DR Mahathir Mohamad has seen a lot during his 93 years on earth.

But what happened a few days ago surprised the former prime minister. A group of Chinese youth walked towards him during one of the political rallies, and instead of a simple greeting, they kissed his hand.

Now, kissing the hand of an elder is normal in the Malay culture. Not so for non-Malays.

But these are unusual times. Conventions are being tossed aside. Stereotypes are being upended daily.

These are unusual times for Dr Mahathir also. He is being feted as a hero, saviour ‎and statesman by a large swathe of Malaysians grateful that someone his age is willing to give it all, swallow his pride and unite a disparate bunch under the Pakatan Harapan (PH) banner.

Young and old want to touch his clothes or just be near him.

This adulation is a new experience for Dr Mahathir.

Yes, he was in office for 22 years but it was a period punctuated by some highs and some real low moments.

He was most popular in 1995 when solid economic growth, a buoyant stock market, a big vision and road map for Malaysia plus allowing Malaysian Chinese to visit China combined to give him and Barisan Nasional his best moment at the polls.

He didn’t enjoy that high very long because the Asian Financial Crisis hit Malaysia in 1997, and then came the sacking and jailing of his deputy, Anwar Ibrahim.

The episode sank Dr Mahathir’s image at home and internationally. He never recovered ground. He was tolerated and feared then. Certainly not adored or loved.

Even after Dr Mahathir stepped down in October 2004, there wasn’t a burst of nostalgia and a desire to whitewash the difficult years of detention without trial and cronyism and just focus of the good years.

There was just relief that the era of the strongman had ended and someone completely his opposite in temperament and style was the prime minister.

Retirement has been a mixed bag for Dr Mahathir. Questions were raised about the viability of his grandiose projects and his role in the decimation of institutions. The true worth of the Dr Mahathir legacy was challenged.

He disappeared from the pages of the newspapers he once dominated.

All in all, Dr Mahathir Mohamad became a peripheral figure from 2003, rising to occasional notoriety when he challenged the leadership of Abdullah Badawi, forcing the then prime minister to eventually step down in 2009, a year after poor election results.

‎There was grudging admiration that he still possessed the stamina and brains to defeat his adversary. But there was no clamour for his return to political office or genuine affection for the man.

Indeed, questions about his legacy continued to dog him, especially after the government had to bail out Proton.

How different it is today.

Now Dr Mahathir is getting the rock star treatment from Malays, Chinese and Indians. Now he is one of us – a member of a movement that wants to deliver change.

Now he is saying the things and doing the things that we would like to do to Najib (caretaker prime minister Najib Razak). Now, he is our proxy.

The lovefest is also borne out of gratitude that in the evening of his life, Dr Mahathir is prepared to work harder than anyone else to defeat Najib and Barisan Nasional.

It also helps that he is speaking the language of change.

Victory today would be the crowning glory for Dr Mahathir 2.0.

But even without toppling Najib, Dr Mahathir would walk away from GE14 with his image burnished, his legacy secured and a new generation of Malaysians who know him.

Whatever happens today, Dr Mahathir would be remembered with gratitude and love. ‎Never in his wildest dreams could he have envisaged this seismic change of fortune. – May 9, 2018.