'Biadap' not to invite Mahathir to Merdeka celebration, says prominent thinker

Prominent thinker Chandra Muzaffar has slammed the government's decision not to invite former leader Dr Mahathir Mohamad to the recent National Day parade in Putrajaya, calling it a blatant disregard of ethics and etiquette that form the Malaysian culture.

"Not inviting a former prime minister - our longest-serving prime minister - is a blatant transgression of Malay and Malaysian adat. It is biadab (insolence)," the former academic told MalaysiaNow, echoing public outrage on social media sparked by viral clips showing the 99-year-old attending the National Day celebration in Putrajaya in his personal capacity.

He recalled that the fifth national principle of the Rukun Negara concerns "courtesy and morality".

"For a young nation like Malaysia which is still in the process of shaping its national identity, observing deeply held etiquette and manners is vital. Personal vendetta should not stand in the way of this noble endeavour," said Chandra, who not long ago campaigned for the Rukun Negara to be made the preamble to the Malaysian constitution.

Chandra, a key founder of PKR known for his role in Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's reformasi movement, said the government must offer a "full, honest and transparent" explanation, and apologise to Mahathir and Malaysians as they were "hurt and angry".

"If a decision was made not to invite Tun, who initiated such a move? What was the rationale for such a decision? The general public expects a sincere explanation as seen from the spontaneous reaction of the people," he said.

"The explanation, regardless of who was responsible, should include an unconditional apology to Tun and the people, from the government."

Numerous clips made the rounds showing the elderly Mahathir being cheered by the crowd during the Merdeka Day parade in Putrajaya, the administrative capital he built more than two decades ago on the back of the economic boom of the 1990s.

The videos sparked a debate on social media about the need to leave politics aside at patriotic events.

When contacted, a spokesman from Mahathir's office confirmed to MalaysiaNow that there was no official invitation for him to join the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and government leaders on the main stage.

It is understood that the last time the government invited Mahathir to attend Merdeka Day celebrations was in 2022, during the tenure of then prime minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

The invitation was sent out by the Ceremonial and International Conference Secretariat Division of the Prime Minister's Department some two weeks before the event, which was the first major Merdeka celebration after the Covid-19 pandemic.

"He was to be seated prominently on the stage, taking into account the seniority of his Tun-ship. Unfortunately, he was hospitalised due to Covid-19 and was unable to attend," a source told MalaysiaNow.

Chandra, a retired professor of Global Studies at Universiti Sains Malaysia who once headed the Centre for Civilisational Dialogue at Universiti Malaya, said the Merdeka celebration transcended party loyalties.

"It is beyond allegiance to a particular individual. It is not dictated by personal likes or dislikes," he said.

He said past Malaysian leaders had generally respected this principle in celebrating Merdeka.

"This is why when Dr Mahathir was prime minister, he never failed to invite the Tunku to the Merdeka rally in spite of his political differences with him," he said, referring to the late Tunku Abdul Rahman, who had once sacked Mahathir from Umno.

"Likewise, it is known that Tun Razak, when he was prime minister, admonished some of his aides when they deliberately ignored protocols accorded to the Tunku," he added.