Mahathir will appoint Mukhriz and not Wan Azizah as the DPM: Part 2

So that is now the new game-plan. Mahathir will take over as the new Prime Minister, and it is supposed to be just interim Prime Minister, which means short-term only. He then appoints Mukhriz as his Deputy Prime Minister. Soon after that he will step aside and Mukhriz takes over as Malaysia’s Eight Prime Minister. That is the only way Mukhriz is going to become the Prime Minister on or before 2020. Events over the last 14 years since 2004 have proven there is no other way Mukhriz is ever going to climb the ladder and eventually become Prime Minister. 

THE CORRIDORS OF POWER

Raja Petra Kamarudin

The plan in 2002 was for Mukhriz Mahathir to become the Umno Youth Deputy Leader by 2004, the Umno Youth Leader by 2008, an Umno Vice President by 2012, the Umno Deputy President by 2016 and the Umno President by 2020. That would also mean Mukhriz would be Malaysia’s Deputy Prime Minister by 2016 and Prime Minister by 2020, the year when Wawasan 2020 is supposed to have been achieved.

It was a beautiful plan. And Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said be spent 15 months discussing this and many other issues (such as the Crooked Bridge to Singapore, the double-track railway, Proton, who should be appointed the Deputy Prime Minister, etc.) with Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi before he handed over power on 1st November 2003.

Mukhriz feared losing to Khairy in 2004 so he backed out and that upset the entire plan for Wawasan 2020

However, as the saying goes, man proposes but God disposes, and God did not share the same plan as Mahathir did. First of all, the Umno party elections were postponed to 2009 and 2013 while the next one will be later this year. Hence the Umno Youth chief by 2008, Umno VP by 2012, and Umno Deputy by 2016 plan did not happen. Secondly, Mukhriz backed out from contesting the Umno Youth Deputy’s post in 2004, lost the Umno Youth Chief contest in 2009, lost the Umno VP’s contest in 2013, and will not be able to contest the Umno Deputy’s post later this year since he is no longer an Umno member.

And that would mean the plan to make Mukhriz the Prime Minister (through Umno) by 2020 is now a pie in the sky and is never going to happen. And that also means if Mahathir still wants Mukhriz to become the Prime Minister by 2020 he must first make sure Boboi gets appointed the Deputy Prime Minister now, after GE14, so that two years later, by 2020, Boboi can be made the Prime Minister.

And if Mahathir wants to see this happen, he must not only still be around, but he must make sure that the Prime Minister will see that this is done.

Abdullah Badawi was supposed to ensure that Mukhriz made it up the Umno ladder and when that did not happen Mahathir made a move to oust him

In 2004, the Prime Minister then, Abdullah Badawi, was supposed to make sure the plan was followed. But when his son-in-law, Khairy Jamaluddin, entered the fray, Mukhriz knew he could not win so he backed out. Mukhriz was not confident he could beat Khairy so he got cold feet. In 2009, and again in 2013, Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak was supposed to help Mukhriz, or at least Mahathir hoped that would be the case. But on both occasions Mukhriz lost.

This proves two things. First of all is that Mukhriz is a failure. On his own he cannot even win the post of chief dog catcher. He needs the Prime Minister to pull him up before he can climb the ladder. Secondly, if you want to entrust the job of pulling Mukhriz up the ladder and eventually become the Prime Minister, then you must be that Prime Minister because in 2004, 2009 and 2013 it was proven that someone else will not do that job for you.

And that means only one thing. If Mahathir wants the Prime Minister to help pull Mukhriz up the ladder then Mahathir must be that Prime Minister. 2004, 2009 and 2013 have proven that you cannot expect someone else to do that for you. You must do it yourself. And Mukhriz is too weak to climb up the ladder on his own unless Mahathir pulls him up that ladder.

The problem is Mukhriz is a failure so unless Mahathir becomes Prime Minister again Boboi is a dead duck

In fact, without Mahathir’s help, Mukhriz could not even become the Kedah Menteri Besar. And as soon as Mahathir turns on the Prime Minister, Mukhriz loses his job. That means Mukhriz is the Kedah Menteri Besar not because he deserves that job but because Mahathir forced Najib to appoint Boboi the Kedah Menteri Besar. On his own, Mukhriz could not even become…well, the chief dog catcher.

So that is now the new game-plan. Mahathir will take over as the new Prime Minister, and it is supposed to be just interim Prime Minister, which means short-term only. He then appoints Mukhriz as his Deputy Prime Minister. Soon after that he will step aside and Mukhriz takes over as Malaysia’s Eight Prime Minister. That is the only way Mukhriz is going to become the Prime Minister on or before 2020. Events over the last 14 years since 2004 have proven there is no other way Mukhriz is ever going to climb the ladder and eventually become Prime Minister.

Lee Kuan Yew’s son did what Mahathir’s Boboi could never do in a million years

If someone else other than Mahathir becomes Prime Minister after GE14 — assuming Pakatan Harapan wins the general election, that is — Mukhriz is never going to become the Deputy Prime Minister, let alone the Prime Minister by 2020. Mahathir has to hold Boboi’s hands every step of the way until he gets to sit on the throne in Putrajaya.

Lee Kuan Yew did not have to do all that because he had properly groomed his son to one day become Singapore’s Prime Minister. All Kuan Yew had to do was to make Goh Chok Tong his Deputy Prime Minister and then, in November 1990, stepped aside. After that events took its course and 14 years later, by August 2004, Lee Hsien Loong took over as Prime Minister at a ‘young’ age of 52.

That is what Mahathir envisaged for his Boboi, Mukhriz.  But Mukhriz is not made of the same stuff that Lee Hsien Loong is made up of. And the only way Mukhriz is going to make it would be if Mahathir was the Prime Minister and he personally appoints Mukhriz as his Deputy Prime Minister. Other than that, Mukhriz is a dead duck.

Mahathir cannot stand going to his grave knowing that Kuan Yew is better than him

The bottom line is, Mukhriz is not really a politician. The Mahathir clan is successful only because they are children of Mahathir. Take away the Mahathir name and they are nothing. Mukhriz cannot even remember names and faces. How to garner support when you do not have the personal touch and cannot relate to the people whose support you need?

Once Mahathir becomes Prime Minister and he appoints Mukhriz his Deputy, he will reintroduce the Internal Security Act or ISA. They will need the ISA to keep Mukhriz in power or else he will be ousted in no time at all. Becoming Prime Minister is no guarantee you can stay as Prime Minister. You will need the ISA to stay as Prime Minister. And this will be the ‘safety net’ that Mahathir will create for Mukhriz.

Mahathir will appoint Mukhriz and not Wan Azizah as the DPM: Part 1