Yes it's true, Dr Mahathir is more powerful than ever

Updated 8 years ago · Published on 9 Jun 2018 7:12AM · 15 Comments

If Dr Mahathir Mohamad of 1981-2003 derived his power from ruthlessness and single-mindedness of ambition, Dr Mahathir of 2018- has the all of the above, and more. – The Malaysian Insight pic, June 9, 2018.

POWER is when the sultans toss protocol aside to pay you a visit.

Power is when even your political adversary ‎seeks your advice on how to turn around the fortunes of the political party you have just defeated.

Power is when senior judges at the Palace of Justice suddenly sound like judges at your re-emergence.

Hard as it may be to imagine, Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad 2.0 may actually be more powerful and influential than Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad 1.0.

At least, that is the perception.

If Dr Mahathir of 1981-2003 derived his power from ruthlessness and single-mindedness of ambition, Dr Mahathir of 2018- has the all of the above, and more.

Today, he enjoys the solid backing of a cabinet and the Pakatan Harapan government who want what he wants. He does not need to cajole them. It is their reform agenda that he has embraced and they love it.

Today, ‎he has an army of grateful Malaysians who feel empowered and liberated by the fall of Najib Razak and Barisan Nasional.

Dr Mahathir enjoyed periods of popularity in his first tour as the PM but this is different. Now he has prayer warriors and keyboard warriors. Now, the people’s agenda is his agenda, not the other way around.

That means he pretty much has a free hand to achieve the people’s agenda.‎ This bond between Dr Mahathir and the masses also means that anyone who obstructs him is immediately ticked as an enemy; an enemy of the will of Malaysians expressed on May 9.

The Malay rulers who visited him during the standoff between Agong and Dr Mahathir over the appointment of Attorney-General Tommy Thomas understood this.

They wanted to make it clear that many of the sultans did not support the Palace’s decision to delay the appointment of the new A-G. 

To be sure, the sultans are not fans of Dr Mahathir.  

But they understand that this Dr Mahathir is even more formidable than the‎ one who took them on twice and humiliated them just as many times.

This Dr Mahathir does not need to whip Malaysians into a frenzy over the excesses of the country’s elite the way he did in the 1980s and 1992. 

No need to manufacture any groundswell, because the tide of fury at the excesses of the rich, famous and connected was on full show on May 9.

That groundswell is on tap – and it can be tapped anytime by Dr Mahathir.‎ 

Dr Mahathir 1.0 was clinical and ruthless but often he was a one-man army trying to re-shape the country.

Dr Mahathir 2.0 is still clinical and ruthless but now he is empowered by an army of Malaysians who want him to live as long as possible to continue as the PM beyond his two-year-term.

Anyone who has designs on challenging Dr Mahathir’s authority ‎should understand this. – June 9, 2018. 
 

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Comments

  • Mahathir committed many sins during his time BUT in the end he proved himself a patriot above everything else. Tunku Abdul Rahman went to the graves without forgiving him. BUT if Tunku were alive today, he would approve and not only forgiven him, but would have cheered and annointed him.

    Posted 8 years ago by Bigjoe Lam · Reply

    • I doubt it if he got rid of MO1 when he was still in UMNO (like how he removed AAB).

      Posted 8 years ago by Malaysian First · Reply

  • Will he remain an ultra racist? His previous and current political parties are racist!

    Posted 8 years ago by Malaysian First · Reply

  • This article is wittingly commending the People Power.

    Posted 8 years ago by Tanahair Ku · Reply

  • "Dr Mahathir 1.0 was clinical and ruthless but often he was a one-man army trying to re-shape the country.

    Dr Mahathir 2.0 is still clinical and ruthless but now he is empowered by an army of Malaysians who want him to live as long as possible to continue as the PM beyond his two-year-term."

    Apa benda artikel ni analisis?

    Masa Mahathir 1.0 parti UMNO dia selalu dapat majoriti 2/3.

    Sekarang dah Mahathir 2.0 , parti PPBM dia cuma menang 12 kerusi jer...Kalau ikut penyokong sebnar pun gabungan penyokong Anwar, penyokong Cina DAP dan PAN.

    Itupun dia menang setelah sanggup jilat ludah dia semula pada Anwar dan tikam UMNO parti yang naikkan dia jadi PM selama 22 tahun.

