SEEING THE 'DEVIL' IN NAJIB & ROSMAH, MAHATHIR IS NOW A CHANGED MAN

Most Malaysians following the unfolding political drama in this country are now in a state of quandary and don't know really whether to laugh or cry as erstwhile prime minister, Mahathir Mohammad, stated that a new opposition pact is in the pipeline to "be an attractive offer to the nation's electorate."

According to Mahathir, the opposition coalition of Pakatan Harapan are not capable of mustering a formidable challenge to seize the power to govern from Putrajaya in the next general elections scheduled for the first quarter of the year 2018.

On this score, Mahathir is downright correct. The opposition coalition is in a state of flux and most Malaysians are hardly impressed by the fact that they always seem to be in sixes and sevens and in disarray and at loggerheads with each other.

It is really the disunity and differences within the opposition that is a major drawback to challenging Barisan Nasional (BN) who have exclusively governed this country since independence or Merdeka in 1957.

But can the opposition get together, unite and form an opposition strong enough to topple BN?

This is not just difficult to say, it is also hard to predict if such an outcome can be achieved by the opposition political parties given the state of acrimony between them at present.

But a new opposition pact led by old timers in the pipeline at present not only raises eyebrows, but many Malaysians, while secretly hoping it will work, are keeping their fingers crossed as they have often seen so many times how BN is able to tinker and cause disunity within the opposition all too easily.

Looking beyond mending fences

Mahathir is right and timely in mooting the idea this time and he is also correct in his assertion that he should not lead this new opposition pact other than to lend his support to it.

Perhaps the time spent outside governing Malaysia has changed Mahathir and he is now beginning to see the other side of the coin, the downside or of the oppressed and downtrodden in this country who have been disenfranchised from all the gains of national growth.

It looks as if not only has Mahathir become a changed man, but his politics now has swerved to being more egalitarian in its values and it also looks as if his version of democracy is now more in keeping to the pureness of true democracy.

Not only have the times changed in Malaysia, but Mahathir has changed to the point he has ditched the very party for which he struggled nearly all his political life to establish - UMNO - to opt for a rejuvenated opposition coalition and now to give it life, not just a breath of fresh air but to pump and prime it up to challenge the house of cards on shifting sand that BN has become at present.

All this really beggars belief? Malaysians of all walks of life are shaking their heads in utter disbelief at these developments. But in politics, there is the saying of a seasoned veteran like Mahathir that "a politician has really no permanent friends and no permanent foes."

This being the case it is also pertinent for Malaysians of all stripes to take note of this new political development and accordingly adjust their personal politics to suit it.

Light at the end of the tunnel

But many Malaysians can also be forgiven for thinking that this is really not the light at the end of the tunnel but the night mail train actually coming through at full speed to trample and hack us down to reality.

But believe the change that Mahathir has gone through and put your faith in him that he will be able to restore democracy and redeem himself for all the wrongdoings and atrocities that he has dome during his tenure as the paramount leader of this country.

All these are really the signs of repentance and Mahathir's way of atoning for his wrongdoings and atrocities while in office and this really cannot come at a better time than now.

It's really a blessing in disguise and it looks now as if the stage is set for all those Malaysians who have been offended by Mahathir to learn to forgive and forget and accept the olive branch that Mahathir is holding to all in the opposition to come together and once again turn this country on the right track of democracy and globalization. - MAIL BAG