YOURSAY | ‘He revealed his thoughts at Feb 23 Bersatu meeting – ‘I don't like DAP and I don't like Anwar’.’

Mahathir promises 'very big trouble' for ruling coalition

Proarte: Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad betrayed the rakyat because he undermined the election manifesto after winning the 2018 general election. If that is not a betrayal, I do not know what is.

Mahathir betrayed the rakyat because he failed to name a date when he would hand over power to PKR leader Anwar Ibrahim which the rakyat expected him to do after two years.

Anwar was the rightful PM but because of his conviction for sodomy by Najib Abdul Razak using the same Mahathir script of 1998, Mahathir was given the privilege of being a “seat warmer” PM for Anwar.

Mahathir wanted to leave office in a blaze of glory after the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit in November (even then the exact date was not specified) and then see Pakatan Harapan collapse with Muhyiddin Yassin being PM and perhaps Azmin Ali or Mukhriz Mahathir as deputy PM.

It was just the timing of the betrayal which was of concern to Mahathir. He revealed his thoughts at the treacherous Bersatu meeting on Feb 23 - “I don't like DAP and I don't like Anwar".

He never planned to hand over power to Anwar from the very outset and merely “used” him. Such is Mahathir's wicked nature.

Mahathir has learnt that he does not have any real affection from the Malays whom he supposedly fought for. He was “loved” only because he had power and the ability to buy support.

It was Mahathir who taught Najib that “cash is king”. Muhyiddin and co-conspirators who showed their finger to Mahathir had pulled the rug from under his feet and brought forward the timeline of the ultimate betrayal of the rakyat.

They stole power from Mahathir and gave it to themselves, leaving Mahathir sulking in a corner like a spoilt child expecting sympathy from the very people he betrayed. Such is Mahathir's megalomania and disconnect from reality.

Mahathir is now regarded as the ultimate scumbag of the nation, and he really should retire from politics. His party Bersatu think nothing of him and call him a cantankerous liar. The best option for everyone is to ignore what he says and let Mahathirism die a well-deserved natural death.

Harapan minus Bersatu (no compromise on that), must revive the New Malaysia spirit which saw us overthrow a wicked, racist and kleptocratic government in 2018.

We did it once, and with renewed vigour and with Harapan sanitised off kleptocrats, racist, Muslim bigots (ie, Mahathrists), we will overcome and realise the dream of a New Malaysia and reach the “mountain top”.

Quigonbond: Has it been the case that our institutions are strong and the regulators have put in place necessary reforms and relief plans to deal with the Covid-19 crisis, one could sit back and enjoy a high octane Malaysian version of the Game of Thrones as the politicians play in their little sandbox.

Unfortunately, the institutions are far from perfect. The Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC), Registrar of Societies (ROS) and the police are some of the institutions that will usually start acting partially.

Mahathir may be having a good time because he is immune – it makes him feel alive I suppose, but it is the other Harapan politicians and political/social activists who will be harassed and persecuted.

While the freak show goes on, there will be plenty of impending retrenchments, bankruptcies and insolvency petitions.

As a Malaysian, one's hope is for Harapan to come clean and tell us what the plan is. Ideally, we would like to hear that Harapan will work with whatever Bersatu remnants towards a majority and after that Mahathir can be the elderly senior/mentor minister and let Anwar be the PM as was intended through GE14.

No more Mahathir for PM with perpetual Anwar in waiting. If we are back to that silly game, I don't think Malaysians can stomach going back to the sickening two-year suspense before the February coup.

And while Harapan thrashes out the finer issues with Bersatu remnants, please make sure all agree with Buku Harapan or however reasonably you want to tweak some of the promises. But we don't expect Harapan to shirk from full institutional and electoral reforms.

LeadWithoutTitle: Don't forget the very fact that Mahathir was the winning factor at the 14th GE and not because of DAP, PKR or Amanah. To solely blame him is unfair since there were many blunders from DAP, PKR and Amanah with their lopsided policies while they were in office.

Harapan should collectively take full responsibility for what is currently happening due to their self-centredness, greediness and impatience of their leaders in consistently pressuring Mahathir to step down.

You need Mahathir again to win the next general election. I doubt the rakyat will fully back DAP, PKR or Amanah without Mahathir's presence.

Mahathir has been very clear and consistent in fighting graft and kleptocracy and wanting to put the country back on its right path.

Change does not happen overnight. It is a challenging and tough process, and Mahathir should be given the time, support and trust by DAP, PKR and Amanah to do so.

Scam Job Billionaire: Like it or not, the reason why Malaysia is suffering under this prolonged lockdown has got everything to do with Mahathir's unscrupulous behaviour and the lack of leadership.

Harapan was supposed to be the beacon of hope for Malaysia and Mahathir was supposed to bring change for the better. But all that changed the moment Mahathir tasted power.

We, the rakyat, have generously given Mahathir the benefit of the doubt despite his old age and disastrous track record and patiently allowed him two years to turn this country around.

But he turned the country upside down, playing political cat and mouse within Harapan, making flip-flopping policy, accepting fake degree holders, playing race politics, allowing Umno members into Harapan through the Bersatu backdoor, destroying Malaysia’s reputation on the world stage, souring our country's trade relationship with key partners and wasting precious resource indulging in his 40-year-old failed national car project and Look East policy.

Instead of being upset with the new government, I do think Malaysians should teach this selfish Mahathir a lesson by rallying behind the new government and express our gratitude to the Agong for pulling the plug on Mahathir's craziness to wanting to be PM8 despite being 95.

Billions of ringgit will be wasted to clean up this mess that Mahathir has left behind and that is excluding the cost of other failed economic policies. And now he still thinks this country needs him to lead?

Mahathir will go down in history as the greatest self-serving power-hungry con job PM. His unscrupulous decision to open the Bersatu backdoor to welcome Umno members into Harapan was intended for his selfish political interest to enlarge the membership for Bersatu to rival PKR and DAP in GE15 so that his son Mukhriz will have the power and support within Harapan to be appointed as PM to continue the Mahathir legacy.

His sole intention to allow Umno members to cross over was never done for the betterment of Malaysia or the Harapan coalition, but for his selfish political interest.

The only explanation to why a man of his age is willing to do something so shameless and despicable to destroy the political coalitions that supported him, to sacrifice the wellbeing of Malaysians, our economy, aspiration of our youth and even his reputation, is down to his addiction to fame and his need for a political power to protect his family’s interest, which includes having Mukhriz to be his successor and to protect his family’s billion-dollar fortune from his political enemies.

Now that Mahathir is aware his treacherous and ludicrous plan has backfired and Malaysians are turning against him, he is most certainly going to weep piteous crocodile tears to gain consolatory sympathy while he seeks his next plan to bring down the new government at all cost just to succour for his son and self-interest.

If you believe in God and karma, you will perhaps believe that all these happened for a reason and there must be some divine forces trying to deny Mahathir from writing and faking a glorious and triumphant ending to his otherwise lacklustre political career that is filled with bigotry, racism, arrogance and costly mistakes.

The above is a selection of comments posted by Malaysiakini subscribers. Only paying subscribers can post comments. In the past one year, Malaysiakinians have posted over 100,000 comments. Join the Malaysiakini community and help set the news agenda. Subscribe now.

These comments are compiled to reflect the views of Malaysiakini subscribers on matters of public interest. Malaysiakini does not intend to represent these views as fact.