Mahathir is blaming everyone for the turmoil in Malaysia except him

Kit Siang claims Dr M ‘rewriting history’ of Ops Lalang

By Yow Hong Chieh

February 09, 2011

Lim urged Dr Mahathir to “come clean” over his role in Ops Lalang. — file pic

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 9 — DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang has accused Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad of trying to “rewrite history” by blaming the police for the mass arrest of opposition leaders during Operation Lalang.

“Mahathir is not only suffering from selective memory and faulty memory but is spinning untruths about his misdeeds in his 22 years as prime minister,” he said in a press statement today.

According to Lim, Dr Mahathir has claimed in Tom Plate’s new book, “Doctor M: Operation Malaysia”, that the Royal Malaysian Police had acted against his wishes by arresting opposition figures during the 1987 crackdown.

The DAP stalwart quoted Dr Mahathir as telling Plate: “Well, I would have handled it differently, except that the police wanted to do these things because they say it is necessary... I actually met all of the opposition members (beforehand) and assured them that they would not be arrested. And you know what the police did? They arrested them. My credibility is gone.”

Lim, however, denied Dr Mahathir had met with him to give any assurances before the start of the crackdown, and challenged the Umno veteran to name opposition leaders he (Dr Mahathir) had met with then.

The Ipoh Timur MP said it was “unworthy” of the former prime minister to “pass the buck” for the 1987 crackdown as Dr Mahathir not only defended the initial 106 arrests but later used his powers as home minister to issue two-year ISA detention orders for 49 Malaysians, including seven DAP MPs.

Lim pointed out that, despite the purported reason for the arrests, no action had been taken against “seditious and criminal” Umno Youth leaders — including then-Umno Youth chief Datuk Seri Najib Razak — who allegedly displayed racially-provocative banners prior to the police action.

He urged Dr Mahathir to “come clean” and apologise to the nation for masterminding Operation Lalang, which the opposition leader said had paved the way for the clampdown and subversion of the media, judiciary, police, Election Commission and the Anti-Corruption Agency.

“Or is Mahathir going to blame the judiciary, the police, the Election Commission, the Anti-Corruption Agency, the media and the key national institutions for their failure to stand up to oppose him to protect, preserve and promote their efficiency, independence and professionalism during his premiership?” Lim added.