    Memang dia tengah berkuasa tak selamanya (tetapi reputasi dia sebagai negarawan/politikus dah hancus)

    Posted 8 years ago by Zain Zainul · Reply

  • Mahathir cakap Sultan jumpa dia? Yerla tu...bahasa Mahathir ni selalu tergantung. Penuh auta.

    Macam dia cakap turun sebelum pilihanraya. Akhirnya minyak tak turun cuma dikekal dan disubsidi.

    Anwar yang direct cakap, menang pilihanraya, esok minyak turun.

    Posted 8 years ago by Zain Zainul · Reply

  • Well, for 1 thing, in the run-up to GE14 an "enlightened" Dr. Mahathir promised to "look after" marginalised Indians (and also others, by implication), after he was accused of neglecting them during his (1981-2003) premiership, so he can't be any racist now tho' most people can be said to be proud of their origins. He is very thoughtful and experienced, the best possible man for this "clean-up Malaysia" job. He is re-energised, and must be given all the time he needs to propel the country into the future, to prepare Malaysians to cope headlong with the advent of Industrial Revolution (No.4) - or IR(No.4) - when it is thrust upon us relentlessly. Anwar has done a tremendous job with his reform-ising efforts & marshalling the opposition capture of 5(?) states in 2008 and beyond, even being the puppet-master calling the shots from prison. But he will play 2nd fiddle to Dr. Mahathir for now & hover in the background..

    Posted 8 years ago by MELVILLE JAYATHISSA · Reply

  • You f**k dumb idiot, Tun Mahathis is working on all Malaysia rakyat's will, that is why he is powerful. Stop be a batu api here

    Posted 8 years ago by Hock Keat Wong · Reply

  • Given a few of the articles published by The Malaysian Insight lately, I can't help but wonder: Is MI taking the side of Anwar against M?

    Posted 8 years ago by KK Wong · Reply

  • All politicians must be curbed to prevent any possible abuse of power. This includes Mahathir. Powers must be equally vested between all the appropriate institutions: the current governmemt, the two Dewans, the courts and in Malaysia, the royal institutions headed by Agong. All these parties must play check and balance to prevent any party or person from becoming too powerful and usurping the powers of the others. This was what the rakyat voted for and hope to see.

    Posted 8 years ago by Chee H · Reply

  • As long as he fulfill the people agenda and whatever power he accquires , who the heck cares as the rakyat has now got the taste to vote out any unscrupulous head of state. In this new dawn of Malaysia Baru and the borderless internet media no amount of abuses thru' the corrupted powers in a clandestine manner are now things of the past. No one can challenge the nature process too, for if Mahatir gets too cranky and start hallucinating on absolute power , he will expire out easily as at such nonagenarian age there is a limit to what you can possess and do.

    Posted 8 years ago by Lee Lee · Reply

  • We are all human and everyone of us do make mistakes and sins. We just have to forgive and forget since once said that he repent and change man so we do hv to give one a chance who kkows he could even be better than before or either one of us since he repent. As it is part of Malaysian choice let us don't make assumption we see how it goes. We are wasting our time accusing and making assumption , best is to look at ourself first before critising, post comment and wild assumption.

    Posted 8 years ago by Abdul Rahman Abdul Razak · Reply

  • We are all human and everyone of us do make mistakes and sins. We just have to forgive and forget since once said that he repent and change man so we do hv to give one a chance who kkows he could even be better than before or either one of us since he repent. As it is part of Malaysian choice let us don't make assumption we see how it goes. We are wasting our time accusing and making assumption , best is to look at ourself first before critising, post comment and wild assumption.

    Posted 8 years ago by Abdul Rahman Abdul Razak · Reply

  • Guys, best is not to make any assumption, critising and wild accusation etc. As Malaysian had pick PH for a change and our Tun M hv said he repent from all his wrong doing or create sins just like us . Guess we better look ourself at yhe mirror and ask whether did we change or hv we create any sins if yes we should also repent and change.

    Posted 8 years ago by Abdul Rahman Abdul Razak · Reply

  • There is no mahathir 1.0 or 2.0, those version apply to his jantung.

    The Raja-Raja melayu respect the Rakyat will not him.
    He blatantly amending the Constitution, placing Monarchy and judiciary system under legislative order. There is no balance & Independence judicial system. Election commission will be next.
    He amend the printing presses and publications act
    So you guys may force to write for his will & whim.

    He may fool the uneducated & morons but not the learned.

    Posted 8 years ago by NASRULHADI NOH · Reply