Dr M EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW – 3rd INSTALLMENT – NO RECONCILLATION WITH ANUAR & HISTORY –‘SHOULD FORGET ME’
The headings in the 3rd and final installment published by Malaysiakini, 25th May 2006
Subscribe to read the full account in Malaysiakini. Please support Malaysiakini by subscribing for as low as RM10 for 20 days / RM15 per month to RM150 per year.
Details at http://www.malaysiakini.com/register/manage4me/
Some excerpts are:-
. “ reconciliation (with Anwar), it may be interpreted …that actually nothing happened. .. have to make a decision. Even if he is a friend, or my own relative, it doesn't make any difference”
. “.. they have short memories… forget, they are getting old., why not answer what I said rather than try to make me out to be a demon?” on not consulting the cabinet on the half bridge.
. “when we surrender our right as an independent nation …. I am entitled to make criticisms, and now (they should) answer the points..”
. “ ..most of these people were against me. I brought them back... Is that called splitting the party?” on being accused of undermining the party and government.
. “.- why did you sell Agusta for two dollars? .. like to know…give APs to two persons… Why? No explanation.”
. “if you're a member, .. party goes wrong, you have a right to criticize”
. “Perwaja was a good project,…, the management did not know how to run it."
. “Eric Chia, had done very well with UEM. Chosen on his record… not a bad man when I started with him”
. “.. gravy train is no more now,.. removed before the train left the station” on achieving objectives of his Vision 2020”
He was also asked to comment on the overstaying of Abdul Taib Mahmud (26 years) and the all powerful Chief Minister post. His parting shot was “They should forget me” when asked how history should remember him.
The following update is from sun2surf
Dr M to Nazri: WHERE DID I GO WRONG? by Llew-Ann Phang Updated: 05:46PM Thu, 25 May 2006
PETALING JAYA: In a show of obvious displeasure, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has asked how Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz's criticisms of him have addressed any of his objections to the calling off of the half-bridge project.
In the third and final installment of a 45-minute exclusive interview with Malaysiakini posted today (May 25, 2006), Mahathir said: "I think I am entitled to make criticisms and now, (they should) answer the points that I have raised."
"Don't just say 'well, he is a devil, therefore I shouldn't (answer)'. What is it that Nazri said on all (my) points? Tell me, on what points have I been wrong?" he demanded.
Nazri, who is Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, had openly criticised the former premier for raising objections to the current leadership's decision to abort the roject.
Nazri had said the decision to build the bridge that was supposed to link Malaysia with Singapore was Mahathir's alone and the Cabinet was not consulted during his leadership.
"Well, I suppose they have short memories. People forget, they are getting old. They've probably forgotten," Mahathir said.
The interview which took six years to secure was conducted on May 16, 2006, at the Petronas Twin Towers and ran in three parts beginning Tuesday (May 23, 2006).
He also talked about Umno and the failed steel company Perwaja, and said that Malaysian history "should forget me".
On a lighter note, Mahathir said he was writing a book on his secret to good health, adding: "I will want to make some money out of it, advising you on how to look young."
Below is another earlier update on the interview from sun2surf
Dr M: I’m disappointed with some decisions ...
Maria J. Dass and R. Manirajan Updated: 03:18PM Wed, 24 May 2006
PETALING JAYA: Former premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who once called Malaysiakini a "traitor" to the country, has criticised the country’s current leadership in an exclusive interview that was granted to the online news daily after a six-year wait.
Mahathir, who led the nation for 22 years, told Malaysiakini in a 45-minute interview with four editors and one reporter in his Petronas Twin Towers office on May 16, 2006, that he is disappointed with some decisions by his handpicked successor who took office three years ago.
He, however, refused to rate Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s performance, citing possible negative effects. Proton and the half-bridge project - both mooted during his tenure - topped the list of Mahathir’s disappointments with the current administration.
The full interview will run in parts over three days until Thursday (May 25, 2006) at www.malaysiakini.com/news Malaysiakini editor-in-chief Steven Gan said Dr Mahathir began the interview by declaring his dislike of the online daily.
"There are some questions which I will not answer... I never liked Malaysiakini.com. It was very critical of me before," he said.
Gan described the meeting as "not a warm one"."I presume he agreed to it grudgingly or maybe he was advised to do so," he said.
"We have been pursuing him for an interview since Malaysiakini’s inception in November 1999. We have no idea why he finally agreed," Gan said.
The interview which was scheduled for March was postponed three times. "We wish we had more time to talk and question him on the 22 years of his leadership which he has to account for," Gan said. The relationship between Malaysiakini and Mahathir was always a strained one that contained moments of animosity.
Mahathir branded Malaysiakini a "traitor" to the country in 2001, and in the earlier years, its reporters were often banned from government press conferences.
In January 2003 Malaysiakini’s office was raided by the police and its computers confiscated following a report by Umno Youth against a letter published by Malaysiakini which they alleged questioned the special rights and privileges of Bumiputras to the detriment of other races.
In Kuala Lumpur, Mahathir admitted he was against Malaysiakini six years ago but the online news website still wanted to interview him."Six years ago, they write a lot about me. They were not for me and now they want to talk about me and I don’t know what they have written, I have not seen ... maybe it is something not nice or maybe nice but I have given my views," he told reporters at the Malaysian Business Corporate Governance Award 2005 today (May 23, 2006). In the past, he said he had given interviews to people who did not like him, such as the Far Eastern Economic Review, Time magazine and The Economist , and they wrote "a lot of nasty things" about him instead.
