UMNO’S avalanche of attacks on Dr Mahathir Mohamad this past weekend is as predictable as night following day. 

One wonders whether they realise that they are hammering away at one of their own. After all, the more dastardly acts of Dr Mahathir were committed when he was in Umno.

One also has to wonder whether these Umno warlords understand that their missives and caustic words ultimately have to land at the foot of Umno, the co-conspirator of all wrongs committed by Dr Mahathir.

No amount of white-washing or spin can change this fact. Only the obtuse will deny it.

Like clockwork, Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Salleh Said Keruak and Khairy Jamaluddin hammered away at the 92-year-old politician, linking him to the forex losses incurred by Bank Negara Malaysia and the judicial crisis in 1988 which resulted in the sacking of several senior judges.

Khairy said they would revisit the Dr Mahathir years and re-examine all his alleged mistakes, misdeeds, etc. 

The list of wrongdoings is going to be a mile long. Where do we even begin?

Let’s start with the decimation of institutions, such as the judiciary and the free press. What about his penchant of turning a blind eye to corruption in his political party and the promotion of the culture of easy money?

How about using the apparatus of the state to jail political opponents?  

‎Let’s not forget crony capitalism and the skewed privatisation projects, such as Perwaja Steel. And the recurring bailouts for Malaysia Airlines, which continued until recently, years after Dr Mahathir left the country’s top job.

And since we are rolling back the years, what about Dr Mahathir’s mucking up of the education system.

Surely, we can’t forget the omissions of Dr Mahathir during his 22 years in office. 

More than two decades in the top job in Malaysia and not much to show on forging a Bangsa Malaysia. More than two decades in the top job and the gap between the have and have-nots is yawning. 

‎More than two decades as PM and the rule of law, the separation of powers and the concept of justice is still elusive.

Umno will not have to dig deep to uncover the mistakes of the Mahathir years. Co-conspirators of wrongdoings often know where the skeletons are kept.‎ 

And let’s not sugarcoat this fact: the likes of Najib Razak, Zahid, Salleh, Hishammuddin Hussein, Mohd Puad Zarkashi, Nazri Abdul Aziz and comrades were very much part of the Mahathir team when the forex losses were incurred and when the institutions were weakened, one by one.

They cheered him on, stroked his ego and championed his causes. 

Today, they want to convince Malaysians that Dr Mahathir is guilty of many sins of commission and omission. 

Guess what? 

We don’t need reminding about Dr Mahathir’s chequered legacy.

Just like we don’t need reminding that his worst wrongdoings were done when he was president of Umno.  

The gush of attacks on Dr Mahathir serve only to remind Malaysians that we continue to pay a heavy price for Umno’s sins. – July 24, 2017.