MALAY POLITICS OR SOAP OPERA? MAHATHIR’S SHORTLIVED THUNDER – FIRST HE BURSTS INTO TEARS & QUITS – THEN RAFIDAH ‘WADDLES ONTO STAGE & BROKE HER HIGH HEELS BECAUSE SHE WAS TOO FAT’ – THEREBY STEALING MAHATHIR’S GLORY!

Actually, on paper, Mahathir’s strategy was brilliant. But then everything looks good on paper. Even Pakatan Harapan’s GE14 Election Manifesto and Lim Guan Eng’s economic plan look good on paper. But things do not always go as planned on the ground.

Today, 10th May 2020, is Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s last day as Malaysia’s prime minister or PM7. However, as is normal in government service, you are given two months leave prior to your retirement so Mahathir actually left on 24th February 2020.

Some say Mahathir did not really plan to resign or retire but it was because DAP and PKR had been pressuring the old man for more than a year that he eventually broke down and announced his resignation/retirement.

In fact, his son, Mukhriz, said Mahathir broke down and cried three times during the Pakatan Harapan council meeting on 21st February 2020 — and this could be true because Mahathir is so fond of breaking down and crying if anyone disagrees with him.

They even made a video of Mahathir crying, which they used during the GE14 election campaign, and that “Atuk” video actually swung one million Malay votes. Malays love to see people crying, which is why Malay dramas, where 15 minutes of the 55-minute story show people crying, are very popular amongst the Malays.

Back during the time when there was no TV, we used to listen to “drama minggu ini” on radio, where it was mainly sounds of people crying and sobbing while pouring their heart out. Americans love this as well but they do not call it “drama minggu ini”. They call it country and western music, which is basically the same thing.

Anyway, this has actually happened before back in 2002 (where Mahathir suddenly resigned even though takde angin, takde ribut). Mahathir broke down and cried during the 2002 Umno annual assembly because he could not take the pressure. And in a moment of what doctors would call temporary insanity, he announced his resignation while sobbing from self-pity.

Anyway, Mahathir always regarded Umno, or rather Umno Baru, as his personal party. So he had every right to break down and cry according to Lesley Gore who once sang, “It’s my party, and I’ll cry if I want to, cry if I want to, cry if I want to; you would cry too if it happened to you.”

“It’s my party, and I’ll cry if I want to,” said Lesley Gore

Mahathir’s temporary loss of sanity was overshadowed by Rafidah Aziz who waddled on stage and broke her heels, which clearly had a weight limit on them, as she hugged Mahathir and cried, “Why! Why! What is going to happen to us?”

She realised that the many corruption cases against her — which the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) had investigated and which Mahathir instructed the ACA to file under NFA (no further action) — might come back to bite her in her very broad behind.

According to the ACA, the shares she gave her son-in-law alone can send her to jail for a long time and they do not even need to korek the billions she made from APs (car import permits). Yes, Rafidah made billions from the APs that Malaysians had to contribute RM30,000 a car to, making cars in Malaysia three times what they cost in the UK.

Anyway, today is Mahathir’s last day although he left two months earlier, as is traditional in Malaysian government service. And, today also, Lim Kit Siang is supposed to retire from politics, a promise he made in the event that Anwar Ibrahim does not take over as Prime Minister or PM8 today.

Kit Siang is expected to announce his retirement from politics tomorrow

Since today is Sunday and most likely Kit Siang would want to attend confession and absolution in church first, he might announce his retirement tomorrow. Knowing that Kit Siang is a man of honour, strong principles, and high morals, there is no way Kit Siang would want to stay on since it looks like Mahathir is not going to appoint Anwar as PM8 after all, as promised.

Actually, on paper, Mahathir’s strategy was brilliant. But then everything looks good on paper. Even Pakatan Harapan’s GE14 Election Manifesto and Lim Guan Eng’s economic plan look good on paper. But things do not always go as planned on the ground.

Mahathir’s plan was simple. Step 1: he resigns as prime minister or PM7. However, since no one has enough majority to form a government, Mahathir will come back as interim prime minister (and sworn in later as PM8). And since Mahathir has also resigned from his party, and his party has resigned from Pakatan Harapan, Mahathir will be an independent or “party-less” prime minister.

Rafidah broke her heels when Mahathir suddenly resigned in 2002

Step 2: Mahathir appoints his cabinet (since the old cabinet automatically resigned when he resigned as PM7). And Mahathir’s new cabinet will be “independent” MPs chosen from the 220 members of the House (222 MPs minus Najib Tun Razak and Ahmad Zahid Hamidi) plus some non-MPs as well, who can be appointed Senators.

Mahathir will not have majority support in parliament. In fact, he will not have even 70 MPs behind him. But that does not matter because Mahathir is not the PM from a political party but an independent PM with no party. And he will choose MPs from all political parties to sit in his cabinet plus to head all the various GLCs.

In short, at least 140 MPs will hold a position in Mahathir’s new government and hence will pledge loyalty to him. The balance 82 MPs who are not in his government will pose no threat since 140 is bigger than 82.

Mahathir’s best friend, Mugabe, had already advised him what to do but he did not take into consideration the Agong factor

Partisan politics will end and Mahathir will be able to rule Malaysia the way Hitler did in Germany, Stalin did in Russia, Mao did in China, Kim Il-sung did in North Korea, Idi Amin did in Uganda, Mugabe did in Zimbabwe, the Shah did in Iran, Saddam did in Iraq, etc.

