STATEMENT

As posted by Dr. Mahathir Mohamad at Che Det on January 26, 2017

1. My attention has been drawn to a recent report pertaining to a CIA document, stated to have been recently declassified by the US Intelligence, on the 1980s BMF issue.

2. I have also just sight of that CIA document titled “DIRECTORATE OF INTELLIGENCE” dated 5.3.1985. Certain members of the press have asked me for my comments.

3. Let me point out that, that CIA report was not a specific report or finding by the US on the BMF issue. Rather, it was a normal information paper for the US government then,

4. However, since I have been asked, the following are my comments.

5. Firstly, the CIA report itself acknowledged that the Prime Minister then was not in any way, personally or directly linked to that Bumiputra Malaysia Finance (BMF) issue. This can be found at page 4 of that report under the sub-heading “Assessing the Political Damage”, which states:

“Thus far no direct links have been established between Mahathir and the corruption at BMF…”

6. Secondly, that CIA report pointed out that as early as July 1983, I had announced my views that the BMF’s handling of its financial lending was imprudent, and that I had also pledged action to be taken upon investigations. This was in spite of the fact that the BMF issue related to the affairs of a bank, and not the government per se. That portion of the acknowledgment can be found at page 7 of that CIA report titled “APPENDIX”, in which para 5 states:

“July 1983: Mahathir breaks his silence and admits BMF’s heavy lending to a handful of Hong Kong property concerns was imprudent and pledges action if investigations disclose management malpractices.”.

7. Thirdly, the same report also pointed out that a committee of inquiry (Special Investigation Committee) was set up to look into the BMF issue. Records show that Special Investigation Committee, headed by Tan Sri Ahmad Nordin (Auditor General) had forwarded the necessary recommendations for further action. There was no cover up of that report. It was made public. It was certainly not put under OSA. The release of that Report to public, is also acknowledged by that CIA report at page 2 in para 4.

8. In fact, that Report had prompted the police to carry out the necessary investigation into the recommendations of that Special Investigation Committee. There certainly was no cover up in any way. Whether the necessary authorities brought any party to the Courts is for them to answer. The government carried out its duty as properly as it was required to do in the circumstances then.

9. Having pointed out the real contents of the CIA report, I would like to point out the clear distinction between the BMF issue then, and the 1MDB issue now, so that it is clear I did not have a 1MDB – like scandal when I was PM.

a. The BMF issue unlike the 1MDB issue, did not involve allegation of direct impropriety by the government in power. In contrast, the 1MDB issue is directly linked to impropriety by the present government.

b. The BMF issue was not directly linked to me as the Prime Minister then. Whereas, the 1MDB issue is directly linked to Najib Razak, the Prime Minister now. He is in fact at the center of the scandal.

c. On the BMF issue, that CIA report was by a US Agency, and was not a specific report or finding by the US on the BMF issue. In contrast, on the 1MDB issue, the Department of Justice (DoJ), a US Agency have released the necessary report as contained in the cause papers filed in a court of law in California, with specific findings linking the 1MDB issue to MO1 (admitted by a Minister to be referring to Najib Razak).

d. In the BMF issue, a Special Investigation Committee was set up and its Report was made public. In contrast, on the 1MDB issue, Najib’s government is yet to set up any proper independent investigation committee, free of its control. Even the existing Auditor General’s Report on 1MDB has not been made public and has been put under OSA.

e. The BMF issue resulted in various actions taken both in Hong Kong and Malaysia, against various individuals involved in the BMF issue. In contrast, in this 1MDB issue, the necessary authorities such as the police and the Bank Negara are yet to conclude their investigations despite international counterparts in the US, Switzerland and Singapore having done so to the extend of charging individuals in court. But, the SPRM investigation papers have been dismissed by the new Attorney General who himself was appointed in place of the previous Attorney General who was removed, allegedly for health reasons but without a report by a Medical Board. The report by a Special Task Force set up by the previous Attorney General on the 1MDB issue was also dismissed by the new Attorney General and put under OSA.

f. The outcome of the BMF issue was generally received well by the society including the Opposition and other political groups (see The New York Times, January 8, 1985 titled “MALAYSIA DISCLOSES DETAILS OF BANK SCANDAL”). On the 1MDB issue, the Attorney General actually stopped further investigations, which he is not empowered to do. The opposition parties are not satisfied with the outcome of the scandal involving 1MDB.

