Secara tidak langsung politik telah menjadi tuhan di negara ini. Mahathir memarahi rakyat yang tidak menyokongnya dan tidak membenarkan aliran pemikiran yang berbeda atau pandangan bebas seperti Nanyang hanya kerana ia kritis dan mempersoalkan sedikit terhadap beberapa tindak-tanduk kerajaan yang tidak baik. Selagi kerajaan mencengkam kebebasan berfikir rakyat negara tidak akan mampu menjadi hebat.

Usahawan yang kayaraya seperti Bill Gates (Microsoft), Larry Ellison (Oracle ), Micheal Dell (Dell Computers) adalah hasil daripada pemikiran orang biasa yang berfikir jauh kehadapan melalui satu budaya bebas niaga tanpa sebarang campur tangan kerajaan. Mahathir mengherdik ramai orang termasuk ahli Umno, orang asing, ulamak dan pembangkang. Yang peliknya panel penasihat MSC dipenuhi oleh orang asing kebanyakkannya.

Tidak salah untuk rakyat untuk tidak menyokong kerajaan. Mereka berhak untuk berfikiran demikian. Di Australia Parti Buruh dan Liberal bertukar ganti memerintah negara dan mereka tidakpun mengatakan pengundi bodoh. Itu hak rakyat yang bebas untuk memilih sesiapa.

Malaysia tidak akan mampu maju dari segi ekonomi mahupun politik jika Dr M masih terus mahukan rakyat berfikir dari satu sudut biasa sahaja. Setiap aliran yang bertentangan dianggap sebagai menentang kerajaan pula. Jika beginilah keadaannya, sampai bilapun hasrat Wawasan 2020 tidak akan kesampaian. Kalau sampai pun ia tidak bermakna apa-apa dari segi moral kerana rakyat Malaysia asyik kena mengikut cakap pemimpin yang sudah nyanyuk dan lapuk seperti Dr Mahathir.

-Terjemahan Ringkas Kapal Berita-

http://www.malaysiakini.com/ Letter/2001/06/2001062409.php3

LETTERS
Sunday June 24

Waiting for god-given nod

Robert Hum
Melbourne

2:58pm, Sun: In Malaysia, when the prime minister gave his OK (not directive according to him) to the takeover of Nanyang Press by MCA, the whole Malaysian political fraternity viewed it as a god-given nod to the takeover.

How could Malaysia move forward to the information age, when independent thinking is disallowed and any action against the government of the day is misconstrued as anti-establishment? In the land where politicians are treated as gods, there is not much hope to cure the ills of Malaysian society.

Billionaire entrepreneurs like Bill Gates (Microsoft), Larry Ellison (Oracle ), Micheal Dell (Dell Computers) and other millionaires of the IT revolution of the 1970s and 1980s were ordinary persons who dared to think laterally and acted beyond the norms of the day. These people were willing to challenge the norms. The companies they established and their inventions were founded on a culture of free enterprise, with no government hand-out or intervention. The open market economy rewards as well as punishes entrepreneurs.

The western nations' liberal philosophy is the root cause of dynamism in its business and research and development. The reason why more and more technical inventions originate from the West is primarily due to its liberal philosophy. By liberal, I mean the unfettered, non-intervention of politicians in every sphere of life. Meritocracy dictates university entrance, employment, business opportunities and so forth.

In the Umno annual general meeting, Dr Mahathir Mohamad berated Umno members, the white Caucasian race, the ulamas, and the oppositions. And yet, the general council of the Malaysian Multimedia Super Corridor is stacked with white Caucasians that run some of the largest IT conglomerates in the world. If I were a member of the council, I would feel insulted. Come on Bill Gates, Larry Ellison - say something!

There is nothing wrong for electors to switch their allegiance from one political party to another. In Australia, the Labour Party and the Liberal Party have taken turns in governing the country. Australian PMs don't call the electors stupid, when they have decided to dump a ruling party and vote for the opposition.

Malaysia would never progress to the level of the Western world, socially, economically and politically if politicians like Dr M stifle initiatives and teach our children to conform to the norms all the time; not when every independent act is viewed as a challenge against the authority.