At least, Mahathir is the devil we know

YOURSAY | ‘Trust him? No way. Use him to bring change? Certainly.’

Can Mahathir be trusted?

Oxymoronictendencies: While you may well be correct in all you say, P Gunasegaram, sadly you pose no solution. Equally sadly, no one has risen to take leadership of the opposition since Anwar Ibrahim was jailed.

Dr Mahathir Mohamad has at least filled this vacuum. Had he not, the opposition would have remained akin to a group of squabbling children only concerned with their own self-interests.

There are undoubtedly some talented and worthy individuals in the opposition, however DAP as a whole is void of any political savvy or intelligence. And PKR is akin to a rudderless ship since Anwar's incarceration, drifting at the whim of uncontrolled elements eddying around them. I'm not sure that PAS can any longer be considered as "opposition", as Najib appears to have seduced Hadi.

At the end of the day, should we place our hopes on an alleged kleptocrat who is fast turning our country into a rabid dictatorship; or should we place our hopes on Mahathir? What is your suggested alternative, Gunasegaram?

Clearwater: Mahathir created the weak “check-and-balance” environment for the next ruthless leader to wield near absolute power.

Abdullah was not that person, but Najib is, and he took full advantage. Mahathir was upstaged and outsmarted, and this burns him more than anything else.

Trust him? No way. Use him to bring change? Certainly. He still is of some use.

Anonymous S303: I hope that all Malaysiakini readers and Malaysians in particular will read this article, sit up and take note.

Gunasegaram had been at the receiving end of Mahathir's misrule as he has been an astute and keen observer of politics, government and economy, something he writes well on when things are rotten as he sees it.

Mahathir is the greater of the evil. He is all for himself. Mahathir has to repent at this ripe age of 91 and he still refuse to do so. I will cast my vote for Najib rather than Mahathir any time.

Legit: Gunasegaram, we all know that. You have repeated this a few times and many other people also have the same view and opinion of Mahathir. But then, what choice do we have?

The opposition can't get its act together and is leaderless with Wan Azizah Wan Ismail at the top. DAP is handicapped because it is viewed as Chinese led. PKR is in a disarray without Anwar. Amanah is new and does not have the clout.

So the alternative is to let Umno continue its rule and just watch the kleptocrat and his minions destroy the country. Is that your alternative suggestion, Gunasegaram?

But why not let the old devil destroy the current devil and see how we can rebuild the country? Does that make sense to you?

Bersatu 1 Malaysia: We are between the devil and the deep blue sea. We have no choice but to trust Mahathir or be drowned.

He still commands respect from all races. If we don’t rope in the Malays, Harapan cannot form the next government.

I believe we have all learned our lessons by letting BN win time and again. We are the ones who let them win by our selfish motives and wrong strategies.

With Mahathir on our side, it is possible that Harapan can win.

Jaguh: The Germans and Japanese were said to be the “murderers” of the world...today it has all been forgiven and they are the ones whom many depend on for technology, cars, you name it.

Mahathir is the same. Yes, he had committed wrongdoings but that's in the past. Today he repents, and more so has to suffer in the thought that he supported the appointment of the present kleptomaniac to that position initially.

He is now trying to undo all the wrongs, so let’s support this man in his twilight years. Any support to rid this present government is welcomed.

Albert Wong: Gunasegaram, anyone that has some interest of this country politics and its welfare knows all that you wrote. They are correct.

What if we do not work with Dr M? Do we have a better chance to win GE14?

Do you think the leaders in Pakatan do not have a strategic mind? Do you not know that authorities sometimes work with a thief to catch a bigger thief?

Do you not see the current state of affairs in this beloved country of ours? Do you not believe it’s better to work with the devil you know than the one you don't?

Do you not realise that BN is feeling terribly uncomfortable now as never before? Why is that?

Demi Rakyat: We can trust a man who admits his mistake. We cannot trust a man who takes money stolen from the rakyat and then lied about it. We can trust Dr M but we can never trust Najib.

Existential Turd: A timely reminder from Gunasegaram. Mahathir is using the opposition for his own purpose, so succinctly outlined in the article.

The opposition is not going to benefit much from Mahathir. Maybe a few leaders, but certainly not the people.

The way I see it, the opposition is better being the opposition. They will be as bad as BN being the government.

Prudent: Existential Turd, the opposition "as bad as BN being the government"? You have an existentially deformed sense of values if you think that the Penang state government is "as bad as BN being the government".

It is not a matter of trust. There is no trust with the likes of Mahathir. But I am sure the Sun Tzu strategists of Harapan would have already gamed him out, including the scenario of him reneging his pledges as he did with Suqiu.

They would have already ascertained what exactly his value is to Harapan and how to deal with him in the event that he turns rogue should Harapan wins GE14.

The week after GE14 would be crucial. The situation would be very fluid. Frogs would be jumping. Dedak will be flying. It is unclear what ruling coalition will emerge after GE14. But if MO1 (Malaysian Official 1) is out, then it would be a step in the right direction.

And I don't think the opposition is disunited. It is solidifying by the day.- Mkini