Mahathir Mohamad: A nice comeback for Malaysia’s ex-leader

Malaysia’s feeble prime minister Mahathir Mohamad claimed election victory for the opposition coalition in a dazzling comeback to politics 15 years after his retirement.

At ninety two, Mathathir now becomes the enviornment’s oldest prime minister after he’s sworn in again on Thursday.

Mahathir served as Malaysia’s prime minister for 22 years from 1981 to 2003, overseeing the transformation of the nation from an economic backwater to one in every of Asia’s main economies.

He’s known because the father of Malaysia’s modernisation, and he urged the nation thru the Asian disaster of 1998, turning it accurate into a so-known as « economic tiger ».  

As prime minister, he additionally introduced himself because the spokesperson of the Muslim world following the Sept. Eleven attacks within the united states, and he supported the US-led « battle against terrorism ».

Mahathir broke far from the ruling celebration United Malaysia National Organization (UMNO) in 2016 to affix the opposition alliance.

He became once advantageous to depose his feeble political protege Najib Razak, who had been prime minister since 2009 and sought a 1/three time duration as an alternate of job.

Najib became once under tension after being accused of fraud in a multi-billion buck express fund. He has denied the allegations. 

‘Going to the canines’

In an interview with Al Jazeera’s Mehdi Hassan in 2016, Mahathir acknowledged he decided to expose against Najib because he had « long gone off beam ».

« He has completed a quantity of things, which are if truth be told depraved. And as a consequence he has place the nation in a if truth be told disagreeable residing, economically, politically. He’s additionally getting a disagreeable name right thru the enviornment. So he has to head, » he acknowledged.

Commenting on Malaysia’s future, Mahathir added, « If Najib is there, this nation will plod to the canines. »

The ninety two-year ragged’s return to politics gave a brand original lease on life to the opposition alliance, which had floundered since its leader Anwar Ibrahim became once jailed for sodomy on what his supporters acknowledged had been politically motivated costs.

But Mahathir became once once criticised for deploying the controversial security legislation known because the Internal Security Act. His critics acknowledged it licensed him to crack down on the media, activists, spiritual leaders and political opponents, including Anwar, who within the past had accused him and his family of corruption. 

Anwar, 70, became once additionally once a protege of Mahathir, however they had a falling out within the late Nineties.

Mahathir sacked Anwar as deputy prime minister and he became once later jailed.

In fresh weeks Mahathir acknowledged the struggling of Anwar and his family.

« I do know how Anwar feels. It became once accurate thru my administration that he became once despatched to [prison]. It is no longer easy for him to settle for me and shake my hand, » The Malaysia Insight quoted Mahathir as asserting.

« And or no longer it’s no longer correct Anwar however his family besides who felt tension when he became once jailed. They suffered for two decades. »

Opportunist?

Anwar’s wife, Wan Azizah, is now portion of Mahathir’s coalition and ran alongside him for deputy prime minister.

The opposition alliance has acknowledged it plans to pardon Anwar and install him as prime minister.

UMNO, the feeble ruling celebration within the Barisan Nasional coaltion, accused him of political « opportunism ».

Now that Mahathir is within the opposition, the tables turned against him. 

Perfect days sooner than the election, Malaysian officers launched an investigation against him over considerations he would possibly maybe perhaps additionally simply possess breached a brand original anti-counterfeit news legislation.

On April 27, he had supposed to lag to Langkawi – some 30km nrothwest of the mainland – to file his candidacy for prime minister.

Earlier than pick-off, then again, the plane’s pilot found some damage to the airplane, which resulted within the flight being cancelled. Mahathir known as it « sabotage ».

A subsequent executive-ordered investigation into the incident, implemented by Malaysia’s Civil Aviation Authority, found no indication of sabotage, as an alternate concluding the airplane had been unable to flit attributable to a minor fault on one its wheels.

Azharuddin Rahman, chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority, described the damage as a « routine technical fault » following the probe.

« Allegations of sabotage against an airplane are extraordinarily excessive, and would possibly maybe perhaps simply impact the recognition of Malaysian aviation and the nation as a total, » Azharuddin acknowledged.