FEAR AND danger have always been the vital ingredients for a successful plot in any noteworthy drama. And retired Tun Mahathir appears to have plenty of it as can be seen in his posts on the X social media.
Previously it was about the Malays losing their power. Now it is something far more sinister. According to him, Malaysia is no longer safe, that people might go missing, kidnapped or even worse, found dead.
“Serious crimes, obviously committed, are not investigated but when no crimes are committed, investigations are stopped on orders,” he said, stopping short of naming the perpetrators even though it is obvious.
He ended his post with these ominous words, “It is frightening.”
Coming from a man who served as prime minister for over two decades, surely people should take him seriously.
In total, few individuals have wielded more executive authority in Malaysian history than Mahathir himself, which creates an awkward situation.
𝗙𝗘𝗘𝗟 𝗢𝗙 𝗙𝗘𝗔𝗥
1.There is a feel of fear in the country.
2.People feel that something may happen to them. Individuals may disappear. Individuals may be found dead. Individuals may be kidnapped.
3.They do not feel the protection of the law. In fact the law is a threat.… pic.twitter.com/rigcxC767P
— Dr Mahathir Mohamad (@chedetofficial) June 15, 2026
Then again politics has always had a special relationship with irony. Thankfully, we can always count on our fellow netizens to remind him of the past.
“It’s more frightening during your administration,” said netizen @andrewyew in the comment section, adding that the sedition act was used more times under Mahathir’s rule.
The picture comments were equally biting:
Check this one out too:
The remarkable thing about Tun’s post is that while it generated headlines, many ordinary Malaysians seem preoccupied with a different set of anxieties altogether.
The price of food. Housing affordability. Job security. Utility bills. The list goes on. These may not sound as dramatic as mysterious disappearances and sinister threats, but they are fears people encounter every single day.
Perhaps that is the challenge facing politicians of every generation. The public is not necessarily looking for the most frightening narrative. They are looking for solutions.
As the country moves closer to another election cycle, Malaysians will undoubtedly hear many warnings, accusations and predictions of doom from all sides of the political divide.
Some will be serious. Some will be exaggerated. Some will be unintentionally entertaining. And some may even come from politicians who spent decades in power warning us about the dangers of people being in power.—June 16, 2026
Main image: Hari Anggara
