Pemikiran Tun Dr. Mahathir mengenai politik orang Melayu Malaysia pasca persaraan (2003-2012)

Tun Abdullah administration faced harsh criticism from Tun Dr. Mahathir as he feels
that some of successor’s action affect the nation, especially the Malay interest. This
criticism eventually led to the resignation of Tun Abdullah. In Dato’ Seri Mohd Najib era, Tun Dr. Mahathir got more space to criticize and to give advice. Therefore, this study tried to analyze the thoughts of the Tun Dr. Mahathir’s with regards to Malay political survival. This study aimed to investigate the thoughts of Tun Dr. Mahathir’s about the Malays, to identifying why Tun Dr. Mahathir reengage in the political and to evaluate the political approach used by him after retirement. This is a qualitative study using interviews and documentation. The content analysis was used to examine the words and texts as a unit of analysis to explain the idea of thinking for this study. The study found that political thought of Tun Dr. Mahathir’s post-retirement revolves around the issues of political
disintegration that occurs in the Malay community, Malay political power diminished, the economic situation of the Malay increasingly depressed, the threat to the constitution and national development policies, weak leadership, Malay rights dispute with an introduction to the concept of equality, human rights issues and the threat to liberal democracy. Thus, Tun Dr. Mahathir sees the social contract and the Constitution should be empowered and respected, Malay economic development should be continued until it reaches the target, the country's development policies need to be relevant and transparent, and political cooperation between the races should be strengthened. Mahathir initially used advising approach and then criticize the Tun Abdullah administration, because in his view failed to focus on the Malays, strengthen UMNO leadership and the component party of Barisan Nasional, and working with non-governmental organization. The finding thus indicate that the thoughts of Tun Dr. Mahathir in Malay politics is consistent since the beginning of his involvement in politics until the post- retirement. In fact, Tun Dr. Mahathir’s thoughts are lateral; hence his views are in direct contrast to those of other thinking.