Is this the emasculation of Dr Mahathir?

For an entire generation of Malaysians, former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad holds an almost God-like status.

Dr Mahathir proved during his 22-years in power that he was a political force to be reckoned with, demolishing opposition from both within his ruling Umno party as well as those outside the Barisan Nasional, with an iron-fisted rule.

When Dr Mahathir first openly called for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to step down, opposition politicians and many like-minded Malaysians celebrated the fact that their efforts were now backed by a man who still enjoys great power and support within Umno, a dozen years after his retirement.

Surely, if there was anybody who could unseat the prime minister, it would be Dr Mahathir, most thought.

When the home ministry suspended The Edge in July, and when Najib removed former deputy prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and other critical ministers, and then replaced former Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail who had been investigating the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) case, many Malaysians remained hopeful that the government would still be made accountable.

Many believed that with “the old man” wielding his influence, the government would have no choice but to yield.

That belief already started to crack when after months of Mahathir’s harsh criticisms and corruption accusations, Najib didn’t appear any closer to stepping down or even to answer to any of those allegations.

But Dr Mahathir’s image of impenetrability and of supreme power was truly shattered when the police showed up at his office on Friday.

Little has been revealed on what transpired in the almost hour-long interrogation, and many will wait to see in the coming days if Dr Mahathir, the very leader who defied and unabashedly tore down anybody who crossed swords with him, would be arrested.

His alleged crime? Making defamatory statements against Najib.

The irony hasn’t been lost on most – the man whom critics say created a police state curtailing freedom of speech and who left a legacy of repressive media and security laws, is now facing censorship for his criticisms against Najib and the 1MDB controversy.

Dr Mahathir’s government was responsible for the introduction of the Printing Presses and Publications Act (1984) which requires all newspapers and magazines to obtain annually-renewed permits from the home ministry. This act was most famously used to revoke the permits of four newspapers – The Star, The Sunday Star, Sin Chew Jit Poh and Watan – during Operasi Lalang in 1987.

His government was also very much disposed to using the Internal Security Act (ISA) to silence dissent, as evident by the fact that hundreds of opposition activists and politicians spent years in detention without the right to trial, for no other “crime” other than disagreeing with Dr Mahathir.

In his 22-year leadership, Dr Mahathir tore down the institutions and rebuilt them to suit his needs and style of leadership.

In doing so, his legacy is a system where the government of the day holds almost absolute power over all the institutions, and is free from checks-and-balance.

And it is this very system that is turning on its own creator.

Where once no law enforcer would dare entertain the thought of interrogating Dr Mahathir in such a public display, last Friday’s police visit to his office was clearly a message to all of Najib’s critics – Najib is now untouchable; he is the new “Dr Mahathir”.

Of course there is no mistaking that Dr Mahathir still enjoys a great deal of support, and we can expect to see our former leader put up a fight worthy of his reputation.

But regardless of the final outcome of this battle of egos, the opposition and Malaysians who have yet to be fatigued by the lack of any clarity in the 1MDB multi-billion-dollar scandal will spare ourselves great disappointment if we stop looking to Dr Mahathir, or any other leader with questionable political track records, to save this nation.

Along with Dr Mahathir’s emasculation, which will be made complete if he is arrested, let’s also put to an end the need to make heroes of tainted past leaders, forgetting that many of them played a role in creating the toxic political atmosphere that we are faced with today.

Besides, it only makes sense that those who take up the cause in calling for transparency, truth and accountability should not themselves flout those very ideals. – November 8, 2015.