Mahathir is taking on the duo of Najib Razak and Rosmah Mansor, and not only Malaysians but the international community as well, are all eyes and ears on the unfolding drama.
But Malaysians must be aware of who really Mahathir is as during his tenure as prime minister a lot of dirty linen was not brought out into the open but hidden from the people largely because of the absence of the Internet and social media. Is this why he is now overtly trying to censor the Net?
Respected journalist and former editor of the Asian Wall Street Journal, Barry Wain, wrote a controversial book in which he disclosed how the Mahathir regime misappropriated over RM100 billion during his tenure as prime minister. How does this compare with Najib's misdeeds?
The fact is power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely and this is why Mahathir is no saint. In fact he remains to this day incorrigible and a known hypocrite.
Mahathir committed more wrongdoings during his tenure as prime minister than Najib has ever done in his lifetime as the former governed as a man above the law. Mahathir was autocratic and brooked no dissent as dissenters were hauled up under the now-defunct Internal Security Act (ISA).
Malaysians just need to recall 'Ops Lallang' and how Mahathir used the draconian ISA to silence and muzzle critics.
Let us not also overlook the fact that it was Mahathir who set up political wrongdoing as ‘standard operating procedure’ during his time in government by fueling cronyism, collusion and nepotism. He was solely responsible for being guilty in the inequitable distribution of wealth and for establishing a governing elite.
It is this elite that now holds sway over this country. By and large, the backs of the toiling masses was flogged by Mahathir on a daily basis to keep the minority elite sitting pretty while about 80 per cent of the population lived from hand-to-mouth.
Mahathir came across as a clean-cut guy but he was despicably more dishonorable than any other Malaysian prime minister.
This is why Mahathir is actually Malaysia's worst ever prime minister as Najib has obviously learned the ropes by observing him and is just emulating him. This is why Mahathir is getting a taste of his own medicine now but not in liberal doses as the title of the book written by his daughter, Marina, will suggest.
Mahathir couldn't care less about those who opposed him but instead governed with an iron fist in a velvet glove.
His version of democracy also beggars belief and he can hardly be considered as a man of conscience and being in fear of God. He governed Malaysia as a law unto himself and this is why he is recorded by capable historians as a ‘dictator’ who ruled Malaysia.
This is the man who is now trying his best to save and salvage his legacy. But the root cause of most of Malaysia's problems today can be traced to him. Dare anyone in his or her right mind ever believe this individual who is to be blamed for being the root cause of the problems and crises that is currently gripping Malaysia?
The reason why Mahathir, although he has been trying to oust Najib for over a year, is unable to do so is because Malaysians are caught between the devil and the deep blue sea; Malaysians are actually caught between a rock and a hard place.
This is why Malaysians know that they actually have no choice but to choose the lesser of two evils and this is why Mahathir is unable to oust Najib for Malaysians are now fully aware that he is actually a greater evil and threat to them.
By Christopher Fernandez
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