Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has every right to join any political party he wishes, even at the age of 98. That’s his democratic right. No one should deny him that sacred right.
However, it is the silly statements he made, and his racist rants which irritate, annoy and anger many. This has caused the former prime minister to lose a lot of public respect.
As a result, Malaysians at large, even prominent personalities, are turning against him. They are not actually surprised or shocked by Mahathir’s racial slurs but find them unacceptable, particularly at a time when almost everyone who love this country is working hard towards healing the nation.
Mahathir’s rants are divisive and destructive and the nonagenarian should be the last person to harp on negative issues, if he still considers his public status and family name worth securing and protecting.
But the way he continues to rant publicly with nothing good to say about anyone whom he does not like or had disagreed with in the past is perhaps an indication that Mahathir wants Malaysians to know that he is still very much in the political battlefield and this is where he will stay till his last breath.
That being the case, Mahathir is still fair game and if that is what he wants, then this is what he will get.
I have repeatedly said that as a writer, I have always been conscious about being respectful when writing about Mahathir, giving due consideration to him as an elderly person, his public status and his contributions to the nation.
After his outrageous behaviour this past week, I’m not sure whether Mahathir still deserves that reverence. Honestly, I’m beginning to lose my patience with this old man. It is now quite clear that the dangerous racist streak in him will never go away.
If Mahathir is still in active politics and has decided to go down that racist road, then he is fair game to me. And clearly, not only to me.
We have already heard from former ambassador Dennis Ignatius who commented that “Mahathir’s comments following his admission as a member of Putra – a party on the lunatic fringe of Malaysian politics – are nothing but the racist rantings of a deeply delusional man, the last hurrah of a man resoundingly rejected by the vast majority of Malaysians.”
“Like a broken record, Mahathir continues to insist that Malays are now left behind after giving way to foreigners, that the Malays are not getting their share in our country, as now they do not control the economy and politics. If we do not save the Malays, our country will be beset with problems.”
Ignatius added that “there is no more polite or diplomatic way to say it” but that Mahathir, as the longest-serving prime minister was also to be blamed for the malaise faced by the Malays.
I think Ignatius used the right word to describe Mahathir – delusional – and I agree with the former diplomat.
Our nonagenarian has been holding too many false beliefs or judgements about external reality that are held despite incontrovertible evidence to the contrary.
At times, I wonder whether Mahathir could be suffering from delusional paranoia.
Last Saturday, Mahathir told a press conference that he was unimpressed by the first 100 days of the unity government, claiming that no significant changes had been done for the benefit of the rakyat.
Mahathir also said that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim only knows how to speak and gain popular support through the recently tabled Budget 2023.
No one should be surprised at the old man’s harsh criticisms against Anwar. Don’t we all know how difficult it is for Mahathir to be around to see Anwar as prime minister?
And Anwar responded in the only way he knows best about Mahathir, saying that “it’s best we don’t pay attention to Mahathir and his rants”.
“We have many heavy tasks ahead to work on for the sake of the nation. We will not be distracted by those who want us to fail. Malaysians have placed their trust in us. We cannot fail them,” said Anwar.
That’s the way to go, Mr Prime Minister. Who is this one man, Mahathir, when there are 30 million Malaysians to take care of? That’s right, pay no attention to a delusional Mahathir.
The views expressed here are those of the columnist and do not necessarily represent the views of New Sarawak Tribune.
