4. However,
by the time I stepped down I had managed to belie that description.
In the 1999 Election it was Chinese votes which helped give me the
2/3 majority in Parliament.
5. Now the doomsday label is Mahathirism. Such was the fear of this
thing called Mahathirism that Tan Sri Muhyiddin had to assure the
public that Najib's ascendancy to the Premiership would not bring
back Mahathirism. The foreign press seem to imply authoritarian
Government with Mahathirism.
6. No one has yet described the rule of Dato Seri Abdullah Badawi
as Badawism. It must be because he is said to be liberal and free
from authoritarianism. But is he?
7. It appears to be simply because the mainstream media, print or
electronic, is totally controlled by him through his hatchet man,
Kalimullah. And Kali ensures that the media plays up Abdullah's
supposed liberalism, his transparency, his tolerance of the press
etc. That the media blacks out any news that is not flattering of
him is not noticed by readers, especially the foreign press.
8. Until the bloggers came into the picture and their blogs became
extremely popular as they reported the truth, the black-out was
effective. Now Kali's media reports some of the news and views
appearing on the blogs.
9. But still the general public is not aware of the kind of
authoritarianism of Abdullah. Ministers and civil servants critical
of him have been removed. Many are in cold storage. Tan Sri Sanusi
Junid who was President of the International Islamic University was
one of those removed. No one has been appointed to his vacant place
yet.
10. A whole bunch of journalists working with the UMNO owned paper
had to resign, to be replaced by Kali's nominees from
Singapore.
11. But Kali has friends amongst the foreign journalists. So we do
not hear of Badawism. But privately people have given all kinds of
uncomplimentary labels to the 5 years of misrule by the fifth Prime
Minister of Malaysia.
12. By now people can draw their own conclusions as to whether
Mahathirism in whatever form has returned.
http://chedet.co.cc/chedetblog/2009/05/mahathirism.html
