KUALA LUMPUR, June 1 — Young Malaysians need not wait till adulthood to help improve the country, former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said today.
Dr Mahathir, the country’s longest-serving prime minister-turned-Opposition politician, noted that youths have been at the forefront of politics even during British colonial times.
“In the past, those who were in the movement to oppose Malayan Union were all youths, including Tun Razak. Tun Razak became the deputy prime minister when he was 40 years old only, still considered as a youth,” he said in an interview broadcast live on his official Facebook account, referring to the late Tun Abdul Razak Hussein who eventually became the country’s second prime minister.
“So all of us were young then. I was involved during schooling time when I haven’t turned 20 yet, because of that I have the experience, so I hope the youths will not say ‘Wait until I become an adult’.
“But when we are grown-ups, we find that the situation is so bad, it’s hard for us to get any enjoyment or happiness from the country’s condition and it’s difficult for us to rectify the situation,” he said in cautioning that it would be too late to reverse the situation if youths were to wait.
Earlier when asked what initiatives the country’s youths should take now to help “save Malaysia” instead of just voting in the national polls, Dr Mahathir noted that the youths are the ones which would inherit the country and have to keep themselves abreast of current going-ons to help them make decisions.
“That’s why youths have to follow developments in our country: political, economic, social developments before it is ruined; they can then determine what has to be done and they determine that those who ruin will not be able to continue their efforts to ruin the country after the elections,” he said.
In the same interview, he also said each Malay should take responsibility for the performance of their own race to prevent their community from becoming “luput” or extinct from the earth.
Dr Mahathir also responded to calls from his detractors for him to repent, as well as claims that he is senile and that it was time for him to seek out God as he was already old.
“Because I am insaf [penitent], I am forced to give guidance, attention to the problems faced by our nation.
“If I just let go just like that, I see there are many things that are not right and many also come to me in droves, they ask me to help and do something, that’s why I am directly involved to do something,” he replied.
Dr Mahathir became the chairman at the age of 91 of a new political party formed last year, Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia.
Prior to that and despite having retired in 2003 from the prime minister post he held for 22 years, Dr Mahathir remained vocal and influential with his views over national issues.
