Tun M needs to show he is clean and untainted

Mahathir accuses Najib of being corrupt but for his accusation to be viewed credibly, the former prime minister needs to establish he is clean and untainted.

Kenneth Lee, Free Malaysia Today

Former Premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad has called for a referendum to ascertain the rakyat’s support for Prime Minister Najib Razak.

Mahathir has said he would abandon his current mission to oust Najib if the referendum favoured the PM. It is logical for Mahathir to make this call because his other strategies and tactics have so far produced zilch. It has been like water falling on a duck’s back.

In contrast, Najib’s position, in the Malaysian context, appears to be growing stronger in tandem with and in response to the increasing polemics and pressures emanating from Mahathir and others.

Planning and conducting a national referendum is a long and complex process. It is like a general election. It will take many months if not a year or more to plan and execute.

So even if Najib agrees to a referendum, it will take some time before it happens. What will Mahathir do in the meanwhile? Will he back off and wait for the referendum?

Can Mahathir sit quietly and wait for the referendum while it will be business as usual for Najib? Certainly not the Mahathir that we all know or have witnessed for more than 5 decades.

In politics, especially Malaysian politics, even one week is a long time.

The patient wait for the referendum may kill the relentless and restless old patient. The smart man that he is, Mahathir knows well that the referendum he demands will never happen.

Najib’s position is unassailable in the context of Malaysian politics. Najib’s support from Umno is strong, if not stronger than ever before. Najib has the support of his Cabinet members, BN partners and key players in the government (police, MACC, etc).

The Sultans too either support Najib or are ambivalent. From such a strong position, why would Najib accede to any demand from Mahathir, more so to the demand for a referendum?

If the issue is further pressed, Najib could argue that the referendum would be unnecessary and a waste of time and money as the general election is just 2 years away. It is clear that the referendum demanded by Mahathir will never take place. So what else can Mahathir do?

Many people feel that Mahathir’s real agenda in trying to oust Najib is to install his son, Mukhriz Mahathir, as the future PM. Mahathir needs to dispel this perception once and for all. Mahathir needs to convince the rakyat that his current mission is in the interests of the country and not himself or his family.

He needs to explicitly name a clean and able person as the alternative to Najib, even if that person is from the Opposition, and support him without any hidden agenda or agreement. Will he do this?

Mahathir accuses Najib of being corrupt. For his accusation to be viewed credibly, Mahathir needs to establish that he is clean and untainted. He should therefore openly declare his assets and those of his family members and clarify his sons’ routes to wealth.

Mahathir has alluded that his assets and those of his children are via legitimate means. So this public declaration should not be a problem.

Instead of continuing his demand for a referendum, Mahathir should call for Najib to declare his assets. To establish his own clean credentials, Mahathir should announce that he is prepared to declare his and his family’s assets and demand Najib to do likewise if he really has nothing to hide.

It would be difficult for Najib to avoid such a challenge without lending credence to Mahathir’s accusations. The real issue here is whether Mahathir, who claims to be clean in contrast to Najib, is prepared to up the ante and declare his and his family’s assets.

Kenneth Lee is an FMT reader.