INTERVIEW | Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad was so averse to having his children being actively involved in politics that he once threw a fit after finding out that there were plans to field his son, Mukhriz Mahathir, in the 1999 general election.

The former Kedah menteri besar recalled how the current Malacca Yang di-Pertua Negeri, Mohd Khalil Yaakob, wanted to field him in as a candidate for a parliamentary seat when his father was prime minister.

"He said 'be ready, I will be putting your name in'. Khalil was Umno secretary-general at the time.

"Later, Khalil told me my father threw a fit when he saw my name there, he asked 'whose work is this?' and struck it out.

"He (Mahathir) could have let me contest, but yet he didn't because he was sticking to his principles," Mukhriz told Malaysiakini in an interview.

This is why Muhkriz finds it simply absurd when Mahathir's critics continue to claim that his father is back in politics simply to ensure that his son becomes prime minister.

"For him, to do all of this – to go against (Prime Minister) Najib Abdul Razak, leave Umno, form a new party, join Pakatan Harapan, mend all bridges with Anwar Ibrahim, Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, Lim Kit Siang, Mohamad Sabu - all that so he can make me prime minister? I think that's absurd."

The process is also one that is so tedious, that he must first contest in a parliamentary seat and that his party Bersatu must win the majority seats in Parliament...