The Mahathir dilemma: he who lives by the sword dies by the sword

Malaysian politics has always been about conspiracies, counter-conspiracies, coups and betrayals. But then is this not the same the world over? The adage ‘those who live by the sword die by the sword’ rings true most times. So Mahathir should not grumble when the tables are turned.

THE CORRIDORS OF POWER

Raja Petra Kamarudin

This was what Malaysiakini reported yesterday:

Former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad today claimed the three top officials accused of conspiring to topple Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak were “betrayed”.

He said Najib would have faced action if the alleged betrayal did not occur.

“Zeti is upright, so is Abu Kassim and also Gani Patail…but they were betrayed by one among them.

“Otherwise Najib would face action by now,” Mahathir told reporters in Kuala Lumpur today.

Mahathir, however, refused to elaborate, or clarify on whether he meant the alleged turncoat was one of the three. (READ MORE HERE)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cf1XFutQa_8

This was a most interesting revelation to say the least. In one swoop Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad confirmed what Malaysia Today has been saying for more than a year — that there is a conspiracy to oust Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak.

For that matter this is no secret as well. Mahathir himself has openly and very clearly said that his objective is to get rid of Najib — although who will replace him once that happens is left unstated and what is the real reason Najib needs to be ousted is left a bit vague.

Mahathir keeps moving the goalposts and what started as Najib needs to go because he pampered the Chinese too much (who did not vote for the government in 2013) while he neglected the Malays (who are Umno’s support base) to Najib is too friendly with Singapore and that is why he refuses to build the Crooked Bridge and eventually ended up with because RM42-50 billion of 1MDB’s money had disappeared into thin air.

Nevertheless, there are no two ways about it. Najib needs to be ousted whatever the reason might be — and currently that reason is 1MDB. And we need to oust Najib to save Malaysia, so says Mahathir.

How exactly will Malaysia be saved and from what will Malaysia be saved is, yet again, left to your imagination. However, the impression being given is that Malaysia needs to be saved because of what happened to 1MDB.

Okay, let us, for argument’s sake, say that 1MDB is not a problem. Or let us say that 1MDB did not, in fact, lose RM42 billion as alleged but made RM10 billion instead. Does that mean Najib no longer needs to step down? Does that mean the ANC (Anti-Najib Campaign) can be closed down? Does that mean they no longer need to form Pribumi, the all-Malay party? Does that mean everyone can now return to Umno?

If 1MDB and only 1MDB were the issue then life would become very simple indeed. That means all we need to do is solve 1MDB or prove that 1MDB is not a problem and the country is home free. It is just like saying that the way to solve unemployment in the UK is for Britain to leave the European Union. Then 100% of Brits would be employed and billions can be saved because no one will be on welfare.

Which one is Mahathir alleging betrayed the three?

This was what LSS had to say about Mahathir’s revelation yesterday:

Yesterday, Mahathir made a stunning revelation that one of the three Tan Sri in our critical government institution betrayed the others – which Mahathir brushed off as a rumour and claimed he is not part of this.

Muhyiddin also admitted in an UMNO Supreme Council meeting a year ago that there was such a conspiracy – and also claimed he is not part of it.

This could possibly explain the sudden release of confidential investigation papers to WSJ, a foreign media, just one week after the UMNO party elections were postponed last year – a move that the Mahathir-Muhyiddin camp had initially opposed as it means that Muhyiddin would not be able to challenge Najib for the presidency or Mukhriz to contest for the Vice Presidency last year.

Or the incredible speed of the multiple MACC raids made within a day of the WSJ report – way faster than the raids regarding the LGE-Phang Li Koon scandal.

It could also explain RPK’s recent revelation and accusations of BNM and Muhyiddin sabotage of 1MDB’s IPO.

And certainly the existence of premature charge sheet issued against the PM even before investigations was completed or main witnesses interviewed and the file handed over to the AG for further action.

Or how Sarawak Report and certain opposition leaders keep getting confidential government papers over the past year.

It would also explain why BNM could approve transfers of money into Najib’s accounts between 2011 and 2013 but seems to be backtracking now or that BNM approved the 2009 transfer by 1MDB to PetroSaudi but decided to “un-approve” this seven years later.

This also explains how the US DoJ is getting information from a government agency and what type of possibly selective information they got and how they reached their conclusion – despite the DoJ not officially working with the governments of Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi and Malaysia.

It is now confirmed that both Mahathir and Muhyiddin seems to know more about the conspiracy or komplot involving key government institutions to topple Najib.

Both of them should tell us more about what they know as actions such as breaking Standard Operating Procedure regarding investigations and Charge Sheets without completing the case, leaking confidential government information to the foreign media and opposition supporters and conspiring with foreign governments are serious crimes that undermines our nation’s sovereignty.

That more or less sums up what we have been saying for more than a year. Mahathir used all the government agencies that were aligned to him in his attempt to oust Najib. (Can you remember even the number two in the Special Branch openly announced that he is a Mahathir loyalist?). Mahathir also used the foreign media and blogs to run down Najib and 1MDB.

But Mahathir still failed to oust Najib and he is very sore about it. He even sabotaged 1MDB by torpedoing the IPO and by blocking the loans that 1MDB needed. But still Najib is Prime Minister. The only thing that Mahathir has not tried yet is the way they ousted Tunku Abdul Rahman. And if that were the only way to oust Najib then I would not put it beyond Mahathir to try that as well.

Anyway, what Mahathir more or less admitted yesterday is that he had been outsmarted and has been betrayed by his own conspirators and has been defeated by a counter-coup. But then he who lives by the sword dies by the sword and has Malaysian politics not always been about conspiracies, counter-conspiracies, coups and betrayals?