Oyang Sen (C) Copyright March 2023
From the highest rung of UMNO’s hierarchical totem pole to the lowest rung of an insignificant political party; and from being the all-powerful Prime Minister of the country to that of a rejected parliamentary candidate who lost his deposit- all in a lifetime of more than six decades in politics. This is the extraordinary and strange political journey of an enigmatic and redoubtable man - Dr Mahathir.
Dr Mahathir first came into prominence in the country’s political stage in 1969 when he wrote a letter to the then Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman, criticizing the Tunku of being too soft on the non Malays. That incident eventually forced the Tunku to resigned as the Prime Minister.
Dr Mahathir came to power in 1981, at a time when the country was still struggling to find its footings as an independent nation. Dr Mahathir introduced a series of policies aimed at putting in place proper infrastructure, improving education and health systems while promoting economic growth. His efforts were largely successful and, by the time he stepped down in 2003, after 22 years at the helm, Malaysia had emerged as one of the more developed and prosperous nations in Southeast Asia.
However, Dr Mahathir’s legacy was not without controversy. Throughout his tenure as Prime Minister, he was criticized for his authoritarian style of leadership. He squabbled and cross-swords with two of his early deputies: Musa Hitam and Tengku Razaleigh, both of whom was unceremoniously seen off the main political scene. Much later, in his supposed retirement, he found time to take issues with two of his protégés and successors: Abdullah Badawi and Najib Abdul Razak. During his sometime tumultuous reign he was also accused of having sacked dissenting judges, censured inconvenient journalists, battled with human rights issues as well as having picked up quarrels with a couple Rulers. On the international front, he earned a reputation as an outspoken and controversial figure; he clashed with Western powers over economic policies and matters concerning human rights. In 1998, after months of feuding with Anwar Ibrahim, his then Finance Minister, over the nation’s handling of the Asian financial crisis, Dr Mahathir sacked Anwar who was then charged for having committed sodomy, a crime in Makaysia and for corruption! Anwar was eventually jailed.
In 2018, he surprised many by coming out of retirement to stand for election again. This time he ran as an opposition candidate, challenging the incumbent led by his once erstwhile protege, Najib Abdul Razak. In a stunning upset, Dr Mahathir’s coalition won the election and he was again sworn in as Prime Minister. However, his second tenure was short- lived. In February 2020 he resigned after a political crisis within the coalition. In May 2020, Dr Mahathir was sacked from Bersatu, a party he co- founded in 2016. In August 2020, he set up Pejuang which he would leave in February 2023. In the following month, March 2923 he joined Putra, a smallish party led by his long time ally Ibrahim Ali. A pause might be necessary to ask what has happened to a one time successful and powerful man who has now become a political vagabond - someone who has lost his way and his political bearings.
His latest utterances and rhetoric come across as rather stale if not unhelpful. He still harped on the tired old cliche that the Malays have lost their grounds and they must band together again to regain their rightful place. Some critics suggest that it has been Dr Mahathir’s policies and the ways they were implemented that had caused the breakup of Malay community and that it was Dr Mahathir who had created the divisive and dissenting Malay parties and organisations we see today.
More recently some of Dr Mahathir’s harsher critics have commented that he has become delusional and that his useful time is over. Yet others echoed the same sentiment, describing Dr Mahathir’s political idea shelf- life has expired and that he should not continue to dish out expired prescriptions.
For all his faults, he should be given an A for efforts. They say old soldiers don’t die; they just fade away. Tun Mahathir is alive and well and he is unlikely to just fade away.
Let’s wait with bated breath to see if he could still pull a rabbit out of the old hat!
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