Lim Kok Wing’s ‘offer you can’t refuse’ to Mahathir

Hazlan Zakaria, The Ant Daily

Indeed, it seems akin to a Mafia Capo. Prime Minister Najib Razak has sent a messenger to Dr Mahathir Mohamad, sending the latter’s old friend advertising doyen Lim Kok Wing to make him ‘an offer he can’t refuse’.

As popularised by Hollywood movies like Goodfellas and The Godfather, as well as series like Wiseguy and The Sopranos, when it is time Mafia bosses decide that one of their own, a Capo, lieutenant or made men (a fully initiated member of the Mafia) is to be ‘let go’, they send a friend to do the honours.

The term ‘let go’ is used loosely as job security and transition in the Mafia is not as congenial as it is in the normal job market.

When a mafia made man or woman is marked for ‘termination’, it literally means just that.

In any case, a friend or somebody that the made man or woman knows well will be sent as a mark or respect, to honour the service of the person in question that was rendered to the ‘family’ prior to losing favour.

Also because it would be totally unexpected and perhaps just sick.

Though the manner of death will reflect the crime of the accused, either a clean quick death for those who still retain some favour or a messy one for those that have earned spite from the bosses, usually with some signature method of killing to mark the crime.

The use of a close confidante to end the services of the soon to be former employee is also a means to set object lessons to those friends who survive him or her of the punishment for disloyalty or other crimes.

It is also to see if they are still loyal.

Indeed when it comes to Malaysian politics, a similar courtesy was perhaps offered to Mahathir, often referred to as Dr M, by his once confidante Lim who was sent cap in hand, to ‘end’ his former boss and friend.

Though in this case the ‘killing’ is not literal but perhaps to get Dr M to stop his vociferous attacks on Najib, failing which the PR expert had said that the former premier may see his legacy destroyed.

Indeed, the description of Lim’s visit to Dr M echoed the famous series of scenes in the iconic Francis Ford Coppola movie ‘The Godfather’ based on the book of the same name by Mario Puzo.

In the movie The Godfather, Vito Corleone’s envoy Tom Hagen met with a studio head to ask a favour for the mob boss’ god son, a singer whose flagging career would be saved by starring in an upcoming movie the studio is making.

But the studio head accused the singer of destroying the career of a young actress he was fostering and refused to agree.

Hagen then made the famous ‘offer that he can’t refuse’.

He arranged for the severed head of the studio head’s race horse to be put in studio head’s bed the next morning.

In short, telling the studio head to do as he was told or share the same fate as his horse.

The ‘severed horse’s head’ delivered to Dr M by Lim is perhaps in four letter ‘alphabets’, or rather NGOs, one which seems hell bent on hounding and pursuing allegations of financial mismanagement during the former PM’s 22-year reign.

CAGM, or the Coalition for Accountable Governance in Malaysia, took form soon after Lim became Najib’s latest advisor.

And soon after, they started to go after Dr M as well as opposition leaders with the same ardour that Najib is being hounded for.

The group posted a million ringgit ‘bounty’ for information on the ‘hidden’ wealth of Dr M and is threatening to sue the former PM for ‘abusing’ Malaysia’s finances during his term in office.

CAGM had since denied the money is from political sources, claiming independence.

At the same time of CAGM’s founding, another four-letter NGO, the Christians for Peace and Harmony in Malaysia or CPHM was formed.

Observers believe both to be the public relations vehicles set up by Lim in service of his new boss, Najib.

CPHM, the velvet glove to CAGM’s iron fist.

Quite rightly so, for other than having a group to neutralise Dr M and opposition leaders by attacking them in turn, it is prudent to have a net ready to catch Malaysian Christians as ‘coincidental’ bashing by opposition party PAS may turn them away from Pakatan.

CPHM, having been endorsed by Najib himself, said loud and clear that as Christians they are taught to respect those in authority.

In any case, Lim’s warning is perhaps that Dr M may live to see his legacy of being one of Malaysia’s more successful PMs being destroyed in a legal battle.

Like what, ironically, the former PM was accused to have done to PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim, who was once his deputy and protege.

Is Lim implying that the full force of the law via proxy of the NGO’s suit may be brought to bear on Dr M now and will be used to tear his reputation apart?

In any case, the ‘offer you can’t refuse’ was refused by Dr M who said that he will stand firm.

And thus as his role of ’emissary’ has failed, will Lim now turn ‘assassin’?

But perhaps it is too early to judge as Dr M is no ordinary Capo. He was or, as some see it, still is the godfather of Malaysian politics.

For while Hagen in the The Godfather did manage to turn the studio head’s decision around, Lim may find himself with a more difficult road to walk, though he may have his field of equine to pick as Dr M indeed has a thing for horses.

But when it comes to Dr M and emissaries, Lim or whoever, I am more likely to think of what happened to the Persian Emperor’s emissary in the movie 300, lying dead at the bottom of a deep well.

I can imagine the cry of “This is Malaysia!” in place of King Leonidas’ “This is Sparta!” with Dr M probably having some more tricks up his sleeve and taking better care of his favourite horses and his legacy than the movie director in that film of Coppola’s.

As close as Lim was to Dr M once, he probably knows what to expect and how to plan a battle against the former premier perhaps, but there is also another possible famous move being at play here, that of ‘The Trojan Horse’.

For as someone that can be seen to be beholden and friendly to Dr M, Lim seems to be quick on the about turn.

So is he truly Najib’s newfound ally, or a planted enemy within?

Indeed, Lim came under fire for his supposed ‘betrayal’ of Dr M from the former PM’s supporters,

though the PR doyen has thus far only replied with motivational quotes and tweets taking the high moral ground, decrying personal attacks against his character.

Quite a few things to ponder in this developing saga, though whatever happens and whatever is the outcome, we can expect to see sparks fly as two grandmasters of public perception, one from the advertising world and the other, politics, go head to head.