OPPOSITION politicians and activists are divided over Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s role, but almost everyone at a raucous forum in Kuala Lumpur yesterday agreed he was on the right side of history despite his misrule of the country for 22 years.

A few said Dr Mahathir should not be given any leadership role in Pakatan Harapan despite arguments that he was the best bet to get a grip on the majority Malay community which has backed Umno since Merdeka 60 years ago.

“The Pakatan Harapan today is a collection of Dr Mahathir’s victims. I was arrested twice under the Internal Security Act (ISA) and Hishamuddin Rais was also arrested twice,” said Amanah president Mohamad Sabu, better known as Mat Sabu, one of the panellists at last night’s forum – Mahathir: An agent of change or destruction?

More than 200 participants were present, including Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) Sg Siput MP Michael Jeyakumar Devaraj and social activists Haris Ibrahim and Hishamuddin Rais.

Mat Sabu said support of the masses is important to win the next general election and only Dr Mahathir can play a role in reeling in the support of the grassroots.

“For me, a change in government needs to have the support of the masses, without it, we can do what we want, be it demonstrations or protests, but the government would not care.

“This is why I chose to make peace with Dr Mahathir,” he told a packed Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall.

Agreeing with Mat Sabu was Hishamuddin, who said Dr Mahathir can play a role in supporting PH to bring in the rural votes.

“In the past, we could not go into Malay-majority areas. Now PH can go into the no-go areas. This is the development today. This is a critical moment.”

On demands that PH name its prime minister candidate, Hishamuddin said: “They haven’t bought the buffalo yet and we’re asking them where they will keep it, what’s the buffalo’s name. Win the government first.”

Haris, however, took a different stance saying that Dr Mahathir himself is emblematic of the country’s race-based politics and he should not have been “taken to the pinnacle of the opposition”.

“I have not seen evidence in the last three years that Mahafiraun (dictator) has repented for the travesties he has inflicted upon this country,” he said upon which the crowd jeered.

“As for him (Dr Mahathir) saying he has not taken money, it just shows that the Indian thief is cleverer than a Bugis thief,” Haris said, referring to the Indian and Indonesian ancestry of Dr Mahathir and Najib respectively.

Michael said PH may need to resign to the fact that it may lose its identity in the process of winning the government.

“Definitely you are going to get BN 2.0 and there’s definitely going to be a struggle to create a better society,” he said on Dr Mahathir and former Umno leaders joining PH.

G. Elantirayan, 29, from the crowd said there was “nothing wrong” in Dr Mahathir joining the opposition coalition.

“But personally, he should not have gotten such a high position. I concede that we should let Dr Mahathir open the door, but let the true Pakatan leaders do the job,” he said.

Sharan Raj, 24, an electrical engineering student at Uniten said he had reservations about Dr Mahathir.

“He has done a lot of damage to free education, by privatising it to help his cronies. He may be able to bring in the Malays, but it will be a trade-off. He’s trading the support of the urban Gen-Y voters for the rural voters.” – July 26, 2017.