KONG HEE FATT CHOY

As posted by Dr. Mahathir Mohamad at Che Det on January 26, 2017

My wife and I wish our Chinese friends including those who greet us at shopping complexes and other gatherings a Prosperous and Happy Year of the Rooster.

I would like to thank my Chinese friends and supporters for their support during and after my term as Prime Minister of our country Malaysia.

Lately attempts are being made by certain people to label me as anti-Chinese. This is to serve their political agenda. They know they are lying.

They want the Chinese not to support the DAP and the other parties who want to remove Najib as Prime Minister. They want to perpetuate Najib’s kleptocracy. They ignore that I am not opposed to FDI from China but only against mass immigration. I am against mass immigration from any country. No country allows mass immigration. Selling land for foreigners to build cities for people from their own country is not FDI. The BN and UMNO in particular should declare that they want to flood this country with foreigners.

I am not anti-Chinese. I am pro multiracial Malaysia and Malaysians.

My record will show that all races prospered during my premiership. In fact Malaysia became known as an Asian Tiger.

Najib’s kleptocracy has destroyed Malaysia’s prosperity and Asian Tiger image. Now Malaysia is known as one of the most corrupt countries in the world. He cannot pay 1MDB loan of 42 billion, yet he has now borrowed 55 billion. This will bankrupt Malaysia.

All races are suffering because of Najib. We all have to work for his removal.

Still I hope Malaysian Chinese will enjoy a Prosperous and Happy New Year.

Kong Hee Fatt Choy.

FDI from China

As posted by Dr. Mahathir Mohamad at Che Det on January 20, 2017

1. There is a group of people who wants to make any objection against Foreign Direct Investment from China as racist, as being against the Chinese.

2. I categorically welcome FDI from China as I welcome FDI from any country. What I object to is the kind of FDI from China.

3. It is not about investing in manufacturing industries in Malaysia. It is about acquiring land in Malaysia, building settlements, towns, and cities which are to be sold to mainland Chinese who will come and live here. They will not number in the hundreds or thousands but in millions.

4. It is this massive immigration that we object to. If the project is by Indians and a few million Indians are to come and live in Malaysia, we would also strongly object.

5. Or if the Russians or Eastern Europeans were to mass migrate into Malaysia we would object. And if Africans or Arabs were to flood Malaysia we would also object.

6. Look at the refugees seeking asylum in Europe. By comparison with the 400 million Europeans, the number is small; only 4 million. But look at how the Europeans react to them.

7. They put up razor wire fence and send police and police dogs to keep the immigrants out. They left these people in the open, exposed to the extremely cold winter so that many would die. They got Turkey to agree to take in millions of these refugees when Turkey has already hosted almost 3 million.

8. Mr Trump wants to build a wall to prevent Mexicans and other South Americans from migrating into the U.S. They have police patrols and guard dogs to keep out these foreigners.

9. That’s how much nations are against mass immigration into their countries.

10. But the U.S. allows Japanese, Korean and Chinese automotive companies to set up plants in the U.S., to employ American workers, and borrow money from U.S. banks.

11. Clearly there is a difference between FDI in industries to create jobs for the local people and the mass entry of foreign people to settle even in the U.S. It is so also in the countries of Europe.

12. The Chinese are welcome to invest in industries in Malaysia. But just as we would not welcome mass immigration of Indians, or Pakistanis or Europeans or Africans into Malaysia we have to adopt the same stance on Chinese immigration into Malaysia.

13. No one can deny that the development of cities like the Forest City is to accommodate mainly mainland Chinese. They have already bought the properties and are coming by the planeloads to inspect and buy the properties offered.

14. In and around JB alone there will be 1½ million foreign Chinese. What about the developments going on in Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Malacca and Kuantan, Pahang. What about the housing to be built for the workers and engineers when the East Coast Railway and the HSR are being built.

15. Najib’s boast of attracting more than 140 billion of FDI from China is all about selling prime Malaysian land for the China Chinese to settle in. If he had gone to India or Africa or Europe and sold Malaysian land for millions of foreigners to settle on, I would still not consider that as FDI. And I think Malaysians would also feel the same about it.

16. It is not about being anti-foreign or anti-Chinese. It is about being pro-Malaysia. Additionally these immigrants will not confine themselves to their enclaves only. They will want to go to other places and to do business. They had come in through the powerful companies of China.

17. They will compete with Malaysian businesses. Already many contracts for the construction of high rise buildings have been won by them. The small and medium enterprises will also face competition by them.

