Thank you Mahathir

Mahathir is the political enemy that is worthy in character and tenacity, across the causeway, to take on LKY. There was no secret that the two did not see eye to eye in many things and often the enmity became quite personal. They were worthy of each other, both never gave an inch. They fought, they made up, and fought again. I must say Mahathir had many strings to pull to make life very difficult for LKY at times. But the master eventually triumphed and brushed aside whatever obstacles that were placed in his way and made Mahathir to raise his hands in frustration. The water threat, the crooked causeway, the Malayan Railway land, to name a few.

Mahathir made two important points in his tribute to LKY in his blog. In the first he unravelled and confirmed a controversial fact during the troubled times when Singapore was in Malaysia. The cause of the racial riots in Singapore was never admitted officially and both pointed the fingers at the other. And this is what Mahathir has written.    

‘I first met Kuan Yew when I was a member of Parliament in 1964 after Singapore joined Malaysia in 1963. We crossed swords many time during the debates. But there was no enmity, only differences in our views of what was good for the newborn nation. He included me among the ultra Malays who was responsible for the racial riots in Singapore. Actually I never went to Singapore to stir up trouble. Somebody else whom I would not name did.’

The last sentence should settle the issue once for all. His second point is about the value of independence. The founding fathers fought hard for the independence from colonial rule, to become independent countries, to rule ourselves for the good of our own people, not for the colonial masters or for foreigners. This is what Mahathir wrote.

‘Now Kuan Yew is no more. His passage marks the end of the period when those who fought for independence lead their countries and knew the value of independence.’

The value of independence must not be taken lightly. Singapore’s historical record is there to warn the people not to take our independence for granted. It was under the British Empire, then conquered by the Japanese, voluntarily joined Malaysia only to find the marriage painful to bear. We are now independent, masters of our own destiny. Would we lose it again, by our own stupidity or negligence, to be ruled by foreigners from other land? Would the people become subjects all over again or be forced to leave this island inherited from their forefathers who fought hard for it?

Thank you Mahathir, for the timely and rude reminder. We need it before some fools give this island away one day, on a silver platter.