MARCH 26 — Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad is back in charge. Well, at least that is according to the latest speculation.
Datuk Seri Mohamad Najib Abdul Razak is expected to appoint him as an adviser to the government when he takes over the reins as Prime Minister from Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.
The return of Dr Mahathir to the near center of power prolongs his impressive 40 year track record to influence the governance of Umno.
His intervention in the affairs of UMNO has had mixed results and has been damaging to Umno as his aura faded after his retirement as Prime Minister in 2003.
Dr Mahathir had resorted to the extreme measure of leaving the party to get his way although his departure hardly caused a stir and didn’t result in the mass exodus of members he expected.
But his tireless effort to end the reign of Abdullah as prime minister was completed on the first day of the annual general meeting of Umno today.
Every father’s dream is to see their offspring succeed them. Dr Mahathir desperately wanted to see his son, Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir win as Umno Youth chief in the party elections yesterday.
Like any proud father, he tried to help his son by openly accusing his opponents of being corrupt in their campaign.
His attempt to influence the Umno Youth delegates to vote for his son did not work as the delegates decided that they did not need his advice.
In fact his accusations did not help as it may have been received as a voice from the past. It may have been seen as irrelevant in the new era of change under the incoming Najib.
Maybe that’s the reason why Umno Youth delegates did not believe Mukhriz’s campaign slogan “Berani Berubah” and bypassed him.
Yesterday’s Umno Youth election brings back memories of my first election as Umno Youth Exco. The wave of change brought by Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim then played a big part in Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s win as Umno Youth chief.
Tun Dr Mahathir didn’t like Ahmad Zahid as chief because he was deemed to be a proxy of Anwar.
He refused to respect the position and didn’t appoint Ahmad Zahid to the cabinet as convention required because the wing was perceived as a big threat to his reign as Prime Minister.
In fact, after Dr Mahathir dismissed Anwar as deputy president in 1998, he proceeded to hound Ahmad Zahid out of his chiefs post even going to the extent of forcing his exco to force him to resign.
Fast forwarding to the present, I believe that this election represents an election of change. The Umno members are ready and willing to break from the past.
Khairy Jamaluddin’s victory over Mukhriz Mahathir is as significant as Datuk Seri Shahrizat’s victory over strongwoman Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz.
They look forward to the future and want to plan for the future of their children.
Maybe the Umno Baru that my father helped to create in 1988 for Tun Dr Mahathir after the party was deregistered has finally matured and realising its mission to add value to society and not take from it.
It may be 20 years too late, but maybe Umno Baru is finally here.
And we won’t let the sun go down on our reign, unlike others.
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