18. Local businesses, largely Malaysian Chinese owned, will definitely lose out to those of the mainland Chinese.

19. We have seen the speed and efficiency of the China Chinese builders. They bring in their own workers from China. They can build a 5 star hotel complete with interior decoration and landscaping in 8 months. And they are operating them themselves in the areas they have developed in Johor.

20. Whether the Malaysian business people will admit it or not the fact is that these foreign residents will take a big chunk of the businesses of Malaysians.

21. They need to think about this and stop talking about being anti-Chinese. I and my friends in the new party are not anti-Chinese. We are working with a predominantly Chinese party. Trying to make the Malaysian Chinese reject us is actually trying to support the kleptocratic Najib Government.

p/s I was reported as saying that DAP had asked to have a second Deputy Prime Minister.

I wish to correct my mistake. It was not the DAP but it was the MCA.

Datuk Loke Yuen Yaw was reported by Jabatan Penerangan Malaysia, to urge Dato Seri Najib in 2009 to create the post of Deputy Prime Minister (TPM) and Deputy Chairman of BN to be filled by the MCA President to reflect “real power sharing”.

Appended below is the text of the report in bahasa Malaysia.

CADANGAN TIMBALAN PERDANA MENTERI KE-II DARIPADA MCA

Datuk Loke Yuen Yow, Timbalan Setiausaha Agung MCA dalam laman webnya menggesa Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak mewujudkan jawatan Timbalan Perdana Menteri (TPM) dan Timbalan Pengerusi BN untuk diisi presidennya bagi mencerminkan “perkongsian kuasa sebenar”.

Menurut Loke lagi, jawatan kedua Timbalan Perdana Menteri untuk presiden MCA bukan sahaja merealisasikan konsep perkongsian kuasa, tetapi juga menunjukkan kerajaan memberi kepentingan kepada peranan dan sumbangan kaum Cina dalam proses pembinaan negara.

Sumber Maklumat:

Jabatan Penerangan Malaysia (sini)

April, 2009

RASUAH DAN IBADAT HAJI

As posted by Dr. Mahathir Mohamad at Che Det on January 18, 2017

1. Saya telah soal samada menunaikan rukun Islam yang kelima dengan duit yang dicuri sah atau tidak. Pada pendapat saya ia tidak sah.

2. Beberapa mufti mendakwa bahawa saya cuba jadi Tuhan kerana cuba mengharamkan ibadat haji yang dilakukan dengan duit 1MDB.

3. Saya berpendapat dakwaan ini keterlaluan. Sementara mufti mungkin arif dalam bidang agama tetap jelas mereka tidak tahu dengan mendalam berkenaan 1MDB dan bagaimana Najib telah melakukan berbagai jenayah, termasuk mencuri duit 1MDB.

4. Islam amat menekan keadilan apabila menghukum. Daripada apa yang diketahui berkenaan 1MDB melalui kenyataan dan perbincangan oleh Mufti, adalah jelas mereka tidak memiliki pengetahuan yang cukup untuk memutus bahawa duit 1MDB boleh diguna untuk ibadat haji.

5. Tanpa ditanya atau dikaji, jauh sekali dibicara dengan tertib berkenaan jenayah yang dilakukan oleh Najib dengan wang 1MDB, mereka menjatuh hukum bahawa wang 1MDB halal diguna untuk ibadah haji.

6. Ramai rakyat Malaysia tahu dan seluruh dunia tahu bahawa wang sebanyak 42 billion Ringgit dipinjam oleh 1MDB dengan faedah yang amat tinggi dan komisyen 10% kepada Goldman Sachs tanpa mengikuti cara-cara pinjaman Kerajaan.

7. Wang ini dilabur dalam syarikat yang menimbul tanda tanya akan asset dan perniagaanya, dikeluar modal yang dilabur dari syarikat ini, dijadikan pinjaman kepada syarikat ini, dipindah ke beberapa pulau Caribbean, dimasuk dalam bank di Singapura dan sekarang ini diketahui dapat ke tangan Jho Low. Kemudian wang ini didakwa oleh Jabatan Keadilan Amerika Syarikat telah masuk dalam akaun peribadi Najib.

8. Demikianlah pengurusan wang ini sehingga ia dibekukan oleh Singapura, Switzerland dan bank-bank berkenaan ditutup oleh Kerajaan Singapura, kerana terlibat dengan jenayah money laundering iaitu pembersihan duit haram.

9. Jabatan Keadilan Amerika Syarikat telah dakwa lebih US 3 billion wang 1MDB telah dicuri dan percubaan dibuat untuk membersihkan wang ini dengan membeli rumah mewah di Amerika dan di U.K. serta dibeli gambar lukisan dan dilabur dalam pengeluaran filem lucah “Wolf of Wall Street”.

