WHAT is it about Husam Musa that Pakatan Harapan chairman Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Malaysia’s longest-serving prime minister, has paired up with the former at public forums twice?

In early April, both men paired up at Shah Alam’s “Hard Talk”. Yesterday, they were together again at a dialogue with Malay intellectuals.

The dialogue at Putrajaya’s Perdana Leadership Foundation was attended by 10 Malay professors who are still in service and 48 intellectuals.

Husam and Dr Mahathir answered various questions on Malaysia’s future if PH took over Putrajaya. Those who listened to the two politicians appeared satisfied with their answers.

“What’s special about Husam is that he appears very active and has ideas on how to do something. I just tag along,” Dr Mahathir told The Malaysian Insight after the dialogue.

He was asked why he chose Husam as his partner in programmes that involve only two panelists.

The moderator of the dialogue was Batu Burok assemblyman Dr Syed Azman Ahmad Nawawi from Terengganu.

When asked the same question, Husam, who is Amanah vice-president, did not say much.

“It was just a coincidence,” said the Salor assemblyman from Kelantan, formerly from PAS 

However, he said, he had another two programmes with Dr Mahathir, the former prime minister who ruled for 22 years.

The events are being planned at the same venue.

“After the intellectuals, we are having dialogues with youths and women, who comprise crucial voter segments,” said the former PAS vice-president, who was sacked from the position.

PDM Resources managing director Ariffin Hassan, who managed the dialogue, said combining both leaders’ ideas was important for Malaysia, which was now at a crossroads.

“Dr Mahathir, whose mind is still sharp, represents the old regime, a 22-year prime minister who has repented.

“Husam, to me, is the game changer. He will be a senior minister in the future,” he told The Malaysian Insight.

Before this, DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang had “named” Husam as the next Kelantan menteri besar should PH take over the state from PAS in the coming polls.

To the DAP parliamentary opposition leader, “although the late ex-menteri besar Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat was the spiritual leader of PAS, he also became a role model for people outside the Islamist party”, and “if Husam is chosen, he will be the new role model for the people of Kelantan and other Malaysians”.

During his lifetime, Nik Aziz was revered by Malaysians. He once said Husam was born for Malaysia, and not Kelantan alone.

Husam is seen as the saviour of the Kelantan government after PAS nearly lost the state in the 2004 general election. The party retained the state with just three seats over rival coalition Barisan Nasional.

He had “polished” Nik Aziz’s reputation not only among PAS supporters, but also those in DAP, which had earlier severed ties with PAS over reasons that included Nik Aziz’s mouth. – July 26, 2017.