In The Grips of a Great Man
LETTERS TO
MALAYSIAKINI
http://www.malaysiakini.com/archives_letters/2000/oct/oct23/letter2.htm
There's a widely-held perception that there's no one to
replace our current Prime Minister, Dr Mahathir Mohamad. The ardent supporters of Anwar
Ibrahim, of course, wouldn't agree with my statement, but they are
in the minority
anyway.
Is Mahathir such a non-expendable leader of our nation? Would chaos, in all
facets of our existence - social, economic, politics - break out if Mahathir goes? Are
we having it so good that a better future, in the absence of him, is totally
unimaginable?
Many, not infrequently, ask this rhetorical question: Who is there to
replace
Mahathir?
It certainly is a worthwhile question. Who indeed possesses the charisma that
our aged premier seemed to have? Honestly, I could think of no one. Yes, no one!
However,
we are not - certainly - the first to ask such questions. The question has plagued the
minds of many before us, and would continue to plague many more in the future.
Whoever
thought that Habibie (and later Gus Dur) would replace Suharto as Indonesian president?
While he ruled, he certainly appeared indomitable and irreplaceable. The same could be
said about the now deposed
Yugoslavia's Milosovich. China's Mao Zedong, Deng Hsiaoping
and any of the Soviet leaders - Stalin, Khrushchev, Brezhnev.
The fact is,
succession is a problem for any autocratic regime. The autocrat in his quest for power
quashes all his pretenders. Initiative, generally, is frowned upon; and only those who
fawn, prosper - until they get too close to power, at least.
Since, Mahathir's
rule is characterised by many features of autocracy, this awe that we feel towards him
is only predictable. This awe sometimes manifests itself in deep-seated anger; and at
other times as uncritical, supine respect. If this analysis is true, then the fact that
we could think of no one to replace our prime minister is no argument against replacing
him.
Indeed, that we could think of no one is a very strong argument why he must
be replaced immediately - or at least, as soon as possible!
So, who would replace
Mahathir? My answer: anyone whom Malaysians choose through a legitimate process, to
lead them.
Such an answer may sound like a no-brainer, a let-down even, until we realise
that a modern nation, by definition, is a nation that is governed not by men but by
laws.
Since we are a modern nation, or at least one that aspires to be so, we shouldn't
be beholden to a great man. What we need is a set of good, workable laws that ordinary
people like you and I can mould and shape to
address the concerns of the time. We have
our Constitution - the framework that gives us a common culture - and our common laws
that regulate the conduct of men.
If anything, our great leader has done a great
disservice to us and to future generations of Malaysians by weakening all our cardinal institutions.
Think
of it. Being a mortal, he, too, would be consumed by nature, wouldn't he? Who would
then be there when he departs unannounced? Are we going to wait for some messiah to
deliver us from our evils?
It is time we made our choice. We have to rebuild our
tarnished institutions, so that they would be able to withstand the test of time. Our
beloved prime minister, if he still cares for our well-being - and not his legacy -
should step down immediately. He may attempt to guide us from a less conspicuous spot,
but he must step down first, nevertheless.
We've had enough of a great man. What we
need is the empowerment of ordinary men.
Maanvili Tennavan
Sungai Siput, Perak
