Mahathir has strong forte in toppling leaders but weak in finding appropriate replacements

I have been unfailingly contacted by my regular friends as well as new men and women who follow my writings and thinking requesting me to join them to talk about national issues at teh tarik and roti canai restaurants and stalls. A number of them got together to brainstorm on present-day topics on politics as Malaysians are now full time politicians. Old and young ordinary Malaysians are attentive and sensitive on issues connecting them as each and every issue of the day has connectivity with his or her daily live.  

Surely the forum attended by large number of ordinary Malaysians at the K Club, Taman Melawati last Saturday was top on their list of talking points. They enthusiastically wanted me to join them to get my opinion and my own personal comments on any issue they discuss.  

That forum was of interest to them as it was a kick-start move by Mahathir in the process of ousting Najib from the premiership of the country. I told them that kicking out a Prime Minister has been normal happenings and it was not new since Malaysian independence and in all occurrences Dr Mahathir had been a player in it.

Most of them were on mutual opinion that Mahathir has strong forte in pulling down leaders right from the Tunku to the Abdullah Badawi. Now he is targeting Najib as he has strong addiction on toppling leaders. He is gifted with capability to move up and pulling down leaders at his whim and fancies. He can pull down leaders either by direct confrontation or by using his strong invisible hands and both means have proven to be efficacious and fruitful.

He used his invisible hands on Hussein Onn and without elaborations Hussein Onn left the office giving way to him for the premiership. To the veterans who are still living, they keep this observation to themselves as they reluctantly accepted his moves purely for the good sake of the ruling UMNO then.

They knew all along that he was behind the move to oust his boss Hussein Onn by riding on the youth discontent toward Hussein over Dato Harun Idris’s issue from far behind. The youth professed that the charges against Harun was politically motivated and blamed Hussein for the jail sentences on the national UMNO youth head.

When he was the Prime Minister for twenty two years he created a record in our history for having four wrong deputies one after another. Musa, Abdul Ghaffar and Anwar were all his failed deputies while his fourth deputy Abdullah was lucky enough to get ascended to the premiership as the time for Mahathir to retire was up while he was still save as his deputy. Not long after he became the Prime Minister Abdullah too was pulled down by Mahathir.

Mahathir again succeeded and put up Najib as Abdullah's replacement. After the third year as the Prime Minister, Najib was already showing his true self as irresponsible Prime Minister as one after another serious issues against the PM surfaces. Najib is giving Mahathir expediency to move against him and it is imminent that Najib will have to bow down to the pressure from the public to quit. Mahathir has the killer instinct in him which nobody has. Many quarters believe Mahathir’s move is going to bear fruits and Najib has to go.

That is why the forum at the K Club on Saturday was focused by both local and international community. The general believe is that Mahathir is going to succeed in toppling the PM soon but there is another question that keeps on troubling the concerned public. Who is after Najib?

The question arises because Mahathir had been giving preferences to wrong leaders to succeed everyone he topples. Musa, Ghaffar Baba, Anwar and Abdullah were all his preferences but in the end Mahathir toppled them all. Alongside his capability to topple leaders he has serious weakness in finding viable alternatives to the leaders he toppled.

Like mathematics a correct formula will give the right answer. The formula of taking in Mahathir's preferences to replace the outgoing leaders have proven to be wrong formula. Maybe the right formula is to give the leadership to a leader who has never been in the preferential list of Dr Mahathir.

He stated Muhyidin Yassin as possible replacement but if this is so then we may have to go back to assemble at K Club to restart another roadshow to topple Muhyiddin, may be in two years or less from now. Remember Muhyiddin is a leader of the same mould with Najib. Muhyiddin should take collective accountability for the cumbersome acts of the government on all issues together with Najib and the rest.

It is skeptical that Muhyiddin can show much difference. Let us all be serious in finding the suitable replacement to Najib. The tradition of replacing the PM with the Deputy UMNO President has proven to be disastrous.

Once and for all find somebody else more judicious to restart the nation afresh. We are not just in search of a leader of UMNO but we are in dire need to find a leader respected by all races and rekindle the spirit of united Malaysians which we joyously experienced once upon a time.