2. I was gratified to see everyone, Malays, Chinese and Indians congregating at open houses during Hari Raya. They all seem to get along fine with each other. The Malays, Chinese, Indians, Sabahans and Sarawakians all seem to behave like true Malaysians, greeting the Malays with “Selamat Hari Raya” and being thanked by the Malays. Even little Chinese and Indian children were taught by their parents to shake hands and try to say Selamat Hari Raya.

3. It makes we wonder whether the country would not be better off if we don’t have politicians. Of course I am one. But it does seem that it is the politicians who keep on stoking the fires of racism. Left to themselves the people would accept the way of life that has kept Malaysia almost conflict free all these years.

2. Firstly one must remember that it is a preventive law, that is it is to be applied before a crime is committed. The law cannot be applied after the crime is committed. For this there are other laws.

3. Secondly it can be applied only in certain specific cases, as for example when there is a threat to the security of the country.

2. I had always felt that the countries of East Asia should speak with one voice when negotiating with the European Union and the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). If we don’t then the Europeans and the Americans would dominate such negotiations. Obviously they would want to favour themselves to our detriment.

3. This is not about hating the West as someone suggested when I drew attention to a UN Agency proposal to have a special currency to replace the US Dollar for the purpose of trade settlements and reserves. It is simply because unlike other countries the US Dollar is not backed by anything.

2. Sudah lupakah kita akan pilihanraya kecil di Permatang Pasir di mana calon Barisan Nasional terdiri daripada seorang peguam yang dikatakan terlibat dengan melesapkan duit pelanggannya dan berbohong berkenaan dengan jumlah isterinya? Kempen BN mudah dipatah oleh parti lawan. Apabila ia kalah ramai yang berkata BN harus selidik dahulu latarbelakang calon. BN tidak harus letak calon yang mempunyai latar belakang yang mudah dijadikan isu oleh parti lawan.

3. Imej UMNO sekarang sudah banyak tercemar dengan politik wang semasa pemilihan Majlis Tertinggi. Boleh dikatakan hampir semua yang dipilih terlibat dengan rasuah.

Saya harap kita dapat menyambutnya dengan meriah tetapi sederhana dan dengan penuh kesyukuran disamping menyedari bahawa ramai dikalangan kita yang tidak berkemampuan.

Kepada yang pulang beraya di kampung, berhati-hatilah di jalanraya dan pandu dengan cermat.

Selamat Hari Raya.

Maaf Zahir dan Batin

Mahathir dan Hasmah

2. My reply is that it really is nothing new. As a politician one has to accept this kind of insult.

3. For example after I stepped down Umno leaders vilified me because I criticised Abdullah’s decision on the bridge and other things. I did not complain then and no one openly condemned the Umno leaders for insulting me. They feared that it might displease the Prime Minister. In other words condemning me was acceptable; it was not a sign of disrespect for a so-called elder statesman. Why should it be any different now.

2. Pada tahun 1986 Dato (Tun) Musa Hitam, musuh ketat Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah telah berjaya pujuk Tengku bertanding jawatan Presiden UMNO. Beliau sendiri sanggup jadi timbalannya.

3. Seperti biasa bahagian-bahagian (UMNO), dalam mesyuarat telah namakan calon mereka. Hanya 20 peratus menamakan Tengku Razaleigh.

2. Justeru itu mereka ini berusaha untuk menentukan kemenangan mereka melalui penyingkiran ahli yang tidak menyokong mereka, mengguna wang untuk membeli sokongan atau mengguna apa-apa kuasa yang ada pada mereka untuk menyogok, menjanji sesuatu kepada yang akan menyokong atau mengugut.

3. Hasilnya mereka menang dalam parti. Tetapi rakyat memerhati segala tindak-tanduk pemimpin dan ahli seperti ini. Apabila rakyat lihat perjuangan parti bukan lagi untuk rakyat; apabila mereka lihat rasuah dan ugutan yang menentukan kepimpinan, maka kepercayaan kepada parti dan pemimpinnya akan terhakis dan mungkin hilang lenyap.

2. This follows the trend which many political parties which had struggled and achieved independence had undergone. The Mashumi Party of Indonesia, the Muslim League of Pakistan, the parties which wrested independence for numerous African countries have all but disappeared.

3. It seems as if the people no longer cared for the struggles and the sacrifices that had been made by those parties and their leaders. It seems as if the beneficiaries of these struggles do not know how to be grateful.

2. Now it is the United Nations which is saying that its member countries should agree on the creation of a global reserve bank to issue a new currency and to monitor the national exchange rates of its members, according to Bloomberg reporting on the Geneva-based UN Conference on Trade and Development.

3. The report said that China, Brazil and Russia this year called for a replacement of the Dollar as the main reserve currency after the financial crisis sparked by the collapse of the mortgage market led to the worst global recession since World War II.