Yoursay: Perhaps Dr M 2.0 no longer the same as Dr M 1.0

YOURSAY | 'The Mahathir of the past was supported by a single, dominant Umno...'

Dr M or Najib for PM, like choosing Coke or Pepsi

Amateur: The activists at this forum should more appropriately be called "de-activists".

While Malaysia is at its crossroad, they painted this critical scenario as an option between two carbonated drinks that are detrimental to health. This could possibly encourage the electorate to either cast spoiled votes, or not casting a vote at all.

Do they realise by doing so, they are trying to propagate the kleptocratic rule?

Hadi: I was at the forum. The title of the event itself was stupid: “Is Mahathir the solution to a better Malaysia?” It reflects how naive this bunch of activists are.

Is there any other solution? “Can the country afford another five years of MO1 (Malaysian Official 1)” would have been a better title.

This debate shows how impractical these speakers are. I, too, used to be sceptical like them, but even I have come to conclude we have no choice but to support former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

The past remains the past, we must fight in the present. I felt despondent. No audience member raised any good questions, just shallow, insipid questions.

Please get over yourselves. It is not about you, it is about this failing nation. For once, be real and think of the nation, not your little selves.

Spinnot: Najib may be Coke and Mahathir, Pepsi. But the other Harapan leaders are not Pepsi. They have not been the prime minister, and were not responsible for Operation Lallang, the sacking of top judges, Project M, Sodomy I, etc.

Anonymous: The Mahathir of the past was supported by a single, dominant Umno, with BN giving them a two-thirds majority.

The present Mahathir depends on pretty equal partners, each can collapse Harapan. As such, Harapan's PM will have to be consensus-based.

On top of that, Harapan consists of people fighting for principles. Dr M has no chance to deviate.

Drngsc: One of the problems with Malaysia, as a result of Umno rule for 60 years, is that it lacks people who can think.

Mahathir 2.0 is not the same as Mahathir 1.0. Mahathir 1.0 was 60-odd years old then, had a long way to go, and surrounded himself with yes men who, for their own gains, always said “yes”.

Those who dared say “no” overnight became "homosexuals", or got replaced. So he was all powerful. He was without equal.

However, Mahathir 2.0 is very different. He is now 93 years old, and knows that time is running out. He has said so himself. He is surrounded by men who are not yes men, as they know the truth, and many have suffered under him.

Mahathir is now one among equals. He is no longer all-powerful (and I do not mean just his health). Give him a chance.

Hplooi: Before launching into a critique of activist Badrul Hisham Shaharin (Chegubard), I would like to lay out some facts about the political landscape in Malaysia.

1. The majority voters are still significantly influenced by the ideology of the race narrative (the evil 'outsiders' polluting and stealing from a romantic ideal of a pure Malay society of a bygone era) in explaining the perceived (real or otherwise) failings of their community.

Thus, affirmative action is still very much a core issue. This mindset extends to demonising the others. Thus, the idea of the evil DAP/Chinese is still very much a live bogey.

2. Religion is very much part of the narrative. And part of this narrative includes the irrational, which allow space for all kinds of weird ideology that may breach the bounds of common civil decency, e.g. a fervent belief in the end of times and the ultimate price of paradise in the afterlife, which can justify all kinds of immorality in this present world.

3. The Umno Leviathan has a death grip on all levers of power in this country. Thus, even if 90 percent of the non-Malays and 50 percent of Malays vote the opposition, it will still be not enough to break this death grip.

4. The success of the Umno fascists in the past four decades in creating a feudal system of 'you-help-me-I-help-you' has led many from the economically disadvantaged to be dependent on this feudal overlord system.

This is one reason why many Malays are still fearful (Note: Despite some success in breaching the Felda fortress of Umno, a large majority of Felda folks remain Umno vote banks).

5. Dislodging an incumbent in a gamed system is difficult or almost impossible. As an example, why is it that no one has come out to protest the regime in North Korea, but you see protests breaking out in Iran? Did the old Soviet Union collapse because of internal resistance? Study political history from the social-anthropological perspective on why, why, why!

Given all these facts, can people like Chegubard offer some solution, instead of critiquing what many feel may be the best chance of breaking the deadlock Malaysia has fallen into?

Anonymous_b3cdcd05: The irony is that while PM Najib Razak's mouthpieces bad-mouth and make fun of Pakatan Harapan as a party devoid of capable leaders except that of a 93-year-old recycled hack for a PM, little do they realise that they are in an even worse position.

Aren’t they at the mercy of the world-renowned kleptocrat going into GE14? At least Mahathir was a unanimous selection by Harapan components. But not so with the emperor that wields the whip on Umno/BN.

Would ministers Salleh Said Keruak or Abdul Rahman Dahlan, or for that matter, anyone in Umno including the minority eunuchs in BN, dare to raise a breadth of protest or question the credibility of the supreme leader despite the administration's universally tainted reputation as a ‘kleptocracy at its worst’?

Would anyone dare? This is why those living in glass houses should not throw stones. Those that continue to do so are spitting in their own faces.

Quigonbond: I don't really care what these commentators say and I'm not even a flag-carrying member of any of the opposition parties.

The strategy has been set. If these people feel strongly about how bad the BN government is, there's really only one other choice, no matter how imperfect that is.

Calm the voices. Be united in opposition. And hope for the best.

JD Lovrenciear: Stop sowing seeds of suspicion and hopelessness. Between the devil and the deep blue sea, make a stand will you, dear activists?

If you think Coca Cola and Pepsi is the present state of affairs, then could you offer the rakyat Sinalco? No, you can't, in truth. So, stop your divisive thoughts.

ConstitutionIsSupreme: Are we not at a crossroad today where option one is to go ahead to meet someone with a gun in his hand, ready to shoot you dead, or option two, meet someone with food in his hand ready to help you to satisfy your hunger?

Although you don't know whether the food is poisoned or not, isn't it very clear that anyone with a sound mind would choose option 2? -Mkini