It would seem the people who want to preserve the Penans' way of life are condemning them to a life full of diseases and a shorter life span.
Interpretation
A critique of well-meaning efforts that may inadvertently harm the very communities they aim to protect.
In this quote, Mahathir Mohamad highlights the paradox faced by those who wish to preserve indigenous cultures, such as that of the Penans. While the intent is to protect their traditional way of life, the consequences of such preservation efforts may lead to health issues and a reduced lifespan, prompting a broader discussion about the complexities of cultural preservation and its impact on well-being.
In practice
In a discussion about conservation efforts in indigenous communities.
I believe that every leader has a right to implement his own policy. But when I see things that are done that are not right - abuse of power, wrong approaches, wrong strategies, making use of foreign consultants, including those discarded by other countries - I feel that I have to have my say.
If you want to be honest with yourself, you have to take criticism, even if you attract adverse comments from others.
There are certain things that we can deal with by following the rules. But at times, we find the rules restrict you from doing the right things. On such occasions, we have to rethink - either you change the rules or break the rules.
In my years, I had the opportunity to observe peoples and countries. I see some countries doing well, others failing, and my analysis of things is that whether you fail or succeed is a function of your value system.
Free press is not absolute. In this country, we say clearly if you start stirring up racial hatred, then we will put a stop to it. We might even close down your paper, because these things can only lead to a lot of riots and bloodshed.
Independence means we enjoy freedom. We are not colonised by people. And we can govern our own country and develop it independently so that our people can live a better life.
He was an embittered atheist, the sort of atheist who does not so much disbelieve in God as personally dislike Him.
Government, like dress, is the badge of lost innocence; the palaces of kings are built on the ruins of the bowers of paradise.
I am a person who feels guilty for crimes I have not committed, or have not committed in years. The police search the train station for a serial rapist and I cover my face with a newspaper, wondering if maybe I did it in my sleep. The last thing I stole was an eight-track tape, but to this day I'm unable to enter a store without feeling like a shoplifter. It's all the anxiety with none of the free stuff.
It's terrible to have to say this. World population must be stabilized and to do that we must eliminate 350,000 people per day. This is so horrible to contemplate that we shouldn't even say it. But the general situation in which we are involved is lamentable.
To swallow and follow, whether old doctrine or new propaganda, is a weakness still dominating the human mind.
Satan promises the best, but pays with the worst; he promises honor, and pays with disgrace; he promises pleasure, and pays with pain; he promises profit, and pays with loss, he promises life, and pays with death. But God pays as he promises; all his payments are made in pure gold.
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