TUN DR.

RISE TO PREMIERSHIP
 after finishing 1946, one of the
Islamic grammar early members of
schools and the United Malays
graduating from National
the local college, Organisation
Mahathir attended (UMNO) formed to
medical school at seek independence
the University of from Britain
Malaya in
Singapore.

Born on 10th July His family was

1925, (official birth modest but
date is December stable. his father
20, 1925) born in was a respected
Alor Setar, Kedah teacher at an
English language
school
PMs before him came from a Royal lineage / family close to the Ruler of States:

 Prince from Kedah  Father was a senior office  Grandfather and father
Sultanate of the Pahang State were former Chief Minister
 Former Deputy AG Government of Johor

COMMONERS
- Father was a teacher, receives pension about RM90 a month
- Graduated from University Malaya (Singapore) in medicine
- Hardly someone not from law background would succeed in administration and governance
 appointed as
won Kota Setar UMNO Supreme
parliamentary Council members
seat in 3rd
General Election
wrote a book, Tun Abdul Razak (the
The Malay Prime Minister at
Dilemma that time appointed
Tun M as senator
rejoint UMNO
on 7th March

12th July, sacked from

politically active,
UNMO due to indifferent
participate in anti
views, clash of ideas with
Malaya Union
Tunku Abdul Rahman
movement
 Tun Hussein Onn
Tun Hussein Onn got retired due to ill
the hold of the PM health, Mahathir
job, he immediately Mohamad became
appointed Tun the 4th Malaysian Appointed as 7th Prime
Mahathir to be his Premier, to be exact Minister after won GE 14
Appointed as deputy; Deputy on July 16, 1981
Minister of Prime Minister
Education after
won parliamentary Step down as Prime
seat in General Minister and retire
Election. from politic
 Senior political figures felt threatened by sudden rose of Tun M
when he defeated seasoned political figures such as Datuk Harun
Idris in the 1975 UMNO Vice Presidential selection;

 Another seasoned political figure Tan Sri Syed Jaafar Hasan

Albar was really furious with Tun Hussein who made such
decision.

 When he was a Deputy Prime Minister, 2 of his closest

friends were accused as being supporters to Communist;
Tan Sri Abdullah Ahmad and Abdulah Majid both were
Deputy Minsters during PM Tun Hussein Onn, Tan Sri
Abdullah Ahmad were Political Secretary to PM Tun Razak

 3 days before he sworn in as the fourth Malaysian

Premier, his trusted Political Secretary; Siddiq Ghouse
were detained alleged as committed espionage for
the Komitet Gosudarstvennoy Bezopasnosti (KGB) –
USSR (former Russia) Intelligence Agency
INTERNATIONAL RELATION POLICY
 (New Dimension, New Horizon)
1. In 1980s Malaysia still very much unknown to the rest of the world:

Some assume Malaysia is In 1960s, Malaysia only PMs before Tun were Pro- Tun Hussein harmonised
in China, others assume has diplomatic ties with Western although Tun Razak diplomatic ties with Brunei that
Malaysia is in Himalaya, few countries mainly with establish diplomatic ties with were severed during Tun Razak
and some even think the Commonwealth USSR (former Russia) and to era when Brunei alleged
Malaysia is in Africa members China in 1974 Malaysian government assisted
Bruneian uprising against the
government
 (New Dimension, New Horizon)
2. Tun’s new approach:

 Let’s be friends with everybody, regardless of ideology

 Let’s begin with ASEAN countries since they are our closest neighbours
 (New Dimension, New Horizon)
2. Tun’s new approach:

 Let’s be friend with the South Pacific Ocean countries

 Let’s be friend with the African nations
 Let’s be friend with Islamic countries
 Japan, Korea, and Chinese are very important countries to Malaysia
 Commonwealth, Europe, the United States, and other super powers are not top priority
3. IR Policy: Tun’s Chronicle

Region Narrative Remarks Points to Ponder

• Visits all countries except • The Philippines still demand Sabah • Diplomatic relation done only in
the Philippines international/region events

