Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad must be one of Malaysia’s most prolific political party defectors or “political frogs”.

In 2016, he quit Umno because he said that under the leadership of then prime minister Najib Razak, the party appeared to be supporting corruption.

In 2020, he was removed from Bersatu which he co-founded with Muhyiddin Yassin in 2016.

In February this year, he and 12 other members quit Pejuang, which he founded two years ago.

He has since joined Parti Bumiputera Perkasa Malaysia (Putra) and, for good measure, has offered to be its adviser, if needed.

Mahathir said joining Putra was in line with his political struggles, which he defined as “uniting the people, the party and the Malay organisation”.

He claimed that Malay unity would solve the problems and issues of religion and country.

What about Malaysian unity? Don’t the non-Malays matter, too, in multicultural Malaysia?

Ads by Kiosked

Will he support reform as the electorate wishes? Reform was once a word that he despised.

Perhaps, he will return to Mahathirism, which consolidates the affirmative action policies and draconian laws which affected millions of Malaysians during his first tenure as prime minister?

It is 20 years since the hysterical scenes at the Umno general assembly, when an emotional Mahathir announced his resignation, and tearful Umno politicians pleaded with him to reconsider.

Fast forward to today, and he looks like a desperate politician still looking for a political base to accept him.

Why does Mahathir not realise that he has overstayed his welcome in politics? He may have spearheaded the development of the country but at what cost? Malaysians are still divided. Intolerance and religious extremism have not subsided. Without the checks and balances in our governance and administration, corruption, cronyism and the couldn’t-care-less attitude in large sections of society, including the political class, have been allowed to fester.

Mahathir is never really happy with his successors. He is outraged that large swathes of prime land and businesses are owned by foreigners, and furious that politicians refuse to listen to him.

Ads by Kiosked

If only he would realise that he is a victim of his own policies.

It has been five decades since Mahathir swept Umno to power, and many Malaysians still think that Malaysia’s longest-serving prime minister is as charismatic as before. He still attracts huge crowds, both in and outside Malaysia, but he is also as divisive, as during the time he wielded power. Perhaps it is not respect and popularity which attract the crowds, but curiosity about a nonagenarian who refuses to give up.

Among the rural Malays and the young, many still associate him with Proton and national landmarks like the Petronas Twin Towers and KLIA.

As the “Father of Modern Malaysia”, he dared to oppose the West and was not afraid to be controversial. His grand ideas and vision enabled him to believe that Malaysia would attain developed nation status by 2020.

The only problem was that Najib, whom he had groomed to take over the reins, had other ideas. Instead of ensuring Mahathir’s 2020 high-income nation status came to fruition, Najib moved the goal posts and charted a new milestone, Transformation Nasional 50 (TN50), for the year 2050.

Does Mahathir regret his alleged dismantling of the institutions of the state, removing the independence of the judiciary, destroying civil liberties, dumbing-down the education system and silencing students, and stifling the freedom of the press? No, he has no regrets.

In the early 1970s, after the 1969 race riots, Mahathir was seen as the Malay saviour, and the great hope of the nation. After reading his book “The Malay Dilemma”, many Malays acknowledged their shortcomings but failed to question the veracity of some of his conclusions.

By empowering the Malays, Mahathir gave them a sense of identity. He cajoled them to excel. He initially gave their children a sound education. He also provided good healthcare and business opportunities. Ironically, the Malays lost their competitive edge. They were beholden to Mahathir but he did not care that the majority of his policies alienated the others.

In the early 1980s, Mahathir’s political master-stroke was to invite Anwar Ibrahim, the then charismatic student leader and president of Angkatan Belia Islam Malaysia (Abim), to join Umno. It was to counter the rising popularity of PAS.

Ironically, it was Mahathir’s recalcitrance to make way for Anwar to become prime minister that contributed to his downfall. - FMT

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of  MMKtT.