Subscribe to read the full account in Malaysiakini. Please support Malaysiakini by subscribing for as low as RM10 for 20 days / RM15 per month to RM150 per year.
Details at http://www.malaysiakini.com/register/manage4me/
Some excerpts are:-
. “ reconciliation (with Anwar), it may be interpreted …that actually nothing happened. .. have to make a decision. Even if he is a friend, or my own relative, it doesn't make any difference”
. “.. they have short memories… forget, they are getting old., why not answer what I said rather than try to make me out to be a demon?” on not consulting the cabinet on the half bridge.
. “when we surrender our right as an independent nation …. I am entitled to make criticisms, and now (they should) answer the points..”
. “ ..most of these people were against me. I brought them back... Is that called splitting the party?” on being accused of undermining the party and government.
. “.- why did you sell Agusta for two dollars? .. like to know…give APs to two persons… Why? No explanation.”
. “if you're a member, .. party goes wrong, you have a right to criticize”
. “Perwaja was a good project,…, the management did not know how to run it."
. “Eric Chia, had done very well with UEM. Chosen on his record… not a bad man when I started with him”
. “.. gravy train is no more now,.. removed before the train left the station” on achieving objectives of his Vision 2020”
He was also asked to comment on the overstaying of Abdul Taib Mahmud (26 years) and the all powerful Chief Minister post. His parting shot was “They should forget me” when asked how history should remember him.
The following update is from sun2surf
Dr M to Nazri: WHERE DID I GO WRONG? by Llew-Ann Phang Updated: 05:46PM Thu, 25 May 2006
PETALING JAYA: In a show of obvious displeasure, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has asked how Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz's criticisms of him have addressed any of his objections to the calling off of the half-bridge project.
In the third and final installment of a 45-minute exclusive interview with Malaysiakini posted today (May 25, 2006), Mahathir said: "I think I am entitled to make criticisms and now, (they should) answer the points that I have raised."
"Don't just say 'well, he is a devil, therefore I shouldn't (answer)'. What is it that Nazri said on all (my) points? Tell me, on what points have I been wrong?" he demanded.
Nazri, who is Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, had openly criticised the former premier for raising objections to the current leadership's decision to abort the roject.
Nazri had said the decision to build the bridge that was supposed to link Malaysia with Singapore was Mahathir's alone and the Cabinet was not consulted during his leadership.
"Well, I suppose they have short memories. People forget, they are getting old. They've probably forgotten," Mahathir said.
The interview which took six years to secure was conducted on May 16, 2006, at the Petronas Twin Towers and ran in three parts beginning Tuesday (May 23, 2006).
He also talked about Umno and the failed steel company Perwaja, and said that Malaysian history "should forget me".
On a lighter note, Mahathir said he was writing a book on his secret to good health, adding: "I will want to make some money out of it, advising you on how to look young."
Below is another earlier update on the interview from sun2surf
Dr M: I’m disappointed with some decisions ...
Maria J. Dass and R. Manirajan Updated: 03:18PM Wed, 24 May 2006
PETALING JAYA: Former premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who once called Malaysiakini a "traitor" to the country, has criticised the country’s current leadership in an exclusive interview that was granted to the online news daily after a six-year wait.
Mahathir, who led the nation for 22 years, told Malaysiakini in a 45-minute interview with four editors and one reporter in his Petronas Twin Towers office on May 16, 2006, that he is disappointed with some decisions by his handpicked successor who took office three years ago.
He, however, refused to rate Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s performance, citing possible negative effects. Proton and the half-bridge project - both mooted during his tenure - topped the list of Mahathir’s disappointments with the current administration.
The full interview will run in parts over three days until Thursday (May 25, 2006) at www.malaysiakini.com/news Malaysiakini editor-in-chief Steven Gan said Dr Mahathir began the interview by declaring his dislike of the online daily.
"There are some questions which I will not answer... I never liked Malaysiakini.com. It was very critical of me before," he said.
Gan described the meeting as "not a warm one"."I presume he agreed to it grudgingly or maybe he was advised to do so," he said.
"We have been pursuing him for an interview since Malaysiakini’s inception in November 1999. We have no idea why he finally agreed," Gan said.
The interview which was scheduled for March was postponed three times. "We wish we had more time to talk and question him on the 22 years of his leadership which he has to account for," Gan said. The relationship between Malaysiakini and Mahathir was always a strained one that contained moments of animosity.
Mahathir branded Malaysiakini a "traitor" to the country in 2001, and in the earlier years, its reporters were often banned from government press conferences.
In January 2003 Malaysiakini’s office was raided by the police and its computers confiscated following a report by Umno Youth against a letter published by Malaysiakini which they alleged questioned the special rights and privileges of Bumiputras to the detriment of other races.
In Kuala Lumpur, Mahathir admitted he was against Malaysiakini six years ago but the online news website still wanted to interview him."Six years ago, they write a lot about me. They were not for me and now they want to talk about me and I don’t know what they have written, I have not seen ... maybe it is something not nice or maybe nice but I have given my views," he told reporters at the Malaysian Business Corporate Governance Award 2005 today (May 23, 2006). In the past, he said he had given interviews to people who did not like him, such as the Far Eastern Economic Review, Time magazine and The Economist , and they wrote "a lot of nasty things" about him instead.
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