Category: General Posted by: Raja Petra
THE CORRIDORS OF POWER
Raja Petra Kamarudin
“Watch Mahathir very closely today,” said the caller on the other end of the line. Hmm, this is really intriguing, thought Tengku Tan Sri Razaleigh Hamzah to himself. To Tengku Razaleigh, popularly know as Ku Li to friends and foes alike, when it is one phone call it is mere rumour, and probably not worth a second take. But this was the third caller within a day saying the same thing. This must therefore be more than rumour.
What was going on and what is Mahathir going to do that warrants close scrutiny? And this was not going to be the last phone call that day. Certainly something is in the air. But what? Why must these callers be so mysterious about what is brewing? Ku Li just hates in when someone tells half a story. What can be more irritating than someone telling you that he or she is keeping a secret about a certain person or incident but is not able to divulge what that secret is? Why not just say nothing? Why reveal that you are trustee to a secret but this secret must remain untold?
Sheesh! That’s all he needs to make his day. Nevertheless, whatever it is that Mahathir is going to do that day, whatever rabbit he may be planning to pull out of his hat, it must certainly be related to Umno’s 56th anniversary celebration that night at the Stadium Merdeka, the site where the First Prime Minister and Father of Independence, Tunku Abdul Rahman, proclaimed Independence from Britain to an exuberant and ecstatic crowd. 11 May 1946 was when Umno was formed and they were going to celebrate Umno’s anniversary that night in a grand and probably final ceremony with Mahathir as Prime Minister.
Actually, Umno’s anniversary celebration that night was of no real significance. If it was the 25th, 50th, 75th or 100th anniversary, then that would be something to shout about. But a 56th anniversary was neither here nor there. It is definitely not Umno’s anniversary that was the main focus here. It was the fact that this would be the last anniversary that Mahathir graces as Prime Minister, his last hurrah before he hands over the reins to his anointed successor.
Yes, Mahathir would be leaving later this year. At last year’s Umno General Assembly, in mid-2002, Mahathir had shocked the entire nation by announcing his resignation. Umno did not know about it. His own family did not know about it. Some say even Mahathir himself did not know about it.
What spurred Mahathir to suddenly announce his resignation? There was no rhyme or reason for this. As the Malays would say: tiada angin, tiada rebut, tahu-tahu pokok bergoyang. For what appears to be no apparent reason he had suddenly lost control of his faculties and announced he was leaving the scene while trying very hard, but unsuccessfully, to hold back his tears. 22 years is a long time. In fact, it was more like 50 years if you consider his service with Umno prior to taking the top slot in the party. After half a century one does not just leave without any emotions whatsoever, even for a ‘hard’ man like Mahathir. As Shakespeare wrote in ‘Romeo and Juliet’, parting is such sweet sorrow.
But was the parting sweet? Sorrowful, there was no doubt. But the tears that Mahathir shed that day were not tears of joy. It was most definitely of sorrow. And the parting would be most bitter for it was not done willingly but under duress. What prompted him to take that final plunge? This was not planned, was it? It could not have been planned when his most ardent fan, Rafidah Aziz, was so taken aback that she broke the high heels of her designer shoes in her bid to be the first to Mahathir’s side. “What will happen to us?” screamed Rafidah, as if Gabriel himself was about to take her away. Yes, what would happen to us? What happens to you is of no consequence. It is us that matter. And if you leave us, we will suffer.
Yes, that’s right, Mahathir is full of surprises. Ku Li has learnt this by now. He learnt this a long time ago. After all, is it not said that one must know one’s adversary to be able to defeat him. And an adversary he certainly was. Ku Li suspects that sometimes Mahathir even surprises himself. What more others? And tonight, Sunday, 11 May 2003, could be another such surprise. But things happen so fast. In a flick of the eyelid it could all be over. It requires full concentration and a bird’s eye view of the entire scene to grasp the full picture.
Mahathir’s sudden and shocking announcement in 2002 is a case in point. All eyes were on Mahathir. The cameras were on Mahathir. Mahathir was the focus. Mahathir was the apex. Mahathir was the centre of the entire universe as far as all and sundry in the hall, plus those following the proceedings at home, were concerned. But Ku Li was not watching Mahathir. You do not watch the obvious to catch the magician’s trick. He wants you to watch his right hand. The right hand is where the trick will be performed. But to catch the magician you must watch his left hand. That is the hand that will really be performing the trick.
