Dr M as PM candidate will be Najib’s worst nightmare

Name Dr M as prime ministerial candidate

Aries46: The country has gone to the dogs and we have some belly-aching on what damage former PM Dr Mahathir Mohamad may do if he became PM.

The opposition, especially Pakatan Harapan, is at its weakest and without Mahathir they will be mauled with PAS playing spoiler for Umno-BN. This was glaringly evident at the Kuala Kangsar and Sungai Besar by-elections last year.

Whatever Mahathir may or may not do can’t be any worse than hudud and a kleptocracy that is on the PAS-Umno card.

The opposition must not be over confident just because the people are angry with the skyrocketed cost of living. Unless they can see something tangible such as a leader in Mahathir’s calibre, they are not going to be swayed by promises and rhetoric.

Doesn’t the opposition realise that the 1999 ‘reformasi’ war cry has not brought them any nearer to Putrajaya than where they are now?

It is time they got out of their comfort zones, swallowed their pride, buried the hatchet and burned their bridges. Doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results is futile.

Ogang Susah: I still respect Mahathir for the guts he has to whack PM Najib Razak left, right, top and bottom. Mahathir has sacrificed a lot to better our nation, which currently under Najib is going downhill.

Mahathir is not a kleptocrat but Najib has won the global award for being the No 1 kleptocrat. We have known since the past two years how ferocious Mahathir was, and for his age and wealth of experience, I can vouch that he has now realised how ungrateful Umno is to him.

So, the best way for the opposition to win in GE14 is to tell Malaysian voters that Mahathir will be the prime minister of Malaysia and jailed opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim will take the lead after seeking pardon from the king. This is the reality.

The rest of the cabinet members can be selected after successfully thrashing Umno-BN in GE14. Only in this way can we see the light of day in Malaysia. Otherwise, we are doomed.

Proarte: Hear! Hear! Mahathir is the most credible of all the eligible opposition leaders to take on Najib and BN. If Mahathir is considered suitable to join Pakatan Harapan, then why not as its prime ministerial candidate as well?

He is by far the most charismatic opposition figure and he has a 22-year track record of being PM. He is Najib’s worst nightmare because he is able to unite the opposition and is a master tactician.

Mahathir should contest in Pekan. Let the people there decide which they prefer – a kleptocrat or a former leader who presided over a tremendous improvement in their economic well-being. Yes, Mahathir for PM!

Ipoh Pp: My two sen worth.

1. Mahathir should stand in Kubang Pasu, his old haunt as he is from Kedah and the folks there will remember him well for all the good he had given them. Let MO1 (Malaysian Official 1) be in Pekan and if he wins, so be it. We can ‘skin’ him later for all the evil he has done, including his band of merry men.

2. A law has to be passed to limit the tenure of the PM to two terms, or no more than 10 years. In this way, we will not have an everlasting PM to do as one chooses.

Pakatan has to start pronto and get things moving – Mahathir for PM and someone new for DPM, a moderate Malay Muslim. PKR’s Rafizi Ramli or Amanah’s Khalid Samad fits the bill.

People like Bersatu leaders Muhiyuddin Yassin and Mukhriz Mahathir should sacrifice for the nation. To save this nation, all must endure pain as the country has suffered enough.

KCW: Pakatan should just come out with a full list of their cabinet ministers. That’s how they are able to check mate Umno’s fear-mongering among the Malays. It’s the Malay votes that need to be won.

Ninety percent of Chinese votes, I would say, are almost confirm on the side of Pakatan. It’s the Malay votes that are currently problematic.

In order to assuage Malay fears and checkmate Umno’s scare-mongering tactics, the full list of cabinet ministers should be revealed by Pakatan, but the timing of revelation must be strategic so that it would give ample time for Pakatan politicians to alleviate any Malay fears and insecurity, but at the same time not enough time for Umno to counter with their dirty propaganda.

Prudent: We should remember Mahathir’s history of reneging on his promises (for example, Suqiu), which he made purely for political ends. He also has a record of getting rid of his supporters after he made use of them (for example, Anwar).

Besides, he is the ‘father’ of almost all that is wrong with Malaysia – brazen corruption, ‘ketuanan Melayu’, religious policing, Islamic fanaticism, restrictions on non-Muslim religions and the accompanying insults, political lying, etc. The list is endless.

He had not regretted any of the above, except helping Najib become PM to pay off a ‘debt’ he thinks he owed Najib’s father.

Also, the period immediately after GE14 will be fluid if Umno-BN is ousted. Frogs would be jumping, ‘dedak’ would be flying.

If Mahathir is named Pakatan’s PM, there is the likelihood that he will form a new ruling coalition centred around Umno’s frogs but excluding PKR, DAP and Amanah… and revive Mahathirism.

Appum: I am no great admirer of Mahathir but in order to win this time, we need to throw out our emotions and past anger to seek good for the future of this nation and its future generation.

Surely Mahathir is not the same man today. The fact he has joined the opposition to fight the party he was once the leader of, speaks greatly of the man.

It is not an easy step for a man of 92. We all must see to it that the opposition win this time. There will be no next time. Fatigue and political disenchantment will set in. I agree Mahathir as PM candidate is very practical and real.

Anonymous_1388029052: A beautiful article by Zaid – so well-articulated. I think those Malaysians who look forward to reform and change of government, will agree to Zaid’s proposal.

It is the best choice available now but there must be a caveat that Pakatan should ask for a royal pardon for Anwar who upon being freed, should assume the premiership.

Alex Raj: Very, very, very reluctantly, I must say that Dr M should lead but, yes, for a limited time until we put the political and economic mess in order, say, two years.

Mahathir is only Pakatan leader who can bag rural voters

The above is a selection of comments posted by Malaysiakini subscribers. Only paying subscribers can post comments. Over the past one year, Malaysiakinians have posted over 100,000 comments. Join the Malaysiakini community and help set the news agenda. Subscribe now.

These comments are compiled to reflect the views of Malaysiakini subscribers on matters of public interest. Malaysiakini does not intend to represent these views as fact.