Little did the Tunku realise that what he said would actually come true — in that Dr Mahathir would take over as Prime Minister. But those of us who lived through the 1960s and witnessed the turmoil of the 1960s celebrated the day Dr Mahathir took over and hailed him as the best thing that could ever happen to Malaysia.
THE CORRIDORS OF POWER
Raja Petra Kamarudin
The reason (or maybe the excuse) to sack Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad from Umno in 1969 was the open letter that he wrote to Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman on 17th June 1969 (SEE BELOW), about one month after the May 13 race riots. His sacking was officially announced by the then Umno Secretary-General and carried by the mainstream newspapers.
Basically, Dr Mahathir blamed the Tunku for May 13 and attributed it to the commuting of the death sentence on 11 Pudu Jail prisoners, all Chinese, who had killed a prison warden, a Malay. This, said Dr Mahathir, was what angered the Malays and resulted in the race riots.
I was personally involved in that controversy even though I was only 18 at that time. I was in the demonstration in front of the Pudu Jail that was organised by the opposition and that was the first time I ‘tasted’ tear gas. The second time, of course, was 30 years later during the height of the Reformasi movement.
Yes, that was almost 50 years ago and I was only 18 but already a political activist and anti-government (and the only ‘chapalang’ Malay amongst a sea of Chinese demonstrators). And we protested the move to hang the 11 Chinese prisoners, which resulted in the Tunku commuting the death sentence and which, according to Dr Mahathir, was why May 13 happened.
Am I one of those guilty of May 13 then? Certainly food for thought is it not, because if those 11 had been hanged then there would not have been a May 13 and, today, Malays, Chinese and Indians would be in love with each other.
Well, that was what Dr Mahathir told the Tunku and for telling the Tunku this in an open letter he was sacked from Umno.
Dr Mahathir also accused the Tunku of giving in to the Chinese and that, said Dr Mahathir, was why the Chinese no longer fear the Alliance Party, as the result of the May 1969 general election had proven.
In other words, the Chinese should be kept in fear of the government so that they will continue to vote for the ruling party.
Dr Mahathir has more or less said the same thing about current Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak — in that Najib panders too much to the Chinese and neglects the Malays, who are the backbone of Umno’s support. And that is why Barisan Nasional did badly in the May 2013 general election.
It is a waste of time and money trying to please the Chinese when they are not going to support the government anyway and will vote opposition never mind what you do for them, argued Dr Mahathir.
And this is why, argue the Prime Minister’s critics, we need Perkasa, which is playing the role that Umno is not playing, a defender of the dignity of the Malays.
The ‘Chinese-lover’ criticism against the Tunku moved the Malays, coupled with the disastrous May 1969 election result. It was now only a matter of time before the Tunku would have to go and someone more nationalistic take over. And this man, of course, would have to be the Tunku’s number two, Tun Razak Hussein.
In fact, Tun Razak and the Tunku were already having a strained relationship and the Tunku suspected that Tun Razak and the ‘Young Turks’ in Umno were undermining him. One of those incidences where the Tunku was undermined was regarding the funeral procession that the opposition wanted to organise after the killing of one Chinese protester in front of the USIS.
The Tunku told the IGP to deny the organisers the permit because the funeral procession might turn into a protest demonstration and this might trigger unrest. After the Tunku had left town to go home to Kedah, however, Tun Razak instructed the IGP to grant them the permit. And, as the Tunku had suspected, the funeral procession did turn into a protest demonstration. (It was rumoured that Tun Razak also instructed all the police to stay off the streets).
The Tunku felt that Dr Mahathir played a key role in his downfall, although it was Tun Razak who took over, and the Tunku never forgave Dr Mahathir till the day he died. During the Tunku’s 80th birthday party, where Dr Mahathir who was by then the Prime Minister was invited as the guest-of-honour, the Tunku refused to look at Dr Mahathir the entire time. It was actually quite awkward for those of us who had to witness this, which happened over 30 years ago.
There are many different versions of history, no doubt, as is always the case. But according to the Tunku, the day that Dr Mahathir takes over as Prime Minister, if it ever does happen, will be the beginning of the end for Malaysia. And this statement by the Tunku has been used by those opposed to Dr Mahathir ever since.
Little did the Tunku realise that what he said would actually come true — in that Dr Mahathir would take over as Prime Minister. But those of us who lived through the 1960s and witnessed the turmoil of the 1960s celebrated the day Dr Mahathir took over and hailed him as the best thing that could ever happen to Malaysia.
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Patek berasa dukachita kerana tujuan patek membuat kenyataan kepada akhbar telah di-salah faham oleh Y.T.M. Tunku. Sa-benar-nya tujuan patek sama-lah juga dengan tujuan Tunku, ia-itu untok menyelamatkan negara ini daripada bahaya yang menganchamkan-nya.
Pendapat-pendapat Tunku berasaskan kepada cherita-cherita yang di-bawa kepada telinga Tunku oleh orang-orang yang mengelilingi Tunku yang chuma suka mencherita kepada Tunku perkara2 yang mereka fikir Tunku suka atau patut dengar sahaja. Benarkan-lah patek bercherita berkenaan dengan keadaan, fikiran dan pendapat2 rakyat yang sa-benar-nya supaya Tunku dapat faham tujuan patek membuat kenyataan yang di-tegor itu.
Tunku biasa cherita kepada patek sendiri ia-itu Tunku mengelakkan rusohan dengan menahan hukum bunoh yang di-jatohkan kepada 11 orang subversif China. Sabenar-nya tindakan Tunku ini-lah yang mengakibatkan rusohan dan kematian yang berpuloh kali banyak yang terjadi semenjak 13 Mei.
