BY LOKMAN ADAM
Mahathir in his 7 point incoherent article today talked about fear in the country as though Malaysians have forgotten who truly ruled with fear for more than two decades. The irony is almost laughable. This is the same man whose administration made intimidation part of governance.
When Mahathir was in power, detention under the ISA was handed out like candy. People could be locked away without trial simply because they were seen as threats to the government. Opposition leaders, activists and critics all knew the risk of speaking too loudly against him. He even locked me up under ISA twice for 28 months.
He now talks about people disappearing and living in fear. But during his era, the fear was real and institutionalized. Malaysians feared the police knock on the door at night. They feared being detained for questioning authority. They feared saying the wrong thing publicly.
Let us not forget "Operasi Lalang". That operation was not about protecting harmony. It was about silencing voices that challenged Mahathir’s grip on power. Politicians, academics and activists were rounded up because the government could not tolerate dissent.
Freedom of speech during his administration was heavily restricted. Newspapers faced suspensions. Critics were threatened. Opposition politicians were constantly harassed. Today, social media is flooded every single day with insults and attacks against the government and even the Prime Minister himself.
The truth is simple. Malaysians today openly criticize the government without the kind of fear that existed during Mahathir’s rule. If this was truly a dictatorship as he claims, the internet would not be overflowing daily with anti government propaganda and political trashing content.
Mahathir also talks about the rule of law collapsing. Yet Malaysians still remember the constitutional crisis under his premiership. Institutions were weakened under his watch. Judicial independence became a major national issue long before today’s politicians even entered public life.
And who can forget the VK Lingam video clip controversy? That scandal exposed the ugly perception of judicial interference linked to the era Mahathir dominated. For him to suddenly present himself as a defender of justice is hypocrisy at its finest.
At this point, one can only conclude that Mahathir’s cognitive ability is declining badly. His increasingly disconnected statements show a man struggling to separate his own political legacy from present reality. The signs of senility are becoming impossible to hide anymore.
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