THE GROUND BENEATH NAJIB SHAKES: HADI’S MOUTHPIECE SUDDENLY ATTACKS NAJIB – ‘HE’S NO SAINT & HAS COMMITTED MORE WRONGDOING IN LESS THAN 10 YEARS AS PM THAN DR M IN 22’

THE scorn and criticism levelled against Dr Mahathir Mohamad by Umno members who once idolised him should serve as a warning to Prime Minister Najib Razak, who stands to face the same fate after retirement.

Dr Mahathir’s fall from being a “God” in Umno to being investigated for wrongdoing by a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) into the Bank Negara forex scandal was a result of him openly criticising Najib’s rule, an unforgivable faux pas in Umno members’ books, reported HarakahDaily.

“He cried when he announced his retirement from politics during the Umno assembly.

“Wanita Umno cried. The men held back tears. They could not accept his retirement.

“Such was the love and respect for (Dr Mahathir),” said an op-ed in the PAS mouthpiece.

It said even though some Umno leaders were uneasy with Najib’s leadership, it was part of the party’s culture to keep grouses to oneself, adding that Dr Mahathir’s public flagging of Najib and Umno’s weaknesses triggered his fall from grace.

“Who would have guessed that those who poured out their love to him are now scorning him and even ready to convict him in an RCI.

“Despite his differences with Umno, nobody would have thought that someone who was seen as a ‘God’ is now seen by Umno as a ghost.”

The Umno grassroots recently expressed disappointment at Dr Mahathir’s leadership of Pakatan Harapan, calling him a traitor.

HarakahDaily said Dr Mahathir’s fate should serve as a warning to Najib, who was struggling to win party members’ loyalty.

“Perhaps Dr Mahathir, as a human being, is not free from sin and has committed many wrongs against Umno and the country.

“But Najib is no saint. To say that Dr Mahathir’s rule was worse than Najib’s would surely be contested by all.

“In fact, Najib seems to have beaten Dr Mahathir in that area, even though he has not been prime minister for even 10 years.”

It said he only way for Najib to avoid being scorned post-retirement was if he remained silent on his predecessor’s inefficiencies, as how some former prime ministers had done.

“In the true test of whether Najib would be praised or scorned, he must not be a dumb and mute ex-leader. Call out all the wrongdoings.

“If Najib is brave enough to take this test, coupled with the bad perception he already has, Umno is sure to scorn him at a level much worse than Dr Mahathir.”

THE MALAYSIA INSIGHT