis. One such incident was in the very same address to the UN General Assembly above, where, after stating that Malaysia is “a friend to all and enemy to none; a Malaysia that remains neutral and non-aligned”, you then went on condemn Israel as being a root cause of terrorism. You said:

“This present war against the terrorists will not end until the root causes are found […] the world does not care even when Israel breaks international laws, seizing ships carrying medicine, food and building materials in international waters […] the world rewards Israel, deliberately provoking Palestine by recognising Jerusalem as the capital of Israel”.

With respect, Tun, do you think that this comment shows a Malaysia that is “neutral and non-aligned”?

Recently, in your talk to the Cambridge Union last week, your open condemnation of Jews was shocking to many. This is racism in its ugliest form, and it could have grave repercussions for our country. It is unacceptable because it is prejudice against an entire community of people. You aimed your comments at all Jews. By doing this, you condemned them all as a race.

You said: “ I have some Jewish friends, very good friends. They are not like the other Jews, that’s why they are my friends.” You also generalised that Jews were “inclined towards money” and that “the Jews do a lot of wrong things, which force us to pass comment”.

Whilst some of your sycophants laughed at your joke, others were horrified. You spoke of freedom of speech to defend your statements but we all know that this freedom has limitations. It is not an unqualified right. Freedom of speech cannot be justified when what is said can incite hatred against people or condemn a race or their homeland, or to speak blasphemous statements against a particular religion or God. In fact, in some legal jurisdictions, any kind of incitement to hatred may also be labelled as an act of terrorism.

In the Cambridge Union speech, you also made some derogatory comments on the LGBT community. The ugly face of prejudice reared its head again, showing the world that Malaysia is a cruel and intolerant country, one where we discriminate based on race, religion, and sexual preferences. Whilst this may not be reflective of what the average Malaysian feels towards Jews or members of the LGBT community, it is irrelevant. The perception of bias and prejudice is sufficient to condemn us in the eyes of the world.

For this, I feel shame.

Your prejudice is both unjustified and unbecoming of a world leader of your stature.

The Holocaust and atrocities of the Nazis against the Jews were barbaric and display the extreme inhumanity that human beings are capable of. By condemning Jews like this, the world may have a distorted view of Malaysia, that this is a land of bigots.

I respectfully submit that this kind of vitriol is a dangerous weapon, with far-reaching consequences. It can only breed distrust, acrimony, alienation and antagonism between nations. Is this enmity and hostility safe to harbour in a world which is perpetually at conflict and at war?

How can such prejudice be justified ? The answer is simple. It cannot. So please, dear Tun, be more careful when you refer to the Jews. Please do not speak disparagingly of them as a race anymore, especially to an international audience.

You have spoken many times about terrorism. But at the end of the day, surely you would agree that one man’s terrorist could well be another’s freedom fighter. It all depends on which side of the fence we are standing on.

So there you are. I will end by reiterating the pride I feel when I think of all your achievements. But I am also disappointed with your prejudice, and I hope that this will change. For the sake of world peace, which I know you believe in.

I end this letter by thanking you for all your contributions to this country. You have shaped us to be what we are today, and for that, I remain eternally in your debt. I wish you many more years of health, peace, happiness and prosperity.

Thank you.

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