10. Bagi hakim yang berhajat menjatuh hukuman, semua ini perlu diselidiki dan diambil kira sebelum dihukum. Tetapi amatlah jelas kewangan 1MDB tidak dikaji oleh mufti kerana ingin menghalalkannya untuk buat ibadah haji.

11. Mungkin orang Islam seperti saya tidak tahu secara mendalam dengan hukum hakam Islam, tetapi semua tahu bahawa wang yang dicuri tidak halal. Mengguna wang yang dicuri untuk ibadat amat bercanggah dengan ajaran Islam. Ia ditegah.

12. Oleh kerana mufti-mufti tidak tahu dan tidak mengadakan kajian dan perbicaraan dengan tertib sebelum mereka membuat kenyataan bahawa saya cuba menjadi Tuhan kerana menyoal samada sah atau tidak mengguna duit 1MDB, maka saya berhak mempertikaikan dakwaan mereka.

13. Lebih-lebih lagi mereka adalah pegawai upahan Kerajaan dan terdedah kepada tindakan jika mereka, dengan mendakwa ibadat haji dengan duit 1MDB tidak sah, sekaligus mengaku Najib telah mencuri duit 1MDB.

14. Lagipun mereka tentu tahu bahawa tujuan Najib membiayai beribu orang untuk tunaikan Ibadat haji bukan kerana mencari pahala tetapi kerana bertujuan mendapat sokongan politik dari penerima-penerima ini. Ini adalah satu jenis rasuah dan ini juga haram disisi agama Islam.

15. Apakah pendapat mufti berkenaan dengan ibadat haji dengan duit dua kali haram – sekali duit curi, kemudian duit sogok.

16. Kalau masih anggap halal, terimalah dan lakulah ibadat haji dengan duit 1MDB.

PEMBANGUNAN J.B.

As posted by Dr. Mahathir Mohamad at Che Det on January 17, 2017

1. Saya tidak tahu samada benar atau tidak cabaran yang dilontarkan oleh DYMM Sutan Johor terhadap saya berkenaan pembangunan JB.

2. Mungkin hanya akhbar The Star yang mentafsirkan apa yang dititah DYMM Tuanku sebagai melontarkan cabaran terhadap saya.

3. Tetapi selagi DYMM Tuanku tidak menafikan mencabar saya, saya akan anggap laporan The Star sebagai benar.

4. Saya mengaku bahawa saya berada di dalam keadaan yang agak lemah. Sementara sesiapa sahaja boleh berkata apa-apa terhadap saya, dan saya mengambil sikap terbuka terhadap kebebasan mereka berbuat demikian, saya harap di dalam menjawab terhadap cabaran DYMM Tuanku, saya tidak akan dipenjara tanpa bicara. Jika perbicaraan dapat diadakan, silalah tangkap saya.

5. Apakah yang telah diperkatakan oleh saya? Tidak lebih daripada apa yang dilaporkan Bloomberg di dalam akhbar. Tetapi saya boleh terima kenapa laporan Bloomberg tidak akan dicabar atau dinafikan.

6. Apakah yang diperkata oleh Bloomberg di dalam laporannya pada 22hb November lepas? Ia mengatakan yang sebuah syarikat dari China akan membangunkan Forest City yang akan memuatkan 700,000 penduduk. Ianya juga melapor bahawa orang Cina dari China diterbangkan untuk melihat pameran model sebesar manusia (bergambar) dan mereka ini sudah, malahan akan membeli kebanyakan hartanah di Forest City.

7. Saya tidak fikir ramai Melayu atau Cina Johor telah beli atau akan beli apartment ini. Malaysia tidak mempunyai penduduk yang begitu ramai untuk membeli kesemua hartanah ini.

8. Bloomberg, di dalam laporan yang sama turut menyatakan tentang 60 pembangunan lain yang mirip Forest City, dan ini juga sedang dijual kepada rakyat tanah besar China.

9. Melihat kembali pada tahun 1819, apabila Sutan Johor, Sultan Ali tidak mahu memajak Singapura kepada British, Temenggung telah menandatangani pajakan tersebut. Lihatlah Singapura hari ini. Sebahagian daripada Johor kini adalah negara asing – memanglah ia dibangun dengan mudah, tetapi ia tetap negara asing.

