Dr Mahathir back in Putrajaya? The ‘worst’ move possible, says Kit Siang

DAP's Lim Kit Siang (pic) poured cold water on calls for former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad to return to Putrajaya, saying that it would be the "worst answer" for Malaysia's many problems.

Hours after former information minister Tan Sri Zainuddin Maidin suggested that the country's longest serving premier help Putrajaya tackle the raging racial, religious and economic issues, Lim reacted by saying the proposal is akin to a vote of no-confidence in prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's stewardship of the country.

The DAP leader also pointed out that Zainuddin’s call marked a new stage in the plot by reactionary anti-democratic forces in both Umno and the Barisan Nasional federal government for a putsch.

Lim said signs were already in place to suggest a putsch, although the objective seemed to be still fluid.

These included growing public disenchantment over Najib's weak leadership, such as the lack of political will to end the spate of racial-religious issues, the demand to bring back the draconian Internal Security Act (ISA) which provides for detention without trial that was repealed in 2012 and calls for the return of Dr Mahathir to be the "de facto" prime minister before the ultimate call for Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin to take over Najib.

"Zainuddin Maidin is testing the waters whether the country is prepared for a return of Dr Mahathir to Putrajaya," he said in a statement today.

The Gelang Patah MP charged that Malaysia does not need a return of Dr Mahathir to Putrajaya or a resurrection of the past Mahathir policies, which have caused the loss of the best and brightest talents from the country and ultimately led to the country not having a higher and faster rate of economic development.

"The return of Dr Mahathir and Mahathirism will be the worst answer for the solution of Malaysia's many problems, which stem from the lack of political will and vision to steer the country towards a new direction as a united, harmonious, just, democratic and competitive Malaysia," he said.

Instead, Lim added the former PM and his policies must bear the greatest responsibility for Malaysia's failure to fully exploit its natural and human resources, resulting in the lack of good governance, rampant corruption, cronyism and abuses of power.

Since last year's general election, there has been a steady drum beat by Dr Mahathir's supporters, including Umno veterans and bloggers, who have been pushing for a return of the former prime minister, as many are still hankering for the years when a decisive Dr Mahathir was heading a much stronger government.

In the run-up to 2014, tensions flared again over the use of the word Allah, the Arabic word for God, by non-Muslims, which Muslim groups insist is exclusive to Islam.

It culminated in a raid by the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais) and the police at the Bible Society of Malaysia (BSM) office in Petaling Jaya a few days into the new year, with 300 copies of the Bibles in Bahasa Malaysia and Iban being seized.

Two BSM officials were also detained in the raid.

The raid is widely seen as being triggered by Herald editor Rev Father Lawrence Andrew’s remarks that Catholic churches in Selangor will continue to use Allah in their Bahasa Malaysia mass following a warning from Jais to stop.

Lawrence was investigated by the police for his remarks, and the police have recommended to the Attorney General's chambers that he be charged for sedition.