Dr Mahathir, a politician with scrotal gumption

The Malaysian Insight The Malaysian Insight Updated 6 years ago · Published on 22 Mar 2018 7:00PM · 4 Comments

Dr Mahathir, who ruled for 22 years and was called names such as "Mahafiraun" and "Mahazalim" after he sacked Anwar Ibrahim, shows gall and fortitude in facing his critics. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Farhan Nazmi, March 22, 2018.

LOVE him or loathe him, you have to hand it to Dr Mahathir Mohamad – he is not afraid of facing his critics.

Just today, as pundits and his critics discussed and debated his age and fitness to be prime minister again at 93, the former prime minister calmly walked in and sat in the front row.

The organisers were surprised. Sure, they did invite him but no confirmation came through that he would turn up to listen to the panellists made up of Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) academic Dr Kamarul Zaman Yusoff, psychologist Dr Mat Saat Mohd Baki and fitness coach Kevin Zahri Abdul Ghaffar.

Even his wife, Dr Siti Hasmah Ali, came for the forum and sat next to him while listening to the surprised panellists.

There are several phrases, polite and crude, to describe Dr Mahathir’s attitude. In polite circles, he showed testicular fortitude or scrotal gumption.

He had turned up twice in as many years for the Nothing To Hide forum to debate against his political protege-turned-nemesis, Prime Minister Najib Razak who didn’t attend due to security concerns.

And as recently as last week, Dr Mahathir faced his critics from the minority Indian community in an event organised by Hindraf, the action group that complained of being sidelined by the government.

The politician who ruled for 22 years – and was called names such as “Mahafiraun” and “Mahazalim” after he sacked his former protege Anwar Ibrahim – has now joined his critics in opposing Najib.

With the irony being that his arch-political foes and critics have now named him as their prime ministerial candidate if they win the next general elections due by August.

Najib has hinted that the general election will be held sooner, with party officials saying the list of candidates will be announced on April 2 and the coalition manifesto on April 7.

It is understood that the general election will be held between the end of April and mid-May before the Ramadan fasting month begins in the middle of May – which has led to increased debate about Dr Mahathir’s fitness to be PM if his coalition does the unthinkable of disposing the government that has held power since Merdeka.

“It is wrong to assume that just because you are 93 years old, you can’t do the job,” Dr Mahathir told the panellists today.

“Many people who live up to 100 can still think and use their brains,” he added. – March 22, 2018.

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Comments

  • Yup Dr Mahathir is one ballsy politician, that much you have to give him . In his younger days, when he was just a lowly umno pleb, dr m stood up against tunku Abdul rahman, despite tunku towering over him as not only the country’s pm, but also as the father of modern day Malaysia and member of the royal family to boot.

    Later , he crossed sword with the late great lee kuan yew, and the late lee kuan yew as is common knowledge, had an adamantium class balls and an intellect so sharp that it could probably penetrate captain America ‘s vibranium shield .

    Now at almost a hundred years old , Dr Mahathir is taking on najib, the emperor like prime minister of Malaysia , who probably would use his enormous advantage to fight his opponents unfairly without blinking an eye.

    Dr Mahathir might be far from young , but when it comes to gut and spine and balls - he is , in Malaysia at least , next to none - that much even his most ardent detractor would have to agree.

    Posted 6 years ago by Nehru Sathiamoorthy · Reply

  • Let's just be crude and tell it as it is: Dr M has balls....big ones. Najib's green pea sized ball bearings are no match for this guy's cannonballs.

    Posted 6 years ago by Chris Sav · Reply

  • Good!!! Let's put his balls to work !!!!! No need further comments.

    Posted 6 years ago by Lee Lee · Reply

  • Does Mahathir face his critics? Or does he change the subject to be to his advantage, without actually addressing the source of the criticism? What Mahathir did in the past is actually no longer relevant apart from the bad taste he has left in most Malaysian mouths. Right now, what is relevant is what Mahathir has planned for the future. And that amounts to nothing. Yet we know without question that many of his failings of the past he is bringing into the future, fostered as they are by the naïveté of the power crazed DAP. DAP is the lead party in a non existent coalition but they have neither the intelligence nor the courage to stand up the Mahathirist deviance. If anyone thinks that getting rid of Najib is worth a repetition of the Mahathir ra then. I truly feel sorry for your total lack of ethics and principles. As I’ve said before, Najib is a simple their. Mahathir is a destroyer of human rights, democracy and the Malay race

    Posted 6 years ago by Dennis Madden · Reply