Mahathir didn’t need hospital visit for Chinese support
Lawyer-activist Art Harun says during Mahathir’s tenure, MCA was strong and there was no need to visit Chinese hospitals or schools to get Chinese support.
PETALING JAYA: Lawyer-activist Azhar Harun today slammed Prime Minister Najib Razak over his remark that he was the first leader to visit Tung Shin Hospital as a previous leader never did during his 22 years governing the country.
Azhar, better known as Art, explained in a Facebook posting why former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad did not have to do so, when the general election was around the corner, to gain support from the Chinese.
Art noted that during Mahathir’s tenure, the MCA was strong and the Chinese were a happy lot.
“When Umno was weak or weakened, MCA delivered a very strong performance and it effectively propped up Umno and Barisan Nasional (BN).
“Umno, at that time treated MCA like a real partner. It treated MCA with respect.
“Umno never romanced with PAS or made provocative statements like ‘we will win without the Chinese’ or ‘MCA is weak and we don’t need it’,” he said today.
Art was commenting on Najib’s remark that Mahathir had never visited the Tung Shin Hospital, as well as the maternity hospital, in his 22 years as prime minister.
Najib had reportedly said he had been made to understand that he was the first prime minister to visit the two hospitals.
Art further stated that Mahathir had never been offended with the Chinese and did not say that the election results were not good because of a “Chinese tsunami”, and, on top of that, had not asked “apa lagi Cina mau?” (What else do the Chinese want?).
“He had also never subcontracted bigotry and racial hatred to some groups of people with nice t-shirts or websites that keep on harping that Chinese want to take over Malaysia and ‘habis la orang Melayu dan Islam kalau Cina perintah Malaysia’ (Malays and Muslims are doomed if the Chinese rule Malaysia),” he said, adding that Umno then had never danced to PAS’ tune or talk about imposing hudud.
Art went on to say that the Chinese at that time did not need to see Mahathir making his rounds at Chinese hospitals, Chinese schools or slaughtering a chicken at a Chinese temple before deciding to vote for his leadership.
“Malaysia then was flying economically. The Chinese taukeys were happy and they repaid with absolute support for the government.
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“Mahathir did not have to kowtow to the doctors and patients at the hospital. Or anywhere, for that matter,” he added.