10. Lebih sejuta rakyat asing akan tinggal di Forest City JB dan 60 pembangunan lain disekitarnya. Semua tempat baru ini tidak akan menjadi negara asing tetapi akan mengandungi peratus orang asing yang tinggi. Jika mereka tinggal untuk satu tempoh yang lama yang ditetapkan, mereka layak untuk menjadi rakyat Malaysia.

11. Ya, saya yang mempromosi Pelaburan Langsung Asing (FDI – Foreign Direct Investment). Tetapi ianya bukan bertujuan membeli tanah di Malaysia, membangunkannya dan menjualnya kepada rakyat asing, yang akan tinggal di sana.

12. FDI ialah berkenaan pelaburan di dalam industri pembuatan. Syarikat Malaysia akan membina bangunan dan rakyat akan bekerja di dalam industri-industri tersebut. Mereka akan mempelajari kemahiran dan akan memulakan perniagaan pengeluaran barangan mereka sendiri.

13. Kontraktor Malaysia berkebolehan membina pelbagai jenis bangunan dan memajukan tanah. Kita tidak perlu orang asing untuk ini. Lihatlah Malaysia hari ini. Sembilan puluh peratus atau lebih daripada bangunan baru ini dan pembangunan lain dibuat oleh syarikat Malaysia. Majoriti pembeli juga rakyat Malaysia dan mereka juga bermastautin di situ.

14. Tetapi apabila rakyat asing beli tanah, tidak terdapat aliran masuk wang pun. Kebanyakan sumber kewangan dipinjam dari dalam negara. Dan mereka juga boleh berniaga dengan menggunakan bank mereka sendiri.

15. Apa sahaja pendapatan syarikat asing ini perolehi akan dihantar pulang dan menyebabkan pengaliran keluar wang. Apabila diperkenalkan skim di mana pembeli boleh beli hartanah di negara China dan mendapat satu unit rumah pangsa atau rumah secara percuma di Malaysia, tidak akan ada keuntungan yang dibuat di Malaysia dan Kerajaan Malaysia tidak akan mendapat hasil cukai.

16. Benarkanlah semua transaksi dibuat dengan telus. Terbitkanlah semua dokumen berkaitan pelaburan, jumlah pekerja asing, negara asal mereka, pembeli, bank yang menyediakan pinjaman serta kesemua penghantaran balik wang keluar. Keluarkanlah ini dengan jujur. Jangan berselindung. Janganlah pulak disuruh seseorang yang bernama Tunku Aziz untuk mengesahkannya. Mungkin dia ini pada satu masa mengetuai Transparency International, tetapi dia menerima tanpa belah bagi rompakan dan rasuah yang terjadi dalam 1MDB.

17. Jadi biarlah Transparency International yang benar-benar “International” memeriksa dokumentasi rasmi yang dikeluarkan. Biarkan rakyat meneliti dokumen tersebut untuk buktikan kesahihannya.

18. Pandang ke Timur bukan bermakna mengajak negara-negara di Timur membeli tanah di Malaysia, membangun dan menjual kepada rakyat dari negara-negara mereka. Ya, kita menggalakkan orang asing untuk jadikan Malaysia rumah kedua mereka (Malaysia My Second Home). Tetapi jumlah mereka ini sedikit. Dasar Pandang ke Timur bukan untuk membenarkan migrasi secara besar-besaran melibatkan ratusan ribu. Ianya adalah untuk rakyat Malaysia mempelajari bagaimana negara-negara di Timur ini membangun dan memajukan negara mereka.

19. Mudah sekali untuk menuduh saya ini racist, atau bersikap perkauman. Sebelum ini pun saya pernah digelar Malay ultra.

20. Label atau panggilan serta usaha untuk memburukkan imej ini lebih menunjukkan kegagalan untuk mematahkan apa yang saya buat atau katakan.

21. Ia mencerminkan ketiadaan asas untuk hujah bagi melawan hujah saya.

22. Ini adalah negara berbilang kaum. Rakyat berlainan keturunan, bahasa, agama, budaya dan pencapaian ekonomi telah tinggal dengan aman.

23. Di banyak negara, hanya kerana perbezaan interpretasi yang sedikit pada agama yang dianuti bersama menyebabkan pergaduhan dan peperangan. Tetapi Malaysia stabil dan aman.

24. Ianya stabil dan aman kerana kita terima keadaan sesama kita. Selama 22 tahun saya jadi Perdana Menteri, tidak terdapat pergaduhan kaum yang serius. Konflik ada. Tetapi tanpa keganasan. Dan negara dapat dibangun.

