What goes around comes around for Dr M

It is interesting to observe the way how God works in the lives of every human. Let this also be a warning to those who are in the corridor of power.

True to the golden rule, whatever the former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad had sown has come around and he is reaping what he had sown in the past.

What is indeed most humbling but I am amazed Mahathir took it in good strides - that he now has to contest in the coming general election under the PKR logo.

PKR was set up by his former protégé, Anwar Ibrahim and his supporters. It stands for "Justice for the People."

I am one of very few of his critics who first applauded the nonagenarian’s turnaround and his exit from Umno Baru, which he had created in 1988.

But after watching one event after another, I have arrived at two key conclusions. The first is that no one can defy the law of the universe which has been translated into so many languages and taught by the major religions in the world.

Some call it karma; others call it balasan. In science, we say, “action and reaction.” To the farming community, this maxim can be easily understood: Whatever a man sows, that shall he also reap.

The second conclusion is: Mahathir is a totally different person when he was in Umno and when he is now no longer with Umno. The same can be said of Anwar (photo) when he first joined Umno and rose to power.

Based on my observations, I am afraid that Umno Baru which emerged after a tussle between Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah and Mahathir has become somewhat too powerful that it can no longer be tamed.

And, both Mahathir and former Umno deputy president Muhyiddin Yasin realised this, when they told Malaysians that Umno has become an old car that needs to be scrapped. Too much money politics has destroyed the moral integrity of the leaders and the grassroots supporters.

Under such circumstances, we can fully understand why its current president, Najib Abdul Razak, boldly declared to the whole world: “Cash is king.”

In Umno, we no longer have the voices of the moderate; instead, we have people in the likes of Umno Sungai Besar division leader, Jamal Mohd Yunos and Umno Bandar Tun Razak division leader Rizalman Mokhtar.

Although his name has been cleared by a urine test for drugs by the Kuala Lumpur Hospital, the question still remains, as pointed out by a disgruntled Umno grassroots leader on a video clip that has gone viral: “Why was he found in a nightclub in the wee hours of the morning when he should be spending time with his family at home or doing some morning prayers?”

Umno has veered very far right

By now, I hope Mahathir should realise what he has created when he formed Umno Baru with the support of the hardliners. Collectively, they have drowned the voices of the moderates.

We no longer have people like Abdullah Ahmad Badawi or former deputy prime minister, Dr Ismail Abdul Rahman. After nearly 30 years, we see that Umno has veered very far right that it is difficult for steer it back to the middle ground.

If that could be done, it would have been done a long time ago. Too much time is wasted, while the nation’s coffers and pride continues to bleed.

While the money has disappeared, only to be recovered by foreign governments, our pride as a nation has taken a beating.

Everywhere we go, people know that we have a kleptocratic government after the US Department of Justice first used the word to describe our government leaders.

Having said what I have said, I am fully supportive of Mahathir as he seeks to right the wrong that turned this country into a kleptocracy.

In fact, he now deserves my utmost respect as he seeks to restore some law and order in the country.

As a friend puts it aptly: “At least Mahathir loves this country.” I am willing to forgive him for whatever he had done in the past and hope he will be able to put things in place before he leaves this world. Mkini