Monitoring Dr Mahathir’s Momentary Marginalisation

Five years ago when Dr Mahathir Mohamad became the prime minister for the second time he heeded the persuasion and pressure piled on him to not take on the education portfolio. A seasoned leader with more than 22 years of experience in the country’s most powerful position was astute enough to listen to the reasoning and rumblings on the ground and gave in. Of course, he was on murky ground and he knew it. It showed maturity, pragmatism and a precious understanding of his position as the first among equals in a derived but damaged Westminster style of cabinet governance.

Today, nearly a year after becoming prime minister Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim is still refusing to heed calls for him to give up the finance portfolio. Surely our PMX must realise, if he has not done so already, that he has neither the powerful credentials nor the prime ministerial heft to hold both the top position and the finance portfolio. With nearly a year in office, our PMX does not have much to show, even with all the goodwill and assistance he has had.

Even a simple pension issue backed by a Federal Court ruling remains unresolved.

All said, PMX is in no way comparable to the old maestro. especially in chicanery. The old maestro, unrivalled master of gutter politics was measured, manipulative and methodical in getting the Tunku and other prime ministers out of their jobs. He knew when to dismount and ride into the sunset in Langkawi. . A year after that devastating electoral crucifixation in his much beloved Langkawi Dr Mahathir is certainly somewhat recovered, rejuvenated and is experimenting with various routes to resurrect himself.

He has joined forces with his lifelong nemesis, PAS, has buried the hatchet with Mahiaddin who ousted him after the Sheraton Move and has lately appeared in an interview with a fellow whom he regarded as a foul-mouthed fourth-floor upstart. These are probably desperate moves by a decrepit denizen of diabolical divisive politics. In 1969 he was able to convert his political debacle in the Tandop-Tokai area into a disaster for the then ‘happiest ’ prime minister.

It may be suggested with some seriousness, even with some scurrilousness that what has kept Dr Mahathir remarkably relevant and menacing is his perceived sense of enhanced strength from discovering that there is a lame or a lame duck prime minister.

Does PMX not see this?

When Dr Mahathir sees a prime minister getting as cavalier, comfortable and confident as he was effectively in that job it is a sign that the political weather can change abruptly. Dr Mahathir does not play by any rules. He changes, chops, and circumvents the rules, shifts goalposts and speaks sensibly, soberly and continuously to successfully deliver his destructive design. Five, maybe even six prime ministers lost their jobs because they underestimated the magisterial mantras, methods and minions that Dr Mahathir employed to make his calls, campaigns and chants. It is speculated that these hybrid political initiatives are derived probably from a fastidious fusion of the worst innate Malabari-Malay qualities. It is a puzzle that after all his caustic criticisms of the Malays he remains somewhat of a champion of Malay rights. He has also employed the most racist rants to sideline and vilify the minorities in the country. Sabah and Sarawak have paid the heaviest price.

It is somewhat clear, although some may not necessarily agree, that PMX’s penchant for daft distractions, decent debating skills, dramatic displays of being a diehard democrat doused with Islamism and the dire need for international fame are those very essential ingredients that stimulate and sustain Dr Mahathir. It is the elixir that drives the latter’s current quest to be in the national radar of relevance and reemergence. He wants to be the rallying point to depose Anwar. Dr Mahathir has consistently honed his skills in unseating prime ministers than in doing anything for the overall national or public good on a non discriminatory basis.

Anwar The Better PM

The clincher is that when we compare the first (1981-82) year of Dr Mahathir’s first term and PMX the latter emerges the far better man. PMX inherited a huge trillion ringgit debt problem, an unsustainable debt servicing obligation, a bloated underperforming bureaucracy responsible for many ills including an excess of six million poorly equipped foreigners, a disproportionately high operating expenditure for administration and a broken down transportation and traffic situation as well as many other problems. True, he has had help from the Malay Rulers. In one year he has somewhat stabilised the nation, allowed Sarawak to emerge as respected and exemplary well administered territory of the country with a unique sense of identity with unparalleled inter ethnic and inter religious harmony. Transportation issues are being resolved with definite steps to provide improved public transportation. Dr Mahathir’s first year was delusional and disastrous. The failed attempt to corner the tin market and the deeply flawed ‘ Look East Policy’ which has brought no tangible long term benefit to the country are two examples.. We failed to produce carbon copies of Japanese and Koreans or their famous products. Dr Mahathir's hot-and-cold foreign policy peregrinations with ' Buy British Last ' and then a full embrace of the Thatcher government showed up a policy lacking in consistency and conviction. What is the status of our famous industrial master plan or our first world dream now.

PMX also did not inherit the first rate cabinet and impressive and relatively incorruptible civil service that Tun Hussein Onn bequeathed to Dr Mahathir. Dr Mahathir destroyed and politicised almost every institution in the country including its top drawer judicial personalities. He was certainly not some distinguished Park Chung-hee or Lee Kuan Yew who sacrificed much for their countries.

Yet, at the appropriate time, if PMX does not buck up we may have to remind him that he perhaps awarded his nemesis three leases on the nation’s top post - 22 years, 22 months and possibly an additional 22 weeks- entirely of his own free volition.

The somewhat naive PMX is simply being forewarned.

With best wishes for PMX’s first anniversary in the prime minister’s office.

M Santhananaban

November 15, 2023