• Lee Kuan Yew didn't
welcome Tun at Changi
• Tun snubbed meet up with
Ronald Reagan
• Rebuffed CHOGM twice;
1981&1983
• no official speech, no official
dinner, no official visit to the head
of state unlike other countries
• Not ready to meet US
• Commonwealth Secretary General
begged Tun to come
• Did the same to LKY when Singapore
visit Malaysia
• If he were to meet Reagan, his presence
were just like other third country who
begged for assistance
• Malaysians must show pride and dignity.
• Not priority

• Visit Fiji, Tonga, West • Visits not due to economic • Make as many as friends, as when help
Samoa, Papua New Guinea, concerns, trades, and diplomatic needed they will become allies
Maldives ties just purely to make friends
(New Dimension, New Horizon)

4. The Malaysia Corporation Technical Programs

 Developing countries are really interested to learn how

Malaysia develops in; economic development, foreign
investments, public services, diplomatic services, oil and gas
sectors by Petronas
 Invite those countries to train in Malaysia
 Corporation programs not aid programs; as those countries
also Third World countries similar to Malaysia
 Mutual benefits: make friends; as diplomats and business
man meet during international conventions; business and
trade are easy to deal
 Tun mantra: prosper-thy-neighbour – if you offer your
assistance to developing nation, if then they prosper, it will
be easy to do trade and business later on
 (New Dimension, New Horizon)

5. Economic Block: Against The Tide

 1990, pioneered the establishment of G-15 – developing

countries come together to discuss their economic and
trade matters. Later on known as The South-South Group
 G-15 hopes to have dialogue with G-7 (developed
countries) pertaining to economic and trade. But G-7 is
not interested.
 G-7 favour the G-77 (poor countries dependant heavily on
G-7 economically)
 G-15 continue to prosper even when G-7 refuse to do
economic corporation
 G-7 media attacked Tun’s personality because he was very
frank when dealing with them
DAWN RAID OPS (REINSTALLING DIGNITY,
RECLAIMING PROSPERITY)
(Reinstalling Dignity, Reclaiming Prosperity)
1. Post Merdeka:

 80% of the nation income were rubber and tin

 Most estates and mines own by the British - As late as 1970, it is estimated
that over 60% of Malaysian corporate assets were still owned by
foreigners, and of that non-Malaysian stake two-thirds remained British-
controlled.
 Reality check – In 20th century, the wealth of the British empire from
Malaya
 Tun pledged that those estates and mines must be taken over in order to
turn around the economic direction back to Malaysia

1. Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB):

 1972, bought London Tin Corporation

 The biggest tin mining corporation in the world
 London Stock Exchange (LSE) retaliate harshly when PNB attempt to bought
other corporation
 Tun’s strategy:
The key to reclaim those vast To own Guthrie through LSE is very
rubber estates is to own Guthrie. difficult. After the London Tin
Guthrie is the 1st South East Asia Corporation incident, LSE wouldn’t
trading corporation and pioneered allowed any effort to own
the rubber and palm oil estates in corporations through “normal”
Malaysia. standard stock exchange
machinery. Thus, Dawn Raid Ops
was devised
 (Reinstalling Dignity, Reclaiming Prosperity)

The British authorities

were dumbfounded. They
were beaten at their own
Several parties (proxies) This rules is to prevent
game and rules.
secretly fronted by PNB any individual to take
would buy Guthrie stocks control of a limited For centuries, the
in large amounts as soon company British has sucked the
as LSE open for trade in blood and tear of our
the morning people
By noon, the Malaya made them
MANDATORY prosper, and Malaya
GENERAL OFFER left suffers
was triggered, and Tun Ismail Ali
Unknown to LSE, those not long those
“proxies” seems acting British just were
individually in buying only realised that
According to LSE rules the Guthrie’s shares as their crown jewel
any party who bought the counter open to has been taken
30% of shares of a limited trade at 9am (4pm over by other
company, MUST MAKE A Malaysian time), but people – The
MANDATORY GENERAL exactly the buying Malaysian!
OFFER TS Khalid Ibrahim
process were done in
synchronised
PRIVATISATION
(NEW ENGINE OF GROWTH)
 (New engine of growth)
1. Privatization: Malaysian model

