COMMENT
| Do not go into this book, thinking that this is merely an exercise in
Mahathir bashing. While the machinations of Dr Mahathir Mahathir are
meticulously documented, this is also a book about the failings of
oppositional political operatives in this country.
The indictment
here is that Mahathir has never been able to make the kinds of political
plays he has, if it was not for willing acolytes – either in BN or
Pakatan Harapan – who falsely assumed they could ride his coattails and
remain in power. As
Ignatius did, in his other book "Diplomatically Speaking", he draws not
only on personal experience with the personalities involved, but also
on sources, gained over decades of loyal service.
He is an
insider explaining the arcane workings of the racial and religious
politics of the establishment, to outsiders, his countrymen, who do not
really know how deep the rabbit hole goes. For instance, having
served under Mahathir and having numerous interactions with former prime
minister Najib Abdul Razak, Ignatius makes a clear distinction between
the two.
The former a meticulous note-taker, coldly intelligent,
shrewd and always waiting for the intended or unintended slight and the
latter, a scion of the establishment, easy-going, comfortable around
power, a polished diplomat, unfailingly courteous, unlike the pompous
and arrogant minister Ignatius was used to dealing with. This is
why, Mahathir, could first systematically neuter institutions and
personalities who would constrain him over his long watch and sire
creatures who would believe that his blueprint was the only way to
maintain power.
This is also why someone, like a disgraced former
prime minister, could emerge as a power broker in Umno, enjoying
grassroots support. And forget about Mahathir knowing the Malay
mind. Mahathir knows the non-Malay mind probably better than he does
the Malay mind. At the very least he knew the non-Malay political
establishment mind.
Ignatius writes of how, after decades of
demonising the opposition, especially the DAP, which he always used as a
proxy for the Chinese community, Mahathir welcomed them into the fold. His
speech, at the Chinese Assembly Hall, resulted in teary eyes. His
embracing of the DAP was like “manna from heaven” after decades of
abuse.
The
brilliance of this book is that all of this happens early on in the
book. These snapshots of how the opposition fell under the charm of
Mahathir, should have been a warning sign. It is as if Mahathir had
inherited a political tabula rasa.