While all eyes were on a most distraught Mahathir, Ku Li stole a glance at Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. Abdullah always needs a few seconds to react. He is slightly slow on the take. Okay, maybe he is very, very slow on the take. But then you can’t blame him. He is after all an ulamak. And ulamaks do not sleep. They stay awake at night prostrating to God for hours on end. Sleep is beautiful. But sacrificing sleep in the way of the Lord is more beautiful. So Abdullah gets very little sleep. He gets very little sleep because the Lord comes first. So he needs to catch up on lost sleep whenever he can. And that whenever would be all day long. And that day in mid-2002 he was catching up on lost sleep as usual. He of course got rudely awoken from slumber with all the wailing and heel-breaking going on. It took him seconds to come to realisation. But seconds is all one needs. When it finally dawned on him what had transpired, when realisation that Mahathir had just resigned set in, Abdullah broke out into a most satisfied smile. Ku Li noticed this as you would notice Miss Malaysia strolling topless down Bintang Walk.
Abdullah suddenly regained his composure. One must never take Mahathir’s resignation with glee. It is not something that should be celebrated. It is a calamity. It is a catastrophe. It is something which we should pray to the Lord would never happen. Abdullah quickly came back to his senses. He did the proper thing that should be done. He exclaimed shock and awe and rushed to Mahathir’s side to escort him backstage where they could work on him to change his mind and retract his resignation. But heaven forbid he would actually do that. They need Mahathir to retract his resignation as much as they need a bullet in the head. It is just that this is something that must be staged for appearances sake. It is the politically correct thing to do. It was Malay political wayang kulit or shadow play at its best.
Mahathir’s resignation in 2002 was actually already long overdue. It had been planned as far back as 1995. According to the schedule, he would resign in 1997. That was the plan. But in 1997 there was a needling problem called Anwar Ibrahim. This thorn in the side must first be removed. But he must be removed the Malay way, like removing a strand of hair from flour, as the Malays would say. The intruding hair must be eliminated but the flour must not be spilled. It must not be Kung Fu. It must be Tai Chi. It is not brute force against brute force. It is using the moves of your opponent against him. It is allowing your adversary to make that most fatal and final thrust and that thrust becomes his own downfall. So, in 1997, it did not happen. Mahathir did not resign. He had matters to sort out first.
But, in 1995, Umno was split into two. It had been since 1988 when it divided like an amoeba into Umno Baru and Semangat 46. Was it Mahathir’s fault? Was it Ku Li’s doing? That is no longer material. The horse has bolted and no longer can one lock the stable door. One can, of course, but it would be futile. The rice has already turned to porridge, the Malays would say. Mahathir and Ku Li can argue till the cows come home as to who should bear the blame. But this will not undo what has been done. One can’t turn back the clock. Time gone is time lost. It can never be brought back. The clock cannot be reversed. Instead, they focused on how to right the wrong, notwithstanding who must be blamed for that wrong.
Mahathir and Ku Li discussed Malay unity. They discussed restoring the declining fortunes of Umno. They discussed what the future held for the nation. They discussed how one and all could, again, shelter under one umbrella. And it was agreed that there must be a resurgence of Malay unity and solidarity. Malaysia is too small. The Malays are too few. There is no room for three Malay parties. There must be only one. But PAS does not regard itself as Malay. It is an Islamic party, bellow the PAS leaders. So PAS will have to wait. Maybe one day. Maybe in time PAS and Umno can come together as they once were. After all, PAS was Umno in times gone by. PAS was the result of the ultra-nationalists rejecting the calls of the ultra-religionists to introduce more Islamic programs into a yet to be independent Malaya. But that would be drastic. The Chinese were with the Chin Peng led MCP. The British were still undecided as to whether to give Malaya independence. It has to be not only nationalism, but multi-racial as well. That and only that can guarantee Malaya independence, followed by peace and stability thereafter.
So the ultra-religionists left Umno to set up a parallel party called the Pan-Malayan Islamic Party or PMIP. This later became the Islamic Party of Malaysia or PAS. But its roots were Umno. But that was so long ago. That was two generations ago. PAS may have emerged as a splinter to Umno. That was then. Today that no longer holds true. But this is not the case with Semangat 46. It is still a splinter of Umno. It was set up with an objective to restore Umno. But there are two such parties. The only thing that separates the two is their names. The names are mere cloaks. Remove the cloak and you would be hard-pressed to tell one from the other. And it is not two generations like PAS. It may be too late in the day for PAS. But Semangat 46 is still attainable. Semangat 46 and Umno Baru can again be what they once were; a body of Malays with one mind.
That was in 1995. And in May 1996, exactly seven years ago thought Ku Li to himself, Semangat 46 was wound up and almost all its members rejoined Umno en bloc, save for a handful who decided to call it day and ride off into the sunset and into retirement. And with that a new power equation was planned. In time to come new personalities would walk through the corridors of power. However, as time had shown, as had been proven over and over again, man proposes but God disposes. Tomorrow never came. What should have been the year that Anwar Ibrahim exited and Ku Li takes over never saw the light of day. Instead, 1997 became the year that the Asian Financial Crisis swamped Malaysia’s shores. And, to add to Mahathir’s problems, that was also going to be the year that Anwar ousts him to deny Ku Li the throne and instead grab it for himself.