Malaysia is among the first few
developing countries to have
launched a large scale
programme of privatization.
First announced in a national
policy statement made by the
Prime Minister in March 1983
Government's intention to
reduce its presence in the
economy, to reduce the level
and scope of public spending,
and to allow the market forces
to govern the country's
economic activities.
Privatize public entities,
employees given option:- (1)
to maintain in the government
scheme remuneration and (2)
to opt for new privatize entity’s
payroll. They will enjoy bonus
when the business is profitable.
 2. From JT (Jabatan Telekom) to STMB (Sistem Telekom Malaysia Berhad)

JT was inefficient. Government's yearly 1st January 1987, All its assets Not long that It also embraced
Corruptions. Slow. allocation was RM200 JT transformed to were STMB gained new technologies
“An application for millions and STMB; its new transferred to yearly profit up to and new offering
a fixed line took increasing. But private entity. STMB with RM300 millions. to its customer
about nearly 2 government only nominal value.
years to be enjoyed very little
completed” profit from telephones
and telegraphs
services.
2. From JT (Jabatan Telekom) to STMB (Sistem Telekom Malaysia Berhad)

STM invested in a STM was listed at STM has evolved to

new optical fibre Kuala Lumpur Stock be known as
submarine cable Exchange (now Bursa Telekom Malaysia
system linking Malaysia) on 7 Berhad (TMB)
Malaysia, November 1990,
Singapore, Hong Achieving a market
Kong, Taiwan and value of RM27 billion
Japan. or 10% of the total
market capitalisation
 (New engine of growth)
3. “Jalan kampung” to Highway

 Old and winding roads plus with only 2 lane

lead to congestion
 Tun believes with better roads it will stimulates
and eases business and developments.
 Tun envisioned a major trunk highway cut
across from South to North of the Peninsular
will lead to efficient transportation of goods
and labour thus create new cities and new
businesses.
 But the creation of such highway need a lot of
money and the Government can’t afford.
 Then it is only suit that such idea must be taken
by a private outfit. This private outfit could
borrow from the bank to fund the project. In
return for better services, consumer need to
pay.
 (New engine of growth)
3. “Jalan kampung” to Highway

 A private company was founded on 27 June 1986 known as

Highway Concessionnaires Berhad, a member of the United
Engineers Malaysia Berhad (UEM). On 13 May 1988, the
Highway Concessionaires Berhad changed its name to Projek
Lebuhraya Utara Selatan Berhad (PLUS).
 Initially government has built the Kuala Lumpur - Seremban
highway.
 PLUS constructed a 772km highway stretch from Johor Bharu up
to the Thailand border from 1988 and completed by 1995. 15
months earlier than projected.
 PLUS project has set a new feat in building better and connected
stretches of highways in Malaysia.
 Most major cities and urban areas are connected by highways
built by many private outfits.
 This has contribute to growth of business, trades, and other
socio-economic activities in Malaysia.
 (UMNO’s Leaders Crisis)
 The split within UMNO in late 1986 and 1987 of two opposing
groups, commonly referred to as Team A led by Tun, and Team B led
by Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah and Musa Hitam. Tun was challenged
for the leadership and narrowly won, but faced a subsequent legal
challenge on his win.

 11 UMNO members went to court to sue UMNO alleging that

the Supreme Council Assembly was null and void.

 Court decides to unregistered UMNO as a political party.

Creates a perception that the government is weak.
 Racial extremism and racial rhetoric were building up. Royal
Malaysian Police (RMP) advised Tun that the situation very
much close to 1969 incident.
 Against the backdrop of UMNO political turmoil, Tun also
facing racial extremism that could endangered peace and
stability of the nation.
 (OPs Lalang 1987)

Who devised the racial rhetoric The rhetoric narrative

Chinese based political parties:
 Against to Government decision to instil Chinese
teachers from non-vernacular stream to hold
position in Chinese Vernacular schools
 Against to the new National Cultural Policy 1974
which embedded that Malay as the core culture.

