By Ramasamy Palanisamy
FINANCE Minister Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz is hardly the person to talk to former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad on matters related to the control of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The pandemic is apparently raging under the weight of a new variant.
Despite the onslaught of the pandemic for over a year, the Government seems to be in a state of paralysis.
I am astounded by the fact that there is realisation in some quarters with the Perikatan Nasional (PN) Government that Mahathir might have some knowledge or experience on how to contain the pandemic.
I find it bewildering and frightening that Mahathir is considered the architect of political, social and economic problems.
Yet, the PN Government has no shame or sense of responsibility to seek the support and advice of a man who is the source of various problems in the country.
Having said that, I wonder why the PN Government would despatch someone like Tengku Zafrul to go see Mahathir to pick his brains.
Zafrul isn’t even an elected MP to begin with, let alone someone who has the ability and knowledge to chart the financial course of the nation.
But alas, under the illegal and backdoor PN Government, anything is possible.
Under the PN Government, it is not merit or experience that matter, but the fulfilment of the race and religious criteria.
Maybe someday, a dim-witted person might even to venture to write a book on the success of a Malay-only government.
There is saying that seeing is believing, and this is relevant to the PN because there is nothing to see by way of performance.
The COVID-19 crisis could have been better managed and brought to a halt if the Government has competent ministers, but the PN race champion simply cannot see the ultimate folly of this myopic approach.
Thus, in trying to contain the pandemic, the Government has turn to the infamous race champion who is none other than the nonagenarian Mahathir Mohamad.
In Malaysia, history not only repeats itself but repeats itself very often as far as Mahathir is concerned.
I really don’t understand what Mahathir can offer to the nation other than using race and religion to further split the country and its people.
How can a man who has been entrapped by bigoted racist thoughts going to adopt a rational and scientific approach to curb the pandemic?
But like how the previous Pakatan Harapan (PH) had turned to Mahathir to save the nation, PN, too, is repeating the same mistake of thinking that Mahathir might be the ultimate saviour.
Unfortunately, he could very well be the ultimate destroyer.
But the old fox, having tasted ultimate power twice, he is just not content with serving as the member of national recovery plan (NRP); he wants more.
He wants absolute power either as the head of a national security council or something similar to it where he will be at the apex so that he can ‘bring the pandemic under control’.
Mahathir might be a medical doctor but I doubt he has any special understanding of how to curb the pandemic. In fact, I doubt he has more knowledge than the present political clowns in the PN Government.
The COVID-19 pandemic might be the reason why Mahathir is constantly attacking the Government.
However, the official registration of his party, Pejuang, has somewhat lowered the volume a little.
For Mahathir, it is not that he craves the idea of being a member of the powerless NRP. Rather, this is just a backdoor that could potentially lead to greater things like heading a national security council so that he could run the country the way he sees fit.
In other words, his craving and desire to become a dictator has not subsided from day one of his entry into politics.
If a national security gets established and with Mahathir as the head, then he will be the sole person managing the country alongside his loyal lieutenants.
Right now, the most worrying thing about the PN Government is its delusion that Mahathir can save them.
If this is what the PN Government wants, then Mahathir is more than ready. In fact, he cannot wait.
He would say: “Give me the power and I will do it”. In typical Hobbesian manner, once power is bestowed, it cannot be taken back. It is a choice between order and chaos.
He is even willing to abandon his party, Pejuang. If this is not an indication of Mahathir’s evil intentions, then I don’t know what this is.
So much for the champion of the race and extremist party – Pejuang! – July 16, 2021.
Ramasamy Palanisamy is the state assemblyperson for Perai. He is also deputy chief minister II of Penang.
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia
