Mahathir Reminds Us of the Obvious—Win First, Talk Later

At 100, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad still has the knack for saying what many prefer to ignore. His latest posting about the race for the Prime Minister’s post is a sharp reminder of how politics in this country has lost sight of basic arithmetic. https://www.facebook.com/share/1C3ZGWA4Je/

His point is simple enough. Nobody becomes Prime Minister without 112 seats in Parliament. To get there, a party must contest more than that number, and since others are also in the fight, no single party can realistically expect a clear sweep. https://www.facebook.com/share/1C3ZGWA4Je/

So what is the point of rushing to announce a prime ministerial candidate when the numbers aren’t even close?

For Mahathir, the real issue is unity. As long as Malays remain divided across multiple camps, victory will continue to slip through their fingers.

His advice is plain: work together first, win together later, then argue about the Prime Minister’s chair after the dust settles. https://www.facebook.com/share/1C3ZGWA4Je/

It is, in truth, sensible counsel.

Today’s leaders are so obsessed with staking a claim on the premiership that they forget the first task is to win elections. It is like fighting over the captain’s armband before the team has even qualified for the tournament.

Critics will say Mahathir is repeating an old tune, and perhaps he is. But it is a tune that still matters. He has seen how fragile coalitions rise and fall, how promises of unity collapse into rival camps, and how the throne has become more important than the people it is supposed to serve.

This is not about personalities. It is about the danger of disunity.

Mahathir is right: without numbers, all ambition is empty talk. Those jostling to be named as the next Prime Minister would do well to listen to his advice.

First win the mandate, then talk about the crown. Anything else is just a waste of breath. All just hot air!

Mihar Dias (mihardias@gmail.com) is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!

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