Amidst all the political sloganeering and chest beating, malaysiakini readers may be interested to know that the so-called 'mental revolution' currently espoused by the prime minister is not a new concept.

I hereby refer to Chandra Muzaffar's book, Protector? (Aliran Publications, 1979), and to Syed Hussein Alatas' book, The Myth of the Lazy Native (Frank Cass, 1977).

Umno, through Utusan Publications, published Revolusi Mental in 1971 to herald the beginning of Abdul Razak's reign. Umno apparently borrowed the term from Indonesia's Sukarno, who first coined it.

Senu Abdul Rahman, then Umno secretary-general, compiled the book which was a collection of opinions by 14 individuals. Three of the individuals had doctorates, seven had degrees, one had a diploma, and three had no degrees whatsoever.

This book purportedly outlined the characteristics that obstructed Malay economic and social progress. These characteristics included a lack of initiative, curiosity, rationality, original thought, imagination, realism, self-confidence, industry and seriousness to a lack of attachment to life on earth, a belief that fate determines everything, an incapacity to value time, take risks or look towards the future and a wasteful attitude towards money. The book proceeded to advocate a mental revolution to eradicate these attitudes.

Chandra criticised the book for its lack of knowledge of the social forces that took shape then. However, it was Syed Hussein, then professor of Malay Studies, University of Singapore, who provided the kill.

The book, according to him, was a '... chaotic amalgamation of sound common knowledge of no depth, and absolutely ridiculous inferences ... is perhaps the most nave, the most simple, and the least well-defined philosophy of capitalism, while claiming to represent the modern and indigenous philosophy of the Malays.'

Syed Hussein further commented that the book characterised '... the Malays in negative terms unexcelled in the history of colonialism. While many British colonial writers stressed the laziness of the Malays, they did not strip the Malays of so many other qualities which Revolusi Mental did'.

Picking on where Syed Hussein left, Chandra speculated that Umno craftily used this book to venture why the Malays cannot compete, hence justifying the need for Umno to act as their 'protector'.

Based on these two prominent writers' accounts, I hope the prime minister is not planning on using this Revolusi Mental book as his reference. Perhaps, like Islam Hadhari, which is presently causing quite a bit of a wave, he should clearly explain to the rakyat his idea of a 'Mental Revolution' and how it is to be carried out.

Noble an aim as it was, the first revolution slipped into oblivion in no time. Let us hope it doesn't evaporate likewise in this equally noble second attempt.