Tun Dr Mahathir Turns 88

There was a birthday dinner last nite (attended by about 1000 guests) for Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamed. Dr Mahathir turns 88 (I think on July 10th). Happy Birthday to Tun Dr Mahathir.  The nite was themed 'Double Infinity' because of the "88".

The annual affair was hosted by a tycoon whom I need not mention lah.  Tun Dr Mahathir's gatherings are a barometer of the country's socio-political health. You can write a thesis on  the economic and social status of Malaysian big-wigs just by observing what goes on, who attends and who does not attend Dr Mahathir's functions.

When Dr Mahathir was the PM, his Hari Raya Open Houses were mammoth, human wave events. You could not even get in to attend the Hari Raya Open House. There were always two Open Houses - one open to the public and the other one hosted by his children for invited guests at Tun's home in The Mines. Even that became very crowded.

Then Tun left office. Two demons took over running the country and began to villify Tun thru their mongrels.  The Hari Raya open house at Tun's house at The Mines became deserted. One year I was able to drive up and park my car right on the front lawn of the house. There were so few people attending.  

Then the demons were ousted and a new PM took over in 2009. Many people believed that the real power behind the throne was Tun Dr Mahathir. So the crowds returned to Tun's Hari Raya Open Houses. Like the giant herds of wildebeest returning yearly to the Masai Mara in Kenya, the giant herds returned to Tun's Open Houses.

Last nite the crowd was very interesting. Easily 80% - 90% of the guests were Chinese. The remaining 10% - 20% included UMNO politicians, UMNOputra businessmen and their hangers on. This is still the 'in the money' crowd - but maybe with some reservations and also trepidations.

It was like a "harimau dan mangsa dalam sangkar" situation. Except it was not clear who was the harimau and who was the mangsa. 

We (another Blogger and I) observed the very subdued nature of the politicians and their UMNOputras.  My friend who is from Pahang said they looked 'sempor' which means something that is awkward or 'out of place'.  

Before, when the Barisan Nasional had the 2/3 majority in Parliament the politicians and their UMNOputras were clearly the ravenous harimau. No doubts about that. The 2/3 majority gave them the aura of invincibility.  The others - especially the Chinese business crowd - were the mangsa. (However often the mangsa came up much better off than the harimau). 

Last nite, clearly UMNO's aura of invincibility was gone. The politicians were subdued. Instead they had become "poli-tikus" or political mice.  The 2/3 majority has been lost twice now - in 2008 and 2013. Going at this pace  it is most likely that in 2018 they will no more be in power. Without power, their worlds will come to an end.  

And most clearly, everyone was aware that perhaps 100% of the 90% Chinese people attending last nite had voted en bloc against all the UMNO politicians and UMNOputras who were at the dinner.  They were surrounded by an entire banquet hall full of people who had voted against them. So who is the harimau and who is the mangsa inside the sangkar now?  How times have changed.

Sadly those who are the cause of the disaster (for this round) were not there.  They were elsewhere screwing up the country - the Cabinet ministers, the GLC people, the "Toxic Recyle" candidates etc.  Those people are busy eating bread and honey.  They too are fully aware that they may only have five years left to feather their nests. Tis the season of "pukul habis" again. 

And I think some of them will survive - no matter who is in power. They are neither harimau nor mangsa. Those are the leopards. And as we know a leopard cannot change his spots.