Abandoning the post that was 22 years old, that day, Friday, October 31, 2003, Mahathir Mohamad looked cheerful and like no load. That afternoon, at exactly 4:45 pm, Mahathir swiped a card at the Prime Minister's office exit in Putrajaya, and set foot as an ordinary civilian. He is no longer the Prime Minister of Malaysia.
"I think it's enough. Now it's someone else's turn. I have been the Prime Minister for 22 years. This is enough for me. "From Putrajaya, Mahathir flew to his hometown of Penang, where tens of thousands of his supporters had been preparing for the welcoming party, and Mahathir and his wife Siti Hasmah planned to spend the first few weeks of being a citizen usually with a trip to Spain and relaxing to welcome Idul Fitri Day. "This is the first time in 22 years I have greeted him without working on that day."
Mahathir backed away and handed the baton to his believer, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. Mahathir came down at a time when the neighboring country's economy began to stabilize, after going through the storm of economic crisis since 1998. Although praised for the success of his economic policy, Mahathir is also not lonely criticism.
His political opponents such as Anwar Ibrahim accused Mahathir of silencing criticism and anti-democracy. "Anarchy occurs because of an over-obsession with democratic freedom. The belief that if democracy is applied, then everything will be good is trust without foundation, "Mahathir, quoted by News24, responded to the criticism before he resigned from the seat of the Prime Minister.
Pak Lah, Badawi used to be called, rose to Vice Prime Minister after Mahathir ousted Anwar Ibrahim in September 1998. During times of economic crisis and political crisis, Mr. Lah always supported Mahathir. Unlike Mahathir whose voice is fierce - he criticized the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and refused to follow their advice during the economic crisis, loudly speaking about Jewish domination in the global economy, Pak Lah is a very calm person.
Malaysian media also gave him the nickname. Clean, because he is considered free from corruption. The amount of support for Pak Lah was somewhat evident in the 2004 General Election results. The Barisan Nasional, a coalition of government-backed parties, swept 199 seats out of 222 seats in the Malaysian Parliament. But the honeymoon for Pak Lah only lasted short.
Mahathir 'descends the desert' from his retirement and criticizes his successor. Badawi, according to Mahathir, allowed the police to block freedom of expression. "The habit of asking the police to frighten the citizens should be stopped," Mahathir said, quoted by Dawn, in October 2006. Pak Lah, Mahathir pointed, not as clean as his nickname, Mister Clean.
He suspects that there are unpleasant odors in a number of projects in state-owned companies and letters of recommendation from Badawi for a company owned by his relatives in the humanitarian program, Oil for Food, in Iraq. "I do not know how he got involved in the business? But to my attention, his name should not appear in the company working for the program in Iraq, "Mahathir said.
Efforts 'peace', bring Badawi with Mahathir, also without results. Mahathir continued to speak out against Lah Lah. Especially after the Barisan Nasional collapsed in the 2008 General Election. Barisan Nasional lost 58 seats, apart to the opposition group. The defeat of the Barisan Nasional, said Mahathir, must be held accountable.
"I am trained as a medical doctor (medical doctor) and for me if the foot is rotten, we just cut the foot, and if we keep it all, then the body will experience the same disease," Mahathir told BBC at the time. According to Mahathir, the rise in opposition votes was not due to Anwar's influence, but the fruit of his disappointment with the government.
Do not ask again, it is clear who is appointed. Mahathir as a responsible person: Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. Not only criticize, Mahathir also decided to get out of the party that raised him, the United Malays Nationality (UMNO). "I will not be a member of UMNO as long as Badawi is still the President of UMNO," Mahathir told Reuters in mid 2008.
Initially Pak Lah still persistent. "Why should back off? I still have a lot of work to do, "said Badawi. But the pressure is getting stronger. Mahathir's resignation was followed by several UMNO officials. A year later, Badawi resigned from the seat of the Prime Minister, and was replaced by his deputy, Najib Razak.
Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak can not help thinking what made his senior, Mahathir Mohamad, criticize him.
"Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine my predecessors would oppose me like this," Najib said at the opening of the World Capital Markets Symposium in 2015 quoted by the Straits Times. Najib did not name a name, but Mahathir was definitely what he meant. "He's no longer Prime Minister, should not be on the main stage anymore."
Whereas ten years ago, when Abdullah Ahmad Badawi became Prime Minister of Malaysia replacing Mahathir, he himself was the one who encouraged the name of Najib as a representative of Badawi. But so short is the honeymoon of Mahathir's relationship with Badawi, as well as Najib.
When Mahathir's relationship with Badawi deteriorated, his relationship with Najib was also bad. It is said that Mahathir disliked Badawi's policy of slashing a number of strategic projects pioneered by Mahathir. Especially when the vote acquisition of United Malays Nationality (UMNO) was eroded by the opposition party in the general election.
Najib, according to Dr, Mahathir, is too cowardly to express an opinion contrary to his boss's taste. "Now we see him as a coward .... He always said yes sir sir ... yes sir ... I support," said Mahathir, criticizing Najib, at that time, quoted by MalaysiaToday.
Whereas Mahathir who came out of UMNO as a critic of Badawi's leadership, praised Najib's cabinet in 2009. "I think Najib has made a very good decision by removing a number of alleged corruption-related names, even though one or two names escaped. Najib can succeed, but we'll see, "Mahathir said.
Though hot and criticized, Najib understood it was dangerous to fight Mahathir. He certainly remembered that the longest Malaysian Prime Minister had a big hand in displacing Badawi from UMNO. Whether or not it has anything to do with Mahathir's praise, Nathan appoints Mukhriz Mahathir, one of Mahathir's sons, to become Deputy Minister of Industry and International Trade until April 2013. Najib also continues to keep his relationship with Mahathir.
Not once did he make an angry voice about Mahathir. In return, Mahathir participated in a campaign for UMNO in the 2013 election. "I want to thank Tun Mahathir ... without telling me, Dr. Mahathir has been around to meet the leaders of UMNO, "said Najib, greeted by the thunderous UMNO members. When Mahathir was hospitalized at the National Heart Institute Hospital, in 2013, Najib and his wife, Rosmah Mansour, also came to visit.
Najib and Mahathir's intimate days were less than the rest of the corn. The scandal at the state company, 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), keeps both of them away. This time not just criticizing, Mahathir asked Najib to get out of the Prime Minister's seat. He urged the Malaysian parliament to be ruled by a coalition of party supporters of the government, the Barisan Nasional, to file a no-confidence motion against Najib.
The elder Mahathir joins hundreds of thousands of Net alliance masses down the streets of Kuala Lumpur, demanding Najib retreat from Putrajaya, where the Prime Minister of Malaysia is based. "There is no rule of law. The only way for Malaysians to return to the old system is by displacing the Prime Minister, "Mahathir said. "And to get rid of him, the people must show his strength ... The people no longer want a corrupt leader like him."
Together with Muhyiddin Yassin, deputy prime minister who was fired by Najib, Mahathir established a new party, the United Malaysian Native Party (PPBM). At the end of 2016, Mahathir and PPBM crossed into opposition camps and joined the Pakatan Harapan coalition with the People's Justice Party, the Parti Amanah Negara and the Democratic Action Parties.
In Wednesday's general election, Mahathir with Pakatan Harapan, bulldoze a coalition of Najib supporters, Barisan Nasional, and seize power in Malaysia. This became the first Barisan Nasional defeat in decades. In 2015, Scott Ng wrote a column titled Mahathir the Kingmaker and Kingslayer in FreeMalaysiaToday about Mahathir's major role in the politics of the neighboring country. As well as making Pak Lah the Prime Minister and then hunting him from that position, Mahathir is also kingmaker and kingslayer, for Najib Razak. Even since two days ago, he became 'the king'.
