[hang nadim] Dr Mahathir does not fear suit over memoirs

Jangan bangkit isu perkauman

KUALA LUMPUR 7 Mac - Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin bertitah, Seri Paduka memandang berat kecenderungan pihak-pihak tertentu membangkitkan isu-isu sensitif dan berbaur perkauman serta mempolitikkan perkara-perkara yang tidak sepatutnya.

Seri Paduka sehubungan itu menyeru semua pihak supaya menjunjung kedaulatan undang-undang dan keluhuran Perlembagaan, kedaulatan Raja-Raja Melayu, kedudukan Islam sebagai agama rasmi Persekutuan dan kedudukan istimewa orang Melayu serta anak negeri Sabah dan Sarawak.

Titah Seri Paduka, kepentingan sah kaum-kaum lain meliputi hal kewarganegaraan dan hak asasi sebagaimana termaktub dalam Perlembagaan Persekutuan hendaklah tidak dipersoalkan bagi mengelak perpecahan.

"Walaupun Islam adalah agama Persekutuan, agama-agama lain boleh diamalkan dengan aman dan damai, malah hari hari-hari perayaan agama yang mempunyai penganut teramai dijadikan hari cuti umum.

"Ini menunjukkan amalan kesederhanaan dan keterangkuman seperti dianjurkan oleh Islam telah diamalkan dengan subur di negara ini," titah Seri Paduka pada perasmian mesyuarat pertama penggal keempat Majlis Parlimen yang kedua belas di sini hari ini.

Turut berangkat Raja Permaisuri Agong Tuanku Nur Zahirah.

Hadir sama Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, isteri Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, Timbalan Perdana Menteri, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin dan isteri Puan Sri Norainee Abdul Rahman, menteri-menteri Kabinet serta perwakilan asing.

Tuanku Mizan bertitah, pertubuhan bukan kerajaan (NGO) diiktiraf sebagai antara elemen penting dalam pembangunan masyarakat sivil dan Seri Paduka berharap dalam melaksanakan program-program dan aktiviti, NGO hendaklah mengelak daripada menyentuh sensitiviti dan isu-isu yang boleh menjejaskan keharmonian rakyat dan menggugat imej negara.

Berbanding dengan negara-negara tertentu, Seri Paduka bertitah, ketenteraman dan keharmonian di negara ini adalah nikmat yang perlu disyukuri dan dipelihara.

"Komitmen kerajaan untuk memberi kesejahteraan kepada rakyat melampaui sempadan negara terserlah melalui usaha membawa pulang pelajar-pelajar yang terhimpit dalam pergolakan di Mesir melalui Ops Piramid bulan lalu.

"Sehubungan itu, beta merakamkan terima kasih kepada semua pihak yang terlibat dalam operasi tersebut serta negara-negara sahabat terutamanya kepada kerajaan Arab Saudi yang telah banyak membantu mempermudahkan Ops Piramid," titah Tuanku Mizan.

Tuanku Mizan dalam pada itu menyeru semua pihak mengekalkan keharmonian dan maruah negara serta menjadi warga yang baik, bertanggungjawab dan tidak mudah terpengaruh dengan fitnah dan tohmahan pihak-pihak yang tidak bertanggungjawab.

"Sayugia diingatkan bahawa perbuatan fitnah memfitnah yang boleh menjejaskan perpaduan rakyat adalah perbuatan yang amat tercela dan dilarang oleh semua agama. Ambillah iktibar daripada keruntuhan beberapa empayar terdahulu akibat perpecahan angkara fitnah," titah Seri Paduka.

Yang di-Pertuan Agong turut mengingatkan setiap ahli Parlimen supaya memperlihatkan tingkah laku terpuji, berbahas dengan tertib, menyumbang pemikiran yang bernas, melaksanakan tanggungjawab yang diamanahkan dan mengutamakan kepentingan rakyat.

"Beta mengingatkan bahawa tingkah laku Ahli-Ahli Yang Berhormat dalam dewan yang mulia ini (Dewan Rakyat) sentiasa diperhatikan dan menjadi teladan kepada masyarakat. Ingatlah, rakyat sentiasa menuntut perkhidmatan yang terbaik dari setiap pemimpin yang mereka pilih," titah Tuanku Mizan.

Dr M's much-awaited autobiography goes on sale today
By JUNE H.L. WONG
newsdesk@thestar.com.my

KUALA LUMPUR: After an eight-year wait, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s highly-anticipated autobiography hits the bookstores today.

The book titled A Doctor in the House: The Memoirs of Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad comprises 62 chapters spanning 809 pages.

