Many Westerners think of Mahathir as a vile anti - West, Rush Limbugh type person. But the average Malaysian like myself do not. He has done a lot for the country since the 70's. Yes we have our problems like any other country. If you consider the alternative! Like the opposition like the PAS party. My goodness, if Malaysia were to be run by them, we will be living under hudud laws, syariah couts system, seperate checkout lines for men and women? That sounds like fun!
Malaysia is a multi racial country and one of out proudest achievements is racial and religious harmony. Anyone or any groud advocating activities that would threaten that will be dealt with severely. I'm Chinese, in a few days time it will be Hari Raya or the Muslim New Year. I will be visiting my muslim friends all over the place like they visited me during Chinese New Year and Christmas. We have traditions here where our houses are open to the public during festive occasion anyone is welcomed to visit, drink eat and celebrate. Indian, Chinese, Malays, Hindus and even local ethnic groups all celebrate during each and every one of the festive occasions unique to each religion. Even the houses of government leaders are open to the public. Can you image if Bush opens his ranch in Crawford to the visiting public during Christmas so he can mingle around whith them? There arn't many places you can do that.
Yes we don't have total freedom of speech and the press, but I think we do pretty good. I have freedom to live my life and go where I want. It's not like Russia in during the cold war you know. One of the troubles is that Dr. M does have a rather large mouth and says what he wants. It's true. The other side of the problem is that many Western media also conscrews what he says . For example about his last raving supposedly anti-jew speech that got everyone riles up. I listened to it as well live on the tellie. He was not aming those remarks to jews as a whole but to what he considers to be the Zionist entity (havn't well all heard that before) in control of governments as well as their media... pretty much like how the US government and media is often protrayed as being controlled by conservative elements right here in DU.
The BN government is considered a moderate government in this part of the world. We can do a lot worse. Do you want a right wing government? Heck No! This is just fine for now. It would be great if things were more liberal but you cannot compare liberalism here to the West. It's different. The region as a whole is more towards traditional value. More to the right as it were. That's just how things are. It's slowly getting more open year by year. Give it time.
By the way, Singapore is very much like Malaysia in it's government system of one party and a small opposition. Even senior minister Lee said he prefered to deal with the present government as opposed to one run by the opposition.
See Ya!