It was impossible for Mahathir to go now, not with what was happening in the country. If he exited, then they would say Anwar won. Mahathir had been pushed out. If he exited, then they would say Mahathir is a rat deserting a sinking ship, a country in financial crisis. He had no choice in the matter. Sure, 1997 was when Mahathir would hand the reins of power to Ku Li. 1997 was when Ku Li would walk through the corridors of power. But they did not know then that 1997 would also be when the Asian Financial Crisis would scuttle these plans. 1997 would no longer be possible. It would have to be delayed. The financial crisis would have to be sorted out first. Anwar would have to be taken care of first. And, in the meantime, Ku Li would have to twiddle his thumbs and bide his time.
But that was in 1997. That was when the Asian Financial Crisis and Anwar Ibrahim were matters of concern. But those are all now water under the bridge. In 2002, Mahathir had announced his resignation. He said then he would go in 2003. Well, 2003 is already upon us. Why is Mahathir still sitting pretty? Why has Mahathir not started clearing his table? Why is he acting like he will be staying on for some time to come. Abdullah was getting restless. Daim was getting even more restless. Maybe Mahathir needs some persuading. In that case then, persuasion was in order. Tonight would probably be it, Ku Li thought long and hard. Tonight he is to watch Mahathir. That is what the many callers told him. But watch him for what? What was going to happen tonight? What trick does Mahathir have up his sleeve? Never mind. He will get the answer to this soon enough. It is only a few hours more anyway. He had waited this long to take the seat of the Prime Minister of Malaysia. A couple more hours will not kill him.
The announcement by the master-of-ceremonies, Mahadzir Lokman, reverberated through the stadium. This was the highlight of Umno’s anniversary celebration that 11 May 2003. The party Secretary-General, Khalil Yaacob, was to bring two kerises to the VIP box. Mahathir and Abdullah took an upright position in anticipation. Mahathir was to take the longer seven-curve keris and cut the yellow rice cake to symbolise the 56th anniversary of Umno’s coming into being. Abdullah would then take the shorter five-curve keris and do the same. Mahathir unsheathed the keris and stabbed the yellow rice cake. But he did not withdraw it. He left it in the yellow rice cake as one would an enemy that must be given a lingering and painful death. Hmm, this is most unusual, Ku Li muttered to himself. Now it was Abdullah’s turn. But how is Abdullah going to perform his ritual? Mahathir’s keris is still in the cake. Would Abdullah remove it first before stabbing his keris into the cake? Abdullah was spared his dilemma. He did not have to figure out what would have been a most complex problem for a man with Abdullah’s limited mental capacity. Mahathir turned round, and with has back to Abdullah, he grabbed the shorter five-curve keris and stabbed it into the yellow rice cake alongside the other keris still imbedded.
Abdullah was stumped. This was not what was supposed to happen. This was not the game plan. How many noticed this that night? How many realised that what the master-of-ceremonies had earlier announced was not what happened. Ku Li realised. He also realised that this is what the caller earlier today had asked him to observe. Did Mahathir fumble? Did Mahathir forget the game-plan? Was Mahathir getting forgetful with age? No, this was no accident. More than three callers had phoned that day to warn Ku Li that something would happen that night. Without a doubt this was what was supposed to happen. Mahathir was as cool as a cucumber. He did not hurry. He was not flustered. Abdullah could not grasp the situation. What happened? That was his keris. Why did Mahathir deny him his keris?
Ku Li turned his head to the right to glance at his caller who had earlier told him this would happen. Ku Li did not need to say anything. His lips hardly moved. The caller was seated way above the VIP box and too far away to hear him anyway. Words were not possible. Words were not required. The caller’s and Ku Li’s eyes locked. That was all that was required. This was worth a thousand words. The twinkle in Ku Li’s eyes said it all, “So this is what you were telling me to watch out for.” The caller broke into a smile. It was a weak smile. It would not even have been noticed as a smile unless you were waiting for it. And the smile was in response. The message in the smile was, “Didn’t I tell you so?”
The next announcement from the master-of-ceremonies came. Mahathir and Abdullah would step into the middle of the stadium to embark on a horse-and-carriage ride around the stadium and take a bow. Mahathir coolly descended the steps of the stadium. He hesitated halfway and turned back to beckon his wife, Dr Siti Hasmah, to follow suit. Siti Hasmah obediently traced the steps of her husband. And they both ascended the carriage that was reserved for the Prime Minister and his anointed successor, the Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia. And the carriage drove off leaving Abdullah at a loss as to what he was doing in the middle of the stadium.
