Malaysia’s Happy Diamond Days: Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad A Man for All Seasons

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I

Malaysia’s Happy Diamond Days are here again 
yes, the Happy Warrior is with us again.

In the beginning he locked horns 
with estranged Singapore, Great Britain too 
and looked East for

prosperity and plenty for his beloved Malaysia 
inspiring young and old to greatness.

Bare-faced Tweedledum and Tweedledee
airily squandered the legacy they inherited
from the Destiny Maker.
‘I want more, sir,’ they chanted day and night.

They ran deep
they ran silent 
they raided like the SAS
they were Phantoms of the Opera.


   II

Cometh the hour, cometh the Doctor
to heal the malaise of the nation
perforce to slay the audacious crocodile Greed.

His winter years turned into a spring of discontent
bolstered by the love of his wife and people
with one fell swoop of his sword
the Gladiator of Justice slew 
the double-bellied crocodile Greed.

The Happy Warrior charged
their Heavy Brigade of ill-bred knights.
Their boast of ‘mother of all battles’
fizzled out like sad Saddam Hussain.

The Happy Warrior stung like a bee,
the darling buds of hibiscus danced 
merrily like stunning Duchess Meghan.


III

Some are born great
some achieve greatness
others like Harvey Weinstein 
have a dramatic fall
from fortune and grace.

Doubt no more, dear friends,
doubt no more,
they deceived us all.

In the end Humpty Dumpty had a great fall
all his golden cronies and ambassadors
couldn’t put Humpty Dumpty together again.

Humpty Dumpty cried
‘Oh Chariots of Gold
come flying to me
take me to Ali Baba’s Cave.

A plane, a plane,
My country for a Mas plane,’
exclaimed the Prince of Darkness.

The Prince of Thieves stood in his burning plane
unseen, unheard, unsung.
‘Come with me, my Imelda,
my Salome of the Seven Veils, my Cleopatra. 
We are dying, dying, slowly dying.’

But they kept calm
carried on planning
the escapade of their lives 

with Collector’s loot
money bags
all ready to take off
at the happy hour.

The caged birds of Paradise 
will not be flying to Casablanca
neither meet Rick and Ilsa
to collect the exit permit. 

They will not sing the tunes of glory
neither hear Sam play again
as time goes by. 

Clyde and Bonnie will no longer go 
robbing banks and treasuries
on a bicycle made for two. 

They bought many boxes 
they conspired with fate
to box their loot to exit from
kublai Khan’s Xanada.

This tale completes 
scheherzade’s 1001 Arabian nights.

Those who read this fable,
despair at the fate of Greed,
beware the anger of a man for all seasons. 


IV

Hooray, hooray, we salute you,
our Happy Warrior,
we promise we will strive, seek and share 
our commonwealth, happiness and all
in our one nation Malaysia. 

God willing we shall walk hand in hand 
to the 2020 Vision,
our destiny of Diamond Days.

No social or racial superiors 
no divided loyalty
no dual citizenship

but giving a leg-up 
to those in need

lest the darling buds of May wither away. 

Remember too,
you can’t run with the hare 
and hunt with the hounds.

All’s well that ends well
a magical ray of Hope
good Hope, undying love and Hope.

   

Dato’ Yunus Raiss
JP FRSA FCIL MEd BA BSc (Econ) Barrister


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