SKIM PIRAMID

As posted by Dr. Mahathir Mohamad at Che Det on May 29, 2009 7:30 AM

(Ini adalah rencana bersiri mengenai aliran semasa yang membawa kepada krisis kewangan masakini. Rencana asal di dalam bahasa Inggeris telah disiarkan di dalam blog ini pada Mei 7, 2009)

1. Terdapat pula skim Piramid atau Ponzi. Bernard Madoff hanya terbongkar selepas dia kehilangan 50 bilion duit yang telah dilaburkan dengannya.

2. Operasinya cukup mudah. Operator hanya memulangkan sebahagian sahaja wang yang "dilaburkan" dengannya sebagai dividen. Jika dia membayar dividen sebanyak 20 peratus setahun dia akan menghabiskan wang tersebut dalam masa lima tahun.

3. Tetapi apabila semakin ramai pelabur baru melabur dengannya, dianya akan dapat terus bayar dividen hinggakan para pelabur asal telah menerima semula pulangan jumlah yang mereka labur terdahulu. Lagipun pelabur akan terus melabur selagi mereka mendapat pulangan yang tinggi.

4. Secara amnya pelabur akan gembira dengan pulangan yang tinggi yang mereka tidak akan pun merungut. Pihak berkuasa juga tidak akan mendapat tahu tentang operasi skim tersebut. Lagipun jika ianya dibongkar dan diarah berhenti pelabur akan kehilangan semua wang yang mereka labur.

5. Madoff bukanlah satu-satunya yang kendalikan skim ini. Sebenarnya tidak ada kekayaan yang diperolehi kerana duit yang dilabur sebenarnya dipulangkan. Walaubagaimanapun dividen yang kononnya diperolehi akan menyumbang kepada per kapita dan KDNK Negara.

THE EXTREMISTS

As posted by Dr. Mahathir Mohamad at Che Det on May 27, 2009 10:35 PM

1. We are all held to ransom by extremists. We want to be rational and we all want to do what is best for ourselves and our country. We all want the best for our children and their future. But we cannot do all these because if we do we will be accused of being traitors, not supporting our own community or our own religion. We will be demonized etc.etc.

2. So willy-nilly we become the instruments of these extremists and their narrow jingoism, to our own detriment.

3. In Malaysia we are constantly being asked to confront each other on racial issues. Disputes cannot be resolved by rigidity in our stand. But we have to be rigid if we do not want to be vilified.

4. It is a miracle that this multi-racial country has remained stable and peaceful for so long. If the extremists can have their way we would all be at each others' throats. We would be demonstrating in the streets and at the airports. If we do not accede to the wishes of the extremists then we cannot even make a living, there will be no investments and no jobs for the workers.

5. Today we are grappling with the problem of education. We have three streams and woe betide anyone who suggests that we should not have them. We talk of liberal society, of free speech, but if you express some commonsensical views you would be labelled racist.

6. Then there is the controversy over the teaching of science and mathematics in English. We curse the person who had proposed this, calling him a betrayer of his mother tongue, of the national language. Then there are those who want to carry out a nationwide strike if the policy is not changed.

7. I am ready to surrender to the extremists, to pay the ransom demanded. What does it matter if the country goes up in flames, if the extremists win the day? What does it matter if the life of our children and their children is blighted? Anything for a quiet life. I want to be a member of the silent majority and just acquiesce. However the habit of a lifetime just refuse to go.