The Game of Thrones

In his apparent obsession and desperation to topple and bring down Prime Minister Dato’ Sri Mohd. Najib Tun Razak, Fourth Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad is taking one time choice successor to Pak Lah to court.

The media statement was issued by solicitor Haniff Khatri, who was also acting for Tun Dr. Mahathir’s former Political Secretary Matthias Chang for being charged for sabotaging the national economy.

The plaintiffs, Tun Dr. Mahathir, Khairuddin Abu Hassan and Ainina Saaduddin were former UMNO members. Tun Dr. Mahathir resigned from the party weeks ago where else the two were sacked by the party.

They are seeking a court order declaring that Prime Minister Najib has committed the tort of misfeasance in public office and had breached fiduciary duties by using his post as the Prime Minister, Chairman of Barisan Nasional and President of UMNO, to act in bad faith, to obstruct, intercede, impede and derail investigations and enquiries pertaining to 1MDB.

After a solid year of open attacks on Prime Minister Najib for many issues, Tun Dr. Mahathir’s allegations kept on changing from time to time and admitted he don’t actually have evidence to substantiate them, mostly failed miserably.

He started with making speeches in the open. It attracted attention and he utilised the media, especially social media platforms and foreign media to expand and escalate his demand against Prime Minister Najib.

He worked closely with Opposition leaders, pro-Opposition and foreign media.

He was trying to rile up the rakyat to a point of critical mass. At the same time, he used sentiments on UMNO platform to gain traction and support, primarily after Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Mohd. Yassin and Rural and Entrepreneur Development Minister Dato’ Sri Mohd. Shafiee Apdal were sacked last July.

However, it didn’t fly.

His minions also leaked part of the information pertaining to internal Tabung Haji (TH) discussions on the process and decision to acquire the 69,754 sq. ft. parcel earmarked for luxury residential within the Tun Razak Exchange (TRX) development.

It was hyped and cited in such away that the Anti-Najib operatives intended to create the panic run against TH, as part of the demonstration of the Malays rejecting Prime Minister Najib’s leadership.

However, despite the lousy PR to explain the issue and debunk all the lies and negative perception against the strategic intent and benefits of the acquisition, the Anti-Najib move using TH failed miserably.

By August, his ceramahs were intensified. He went to Johor, to try and inflame the anti-Najib sentiments. There were curious audience but no real numbers, to make thing matters. At least not through the party.

Zaid Ibrahim collected Tun Dr, Mahathir at Pasar Seni LRT station on 30 August 2015, as the latter attended the second in a row appearance at BERSIH 4.0

Then on 29 and 30 August, the man who once dejected public demonstration crossed the very line he drew. He attended the illegal BERSIH 4.0, two days in a row.

Then it was said that his minions went all over the world making reports on and against 1MDB scandals and this point was hyped, to create the demonic perception against Prime Minister Najib.

In the attempt to diminish public confidence in the strategy to demonise Prime Minister Najib, in October the Statesman even uttered “He (Prime Minister Najib) might be arrested if he travels abroad and tried under ICJ”.

It is simply a stupid lie because Prime Minister Najib did travel to the United States and United Kingdom twice from then till now and other European states which include Turkey.

The Anti-Najib operatives tried to work through party during the AGMs at Division level in October-November, but non avail. UMNO General Assembly came in early December and the Fifth UMNO President could not effectively get the delegates to rise and topple Prime Minister Najib before and during the GA.

Almost immediately, they tried to get ‘No Confidence Vote’ against Prime Minister Najib through Dewan Rakyat. That failed too.

When MACC submitted the incomplete investigation paper (IP) to Attorney General on 31 December 2015, they issued a media statement knowingly that AG Tan Sri Apandi Ali would reject the IP on the ‘RM2.6billion donation’ and ‘SRC International’.

Tun Dr. Mahathir pre-empted that AG would throw the case away. It is the proof that senior MACC officers had conspired with the former Prime Minister, to topple Prime Minister Najib.

When his son Dato’ Seri Mukhriz Mahathir eventually resigned after two weeks of political stand off drama, due to lack of confidence and support amongst Kedah UMNO Division leaders and ADUNs, the situation worsened for the longest serving prime minister.

He tried to ride on the suspension of Tan Sri Muhyiddin as UMNO Deputy President. But not many people, especially within UMNO is bothered.

So as an obsessed and possessed man who demonstrate much lesser rational, Tun Dr. Mahathir managed to get very strange bedfellows like DAP Supremo Lim Kit Siang, PKR President Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, PKR deputy President Azmin Mohmaed Ali, PAN President Mohammad Sabu, former bar Council President Ambiga, BERSIH Chairman Maria Chin and anarchist Ishamuddin Rais to share the same platform and ink the ‘Citizens’ Declaration’.

Tun Dr. Mahathir at arms with the Opposition, particularly his nemesis for 49 years Lim Kit Siang and DAP

That was the breaking point of many Tun Dr. Mahathir’s own hardliners, loyal supporters and sympathisers.

This marriage-of-(in)convenience-between-backstabbing-strange-bedfellows, opens a new horizon on what Tun Dr. Mahathir willing to do to topple Prime Minister Najib. This include what deal he did with his arch enemy for the past 49 years.

It is naive to exclude that DAP leaders would not not expect anything from the UMNO President and Ultra Malay leader for 22 years, for getting them to come onboard of his personal obsession.

It was said that within the DAP, there were many skeptics of this new relationship with their sworn enemies and they are actually out of reason to rationalise when their hardliners and staunch supporters of many years.

None of them actually fly off to threaten Prime Minister Najib.

His frustration made him man-possessed, till the point that he decided to take on Prime Minister Najib on all his allegations of 1MDB which include the ‘USD620million donation by a Saudi Royal Family”, was linked to the strategic investment corporation of the Malaysian Government.

This desperation is reflective in some of the staunchest supporters of Tun Dr. Mahathir in the Anti-Najib Campaign, who one time was a much respected GEIC of a very important media group to resort to posting of fake Time magazine cover on his social media account.

This is politics never seen in modern Malaysian history, especially by a party which will be celebrating its 70th anniversary in less than seven weeks and had been in power continuously for over 61 years.