KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 13 — Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad in his latest book praised Malays who have adapted to new technologies and are doing well on their own, but said the mindset of some of the youths of today remains stuck in the old ways.
He admitted that he had in the past spoken of economic development and economic access in racial terms but pointed out that he only spoke the truth.
In his latest book, titled: Capturing Hope: The Struggle Continues for a New Malaysia, Dr Mahathir said that while he recognises that the situation has changed from his time as prime minister from the 1980s to the early 2000s — Malaysians still have a penchant for speaking of economic development — and economic access — in racial terms.
“I’ve done that a lot and I’ve even been criticised for generalising about Malays: I call them lazy, for example, although the truth is that when I say that, I am addressing only those Malay folk who are lazy and who choose to sell or throw away the opportunities for which this country has sacrificed so much to provide them.
“The truth is in 2021 we now have a lot of young Malays, and they are well educated. They understand new technologies and are doing quite well. They have successfully internalised the digital revolution, and in a growing number of cases, they are leading change and doing all of us proud,” he wrote.
However, Dr Mahathir said there are still younger Malays who remain stuck in the old ways of doing things.
“Those who tend to think only of their immediate interests: ‘I have my business,’ they say. ‘I have enough to eat; I can perform the Haj; what more do I need?’ This is why the Malay hawker by the roadside will remain a roadside hawker in the future.
“I’ve asked whether, in the year 3000, they’re still going to be hawkers on the roadside. ‘You have to move into a shop,’ I’d say.
“But moving into a shop involves costs, overheads and management. ‘I don’t have to pay rent by the roadside,’ they say.”
Dr Mahathir pointed out that this group are among the ones that when things go bad, they look to the government for handouts and feel entitled to them.
“So be it. I can’t change them, but I am concerned about their children, and the generation that comes after.
“These are the young people we need to change, and it’s our duty as the political leadership of our country to help them find a way forward that is not restricted by the ways of their parents,” he said.
Dr Mahathir said the current leadership of ‘old men’ won’t be able to understand this.
“They have a different mindset and are caught up in viewing the world in terms of race and religion. And I’ve faced a lot of criticism for not being very “Islamic”, for not being very “Muslim”.
“If I have to take the blame, I’ll take it, but we have so much work to do to shape the future citizens of this country through the right kind of education that builds a proper value system. This is so very important. We needed to teach a new value system — and we still do, very much.
“That was our plan in the Pakatan Harapan, but before we had the chance to truly embark on our new policies, we had to deal with trouble brewing elsewhere in the country,” he wrote.
Dr Mahathir’s book will contain his version of the events that led to the abrupt shake-up and collapse of the PH government he led in the aftermath of GE14.
Dr Mahathir’s book will be released on December 12.