25. Jika saya amalkan perkauman, zaman saya akan terlihat ketidaktentuan dan kemuduran di negara ini.

26. Sesiapa boleh pertikai apa yang saya katakan. Itu hak demokratik sesiapa.

27. Saya cabar The Star untuk siarkan apa yang saya katakan ini secara keseluruhan. Tanda ketakutan Kerajaan terhadap kebenaran boleh digambarkan dengan sejauhmana media arus perdana dikawal.

28. Saya terima jika penulisan ini tidak disiarkan sama sekali kerana kita hidup di dalam sebuah negara kleptocratic di mana kebenaran merupakan satu bala, hanya boleh dibisik tetapi tidak boleh diperkatakan secara terus terang.

29. Saya rakyat Malaysia yang dilahirkan di Kedah.

30. Malaysia adalah rumah saya dan objek kesetiaan saya. Jika saya harus dituduh sebagai penderhaka kerana apa yang saya perkatakan, tuduhlah.

Dr Mahathir bin Mohamad

16 Januari 2017

P/s: Di dalam kes Hong Kong and Macau, Pondicherry, Goa dan lain-lain wilayah Peranchis dan Portugis di India, sebaik sahaja penjajah melepaskan empayar mereka, tempat-tempat ini terus dilepaskan dan dipulangkan semula kepada negara asal. Demikian juga semua tanah jajahan dikembalikan kepada pemilik asal wilayah-wilayah ini.

Surat asal yang disunting telah disiarkan di dalam akhbar The Star bertarikh Jan 17, 2017, di ruangan surat.

J.B. DEVELOPMENT

As posted by Dr. Mahathir Mohamad at Che Det on January 17, 2017

1. I don’t know if it is true about HRH The Sultan of Johore is throwing a challenge to me over the development of J.B.

2. Maybe it is only The Star which is interpreting what HRH says as a challenge to me.

3. But unless HRH denies he is challenging me, I will take the report of The Star as the truth.

4. I admit I am at a disadvantage here. While people can say what they like about me, and I welcome their freedom to say so, I hope that in responding to HRH’s challenge I will not be arrested and jailed without trial. If it is with trial, I welcome the arrest.

5. Now, what did I say? Nothing more than repeating a report by Bloomberg in the press. But I appreciate why Bloomberg is not challenged nor denied.

6. What did Bloomberg say in its report on Nov 22 last year? It said that a China Chinese company will build Forest City in J.B. which can accommodate 700,000. It went on to say that plane loads of China Chinese are being flown in to view the man-sized model (with pictures) and they have and will buy most of the properties in Forest City.

7. I doubt if many Johore Malays and Chinese are buying or going to buy these apartments. There just aren’t that many Malaysians to buy all these properties.

8. Bloomberg, in the same report mentioned 60 other development similar to Forest City, and these are also being sold to mainland Chinese.

9. Looking back to 1819, when Sultan Ali of Johore did not lease Singapore to the British, the Temenggong signed the lease. And look at Singapore today. A part of Johore is now a foreign country – well developed no doubt, but a foreign country.

10. There will be in all more than a million foreigners living in J.B Forest City and the 60 other development. These new places will not become a foreign country, but it will have an inordinate percentage of foreign people. If they stay long enough they will be entitled to become citizens of Malaysia.

11. Yes, I promoted Foreign Direct Investment. But it was not about buying land in Malaysia, developing them and selling them to foreigners, who will stay there.

12. FDI is about investment in the manufacturing industry. Malaysian companies will construct the building and Malaysians will work in the industries. They will acquire skills and start their own manufacturing business.

13. Malaysian contractors are completely capable of building all kinds of buildings and develop land. We don’t need foreigners to do this. Look at Malaysia today. 90% or more of these new buildings and development are by Malaysian companies. Majority of the buyers are Malaysians, and they are the people who stay there.

14. But when foreigners buy land, there is not even an inflow of capital. Much of the money will be borrowed locally. And they can do their business with their own banks.

15. Whatever foreign companies earn will be expatriated, will result in outflow of capital. When the scheme is introduced wherein you can buy property in China and get one flat or house free in Malaysia, no profit will be made in Malaysia – therefore no taxes will be paid to the Malaysian Government.

16. Let all transactions be transparent. Publish all documents about the investments, the number of workers, their home countries, the buyers, the banks which finance and all expatriation of funds. Do this honestly. No hiding. Please don’t ask a certain Tunku Aziz to verify. He may have been the Malaysian Head of Transparency International, but he approves completely the stealing and the corruption of 1MDB.

