On the stump at 92: Malaysia’s Mahathir woos rural voters
SEKINCHAN: He may be 92 but Malaysia’s ex-strongman Mahathir Mohamad has brushed aside the constraints of age to hit the campaign trail for upcoming polls, as he takes on scandal-plagued premier Najib Razak. Mahathir was welcomed by cheering voters at a fishing village on Friday, in a late-night stop as he seeks to woo voters crucial to victory in polls that must be called by August. Such a scene would have been unthinkable until recently-Mahathir was addressing an event organized by an opposition party that fought against his rule during his 22 years in power.
“This time, we have a chance to change the Barisan Nasional (BN) government,” the elderly politician thundered, referring to the coalition that has ruled Malaysia since independence in 1957, and which he himself once led. Mahathir was picked as the opposition coalition’s prime ministerial candidate this month, in a political volteface that shook up a race that long looked like an easy win for the government.
His coalition hopes he will win rural votes, particularly those of the Muslim Malay majority, who have long supported the government in exchange for policies favoring them but have become disillusioned due to the rising cost of living and a financial scandal ensnaring Najib. “The critical factor in this election would be Malay voters that are disgruntled,” said Ibrahim Suffian, head of independent polling firm Merdeka Centre said.
Mahathir is himself Malay, and has long championed the Malay cause. The opposition hopes the votes he peels away from the government will complement their traditional support base of people in the cities and minorities, particularly the ethnic Chinese. Analysts do not expect the opposition to win due to BN’s dominance of the political system, but if the unlikely happens, Mahathir will become the world’s oldest prime minister.
Rapid return Mahathir stepped down as premier in 2003, but he did not stay away from politics for long. He came out of retirement to challenge his ex-protege Najib over allegations state fund 1MDB had been plundered, formed a party in 2016 and aligned with the opposition. The most remarkable aspect of his political rebirth has been a reconciliation with former nemesis Anwar Ibrahim. The pair met for the first time in 18 years in 2016 when Mahathir turned up to show support for Anwar at a court appearance. Anwar was heir apparent to Mahathir until the premier sacked him in 1998 over political differences, and he was then jailed on sodomy and corruption charges. The opposition Coalition of Hope had qualms about making Mahathir their candidate for the top job but observers say there was ultimately little choice.