On 12 June 2020, Tun Mahathir posted a short statement on his social media account about his ‘plan’ to establish a new Malay party called “AAD” (What I Get), which was sarcastically directed to anyone or his political foes who are currently ambitious in gaining power and positions. This sarcasm is seen as a joke to those who understand but the media somehow took it seriously as if he had really wanted to build his ‘new political legacy’.
Tun Mahathir has seemed to be down-defeated by the current situation when more voices responding negatively to his statements, also mocking him in various ways, as to tell him to his face that he is no longer needed or relevant to lead the country or be in politics. Many had also mocked him for ‘defending’ his son, Dato’ Seri Mukhriz, who has not been doing anything grand to stand on his own two feet. Taking these comments wholeheartedly may not be fair to him, but this is the only way for others to be aware of the people’s disappointments or retaliation while they are unable to stage any forms of mass gatherings of protests due to Covid-19. And while he is expressing his views cynically, he knows well that his words are no longer fully heard by the people, particularly when they are happier with the monetary allocations given by Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin through his Perikatan Nasional (PN) government. Even more pathetic, the people have become more complacent with the reemergence of kleptocratic Dato’ Seri Najib Razak and his clans, especially during the recent ‘tours’ around Chini, Pahang for campaigning for Barisan Nasional candidate, Mohd Shahrim Md Zin, who is contesting in its by-election in July. Tun Mahathir’s further statement posted on his social media on 13 June 2020 about Muhyiddin Yassin’s fragile government that is closely-knit with UMNO and its corrupted leaders is also receiving blunt comments from the people who relentlessly ask him to leave politics. Well, what else could he do?
Perhaps if he had initiated this AAD party much earlier in time for Malays to become richer and richer, Tun Mahathir and his son may have not faced their bleak future by now. Perhaps if he had done what Muhyiddin Yassin has been doing now under PN, he could have secured his top positions with no one daring enough to challenge him. Nonetheless, these could have only been his wishful thinking that the multiracial Malaysians may disagree too. Come to think of it, since the political chaos started in February due to his insane decision to resign as prime minister, being rejected by the people could be a different kind of ‘legacy’ that he would have to bring into his grave.
By: Adilah Jaffar
No comments:
Post a Comment