Aberrations of Dr M: He would rather avoid embarrassment than keep his word

Dr M claimed that he met the opposition leaders before they were arrested under Ops Lalang in 1987. Lim Kit Siang denied there was ever a meeting.

Now, clearly, this is a case of Dr M's words against Kit Siang's word.

How to prove?

For the sake of his 'Tun-ship', let's make Mahathir the good guy.

If Tun told the truth, why did he have to force the opposition leaders - in this case, Kit Siang - to admit that they met?

In a news report, The Malaysian Insider quoted Dr M as saying:

“Well it happened over 20 years ago. I remember distinctly meeting them, I can’t remember the faces of those people. I certainly remember that Karpal (Singh) was not one of them and I think (Lim) Kit Siang is one of them...It is embarrassing for me after ensuring them that they would not be arrested but they were arrested by the police and of course I had to sign the detention order.”

There are clearly some 'aberrations' in Dr M's statements. If he did distinctly remember meeting them, how could he not remember the faces of those people? If he could not remember the faces of those 'present', how could he remember the faces of those who were 'absent'?

So, Mahathir signed the detention order out of embarrassment? How interesting! Mahathir was more concerned to avoid embarrassment than to keep his word!