The Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia, Dr. Mahathir and his Book the Malay Dilemma'

This was an irresponsible statement made by the Prime Minister of Malaysia, Hussein Onn, after the announcement of his new cabinet on 5 March, 1976. His selection of Dr Mahathir as his Deputy is not made on the basis of unanimous support of his people but on a personal choice which he hopes that with prayers things will turn out well.

Dr. Mahathir, who is a medical practitioner with a middle class background, has not only retained his former position, Minister of Education, but has also been promoted to Deputy Prime Minister.

This decision was made in the last few minutes prior to the announcement The former Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Ghafar Baba, the most senior vice-president of UMNO (United Malay National Organisation) after Hussein Onn, has quietly left the government after losing to Dr. Mahathir this high-ranking prestigious position.

This unexpected change of power - Dr. Mahathir as the Deputy Prime Minister - shocked the people because he has been publicily recognised as an extreme racist figure.

His blatant and unashamed racist stance is clearly indicated in his spurious and disruptive book "The Malay Dilemma" which is now banned in Malaysia. Dr. Mahathir belongs to a group whose ideology is, to put it in a word, "racialism." He would definitely prefer kicking out the MCA (Malayan Chinese Association) and MIC (Malayan Indian Congress) as well from UMNO so that a few Malays who are selfishly concerned with only their own power and wealth could monopolise the complete "political market" in Malaysia (refer The May 13 Incident" by Tunku Abdul Raman, former Prime Minister of Malaysia).