May 3, 2012 in Articles, Tun Dr. Mahathir
Rumah Kelahiran Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has been restored in its original form by National Archives.
WELCOME to Rumah Kelahiran Tun Dr Mahathir, birthplace of one of the nation’s great sons, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad,
Located in Lorong Kilang Ais here, this humble-looking abode built in 1900 has retained its original form.
December 9, 2011 in Articles, Books etc, Media, Spotlight, Tun Dr. Mahathir
*Photo from themalaysianinsider.com
By Pauline Wong
KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 9, 2011): While Malaysians may know Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad as a man who neither minced his words nor feared his political enemies, the former premier today revealed that the moment which frightened him most in his 22 years of leadership was when he pegged the US dollar to the ringgit during the 1997 Asian financial crisis.
“One of the things that frightened me most was when I fixed the dollar to the ringgit,” he told a large crowd at the Midvalley Exhibition Hall here, after the launch of the e-book version of his memoirs, “A Doctor in the House”.
He had said this in response to a question from a ‘fan’ on Facebook selected prior to the launch, which was organised by MPH Bookstores.
The fan had asked him how he was able to stay strong to realise his visions for the nation, to which Mahathir said “You will never know if your visions are realised, and because you don’t know, you are frightened.”
In 1998, Mahathir had pegged the US dollar at RM3.80, to much criticism from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). At that time, the ringgit had plummeted as a result of the financial crisis.
Mahathir, who was dressed in a light brown suit, nevertheless looked relaxed as he fielded questions, including what makes him the happiest.
“I am afraid my wife (Tun Dr Siti Hasmah) will be angry if I answered wrongly, so I am just going to say my wife makes me happiest,” he said to laughter from the crowd.
When asked if he had any other visions for the country after 2020, he jokingly said “I would no longer be around, so I can say anything I like” but added that all he wanted was ” a Malaysia that is peaceful and prosperous.”
Mahathir’s memoirs, which was first launched in March, will be available as an e-book for USD 15.99 (RM45) at MPHOnline.com, which was also simultaneously launched today.
The portal is Malaysia’s first e-book portal and more than 250,000 e-book titles are available for purchase and download.
Other News Link:
November 21, 2011 in Articles, Events@PLF, Media, PLF News, Spotlight, Supporting the Foundation, Tun Dr. Mahathir
November 20, 2011 | By Ku Seman Ku Hussain
Mulai semalam hingga Selasa ini bekas Presiden Amerika Syarikat (AS) George W. Bush dan Perdana Menteri Britain, Tony Blair “dibicarakan” di Kuala Lumpur. Mereka dibicarakan kerana dituduh melakukan jenayah perang terhadap Iraq pada 2003. Akibat jenayah itu dianggarkan 1.4 juta orang awam di Iraq terkorban, berjuta yang lain menderita krisis makanan dan kesihatan.
Walaupun kedua-dua pemimpin yang dianggap “paksi kejahatan dunia” itu tidak ada di Kuala Lumpur, perbicaraan diteruskan di hadapan tujuh panel hakim dan disaksikan oleh orang ramai.
Bush dan Tony Blair didapati melanggar piagam Majlis Keselamatan Bangsa-Bangsa Bersatu (PBB). Mereka melancarkan perang atas Iraq untuk menumpaskan Presiden Saddam Hussein dengan alasan Iraq mempunyai loji senjata nuklear. Tetapi setelah didapati alasan itu tidak benar, PBB dan Mahkamah Jenayah Antarabangsa (ICC) gagal mengambil tindakan terhadap terhadap kedua-dua mereka.
Membicarakan dua bekas pemimpin Barat itu memperlihatkan kesungguhan Malaysia memperjuangkan keadilan kepada mangsa jenayah perang sekaligus keamanan dunia. Pada masa yang sama Malaysia mendesak dunia mengiktirafkan perang sebagai jenayah dan mereka yang melakukan jenayah ini mesti dihukum. Walaupun Perang Dunia Kedua telah berakhir lebih 60 tahun lalu, kuasa besar Barat mengenepikan badan dunia seperti PBB untuk melancarkan perang atas negara lain yang merdeka.
Tribunal Jenayah Perang Kuala Lumpur dianjurkan oleh Yayasan Keamanan Global Perdana yang diusahakan oleh bekas Perdana Menteri, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad. Perbicaraan ini juga sindiran tajam kepada PBB dan ICC yang gagal melaksanakan tanggungjawab untuk memberi keadilan sekaligus memperjuangkan hak asasi manusia untuk hidup aman. Ini memperlihatkan dengan jelas bahawa kedua-dua bekas pemimpin itu mempengaruhi PBB dan ICC untuk tidak menghukum mereka.
