DR Mahathir Mohamad has brought about a crisis in Pakatan Harapan which could lead to the break-up of the coalition. It is a waste of time and effort as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong had said in his recent parliament opening address that he is against any political turbulence that could destabilise the country as it faces a socio-economic crisis due to Covid-19 pandemic.

Dr Mahathir knows that he will not be able to be prime minister again, but is stubbornly taking the gamble and it is going to cost PH huge and it could lead to the break-up of the coalition. Now he has introduced Shafie Apdal and Mukhriz into the complicated equation. DAP and Amanah have also been taken for a ride by Dr Mahathir. Both parties know that Anwar Ibrahim will not be deceived for the second or third time. Dr Mahathir’s ultimate plan could be to break-up PH which he feels to be a long term threat to Malay supremacy. Dr Mahathir desperately wants to get back power in order to help his cronies and friends to whom he may have made promises. Since Muhyiddin Yassin out-witted him abruptly and unexpectedly,  he has a lot of loose ends to tie and that is one of the reasons to become prime minister again. After the promised six months he may say his business is still unfinished and he needs more time once again to deprive Anwar of the PM post.

There is also the risk that the crisis might trigger a snap election which will catch PH unprepared and cause it to lose badly. As it is, the Umno-PAS combination looms large and the next election could bring a strong BN government.  Dr Mahathir’s influence over rural Malays has long gone and the Umno-PAS coalition could wipe out any of his influence in the Malay heartland.

It is time MPs in PH put their foot down and castigate their leaders. There are another 3 years to go as per the mandate. Do they want fresh election and forsake their power for the next 3 years? A large number of them may not be selected or elected again. Why can’t the MPs tell their leaders to bide their time and be well prepared for the next general election? If PH goes on this ruinous course even Selangor could be lost and PH will be routed nationwide. PH needs to understand that the Malay majority are fully backing the PN. The Malay community is relieved that they got back their Malay power and privileges, temporally lost to PH. The Chinese and Indians are also giving up on PH. Only the hardcore Chinese who, strongly feel that there is a need for a strong opposition, might still vote for DAP. Amanah will be eclipsed in GE-15. PKR could be the biggest loser. Multiracial constituencies where PH won in the last election are no longer safe mainly due to the poor performance by PH while in government.

For the last 21 months, PH had completely disregarded their manifesto. Indians are leaving PH in droves as they don’t see any future despite the party’s lofty aims and objectives. They may not want to go back to MIC but could nevertheless vote for Barisan Nasional in the next election considering that bread-and-butter issues will be prominent in GE15. Those who voted for PH are shocked and angry at the way the “Malaysian Spring” ended so abruptly due to bickering of PH leaders. If Anwar agrees to Dr Mahathir’s proposal to support him as PM then there could be a mass exodus of MPs and members from the PKR. And this could be one of the reason why he is hesitating so much as defections are the norm nowadays.

It is time for Dr Mahathir to bid farewell to politics and retire. He needs to be given a grand send-off considering that, despite shortcomings, he has brought much progress for the country. He can only create more trouble and controversy now if he is going to be active in politics and dent his image further

Dr Mahathir needs to be reminded that Muhyiddin as a friend, despite differences, will not act against him. This may not be the case of a victorious BN, who may be vengeful against Dr Mahathir and investigate a lot of cases pertaining to him and his sons.  He may have to go through the same process and ordeal that Najib went through after GE-15. Is it necessary for him to invite trouble? 

Based on the last three months of PN power, despite the controversial GLC appointments the country has done well especially in managing the Covid-19 pandemic and becoming the best five in the world. And the various economic stimulus packages are sure to revive the slowdown better at least in the short-term. With such a good record it will be difficult to beat the BN in the next election by a divided PH. – June 28, 2020.

* V. Thomas reads The Malaysian Insight.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.