In it, the former prime minister covers a wide range of topics and reveals the behind-the-scene drama of many events such as Ops Lalang, the Judiciary, his relationship with his former deputy Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and the alle-gations against former Finance Minister Tun Daim Zainuddin.


The doc’s in the house: Dr Mahathir’s new book will be launched today.
The intensely private Dr Mahathir, who was prime minister from 1981 to 2003, also opens up on personal matters like his parents and growing-up years, his university years and his courtship of Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali.

Anwar is covered in two chapters: “Anwar Joins Umno” in which Dr Mahathir debunks the commonly-held belief that Umno wooed Anwar, saying it was Anwar who made the first move.

And in “Anwar’s Challenge”, Dr Mahathir deals with the decision to sack his former deputy.

Dr Mahathir says that police surveillance provided “evidence, including pictures and the confessions of the people involved” in Anwar’s alleged sexual activities.

He also gives further details on the first sodomy allegations involving Anwar.

After dismissing Anwar, Dr Mahathir says the case was brought to the Umno supreme council.

“During his long explanation, Anwar never once referred to the question of homosexuality, focusing only on the affairs with women.

“He declared that he had done nothing unusual and insisted that everyone, including all the supreme council members, had done such things,” writes Dr Mahathir.

In the chapter “Daim Becomes Finance Minister”, he says he had to defend Daim against repeated allegations that he was lining his pockets and taking kickbacks.

He adds that “no clear evidence was ever produced”, but the “whispering grew louder and more spiteful”.

In the end, “when the talk got to be too much and I could not bear it anymore, I arranged for him to resign,” writes Dr Mahathir.

On Ops Lalang, in which 106 people were detained and three newspapers closed down, Dr Mahathir maintains he was “flabbergasted” at the total number of arrests .

He mentions that he could not “countermand police orders” and had to accept responsibility and support the police action.

He also claims he did not know beforehand that the newspapers would be shut down.

In the chapter, “The Judiciary”, Dr Mahathir gives his side of the story, saying he had no quarrel with Lord President Tun Salleh Abas.

He admits, however, that “in my early years as Prime Minister I was perhaps less discreet and must have publicly exhibited my frustrations with the Judiciary.”

He also reveals what started the whole saga that led to the sacking of Salleh – the latter’s letter to the King complaining about the noise of the renovation being made to the King’s private residence near Salleh’s hou-se.

He says the “Agong felt insulted” as Salleh had sent copies of the letter to all other Rulers.

In the book, Dr Mahathir also talks about his parents and his Malay-Indian heritage.

Although he has South Indian blood, he says: “I am a Malay and am proud of it.

“I am a Malay not just on paper. I am also a Malay in sentiment and in spirit,” he adds.

The most touching part of the book is perhaps his revelations on how he courted his wife who was his classmate in medical school: “All the boys fell over each other to carry her books.

“Aside from female relatives, I had never really met girls before and had no idea how to behave around them.

“But I did not want to be left out, so I finally plucked up my courage to offer her my book-bearing services.”

The couple declared their feelings for each other on April 23, 1949, a date they celebrate every year, writes Dr Mahathir.

A Doctor In The House will be launched today at Mid Valley Megamall and is available at MPH bookstores nationwide.

It retails at RM100 a copy

Dr Mahathir does not fear suit over memoirs
By SIRA HABIBU

PETALING JAYA: Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad is not losing any sleep over the possibility of certain quarters filing lawsuits against him for putting them in a negative light in his memoirs.

The former Prime Minister said he was driven to tell the truth in his autobiography, A Doctor in the House: The Memoirs of Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, which was launched Tuesday.

"There will be those who will not be satisfied.

"If they want to sue, sue lah," he quipped after launching his book at MidValley Megamall.

Dr Mahathir said he had kept the publication of his memoirs a secret until the launching date to avoid possible court injunctions to stop its publication.

"It took me eight years to complete the book.

"I want people to read it. Whatever they think of it is their prerogative," he said.

Dr Mahathir said during his tenure as Prime Minister, he was described as a dictator.

"(In the autobiography) I tried to prove that I am not a dictator. But some people will still feel otherwise," he said, adding that he was expecting brickbats for exposing so much.

To a question from a foreigner, Dr Mahathir said through his book, he wanted to deliver the message that it was not impossible to achieve anything if one was willing to learn.

"I was a commoner, I was not trained in the field of administration, economy or finance.

"But you can learn if you want to learn. The best reward is not the monetary gain but the result of your effort," he said.

"Several chapters were difficult to write because it is all about myself," he said, adding that he was not comfortable promoting himself.

The 809-page book, which retails at RM100 a copy, is available at MPH bookstores nationwide.