17. So let the truly international Transparency International examine the exposed official documents. Let the people see the documents to prove their genuineness.

18. Looking East is not about asking the countries of the East to buy land in Malaysia, develop and sell to the people from these countries. Yes, we have encouraged foreigners to make Malaysia their second home. But their numbers are very small. Looking East is not about mass immigration of hundreds of thousands. It is about Malaysians learning about how these Eastern countries developed themselves.

19. It is easy to accuse me of being a racist. I have been called a Malay ultra before.

20. This labelling, this demonising actually expose the lack of credible arguments against what I do or say.

21. It reflects a fundamental lack of basis for the arguments against me.

22. This is a multiracial country. People of different ethnicity, language, religion, culture and even economic well-being have lived in this country in peace.

23. In many countries even a slight difference in the interpretation of their common religion has resulted in violent conflicts and wars. But relatively speaking Malaysia is stable and peaceful.

24. It is stable and peaceful because we accept each other as we are. During my 22 years as PM, there were no significant racial clashes. Differences, yes. But no violence. And the country grew.

25. Had I been a racist, my periodwould have seen turmoil and regression in this country.

26. You can dispute what I say. That is your democratic right.

27. I dare The Star to publish what I say in full. It is a measure of the Government fear of the truth that the mainstream media is strictly controlled.

28. I will accept this article being totally blacked-out because we are living in a kleptocratic country where truth is anathema, only to be whispered but never said aloud.

29. I am a Malaysian born in Kedah.

30. Malaysia is my home and the object of my loyalty. If I have to be accused of les majeste for what I say, so be it.

Dr Mahathir bin Mohamad

16 January 2017

P/S: In the case of Hong Kong and Macau, Pondicherry, Goa and other French and Portuguese enclaves in India, upon the colonial masters giving up their empire, these territories were returned to the original countries. All occupied lands were also returned to the original owners of these territories.

The edited version of this letter was published in the letters pages of The Star newspaper, Jan 17, 2017.

MENGHALAL YANG HARAM

As posted by Dr. Mahathir Mohamad at Che Det on January 09, 2017

1. Bolehkah duit yang didapati secara haram diguna untuk membiayai ibadah tertentu?

2. Kita semua maklum bahawa jika kita termakan makanan yang haram bagi orang Islam (daging babi umpamanya) maka kita tidak bersalah. Tetapi jika kita tahu makanan yang dihidang itu haram, kita makan juga, maka perbuatan kita itu salah disisi agama.

3. Demikian juga apabila kita tahu duit itu dicuri, tetapi kita terima duit itu untuk apa juga tujuan, maka perbuatan itu tentulah salah. Jika salah untuk perbuatan lain, tentulah salah juga untuk membiayai ibadat.

4. Hanya mereka yang bertujuan membodek orang tertentu sahaja yang akan halalkan wang yang dicuri oleh Kerajaan. Kalau menyatakan wang dicuri tidak boleh biayai ibadat haji adalah percubaan menjadi Tuhan, kenyataan itu menunjuk kekerdilan akal fikiran. Pangkat tidak boleh membetulkan pendapat yang salah. Pencuri berpangkat masih pencuri.

5. Duit yang dicuri masih duit haram. Ia tidak boleh dihalalkan dengan menggunanya untuk ibadat. Makanan yang haram tidak akan menjadi halal kerana dihidang selepas baca doa selamat, atau bertahlil.

6. Walaupun kita Bismillah, daging yang haram masih haram dimakan. Perbuatan yang dilarang, yang diharamkan tidak jadi halal kerana kita mula dengan menyebut nama Allah, Yang Maha Pengasih, lagi Yang Maha Penyayang. Kalau kita curi duit untuk membuat kerja haji, sesuatu ibadat yang kita wajib buat hanya jika kita mampu, atau untuk buat sunat umrah, apakah perlakuan kita itu ibadat atau tidak. Atau apakah ibadat kita boleh diterima jika kita terima duit yang dicuri orang lain. Tidakkah dakwaan kita mendorong pencurian kerana yang dicuri boleh dihalalkan dengan mengguna sebahagian atau semuanya untuk ibadat, termasuk ibadat haji.

