Khalid: Don’t worry, this isn’t the Mahathir of yesteryear

(FMT) – Amanah leader says Dr Mahathir Mohamad is needed at this juncture of history and cannot do as he pleases without the consensus of others.

Amanah MP Khalid Samad today assured critics that Dr Mahathir Mohamad cannot extinguish the torch of reform even if he wants to as the other leaders in Pakatan Harapan (PH) will see to this.

The Shah Alam MP added that Mahathir was no longer the same man who once wielded power as prime minister, therefore there was no need to fear him leading the nation again.

In a blog post, he responded to those who continue to question a prospective PH government led by Mahathir.

“Why does one need to vent such spleen against one man, when the likes of Anwar Ibrahim, Mohamad Sabu, Lim Kit Siang and Lim Guan Eng, all of whom had been unfairly imprisoned by the state before, had unanimously agreed to put aside their own personal sufferings for the sake of the nation and its salvation?”

Why, he asked, should their “transactional forgiveness” not be accepted by all.

“Everyone should, especially if it is all agreed that the redemption of Malaysia lies in Tun Dr Mahathir redeeming himself first.

“After all, the current system of corruption did originate from the 1980s, when Tun Dr Mahathir was at the helm. If Tun Dr Mahathir wants to set Malaysia free, shouldn’t he be given the chance, perhaps a final one?”

Quoting Yale University political scientist James Scott, Khalid said citizens of any dispossessed and disenfranchised nation would often have to resort to the “weapons of the weak” to get their voices heard.

“When robbed of any meaningful chance of change, such as the right to a free and fair election, they may resort to various means to get their voices heard,” he said, alluding to why the opposition had accepted Mahathir’s leadership.

Khalid also laid out several reasons why Mahathir could not do as he pleased this time around, if he were to become prime minister.

For one, he said, the opposition coalition was not as naive as before.

“If anything, the offer of a prospective premiership, and leadership, was not given to Tun Dr Mahathir on a silver platter.

“To form a new government, Tun Dr Mahathir is now learning the ropes of politics anew. Not bad for a 92-year-old man.”

He said at PH meetings and sessions, everyone was given a chance to speak, and that Mahathir would listen intently, with the decision-making process marked by consensus.

“If anything, PH is replete with an immense spirit of give and take, one which seeks to typify the true or average Malaysian at work.”

He said while Mahathir’s party, PPBM, might have a chance to compete in 52 parliamentary seats in Peninsular Malaysia, PKR was close behind with 51, while DAP and Amanah had 35 and 27 seats respectively.

“Tun Dr Mahathir, for the lack of a better word, cannot ‘game’ or engineer the coalition to work in his favour alone.

“To be in power, he needs the consent of other partners, whose representation are almost proportionate to one another. To implement a policy and make a decision, when in power, he needs the agreement of the others. This is not Barisan Nasional (BN) but PH, a completely different breed of personalities.”

Khalid said another reason why Mahathir would not have free rein was the presence of 56 parliamentarians from Sarawak and Sabah.

“He cannot do as he pleases anymore. He cannot unilaterally attempt any federal endeavour without the consent of these two states, especially when the local sentiments have captured both the imagination and self-belief of the natives in Borneo.”

He added that forgiveness and the spirit of live-and-let-live were vital to any multiethnic political system, as anything less would destroy the entire structure.

“It is in this vein that Amanah, and by extension, PH, considers it crucial to have the leadership of Tun Dr Mahathir.

“He may not have been the first to light the torch of reforms. But, at the very least, he is operating in a system of coalition where he can no longer blow out the flame.

“This, in a nutshell, is how Malaysia should work. And it is also a reflection of the weapons of the strong, with Tun Dr Mahathir enabling PH, and PH in turn empowering him. And again, to a limit.”