Tunku selalu “bertolak-ansor,” ia-itu memberi kepada orang2 China apa yang mereka tuntut. Punchak tolak-ansur ini ia-lah pembatalan hukum bunoh tadi. Pembatalan ini menimbulkan kemarahan yang besar oleh orang2 Melayu.
Orang2 China pula menganggap Tunku dan Kerajaan Perikatan sebagai pengechut dan lemah dan boleh di-tolak ke-sana ke-mari. Sebab itu orang2 China tidak takut lagi menolak Perikatan dan orang2 Melayu pula tidak ingin kepada Perikatan. Sebab itu orang2 China dan India membuat kurang ajar pada 12 Mei kepada orang Melayu. Kalau Tunku biasa di-ludah di-muka, di-maki dan di-tunjok kemaluan, boleh-lah Tunku faham perasaan orang Melayu.
Orang2 Melayu yang Tunku fikir tidak memberontak telah-pun menjadi gila dan mengamok sehingga mengorbankan nyawa mereka dan membunoh orang yang mereka benchi kerana Tunku terlangsong bagi muka. Tanggong-jawab tentang mati-nya orang2 ini, Islam dan kafir, terpaksa di-letak di-atas bahu pemimpin yang salah pendapat.
Patek mohon ma’af tetapi patek ingin sampaikan perasaan orang-orang Melayu kepada Y.T.M. Tunku. Sabenar-nya, orang2 Melayu sekarang, baik PAS baik Umno, betul2 benchi pada Tunku, terutama orang2 yang di-hina-kan oleh orang China dan yang kehilangan rumah-tangga, anak-pinak, saudara-mara kerana tolak ansur Tunku.
Mereka kata Tunku chuma ingin di-kenal-kan sebagai “The Happy Prime Minister” walau-pun ra’ayat menderita. Mereka tahu bahawa dalam keadaan dharurat-pun Tunku ashek bermain poker dengan kawan2 China Tunku. Budak2 polis mencherita yang Tunku mengguna-kan kenderaan dan eskot Polis untuk menchari kaki poker.
Sa-balek-nya pula orang2 China tidak ada sedikit-pun hormat kepada Tunku. Mereka berkata Tunku “naïve” dan tidak ada kaliber. Ada lagi yang mereka kata yang tak dapat patek sebut-kan. Kata2 itu datang dari semua golongan orang China, dari intelek sa-hinggga China becha.
Pada masa lewat2 ini lagi satu kesan burok telah timbul. Orang2 Melayu dalam Civil Servis, dari Perm. Sec. ka-bawah, pegawai2 tentera dan polis Melayu tidak ada lagi kepercayaan dan respect kepada Tunku. Patek tahu kebanyakan mereka sokong PAS dalam undi pos. Pegawai Melayu dari
Polis, tentera dan askar biasa maseh patoh kepada kerajaan oleh kerana arahan sekarang sesuai dengan kehendak mereka sendiri. Kalau Tunku membuat apa2 yang tidak di-ingini oleh mereka, patek perchaya mereka tidak akan menurut kata Tunku.
Patek tahu Tunku takut kominis mengambil kesempatan kalau timbul kekachauan dalam negeri. Patek lebih takut kalau kerajaan mula “lose control over the armed forces”. Sa-kali ini terjadi, keadaan tidak akan puleh semula. Sampai bila-pun kerajaan civil mesti tundok kepada tentera. Tunku biasa jadi “Happy Prime Minister” tetapi orang yang akan turut ganti tak akan merasai “happiness” apa2.
Patek harap Y.T.M. Tunku jangan-lah menipu diri dengan berkata “satu hari mereka akan bershukor dengan perbuatan saya”. Ta’akan yang sa-orang itu selalu betul dan yang banyak selalu salah. Patek ingin sampaikan kepada Tunku fikiran ra’ayat yang sa-benar, ia-itu masa telah lampau untuk Tunku bersara dari menjadi perdana menteri dan Ketua Umno.
Patek faham betul2 kuasa yang ada pada Tunku dan patek masih ingat nasib Aziz Ishak. Tapi patek tak akan jadi sa-orang yang bertanggong-jawab kalau patek tidak terangkan apa yang patek sebut-kan. Kalau di-penjara sa-kali-pun patek terpaksa kata apa yang patek telah kata-kan.
Patek di-beritahu ia-itu Tunku berkata patek Pakistani. Patek tidak perchaya kata2 orang kerana patek tahu Y.T.M. Tunku tidak akan berkata begitu. Patek-lah yang selalu mempertahan-kan Tunku apabila orang2 PAS kata yang Tunku anak Siam yang ta’ berhak memimpin orang Melayu. Jadi Tunku juga akan mempertahan-kan patek walau-pun maseh ada dua sudu darah Pakistani dalam tubuh badan patek.
Patek sa-kali lagi mengulangkan ia-itu kenyataan yang patek buat itu ia-lah menchegah kejadian yang akan menambah perasaan benchi orang2 Melayu terhadap kerajaan dan menggalak-kan orang2 China menjatohkan lagi maruah orang2 Melayu. Rusohan yang lebeh besar akan berlaku jika ini di-
biarkan. Tentera sendiri tidak akan dapat di-kawal. Dan lagi kalau T.H. Tan dan dewan orang China boleh membuat kenyataan, kenapa ketua2 Umno tidak boleh?
Patek menulis surat ini dengan hati yang ikhlas dan harapan bahawa Y.T.M. Tunku akan bacha surat ini dengan sa-penoh-nya sendiri. Patek berdo’a ke-hadhrat Allah subhanahuwataala supaya di-buka hati Tunku untok menerima kenyataan yang sa-benar ini walau-pun pahit dan pedas.
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