Marhaen Dan Rakyat

Thirty four years ago, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad introduced Vision 2020, a bold roadmap to transform Malaysia into a developed nation. Over two decades, he presided over the country’s dramatic economic transformation, shifting the country from agriculture and resource dependency to industrialization, high-tech manufacturing, and rapid urban development. His mega-projects, from the Petronas Twin Towers to the North-South Expressway, became symbols of a nation that could stand toe to toe with the metropolises of the West. Under Mahathir, Malaysia’s GDP rose impressively, and infrastructure development brought tangible improvements to generations of Malaysians. But beneath the glistening towers of Kuala Lumpur lay a system that privileged certain groups over others. Mahathir’s economic model was deeply tied to the idea of Bumiputera empowerment, preferential policies for Malays and other associated indigenous groups, which, while lifting some into the middle class, also marginalized Chi...

Bekas Perdana Menteri, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad baru-baru ini membuka sendiri kapsul masa Wawasan 2020 yang ditanam pada 28 tahun lalu. Wawasan 2020 yang diperkenalkan pada 1991 merupakan satu kerangka besar bertujuan menjadikan Malaysia sebagai sebuah negara maju berpendapatan tinggi, bersatu padu dan berdaya saing menjelang 1 Januari 2020. Namun apabila tibanya tarikh berkenaan, Malaysia masih terperangkap dalam situasi pendapatan pertengahan, jurang sosiekonomi yang melebar dan daya saing serantau merosot. Mengapa visi yang dicanang selama hampir tiga dekad itu gagal? Dari sudut politik, kegagalan berkenaan berpunca daripada pelbagai faktor. Antara faktor paling kuat adalah gaya pemerintahan Mahathir yang memfokuskan kepada kuasa eksekutif atau dalam istilah lainnya adalah 'Mahathirisme'. Tindakan beliau telah menyuburkan budaya 'strong man politics' atau hanya seorang sahaja yang layak 'bersuara' tentang pemerintahan negara. Apabila Mahathir menjadi Perdana ...

In another salvo fired by Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in his pursuit for revenge, The multi-million-dollar Ilham Tower, a prime commercial building owned by the family of former finance minister Daim Zainuddin, has been seized by Malaysia’s anti-graft agency, sources say, in a sharp escalation to an ongoing probe into controversial transactions by corporate entities previously controlled by the one-time ruling United Malays National Organisation (UMNO). We don’t really have to go back in time to see the questionable going-ons seen within Mahathir’s inner circle. Take for example on August 29, 2018 the shares of Opcom, a company engaged in the manufacture and sale of fiber optic cables and cable related products in Malaysia. rose 41.11% in a day. The reason? The Pakatan Harapan government had approved a RM 21.6b National Fiberization and Connectivity Plan. There is no doubt that the fiberization of Malaysia is sorely needed – and the large amount of money that has been committed thus far i...