The Way Mahathir Does Things

To Mahathir, promises are merely a means to deceive you. He can make a deal with you today and break it the next day. What he says today and what he does tomorrow are two different things. What he says today is to get things done his way and what he does tomorrow is what benefits him personally.

THE CORRIDORS OF POWER

Raja Petra Kamarudin

The relationship between Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Pakatan Harapan is based on the principle (or probably lack of principles) that an enemy of my enemy is my friend. This is the Machiavellian doctrine of the end justifies the means, which has always been Mahathir’s modus operandi.

Mahathir once told a Japanese reporter during an interview in Japan soon after he retired on 1st November 2003 that he did not really want Anwar Ibrahim in Umno. However, if Anwar was not brought into Umno he might go to PAS. So, Mahathir agreed to bring Anwar into Umno just so that he would not go to PAS.

Mahathir was against the idea of allowing Anwar into Umno but it was Ku Li who persuaded Mahathir to allow Anwar into Umno

According to Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah a.k.a. Ku Li, Mahathir was bitterly opposed to the idea of bringing Anwar into Umno. Eventually, however, Ku Li managed to convince Mahathir that Anwar was better off in Umno than in PAS, where he could do a lot of damage to Umno.

In that same interview in Japan, Mahathir told the interviewer that he thought once Anwar was in Umno he could be controlled. However, Anwar plotted behind his back and tried to oust him, Mahathir said. So, he had no choice but to get rid of Anwar.

Note that Mahathir did not tell the Japanese interviewer he had to get rid of Anwar because of sexual misconduct or sodomy. It was because Anwar plotted behind his back and tried to oust him.

Mahathir did not like or trust Anwar but he had to pretend he did to prevent Anwar from going to PAS

Ku Li testified that Mahathir did not want Anwar in Umno and that he (Ku Li) persuaded Mahathir to allow Anwar into Umno. Mahathir also testified he agreed to allow Anwar into Umno just so that PAS would not get him. Mahathir did not want Anwar. He only did not want PAS to get Anwar because then that would damage Umno.

In short, Anwar, the then ABIM leader, would be Mahathir’s ‘Islamic weapon’ to counter PAS. That is no different from Lim Kit Siang using Mahathir today as their ‘Malay weapon’ to counter Umno and steal the Malay votes from Umno.

Mahathir does not need to like you. He does not even need to trust you. He can hate you and still hug you in public with a smile on his face and announce to the entire world that you are his anointed successor and will soon take over from him as the Prime Minister of Malaysia (like he did in August 1998 just hours before he sacked Anwar and then threw him into jail).

Mahathir also does not like or trust Kit Siang but they need to use each other to defeat Umno after which they will turn on each other again and tear Pakatan Harapan to pieces

To Mahathir, promises are merely a means to deceive you. He can make a deal with you today and break it the next day. What he says today and what he does tomorrow are two different things. What he says today is to get things done his way and what he does tomorrow is what benefits him personally.

And if you still do not know this about Mahathir then you deserve what you get. And remember one thing, after the next general election you will be reading an ‘I told you so’ article in this column to remind you about what we said today and how that panned out precisely like what we said.