SURPRISED by the choice of Mohamed Azmin Ali as the economic affairs minister?

Don’t be. He was scouted as the future of the country by Dr Mahathir Mohamad in the 1980s when he was studying economics and mathematics at the University of Minnesota.

In fact, don’t be surprised if in a few years, Azmin becomes the deputy prime minister and then rises to become the prime minister once Dr Mahathir and Anwar Ibrahim have departed the political scene.

That is how highly regarded Azmin is by the prime minister and Daim Zainuddin – the two prime movers behind the plan to reform Malaysia and ensure that safeguards and the right individuals are put in place so that window of opportunity to reset the country following GE14 does not peter out in six to eight years.

Both see much of themselves in Azmin, especially the work ethic, the ability to get things done and streak of ruthlessness.‎ 

They believe that he could lead Malaysia one day, perhaps taking the baton from Anwar, who is scheduled to become the next prime minister.

It is certain that Azmin’s promotion to the Economic Affairs Ministry would not be universally popular in PKR, the party set up after Anwar was sacked from government and jailed in 1998.

It’s an open secret that there are factions in the party – some are loyal to Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and others who count themselves as Azmin’s people.

For a long while, Azmin’s ambitions have been curtailed by the internal dynamics of PKR, some may even call it the dysfunction of PKR.

But with Dr Mahathir calling the shots on cabinet appointments and Daim with considerable clout behind the scenes, this is Azmin’s chance to bloom on the national stage.

Anwar will support Azmin’s rise as long as the succession plan put in place by Dr Mahathir and Pakatan Harapan before GE14 is followed. Under that plan, Dr Mahathir will be replaced by Anwar as the PM in two or three years.

Anwar’s rise to the top job will make it impossible for any other member of his family to become the deputy prime minister, giving Azmin the chance to once again become Anwar’s trusted right-hand.

 ‎After completing his studies in the US, Azmin returned home. 

His first job at 23 was as Anwar’s special officer in the Education Ministry. He was recommended to Anwar by Dr Mahathir.

Dr Mahathir got to know Azmin when the latter was a Malaysian student leader in the US. ‎Azmin organised talks and forums for Dr Mahathir when he went to the US on official trips as the prime minister.

On one occasion, he organised a gathering of some 2,000 Malaysian students who had returned home on summer break. At that time, the overseas students were anti-establishment.

In the‎ years that followed, Azmin grew close to Dr Mahathir. So close that Dr Mahathir was the guest of honour at Azmin’s wedding.

The almost father-son relationship was fractured in 1998 after Anwar was sacked from government and jailed for sodomy and abuse of power.

By then, Azmin was Anwar’s top aide.

He chose Anwar over Dr Mahathir and became one of the founding members of PKR.

Azmin and his family paid a heavy price for his choice of staying loyal to Anwar.

The Mahathir administration accused Azmin’s wife of having an affair with Anwar and mobilised Azmin’s siblings to turn on him. 

Azmin kept his distance from Dr Mahathir from 1998 till 2015.

But after a breakthrough meeting in 2015, it was clear that both still had affection for each other. Indeed, in a speech at his eldest daughter’s wedding in December 2015, Azmin waxed lyrical about Dr Mahathir, much to the disgust of Anwar loyalists among the guests.

In the run-up to GE14, Dr Mahathir also made it clear to friends that had the PH put forward Azmin’s name as the coalition’s PM candidate, he would have supported it.

He felt that Azmin had done a good job as menteri besar of Selangor, the richest state in Malaysia and had the gravitas to lead the nation.

But Azmin was not proposed as the PH candidate because he didn’t have the support of his own party. There was also some anger in DAP circles that Azmin continued to be close to PAS after the Islamist party pulled out of the opposition alliance.

Against that backdrop, Dr Mahathir became the prime minister candidate for PH.

Now he sits at the top of the political landscape in Malaysia, following the Malaysian tsunami on May 9.

His job is cut out for him: rebuild Malaysia’s institutions and economy over the next 24 months and make sure there is a strong team that will protect the reforms he and Daim will put in place.

Azmin’s appointment as a federal minister in charge of a key ministry is a cornerstone of that grand plan. – May 19, 2018.