Mahathir: "UMNO treats me like pariah!"

Poor Dr Mahathir, an UMNO leader holding the record for being the longest serving PM in Commonwealth history and who dragged reluctant Malaysia screaming and scratching into the 21st Century - he has just complained he is now treated like a pariah, an ‘untouchable’ by UMNO, the party he led for 22 years.

He lamented: "I am the former party president yet they don't want me to talk to the members. I can't even meet them. Universities are barred from inviting me and newspapers are prevented from reporting about me. I am becoming a pariah in the party."

He added he was insulted over the attempts to gag him.

Now we all know it started with PM AAB’s cancellation of his pet project, the ‘scenic’ bridge to Kiasu Land. The 'affair' has some questions still hanging over it.

Since then, Mahathir has been accused of attempting to bring down the AAB government with strident personal attacks on PM AAB, particular on the latter’s son-in-law, none other than our whiter-than-white Khairy Jamaluddin.

Dr Mahathir hasn't been that ineffective in his attacks as many thought he would be, for hasn't his questions been the principal factor that led to Khairy publicly devolving his ECM-Libra shares, but which didn't end the questions? By constrast, recall when PAS leader Husam Musa made almost similar allegations, did that prompt Khairy into any action, other than to sue Husam (or was it only a threat to sue)?

When AAB ignored him by resorting to the so-called ‘elegant’ silence, which many in Malaysia believed was not so ‘elegant’ but necessary and convenient because Mahathir’s attacks were too close to the truth for comfort, the political meltdown began.

AAB's actions (or non-actions) had been precisely the response that brought Mahathir’s anger to critical mass. Mahathir is not a man to be marginalised, not so in Malaysia. As Tengku Razaleigh had remarked, that when Mahathir wanted something, he would get it and we best not stand in his way. Well, AAB stood in his way by refusing or being unable to answer Mahathir’s demand for explanations.

The continued lack of response from AAB and attempted spin by his ministers instigated Mahathir’s attacks into personal insults, culminating in a public expression of regret that he handed the top job to AAB when he stepped down in 2003. He accused AAB of nepotism and corruption, damaging the economy, and subservience to Singapore.

Mahathir recent proposal to represent the Kubang Pasu constituency as an UMNO delegate to address the party's November general assembly has sent Arctic-temperature chills down the spines of UMNO’s top echelon. It’s obviously another Mahathir’s tactic to get the answer he wants, springing surprises on UMNO that afterall shouldn’t be surprises.

Many in UMNO are now quavering with trepidation as to what Mahathir would pull out of his top hat at the assembly. Even his once-favoured protégé, DPM Najib, said that UMNO members feel it is not appropriate for Dr Mahathir to attend the assembly as a delegate to address the meeting. Najib warned that UMNO could lose power over the dispute between AAB and Mahathir.

But as Tengku Razaleigh had commented: “Why so afraid? There’s nothing to hide. Let’s come clean, give him the forum, he is not going to be prime minister again.”

Indeed. Regardless of what people may say about Dr Mahathir, many Malaysians find it amazing that UMNO has deliberately snubbed its own former president of UMNO, and the PM of the nation for 22 years, in such an unmitigated fashion. What is it UMNO is hiding?

Related:
(1) Sweet & Sour Po ..... litics
(2) Anwar Ibrahim: "AAB must answer Mahathir!"
(3) Dr Mahathir Told AAB to Quit
(4) Ku Li asked UMNO: "Why so afraid" of Mahathir?