Mahathir turns up the heat
News that the elder statesman may not be able to attend this year caused a flutter, especially among the top leadership. The implication was too obvious to miss.
Joceline Tan, The Star
MANY Umno leaders breathed a sigh of relief when Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad did not attend the Perkasa convention on Sunday.
He was supposed to have addressed the Malay rights event that was to all intents and purposes staged on the eve of the Umno general assembly to send a message to Umno about Malay concerns.
But the relief was short-lived.
The former premier is apparently not likely to attend the opening of the Umno general assembly on Thursday either.
The last time he failed to attend was when Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi was still the prime minister and Dr Mahathir was trying to topple him.
He skipped three general assemblies under Abdullah, but he has not missed a single one since Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak became Umno president and prime minister.
In fact, he also attended several closing events to listen to the winding-up speeches of the top leaders.
As such, news that the elder statesman may not be able to attend this year caused a flutter, especially among the top leadership. The implication was too obvious to miss.
Dr Mahathir is not exactly trying to topple Najib, but he has withdrawn support for the Prime Minister because of disagreements over a number of Najib’s policies.
His absence suggests that he is taking his “withdrawing support” move to another level — and that is not good news for Umno.
Umno blogger Zakhir Mohamed, an avowed Dr Mahathir admirer, put it bluntly: “It’s a snub.”
Dr Mahathir’s long-time aide Sufi Yusof said it was not confirmed as yet that his boss would not be there but insisted that it was because of health reasons.
Dr Mahathir, 89, has been unwell and had to cancel several appointments last week. He is nursing a cough that has something to do with his lungs and his history of heart problems.
Guests at a family gathering last weekend said he seemed a little under the weather.
Dr Mahathir has a tough and uncompromising public image but he can be quite cheeky and humourous in private, especially when his grandchildren are around.
He was not his usual self, he was rather subdued and there was the cough.
However, he made an effort to show up at two sporting events close to his heart – the Formula E electric car race and the launch of a new logo for the Le Tour de Langkawi.
The first was attended by Najib but it was the second one that tickled public interest because it involved Dr Mahathir and Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin.
It was arguably the first time that the pair were so directly involved in an event and the younger man showed his respect by taking the event to the elder man’s office at the Perdana Leadership Foundation.
Dr Mahathir even helped Khairy put on the yellow sports jersey.
Both events were Dr Mahathir’s way of showing that although he has issues with Najib and used to have issues with Khairy, it is largely about the issues and not the person.
But is it health problems alone that may prevent Dr Mahathir from showing up at the general assembly?
During an interview with The Star last month, he joked that he would go if he gets an invitation.
But Dr Mahathir was to have left on Sunday night for Abu Dhabi and then London for a series of appointments. He was supposed to have returned only at the end of the month.
The overseas trip was only cancelled after he developed his cough. In short, he had planned to be overseas during the general assembly.
In fact, someone had asked why he did not instead head off for Australia where it is now warm and sunny. He joked that it was too close and people may persuade him to come back.
“If he is well enough to come, we would love to see him at the opening and the closing. His presence at Dewan Merdeka is moral support,” said Titiwangsa MP Datuk Johari Abdul Ghani, who had led a delegation to see the elder man shortly after he turned against Najib.
Many Umno politicians are extremely worried about where all this is leading.
Quite a number of them agree with what he is saying, but their party is not in the best of health and they are not in the mood for another political upheaval.
Dr Mahathir’s criticism has not carried the same kind of clout as during Abdullah’s time, but he still has a large audience within and outside Umno. Some even think that his criticism of Abdullah contributed to Barisan Nasional losing its two-thirds majority in the general election.
They are terrified that the attacks this time may cost Barisan to lose the next general election.
In the meantime, it is likely that efforts have begun with behind-the-scenes missions to persuade him to show up.
Many in Umno are still keeping their fingers crossed that he will be there on Thursday to show that he is still 100% with Umno even if he is not 100% with its president.
