Anwar and Kit Siang underestimated Mahathir
Yesterday it was still 50:50 and looked like a stalemate. But today Mahathir made a move that has just strengthened himself. And it is a most interesting move that involves Umno and PAS. Yes, if this move succeeds, Anwar and DAP are checkmated. And Mahathir will prove he is a far better plotter than Anwar and Lim Kit Siang.
THE CORRIDORS OF POWER
Raja Petra Kamarudin
When the Chinese said back in 2015 that Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad is the lesser of the two evils compared to Najib Tun Razak, many of us knew what the game plan was — well, at least many of us who have been in this game of thrones long enough, such as we from the 1970s era of Tun Razak Hussein.
Yes, that’s right, I was already on the streets back in 1968 and joined the Pudu Jail protest where we were shot with tear gas and I also witnessed the slaughter of Chinese and Indians in Bangsar in May 1969, etc. So, yes, I was already “on the streets” 50 years ago before many of you were even born yet.
Is Mahathir the horse or the jockey?
So, Mahathir is the lesser of the two evils, said the Chinese. And then Superman Hew told the Chinese a secret. And that secret is: DAP is just using Mahathir to divide the Malays and to kill Umno. Hence DAP does not really support Mahathir. DAP Is merely tunggang Mahathir to matikan Umno and once Umno telah dikuburkan they will in turn kuburkan Mahathir.
Such a simple and uncomplicated plan. Just like the US used Saddam Hussein to fight against Ayatollah Khomeini and used the Taliban to fight against the Russians. Once the job is done, the US can then destroy Saddam and the Taliban.
PAS and Umno are now friends
The only problem with this plan is that Mahathir was actually using Pakatan Harapan to remove his enemy, Najib Tun Razak. But to get Pakatan to support him in removing Najib, he needed to give an impression he was prepared to be used. Hence he allowed Pakatan to use him and once the job is done he can then turn around and use them back.
To be fair, Pakatan and Mahathir were both using each other. They both shared a common objective, to defeat Umno and Barisan Nasional. So, they teamed up to kill Umno and Barisan Nasional. What happens after that was left open. Pakatan had their own ideas while Mahathir had his. And these two ideas did not necessarily meet in the middle. But it was another problem for another day to be addressed only if they succeed in killing off Umno and Barisan.
After GE14, they entered into phase two of the plan, the post-GE14 plan. And unlike the pre-GE14 plan, the post-GE14 plan did not meet in the middle. So masing-masing rancang plan masing-masing. And this post-GE14 plan was simple. Pakatan wanted Anwar Ibrahim as PM8. Mahathir did not. So, each launched their own moves to either make Anwar PM8 or block Anwar from becoming PM8.
Mahathir still has friends on the other side
What you see today is the result of that one year of planning and plotting various conspiracies. Within ten months from now, Mahathir is either mantan PM or Anwar is mantan PM-in-waiting. It is one or the other. There cannot be two tigers on the same mountain.
The political situation is so fluid that it changes by the day. One day Anwar is on top and the following day Mahathir is. It is almost like a game of musical chairs. Whom gets that chair is still uncertain. As long as the music keeps playing they will keep moving. Only when the music stops and whoever is lucky enough to be in front of the chair gets to sit while the other goes home.
Yesterday it was still 50:50 and looked like a stalemate. But today Mahathir made a move that has just strengthened himself. And it is a most interesting move that involves Umno and PAS. Yes, if this move succeeds, Anwar and DAP are checkmated. And Mahathir will prove he is a far better plotter than Anwar and Lim Kit Siang.