Malay based political parties:

 Alleged that Churches attempt to coerce Malays to
convert to Christianity
 Plan to mobilise 500 thousands people to
demonstration

 In the midst of all this, on 18yh October 1987, the Prebet
Adam random shootout incident.
 “Rambo” run amok and fire randomly an M-16 assault
rifle at Chow Kit Road, killing a 54 years old malay.
 Tun Haniff Omar, the then IGP, advised Tun to execute
the Internal Security Act (ISA) to detain suspected
individuals that could caused racial incident.
(OPs Lalang 1987)
 Tun was reluctant. He opined that how could an
act detain individual without trial.
 Later he even met several political leaders assuring
that they would not be detained.
 Tun was thinking that the RMP would only arrest
the culprits.
 The police launched an operation Tun said was
necessary to defuse racial tension that had
reached "dangerous proportions".
 (OPs Lalang 1987)

27 September 1987

 Tun said that the country was facing an economic recession and high
unemployment, and could not afford racial riots. The operation was
codenamed “Lalang” after a type of weed.
 106 people were detained: UMNO leaders, NGOs leaders, DAP leaders, political
scientist; Dr Chandra Muzaffar
 Publishing license were revoked because they play the sentiments: The Star, Sin
Chew Jit Poh, The Sunday Star

Lesson Learnt

 Tun distinguished all doubt and personal feeling in

acknowledging the RMP decision to crackdown those
individuals responsible to reignite racial tensions.
 The chaos of 1987 scenario made truth finding hard and
even harder when no parties want to breakaway from
their claims.
Look East Policy: Should Include Values And Ethos On Japanese Education

 “Malaysia-Japan relations, which saw tremendous progress

since the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1957, will be
elevated to a new level, with the Look East Policy (LEP) 2.0
paving the way to a vast range of opportunities, says
Malaysia’s Ambassador-Designate to Japan, Kennedy Jawan.”
 “He said, three potentials which would be highlighted under
the LEP 2.0 were the halal industry, education and
tourism…”

Education element in LEP 2.0

 Hopefully it is not merely just a superficial programs: student
exchange, inter-school visit, seminar and colloquium on
Japanese education etc.
 It must be something solid and substantive. Practical rather
than rhetorical. Must be something that touch the soul.
 It also must be involve the whole continuum of the education
system.
 3. Japanese Education’s Values In A Glance
Manners before knowledge.
 don’t take any exams until they reach the age of 10. the goal for
the first 3 years of school is not to judge the child’s knowledge
or learning,
 to establish good manners and to develop their character.
 taught to respect other people and to be gentle to animals and
nature.
 they also learn how to be generous, compassionate and
empathetic.
 pupils are taught qualities like grit, self-control, and justice
Most Japanese schools do not employ janitors or custodians.
 When cleaning, students are divided into small groups and
assigned tasks that rotate throughout the year.
 system believes that requiring students to clean up after
themselves teaches them to work in a team and help each other.
 respect for our learning environment is essential and vibrant
classroom displays and well-ordered classrooms all play their
part.
 In Japanese schools, school lunch is provided on a standardised
menu.
 students eat healthy and balanced meals
 classmates eat together with the teacher
 After-school workshops are very popular in Japan.
 to get into a good junior high school, most Japanese students
enter a preparatory school or attend private after-school
workshops.
 classes in these schools are held in the evenings.
 Japanese students have an 8-hour school day, but apart from
that they study even during the holidays and on weekends.
 Apart from traditional subjects, Japanese students also learn
Japanese calligraphy and poetry.
 Shodo is traditional painting; Haiku, is a form of poetry
 teach children to respect their own culture and centuries-old
traditions
 Nearly all students have to wear a school uniform.
 some schools have their own attire, traditional Japanese
school uniform consists of a military style for boys and a “Japanese Education’s Values
sailor outfit for girls In A Glance”
 uniform policy is intended to remove barriers and get them
into a working mood.
 helps to promote a sense of community among the children
 sense of identity and belonging adds further to our sense of
family and togetherness.