When will Mahathir be satisfied?
As the kingmaker moves closer to removing another prime minister, we must ask what it takes to get his approval
Shahril Ahmad, Free Malaysia Today
As Dr Mahathir Mohamad moves closer to ousting yet another prime minister, a pertinent question arises: Where does it end when it comes to Mahathir and his successors?
This question, which must have been bothering many anxious Malaysians, was finally given voice recently by a son of the late Karpal Singh at a gathering to commemorate the life and legacy of his father.
Though many segments of society will be happy to see Najib go, they will still have to contend with the question as long as Mahathir draws breath. Until Mahathir lays down clearly what he wants of a prime minister, it will be impossible for any person taking up the post to stay on his good side. We are left with a vicious cycle of wash, rinse, and repeat.
As the most powerful kingmaker in Umno, Mahathir will send shockwaves through the party whenever he is displeased. This is a power that can be wielded only by someone who has gained a near-universal respect among the grassroots of the party, and Mahathir has wielded it like a bludgeon against Najib. It is exactly because he wields this power that he must take responsibility for it. He must lay down the guidelines for our future prime ministers to follow in the best interests of the rakyat, not his interests.
Essentially, it now falls on Mahathir to define exactly where the end point is. Even before he started speaking out against Najib, particularly with regard to 1MDB, it’s well-known that Mahathir was not satisfied with Najib’s performance and the way the country had plunged into strife and disharmony in spite of initiatives like 1Malaysia and all the populist measures taken under that brand.
We must have a standard to aspire to and to measure our prime ministers by, and who can better provide the standard than the man who maintained control for 22 years despite his dictatorial tendencies?
Mahathir cannot continue with the familiar pattern of slowly seething in the name of not interfering with an administration, then deciding that he must interfere after all, and then taking definite steps to remove his successor. He must take a more proactive role as a mentor so that his successors do not stray from working towards making Malaysia a high-income country.