In short, Mahathir will become that four-letter word: dictator (well, dictator is not quite a four-letter word, but you know what I mean).

However, there is one thing Malaysia has that Germany, Russia, China, North Korea, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Iran, Iraq, and so on, did not have. And that one thing is Seri Paduka Baginda Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

His Majesty the Agong summoned all the 222 MPs to his palace (220 turned up) and he asked them one-by-one who they support as prime minister. And the majority named Muhyiddin Yassin — some say 115, some say 120, some say 130, some say 135.

The billion dollar question is: is the Mahathir-Muhyiddin “fight” for real or merely a “drama minggu ini” with an udang sebalik batu?

Anyway, whatever it may be, Muhyiddin won the majority so His Majesty swore in Muhyiddin as PM8 on 1st March 2020.

President Donald Trump cannot admit he made a mistake on the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic — which is why more people died of Covid-19 in just two months compared to Americans who died in the 14-years Vietnam War. And more Americans are unemployed now compared to the Great Depression 100 years ago. So, Trump blames China to cover his mistake.

And the same in the case of Pakatan Harapan’s collapse. They cannot admit they made a mistake so they blame the Agong, Muhyiddin Yassin, Azmin Ali, Najib Tun Razak, Umno, PAS, Muafakat Nasional, bad feng shui, etc. as the reason. Yes, everyone except Pakatan Harapan is to be blamed for Pakatan Harapan’s collapse.

But then it is in Mahathir’s nature to topple prime ministers. Mahathir toppled Tunku Abdul Rahman in 1970. (Mahathir missed toppling Tun Razak Hussein because Razak died too early in 1976). Mahathir toppled Tun Hussein Onn in 1981. Mahathir toppled Mahathir in 2003. Mahathir toppled Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi in 2009. Mahathir toppled Najib Tun Razak in 2018. And Mahathir again toppled Mahathir in 2020. And now Mahathir is trying to topple Muhyiddin Yassin.

Actually, it would be nice if Mahathir manages to oust Muhyiddin on 18th May 2020 through a vote of no confidence and Anwar Ibrahim takes over. Then we can see how Mahathir topples Anwar and how long it takes for it to happen. I can actually make a lot of money by launching an online betting website to take bets on the date Mahathir topples Anwar.

This is what Najib Tun Razak said on his Facebook today:

Setelah bermesyuarat dengan Majlis Raja-raja, YDP Agong melantik Perdana Menteri mengikut perlembagaan Malaysia.

Setelah menerima titah YDP Agong, Perdana Menteri pun membentuk kerajaan baru.

Jika ada pihak yang umum mereka tak iktiraf kerajaan baru, adakah ini bermakna mereka juga tidak iktiraf perlembagaan negara, kuasa YDP Agong dan Majlis Raja-raja?

Dan jika seseorang itu tak iktiraf kerajaan maka perlukah kerajaan iktirafkan mereka?

Sekadar membangkang atau menentang kerajaan, itu hak mereka. Masih OK.

Nak minta usul tidak percaya dalam parlimen pun saya terima.

Jika berani tuntut bubar parlimen, let’s get ready to rumble.

Tapi saya rasa ianya telah melampaui batas jika umum tak iktiraf kerajaan.

Ini bukan negara milik peribadi sesiapa. Suka hati nak iktiraf atau tak mahu iktiraf.

Another chap sent me this, which is certainly food for thought and thinking outside the box:

Apakah Muhyiddin Perlu Pegang Janji Selepas Mahathir Mati?

Ini adalah persoalan dan tanda tanya dikalangan beberapa ”political analysts” antarabangsa pada masa ini.

Mereka tahu bahawa Mahathir adalah pengarah filem dan pelakon utama Sheraton Move manakala Azmin Ali hanyalah tauke panggung wayang sahaja. Mahathir berjaya perdaya pemimpin PH dengan wayang Sheraton Move supaya beliau dilihat sebagai mangsa dan bukan mastermind. Mahathir mahukan jawatan PM8 kekal dimiliki Bersatu sehingga Mukhriz dilantik PM9.

Sebelum Mahathir letak jawatan sebagai PM7, beliau telah membuat perjanjian dengan Muhyiddin dimana Muhyiddin akan pasti kekayaan dynasty Mahathir selamat dan Mukhriz akan dilantik TPM dan seterusnya PM9.

Semua tahu bahawa selagi Mahathir masih hidup Muhyiddin akan pegang pada janji. Persoalannya apakah Muhyiddin perlu pegang pada janji selepas Mahathir mati.

Para ”political analysts” antarabangsa yakin bahawa Muhyiddin tidak akan pegang pada janji selepas Mahathir mati sebab Muhyiddin seorang yang mempunyai cita2 politik yang amat tinggi. Banyak contoh2 dalam sejarah buktikan bahawa demi kuasa pengkianatan akan berlaku. Ini adalah lurah hidup. Mereka juga yakin Muhyiddin akan cari alasan yang kukuh dan manusabah untuk putuskan janji yang telah dibuat oleh beliau dengan Mahathir pada 22hb Februari 2020. Ataupun Muhyiddin hanya perlu nafikan wujudnya perjanjian.

Bagaimana pula pandangan Anda? Apakah Muhyiddin perlu pegang janji selepas Mahathir mati sedangkan Mahathir tidak pernah pegang pada janji sepanjang hidupnya.

Wasalam.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

MALAYSIA TODAY