As posted by Dr. Mahathir Mohamad at Che Det on November 23, 2015
1. Dalam kehidupan manusia, menghadapi cabaran adalah perkara biasa. Sudah tentu jika sesiapa mencebur diri dalam bidang politik, lebih banyak cabaran akan dihadapi. Jika ingin terus dalam bidang politik semua cabaran ini mesti diterima. Mereka yang tidak sanggup menghadapi dan mengatasi cabaran adalah lebih baik tinggal sahaja bidang politik.
2. Semasa saya jadi presiden UMNO dan Perdana Menteri cabaran tidak pernah berhenti. Sudah tentu ada percubaan menjatuhkan saya sebagai presiden UMNO.
3. Diantara cabaran yang terbesar ialah apabila Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah dicalonkan untuk bertanding jawatan presiden UMNO.
4. Kita sudah terima sistem demokrasi dalam pemilihan pemimpin. Apa yang dilakukan oleh Tengku Razaleigh adalah sah dalam sistem demokrasi. Tiada apa yang boleh dilakukan oleh saya untuk mengelak dari dicabar olehnya.
5. Maka Tengku Razaleigh dan ramai penyokong-penyokongnya berkempenlah di seluruh bahagian dan cawangan UMNO di seluruh Malaysia. Mereka bebas bertemu dengan ahli, cawangan dan bahagian-bahagian UMNO.
6. Kedudukan Tengku Razaleigh sebagai Menteri Perdagangan dalam kerajaan tidak terjejas. Demikian juga ramai menteri-menteri dan pemimpin-pemimpin UMNO yang memihak kepadanya.
7. Pengundian semasa mesyuarat agong UMNO berjalan dengan baik. Kerana terjatuh pada hari Jumaat, pengundian dihentikan dan kempen dapat diteruskan dikalangan perwakilan oleh penyokong Tengku Razaleigh.
8. Perkiraan undi dibuat berkali-kali kerana ada yang tidak puas hati dengan keputusan. Hanya pada jam lapan malam barulah keputusan dapat diisytihar.
9. Saya menang dengan kelebihan hanya 43 undi. Saya terima. Peristiwa yang berlaku selepas itu diketahui umum dan tidak perlu saya ulangi disini.
10. Pada bulan Disember 2015 ini, Mesyuarat Agong UMNO akan diadakan.
11. Tidak akan ada apa-apa pertandingan. Tetapi entah kenapa usaha sedang dibuat oleh UMNO supaya perbahasan berkenaan perkara tertentu, khususnya 1MDB dan wang sebanyak 2.6 billion Ringgit dalam akaun peribadi Dato Sri Najib tidak boleh dibangkit.
12. Persidangan pula akan tertutup kepada orang ramai. Tidak semua dari ucapan perwakilan akan disiar. Hanya ucapan presiden sahaja akan disiar.
13. Sepatutnya Muhyiddin Yassin, sebagai Timbalan Presiden akan membuka persidangan sayap – Pemuda, Wanita dan Puteri. Amaran sudah diberi supaya ahli UMNO tidak akan bercakap berkenaan perkara ini.
14. Apakah jenis Mesyuarat Agong UMNO ini?
15. Saya tidak akan bertanding untuk apa-apa jawatan. Tetapi usaha gigih sedang dijalan untuk menutup mulut saya, untuk menyekat saya dari berjumpa dengan ahli UMNO, bahkan orang ramai. Dewan dimana mesyuarat boleh diadakan yang dihadiri oleh saya tidak boleh didapati kerana semua pemilik takut didera oleh Kerajaan.
16. Ada iklim ketakutan yang menghalang segala kegiatan yang bersangkutan dengan mengkritik Kerajaan. Ia seolah-olah menjadi jenayah yang tidak tertulis. Tetapi dakwaan dibuat kononnya ini Negara demokrasi. Sesiapa yang cuba sabotaj demokrasi Malaysia boleh dikena penjara hingga 15 tahun. Tetapi sebenarnya yang mensabotaj demokrasi Malaysia ialah Kerajaan sendiri.
17. Bermacam jenis tekanan digunakan yang tidak demokratik.
18. Ada yang berhadapan dengan pemeriksaan pendapatan kononnya kerana tidak bayar cukai. Ada yang disoal siasat oleh polis. Ada yang dimasuk dalam tahanan tanpa berasas kepada undang-undang. Ada yang diugut akan kehilangan kontrak dll.
19. Kata pepatah berani kerana benar; takut kerana salah. Apakah kerana salah yang takut sangat 1MDB dan 2.6 billion ringgit dibincang.
Eng Version
Facing Challenges
1. In human life, challenges are common. Of course if anyone engages in politics, there are more challenges to be faced. If you want to continue in politics these challenges must be accepted. Those who were not able to face and overcome these challenges it is better to leave the political field.
2. When I became president of UMNO and the Prime Minister challenges never stopped. Of course there were attempts to unseat me as UMNO president.
3. Among the biggest challenges was when Tengku Razaleigh was nominated to run for the presidency of UMNO.
4. We have accepted the democratic system in the selection of leaders. What Tengku Razaleigh did was legitimate in a democratic system. There was nothing I could do to avoid being challenged by him.
5. So Tengku Razaleigh and many of his supporters campaigned at party divisions and branches throughout Malaysia. They were free to meet with members, branches and divisions of UMNO.
6. Tengku Razaleigh’s position as Industry Minister in the government were not affected. Likewise, many ministers and UMNO leaders who sided with him.
7. Voting during UMNO general meeting went well. As it fell on Friday, voting was stopped and supporters of Tengku Razaleigh was able to continue campaigning among the delegates.
8. Counting of votes was made many times because there were some that were not happy with the results. It was only at eight o’clock at night that a decision can be declared.
9. I won by only 43 votes. I accepted. Events that occurred after that are well known and do not need me to repeat here.
10. This December 2015, the UMNO General Meeting will be held.
11. There would not be any election whatsoever. But somehow for whatever reason, efforts are being made by UMNO that debate on certain subject matters, especially 1MDB and the sum of 2.6 billion ringgit in the personal account of Dato Sri Najib, must not be raised.
12. The conference will be closed to the public. Not all speeches by delegates will be broadcasted. Only the president’s speech will be broadcasted.
13. By right Muhyiddin Yassin, as Deputy President will open the conference of the wings – youth, women and women’s youth. Warnings have been given so that UMNO members will not speak on this matter.
14. What kind of UMNO General Meeting is this?
15. I will not be running for any office. But big efforts are being made to silence me, to stop me from meeting with members of UMNO, even with the public. Conference rooms where meetings could be held which can be attended by me are not available as all owners fear reprimand by the Government.
16. There is a climate of fear which prevents all activities concerned with criticizing the Government. It seems to have become a non-written crime. But these allegations are made in this supposedly democratic country. Anyone who tries to sabotage democratic Malaysia is liable to be imprisoned up to 15 years. But in actual fact the government itself is sabotaging democratic Malaysia.
17. Various undemocratic pressures are being deployed.
18. There are people faced with inspection of their income, supposedly for not paying income taxes. There are people being questioned by police. Some are detained not based on any law. Some are threatened with loss of contracts etc.
19. As the saying goes, courage because of truth, fear because of wrongdoings. Is it because of wrongdoings that there is so much fear for 1MDB and 2.6 billion ringgit being discussed.