Mahathir can talk for hours on end. And he can stand all this while without the benefit of a chair, even today. But he can also say nothing. In times like this it is not what he says but what he does not that counts. A rhetorical Mahathir is a sight to behold. But a Mahathir of a few words is more dangerous. His noisy bark is deafening. But his silent bite is fatal. And when he stops barking is when he is most dangerous. That would mark when he is about to bite. And Abdullah heard this message loud and clear that night. There were no words that night of course. Not a single word was uttered. But the message was louder than if words had been uttered. Abdullah was not it. Abdullah would not be his successor as what Daim had demanded.
Sure, Abdullah had been appointed the Deputy Prime Minister as what Daim had wished. But this was Daim’s wish. And what Daim wished was law. Daim was now in charge. The Asian Financial Crisis had hit Malaysia’s shores. Anwar Ibrahim was making his final move to cast Mahathir aside. One is enough to finish off Mahathir. Both are overkills and guaranteed to not only bury Mahathir but bury him deep. And Daim was this White Knight. Daim would save Malaysia. Daim would save Mahathir. But it came with a price, a very heavy price. Mahathir would appoint Abdullah as the Deputy Prime Minister. Then Mahathir would go soon after. Then Abdullah would take over. Then Abdullah would appoint Khalil as his Deputy Prime Minister.
But Mahathir’s moves that night sent a clear message to all and sundry. This would not happen. He would not go and hand over the reins to Abdullah. Abdullah and Khalil would not be walking through the corridors of power. Daim’s puppets would not be installed on the throne. Mahathir had other plans. And these plans did not include Daim, Abdullah or Khalil. Daim must now go back to the drawing board. Mahathir is not that easy to push out after all. They need a coup, a political coup. They must do to Mahathir what Anwar did six years before that. Daim went to work. Abdullah went to work. Abdullah’s son-in-law, Khairy Jamaluddin, went to work.
Khairy flew to Singapore to talk to the powers-that-be in that Island Republic. Horse trading was in order. Singapore needed sand. It needed sand very badly to reclaim the Singapore coastline and increase the land area of that Island State two and half times its present size. Sure, Malaysia would supply them this much needed sand. Mahathir, of course, would not. Mahathir had banned the export of sand to Singapore way back in 1997 when he found out that the previous Johor Menteri Besar was fast becoming one of the richest Malays in the country just by selling sand to Singapore. So Mahathir needed to be ousted. Mahathir needed to be ousted if Singapore wants its sand. And it will take a lot of money to oust Mahathir.
Khairy brought back RM200 million from Singapore. Daim topped up the figure in many multiples. Each Menteri Besar and Chief Minister was generously paid with amounts ranging from RM3 million to RM12 million depending on the size of their state and the number of divisions they controlled. Then the Cabinet Ministers were handsomely rewarded. Now Daim and Abdullah had all the key personalities in their pockets. This was how Anwar ousted Ghaffar in the early days. This was how Anwar tried to oust Mahathir in 1997. This was how Daim ousted Anwar in 1998. This is also how they were going to remove Mahathir in 2003. Mahathir can grab both kerises and stab them into the yellow rice cake. He can even drive off in the horse-and-carriage with his wife by his side while leaving Abdullah fumbling in the middle of the stadium. These are mere symbolic gestures. These are meant to deliver a message. But Daim’s message is more potent. Daim’s message is: go or die. Daim had all who matter in his pocket. They have all been bought with hundreds of millions of ringgit.
And with that Mahathir had no choice but to comply. His resignation had been planned. The succession had been planned. And they will diligently follow the plan. Mahathir realised he no longer had too much choice in the matter. What he wants is insignificant. What Daim wants is. Cowards die many times before their deaths. But then, those who fight and run away live to fight another day. Which adage does one follow? Mao said, when the enemy pursues, retreat. When the enemy stops to rest, counterattack. So the enemy pursued. So he retreated. And, on 1 November 2003, Abdullah took over as Malaysia’s new Prime Minister. But now the enemy is resting. No, it is sleeping, not merely resting. So it is now time to counterattack. If it worked for Mao, it can work for Mahathir.
But how will the counterattack come? And when will it come? How does Ku Li fit into this whole scheme of arrangements? Is the 1995 deal still on? Was closing down Semangat 46 in May 1996 all in vain? Most importantly, though, has the shrew finally been tamed? Oh, and one more unanswered question: how come Najib Tun Razak instead of Khalil got appointed as Abdullah’s deputy?
Yes, questions and still more questions. Well, maybe another time, when I am in the mood, you will get the answers to these questions. Till then, stayed tuned!
Footnote: The title “Taming of the shrew” was ‘stolen’ from a famous 1960 production by the Royal Shakespeare Company starring Peter O’Toole and Peggy Ashcroft. And for the uninitiated, ‘shrew’ means: battle-axe, calumniator, adversary, archenemy, detractor, etc.
