‘Innocent’ Dr M draws more flak

The former premier's attempt to wash his hands of the ISA episode infuriates two ex-detainees, who claim that Mahatir is guilty of masterminding the arrests.

KUALA LUMPUR: Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s proclamation of innocence over the Internal Security Act (ISA) crackdown in 1987 continues to draw flak from opposition leaders who were thrown behind bars.
DAP chairman Karpal Singh accused the former premier of making fradulent claims, and took ex-police chief Hanif Omar and academic Chandra Muzaffar to task for backing Mahathir’s version.
“There is no doubt. Operasi Lalang was Mahathir’s idea,” stressed the former ISA detainee.
Karpal claimed the dragnet, which saw more than 100 people including seven DAP MPs arrested, was done to divert attention from Umno’s internal crisis.
“He wanted to draw attention away from his problems with Tengku Razaleigh (Hamzah), who was vying for the Umno presidency then,” he told FMT.
As for Hanif, Karpal alleged that the former inspector-general of police was backing Mahathir for his own “selfish reasons”.
“Hanif got his Tunship and deputy chairmanship at Genting for a reason. It’s impossible to imagine a case where the police can disobey the home minister, as he is in charge of them. He signed the detention orders,” he added.
Karpal also questioned why Chandra, who was one of those detained during Operasi Lalang and a former staunch critic of Mahathir, chose to come out with the new twist 24 years later.
The DAP leader reiterated his challenge to Mahathir to name the opposition leaders whom the former premier claimed he had met prior to the crackdown.
“No such thing happened. It’s an unadulterated, distasteful lie. I issue him with a challenge to name the leaders within one week or I shall deem him to be a liar,” he said.
Since last week, Mahathir had been ruffling feathers by claiming that it was the police, and not him, who masterminded the arrests in order to quel racial tensions.
Speaking at a forum yesterday, where Hanif and Chandra were also present, Mahathir claimed that he had wanted to abolish the ISA but was advised against it by the police.
‘After Ops Lalang, judiciary was next’
Meanwhile, DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang, who was arrested together with his son Guan Eng during the operation, also slammed Mahathir for backpedalling on the issue.
The Ipoh Timor MP said nobody would believe the former premier’s new spin.
“Operasi Lalang was a result of events put into place by Mahathir to consolidate his power and position. It was during a period where he was trying to subvert the independence of various institutions to concentrate power in himself,” he told FMT.
Shortly after the ISA crackdown, Lim said Mahathir targeted the judiciary, paving the way for the 1988 crisis.
He added that Mahathir harboured grudges against certain judges for making unflattering remarks about him.
“In any event, under the ISA the formal detention order has to be signed by the minister after 60 days, so he can’t pass the buck in this fashion.
“His job as minister was to rubber-stamp it. So why did he agree? Wasn’t he responsible for the amendments to remove judicial power in favour of his own?” he said.