7. Apakah hanya dengan dihalalkan oleh orang yang bergelar Mufti, maka yang haram itu menjadi halal.

8. Kalau nak terima duit curi untuk buat kerja haji, terimalah.

9. Saya tak akan terima walau apa pun tohmah dilempar kepada saya.

FDI

As posted by Dr. Mahathir Mohamad at Che Det on January 06, 2017

FDI

1. ​At independence Malaysia faced a big unemployment problem. To solve this we started with opening land for the landless. But development of land was not able to create enough jobs. It was therefore decided that Malaysia should industrialise. But Malaysia had no manufacturing expertise, no capital, no big corporations and no knowledge of the world market.

2. ​Accordingly Malaysia decided to invite foreign investors. By this we meant that foreign manufacturing companies could set up labour intensive plants in Malaysia to produce for export. The Government would provide land and infrastructure and give tax holidays.

3.​ FDI solved most of our unemployment problem and enriched the country through industrialisation and inflow of capital. But a large amount of the capital was raised domestically.

4​. But today Najib’s Government has given a new definition for Foreign Direct Investment. He regards foreigners bringing in money to buy land and develop towns and cities where their people would come and stay as foreign direct investment.

5. ​The result benefits us not at all. Much of the most valuable land will now be owned and occupied by foreigners. In effect they will become foreign land.

6. ​When we sold Singapore island to the Brits we must know that Singapore with all its wealth and development has become a foreign country. We cannot be proud of its achievement anymore than we can of the development of other countries in the world.

7. ​Currently we are seeing huge tracts of land around Johor Bahru being sold to foreigners with no restriction on the sale of properties developed to them and mass immigration to take up residence in these new cities. One example is Forest City developed by a China-based company. Already thousands of units have been completed and sold to mainland Chinese. Bloomberg reports that 700,000 mainland Chinese would stay there. And the same agency pointed out that around Forest City, and therefore around Johor Bahru, there are 60 similar projects which can house more than one million people.

8.​ Typically Chinese contractors prefer to bring in their own workers, architects and engineers. Few Malaysians would be employed in these projects. And few Malaysians would be able to buy the flats being built.

9.​ Actually our own people are quite capable of developing our land. They may not have the capital to invest immediately. The development may be slower and the scale may not be so big. The buyers will be local.

10. ​It doesn’t need much imagination to see how much this benefit Malaysia, Malaysians and the Malaysian Government.

11. ​But if we consider inflow of foreign capital to buy, develop and occupy our land as FDI, then we must expect huge areas of our land becoming foreign enclaves.

12. ​In most countries foreigners are not allowed to buy land. They may be given contracts to build but they will be only contractors. Certainly what they build will not be for huge numbers of foreign people to occupy almost exclusively.

13. ​But we are very generous. Even when we limit foreign buyers to buying only the expensive property but the Government, including the state Government would give exemption so that even low cost or affordable houses can be bought by foreigners.

14. ​We claim that – these foreigners will not stay permanently in the enclaves they develop. We claim they will stay here only for the winter months.

15. ​But we are kidding ourselves. Can we imagine hundreds of thousands of foreign people flying into the country to stay for three months and then flying out to their country to live there for nine months. Can we imagine for nine months these towns and cities will be empty – the shops, flats, offices, hotels, and recreation areas being closed. They will become ghost cities and towns. Empty roads and streets. Empty shopping complexes. It is absurd. Denying that 700,000 would occupy Forest City is self-deluding. No condition on who can stay in these houses has been stipulated.

16. ​But some point out that the investment will come from many countries. Agreed. But most of them have not enough people to settle in foreign lands. They would be investing in industries to benefit from our low-cost labour. They would build their plants in the industrial estates we put up. They will not engage in huge housing development projects. They will not settle here.

17. ​We can allow for foreign ownership of small plots of land. We can lease the land to them.

18. ​But we cannot allow thousands of acres to be owned, developed and settled by foreigners. If we do that literally they would become foreign enclaves, troublesome for local authorities to manage. Indeed difficult even for the central Government to manage.

19. ​We want our country to develop. Experience have shown that Malaysians can develop their own country. Their development is second to none. But their development would be for Malaysians.

20. ​But during Najib’s China trip, he claimed that he succeeded in getting 150 billion Ringgit of FDI. No details were given. I am sure that most of this FDI would involve selling land, Government’s and 1MDB land to pay the debts which everyone knows have been incurred by them. We are going to see large chunks of Malaysia being developed by the foreign buyers and being occupied by them. Eventually they would demand for citizenship and they will participate in Malaysian politics including in elections. Whatever ideology they believe in might change the colour of Malaysian politics.

21. ​As much as we cannot be proud of the development in parts of land which have become a foreign country, we cannot be proud of a magnificently developed Malaysia, occupied and owned by foreigners.