Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad - the myth, the maestro, the destroyer of Malaysian politics - has undeniably shaped the country’s modern history. From skyscrapers to controversies, his fingerprints are everywhere.
But as the dust settles on his decades-long reign, what remains is not just a towering legacy of development, but also a trail of broken succession plans and a post-retirement career built on racial anxieties and political opportunism.
Mahathir’s Missing Successors
For a man who ruled Malaysia for over two decades - and returned again for another 22 months, like a sequel no one asked for (except himself, who never quite let go of power) - Mahathir groomed exactly zero deputies who went on to successfully carry the torch.
In fact, it became something of a pattern: elevate a deputy, then toss him overboard once his popularity began to shine a little too brightly.
The Punching Bag Successors
Anwar Ibrahim was once the golden boy until 1998, when he was sacked as Deputy Prime Minister and charged in court for sodomy, widely seen as punishment for daring to criticise Mahathir’s growing cronyism.
Abdullah Ahmad Badawi was handpicked, only to be labelled “ineffective” after attempting to chart his own course.
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As for Najib Razak - a Mahathir protégé turned punching bag - he was eventually hit with criminal charges following the 1MDB debacle.
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Even during his 2018 comeback, Mahathir signed a deal to hand over power to Anwar… then didn’t. Malaysia’s political transition under Mahathir often resembled a relay race where the baton was either dropped, flung into the stands, or simply vanished during handovers.
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Unity Without Unity
But retirement did not mean retreat. Far from it. Mahathir chose a more theatrical route: forming new parties, forming new coalitions, and - most dramatically - forming new racial fears.
After leaving Bersatu (which he created after quitting UMNO), he founded Pejuang, then GTA (Gerak Tanah Air): a party Malaysians can be forgiven for forgetting. Most recently, he’s been seen leaning toward Perikatan Nasional and forming yet another race-based initiative: a new "Malay Unity Alliance."
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Their central message? That Malays are under threat, Islam is in danger, and only Mahathir (at 100 and counting) can save them.
This isn’t statesmanship; it’s an extended episode of "I alone can fix it," now playing on endless repeats.
What’s especially disappointing is Mahathir’s pivot from Vision 2020 - a plan for unity and shared prosperity - to divisive rhetoric warning of non-Malay dominance and liberal “threats.” He has increasingly used race and religion as instruments for relevance, stoking fear instead of hope, division instead of harmony.
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This shift is not just ironic - it’s deeply damaging to the very fabric of the multiracial Malaysia he once claimed to champion.
Malaysia Chooses Progress Over the Noise of Division
At a time when the nation needs healing, forward-looking leadership, and inclusive policies, Mahathir’s political interventions feel less like wisdom and more like sabotage.
His commentary may still command headlines, but it no longer commands the confidence of the people.
In the end, Mahathir may be remembered not only as the man who once built modern Malaysia, but also as the one who, unable to let go, tried to burn the bridge behind him: just in case someone dared to cross it without his blessing.
By: Kpost
Information Source:
Aljazeera , Thechedet , TheGuardian , BBC , Fmt , TheVibes
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