Malaysian Maverick: Mahathir Mohamad in Turbulent Times Barry Wain (grave mercy .TXT) 📖

be the deputy prime minister, my standing is not that high." Hussein got just as angry when Dr. Mahathir tried to persuade him to re-examine Abdullah Ahmad's case.[59] At times, relations between Hussein and Dr. Mahathir almost broke down. Musa Hitam recalled visiting the deputy prime minister's office when Dr. Mahathir was complaining about Hussein. "I lifted the phone and said, 'Talk to him. You're the deputy. Talk to him'. No, no, no. He never did."[60]

It was extremely frustrating for Dr. Mahathir, who was already bursting with many of the ideas that would mark his leadership. He advocated a freeway to run the length of peninsular Malaysia, a single time zone for the country and the establishment of a heavy industries corporation.[61] Not only did Hussein dismiss most of Dr. Mahathir's proposals out of hand, he also considered some a joke, for instance, describing the suggestion for Japanese-style international trading houses, sogo shosha, as sunggoh susah, very difficult, in Malay.[62]

So close to the pinnacle, Dr. Mahathir was still treated as an outsider. Steeped in traditional values, Hussein appreciated the relationship with Tengku Razaleigh, because they were both royalty and had studied law together in London, and their late fathers were friends. At Dr. Mahathir's request, Tengku Razaleigh intervened with Hussein to ask that some of the deputy prime minister's proposals be allowed to go to the Cabinet for other ministerial opinions. "And, of course, he agreed, you know," Tengku Razaleigh said. "You go up to him and explain to him nicely, he'll accept it." That left Dr. Mahathir "very unhappy with me", Tengku Razaleigh said. "He thought that he being deputy prime minister couldn't get things through, but I could go and whisper to Hussein and everything was OK."[63]

Not only was there no personal chemistry between leader and deputy, they also had starkly contrasting styles. Whereas Dr. Mahathir was keen to remake the country from top to bottom, Hussein was cautious to the point of dithering. When reading a brief, he underlined key words three or four times. Loath to make a tough decision before consulting all parties, he would usually agree to "consider it" as a way of postponing an outcome. One of his favourite expressions was, "OK, I'll sleep over it."[64] He once advised Dr. Mahathir that "when you have a problem, just don't do anything"; it would go away, he said.[65]

Even when Hussein reached a decision, he might have second thoughts. For example, Dr. Mahathir persuaded him that Malaysia should strengthen its claim to part of the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea by occupying Amboyna Cay. With the navy ready to move in, Hussein "changed his mind one week later", said Dr. Mahathir.[66] The Vietnamese beat the Malaysians to the punch and established a permanent presence on the cay.

In a cabinet shuffle in 1978, Dr. Mahathir relinquished the education portfolio and became minister for trade and industry, where he was happy to proceed with some of his plans that did not require government policy changes. He established a heavy industries corporation within his ministry, and minimized his unhappiness with Hussein by spending time abroad selling Malaysia. Dr. Mahathir's four years as education minister were remembered for the tough stand he had taken against student and academic protests. He forced scholarship holders to sign guarantees that they would not become involved in politics, and amended the Universities Act to give the government extensive disciplinary powers over staff and students who were politically active.[67]

Eventually, Hussein fell victim to his own philosophy. As the work piled up, elements in UMNO defied his weak leadership by forcing the readmission of Harun Idris to UMNO, after Hussein had insisted on his expulsion following his conviction on corruption charges. Although Harun's court appeals failed in early 1978 and he went to jail, Hussein was being pressed to pardon him. At the 1978 UMNO General Assembly, Hussein was humiliated by being challenged for the presidency of the party by Sulaiman Palestin, the UMNO publicity chief, who secured just over one-fifth of the votes. While Sulaiman was not a serious contender for national leadership, his candidacy was an act of defiance by Harun supporters. As a friend of Sulaiman who opposed Harun's prosecution and felt thwarted under Hussein, Dr. Mahathir had reason to support the dissident challenge covertly, as rumoured, and dissuade the prime minister from being tempted to seek a second term. While Dr. Mahathir denied doing so,[68] as acting premier he sought a pardon for Harun from Malaysia's king during Hussein's absence in London for a heart bypass operation in early 1981.[69]

The pressure on Hussein built relentlessly, and after the operation he announced his retirement, citing ill health. Hussein told friends his memory began failing after the surgery.[70] But in any case he could not cope with the job. When Dr. Mahathir took over on 16 July 1981, he was handed not one but 18 red dispatch boxes, used to carry pending files between the office and home, which were awaiting attention.[71]

Notes

John Funston, "Political Careers of Mahathir Mohamad and Anwar Ibrahim: Parallel, Intersecting and Conflicting Lives", IKMAS Working Papers (Institute of Malaysian and International Studies, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia), no. 15 July 1998): i-iv, 1-32.

Parliamentary Debates, Malaysia, 26 May 1965, cited in Khoo Boo Teik, Paradoxes of Mahathirism: An Intellectual Biography of Mahathir Mohamad (Kuala Lumpur: Oxford University Press, 1995), p. 20.

Ibid., p. 19.

Parliamentary Debates, Malaysia, 26 May 1965, cited in Lee Kuan Yew, From Third World to First: The Singapore Story: 1965-2000 (Singapore: Times Media Pte. Ltd., 2000), pp. 274-275.

Robin Adshead, Mahathir of Malaysia: Statesman and Leader (London: Hibiscus Publishing Company, 1989), p. 54.

Interview with Musa Hitam, 3 January 2007.

Tunku Halim, Tunku Abdullah: A Passion for Life (Kuala Lumpur: All Media Publications Sdn. Bhd., 1998), "Foreword", unnumbered.

Interview with Tunku Abdullah Tuanku Abdul Rahman, 22 March 2007. Tunku Abdullah passed away on 20 August 2008.

John Funston, Malay Politics in Malaysia: A Study of UMNO & PAS (Kuala Lumpur: Heinemann Educational Books (Asia) Ltd., 1980), pp. 2-3.

Ibid., pp. 2-10.

Ibid.,