02-04-2022, 08:52 AM
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Dr Raman Letchumanan: I think the gaffe by Marina Mahathir was intentional, hoping no one would pick it up. You were successful in having that gaffe in your book, largely because many may not have bought the book and read it.
But when I read your column in the Sunday Star (yes, I do buy the print version of the weekend Star to see the other side of 'news' reporting), I immediately knew it was a grave mistake, more so blaming the gaffe on his late political rival.
Was it deliberate? Lies are not printable, period. Even so, it should have been immediately corrected. Your father didn't correct you?
So I see your apology as not sincere, but as someone caught lying through the teeth and trying to sound apologetic.
I admired your writings once, but now I see you and your father acting as good cop and bad cop. We have a long list of such noble people who seem virtuous but turn turtle at some point in time. Just look at our (Dewan Rakyat) speaker.
It also begs the question if blatant lies can be published and propagated as truth, what about opinions, views, advocacy, preaching, etc. I guess anyone with power, authority, rich or famous can publish whatever rubbish they want in any media.
By the way, I used to travel almost every fortnight to Asean countries in my official line of work. One could see the tremendous progress in leaps and bounds in these countries. We are now lower in terms of GDP compared to Vietnam. At this rate, soon, we are going to be the sick man of Asean.
At that point, it is Malaysians who will turn into 'boat people' seeking livelihood on the shores of Vietnam, Cambodia or Indonesia. But I trust our Asean neighbours would not 'shoot us on sight'.
Lord Black Adder: The irony is that the Vietnamese boat people left for greener pastures, and the new generations have done well in the countries that chose to adopt them as citizens.
Some have even returned to their country of origin, seeing it in much better shape now than the country whose shores they landed on to seek refuge.
Meanwhile, the coastal villages in Malaysia where the boat people first sought sanctuary are still living in abject poverty.
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