Perbicaraan dijalankan di depan tujuh panel hakim yang terdiri daripada Datuk Abdul Kadir Sulaiman, bekas Hakim Mahkamah Persekutuan, Datuk Dr. Zakaria Yatim, bekas Hakim Mahkamah Persekutuan, Tunku Sofiah Jewa, Profesor Salleh Buang, Alfred L. Webre, Profesor Emeritus Datuk Shad Saleem Faruqi, profesor undang-undang UiTM dan Profesor Niloufer Bhagwat. Tujuannya untuk membuktikan Bush dan Tony Blair melakukan jenayah di Iraq yang akhirnya mengakibatkan krisis kemanusiaan yang teruk.
Walaupun dipadankan dari sebuah tribunal jenayah perang Vietnam 1967 anjuran kerajaan Sweden dan Denmark untuk mendakwa AS membunuh orang awam Vietnam, Tribunal Jenayah Perang Kuala Lumpur lebih berwibawa. Ini kerana Suruhanjaya Jenayah Perang Kuala Lumpur menyediakan bukti-bukti yang sangat kukuh dan tidak boleh ditepis oleh tertuduh.
Antaranya rakaman pengakuan rakyat Iraq yang menjadi mangsa perang dan mereka yang didera di luar batas kemanusiaan semasa dalam tahanan. Pengumpulan bukti walaupun mengambil masa yang lama iaitu lebih dua tahun tetapi berhasil mengemukakan pertuduhan yang kukuh terhadap Bush dan Tony Blair. Inilah kali pertama sebuah tribunal membicarakan bekas pemimpin AS dan Britain itu selepas perang Iraq pada 2003.
Bagi tuduhan pertama, Bush dan Tony Blair dituduh melakukan jenayah dan menakluki sebuah negara yang merdeka, Iraq pada 19 Mac 2003. Ini menyalahi piagam PBB yang melarang serangan atas negara lain kecuali mempertahankan diri. Tuduhan kedua, Bush bersama lapan pegawai kanan dituduh melakukan penyeksaan dan mengeluarkan perintah eksklusif untuk mengecualikan semua konvensyen antarabangsa termasuk Konvensyen Geneva III 1949 terhadap penglibatan mereka di Afghanistan pada 2001 dan di Iraq pada 2003.
Serangan
Selain Bush dan Tony Blair, turut dituduh dalam Tribunal Jenayah Perang Kuala Lumpur ialah bekas Naib Presiden AS, Dick Cheney, bekas Setiausaha Pertahanan, Donald Rumsfeld, bekas Peguam Negara Alberto Gonzales, bekas Penasihat Jabatan Pertahanan, William Haynes dan profesor undang-undang, John Yoo. Kalau ada yang masih ingat, perang Iraq adalah ujian penting Rumsfeld mengendalikan serangan AS dengan teknologi pemusnah paling moden.
Seperti kata Dr. Mahathir, ini bukan mahkamah main-main kerana ada pendakwaan, ada tertuduh dan ada juga peguam untuk membela tertuduh. Dr. Mahathir memberi tanggungjawab kepada barisan panel hakim yang berwibawa dalam undang-undang antarabangsa untuk menghukum Bush, Tony Blain dan yang lain. Ini adalah keputusan berteraskan undang-undang bukan perasaan.
Usaha ini memperlihatkan walaupun Malaysia kecil tetapi tidak mengecilkan diri. Malaysia berusaha memperjuangkan keamanan sejagat dan sentiasa memerhati tingkah laku PBB yang tidak menjalankan tanggungjawab dengan adil. Cara Malaysia perjuangkan keamanan bukan menggunakan senjata seperti AS. Tribunal ini juga seharusnya memalukan ICC yang gagal mendakwa Bush dan Tony Blair padahal asasnya cukup kukuh. Keputusan perbicaraan ini digunakan untuk mendesak dunia memulaukan kedua-dua bekas pemimpin ini dari sebarang kegiatan termasuk mengundang mereka memberi ceramah.
Hak asasi manusia telah dicabuli kuasa-kuasa besar Barat. Mangsa perang dinafikan mendapat keadilan sebaliknya didera melampaui kemanusiaan. Maka Tribunal Jenayah Perang Kuala Lumpur mengambil tanggungjawab untuk memberi keadilan.
Pemimpin kuasa besar dunia tidak boleh memberikan apa alasan sekalipun untuk mewajarkan perang terhadap negara lain. Tidak ada istilah perang untuk keamanan seperti yang dislogankan oleh AS semasa menyerang Afghanistan. Sepuluh tahun AS memburu Osama Ben Laden dan berjuta yang menjadi korban. ternyata tidak ada istilah perang untuk keamanan. Lebih malang yang terkorban sama ada di Iraq atau Afghanistan sebahagian besarnya rakyat biasa.
Mana-mana pemimpin yang mewajarkan perang adalah menghalalkan pembunuhan beramai-ramai. Pembunuhan dan penyeksaan terhadap rakyat Palestin sejak tahun 1948 hingga kini oleh Israel disebabkan AS menghalalkan perang. Dalam perang Iraq, AS bukan sahaja menghalalkan pembunuhan dan penyeksaan malah menjadikan Iraq sebagai medan menguji teknologi senjata pembunuh termoden. Ini bukan rahsia lagi. Belanjanya ditanggung oleh kerajaan Iraq yang menjadi boneka AS sekarang ini. Ternyata “pertolongan” AS menjatuhkan Saddam bukanlah percuma. Ia dibayar dengan kehilangan nyawa, harta benda dan khazanah budaya berharga zaman kegemilangan Baghdad suatu waktu dulu.
Banyak pemimpin dunia yang terlibat dengan jenayah perang dibawa ke muka pengadilan. Bekas pemimpin rejim Khmer Rouge di Kemboja, Pol Pot yang membunuh lebih dua juta orang awam akhirnya dihadapkan ke muka pengadilan di negaranya. Tetapi ICC yang mempunyai pengaruh lebih besar tidak mendakwa Bush dan Tony Blair yang melakukan jenayah yang sama. Inilah jawapannya kenapa Malaysia memikul tanggungjawab dan menganjurkan Tribunal Jenayah Perang Kuala Lumpur. Mercutanda keadilan dan kemanusiaan disuburkan dari negara ini.
Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Tun Dr Siti Hasmad Mohd Ali, at the exhibition
August 5, 2011 in Articles, Events@PLF, PLF News, Spotlight, Tun Dr. Mahathir
On August 4, 2011, Tun Dr Mahathir bin Mohamad and Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali had a Buka Puasa gathering in Perdana Leadership Foundation with the board of trustees, the staff, ambassadors, members of media, bloggers and Tun’s family and friends. More than 200 guests attended the event and enjoyed a sumptuous ‘buka puasa’ followed by Maghrib, Isya’ and Terawih prayers. The event ended with ‘Moreh’ where everyone was served with delicious Malaysian desserts.
For more photos, please visit our facebook page - Perdana Leadership Foundation Facebook page
August 1, 2011 in Articles
“This is a story of my sister Saleha, beloved and missed by everyone who knew her.”
Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali
On 21st March 2011, at Ward 28, Hospital Kuala Lumpur, the nation suffered a great loss when Tan Sri Datuk Paduka Dr Hajjah Siti Saleha Mohd Ali passed away. She was fondly known by those dear to her as ‘kakak’ (elder sister in Bahasa Malaysia). Her passing was grieved by many, especially by her family members. Malaysia’s beloved former first-lady, Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali, who is also Tan Sri’s younger sister, penned a beautifully written tribute for her beloved ‘kakak’. The tribute was intended to highlight her personal life as a widow, a single mother whose passion for caring for her family and her fight against major health catastrophe and tragedies.
We dedicate this entry for the late Tan Sri with an excerpt from the tribute.
~*~
Chapter 4
The Post-War Period: From Education To Welfare
During the early post-war period, Saleha taught for a while at the Pasar Road Primary English School. She was then picked as one of the young Malay women and men to study in England as Teachers at Kirby and Brinsford Colleges. Saleha deviated to London School of Economics instead as advised by elder brother Ismail who was there during the war period. She stayed with Sir Richard Winstedt and Lady Winstedt throughout her stay in London. Sir Richard was an Education Superintendent when they were here in Malaya and knew our family. The young Malayans flew in a seaplane from Geylang Basin, Singapore and took 6 days to reach England stopping at 6 sea ports.
In England, she was together with young Abdul Razak Hussein, Taib Andak, Raja Muda Selangor, Lily Majeed, to name a few. We received letters from her regularly about her activities but what disturbed our parents was that she was known to be mostly at the Airport welcoming Malayans arriving from home!. Saleha was a very kind and caring person and had the welfare of anyone she knew or didn’t at heart. She ensured that strangers to the “OrangPutih” land will be met and made comfortable and settled in England. Thus began her passion for welfare work on her own.
On her return from England, Saleha was posted in Kuala Lumpur as Social Welfare Officer (S.W.O), Selangor, to help in the care of the needy and the underprivileged children. During that time, bundles of clothes arrived at our house to be sorted out and distributed to the poor and needy. She prided herself for being one of the S.W.O’s allowed to visit the emergency areas with food, etc during the May 13th riots and helped those stranded find back their home and families. She did not discriminate against anybody. During my University vacation, she used to take me along to the Kuala Lumpur Railway Station to wait for the pilgrims to arrive from Penang. The older ones were sitting on the platform, their bodies tired and legs aching with the rituals they had performed successfully in Mecca. Saleha would go around amongst them with foods and drinks and urged me to massage their legs and arms while waiting for transport to take them to their next destination.
* Tan Sri Datuk Paduka Dr Hajjah Siti Saleha Mohd Ali was born on 29th January 1923, the third child and eldest daughter to Hj Mohd Ali bin taib and Siti Khadijah bt Ahmad.
** The Perdana Leadership Foundation interviewed the late Tan Sri on 3rd March 2010 for our Oral History Series. The transcript will be published in due course.