THE next five years will be a time for lots of popcorns and movie blockbusters for most Malaysians while twice former premier who reigned for of 22 years and 22 months, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, faces the prospects of a jail sentence if he faces trial and convicted for sedition or corruption.
There are likely to be several court cases involving both himself and his family members.
As in the case of disgraced former prime minister (PM) Datuk Seri Najib Razak, five years - plus and minus - would be the length of time that Malaysians will have to wait as the court process takes time.
But one thing is for sure: the 98-year-old does not have many more years to go. Unless he lives till 103, he is very likely to escape a jail sentence just like his contemporary, the late President Suharto of Indonesia who died before he could be charged for corruption.
Regardless of whether it is now or five years later, Dr Mahathir has the Sword of Damocles hanging above his head.
After exhausting all his legal channels, if he is convicted of any crime punishable with a jail sentence, it is unlikely that he will obtain a royal pardon from the soon-to-be installed Agong, Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar.
After all, Sultan Ibrahim has put it in no uncertain terms that he wants the present government to go after “a certain nonagenarian who reaching his one hundredth birthday.” Although the Johor ruler did not name the nonagenarian, it is obvious that he was referring to Dr Mahathir.
Going into hiding
Dr Mahathir’s lawyers may appeal for mitigation because of his age; after all, he would not be able to languish behind bars like the other ordinary criminals.
Like Najib, he may be allowed to be placed in Kajang prison where based on feedback from former prisoners, it is believed that certain privileged prisoners are placed in a special complex instead of the common prison cells.
One may call this karma but the universal law of God is a warning for all: “Whatever a man sows, that he shall also reap.”
Some of Dr Mahathir’s contemporaries such as former Tenaga Nacional Bhd (TNB) chairman Tan Sri Ani Arope and former federal judge Tun Mohamed Suffian Mohamed Hashim may not be able to see the retribution to the wrongs committed against them but judging from the current development - the price that Dr Mahathir and his children may have to pay is very high. This is the first scenario.
A second scenario is where Dr Mahathir and his entire family will disappear to another country. Just like the fugitive Jho Low and the Marcoses of the Philippines, they will go into hiding for a moment until it is safe to return home.
They will be able to continue living in luxury in their new host country. Whichever country it is, it is highly unlikely to be India. For someone who has denied his Indian descent altogether, even if he returns to the home country of his ancestors, he will probably rile them up and very soon, their whereabouts would be known to all.
His other choices would have to exclude the US, UK, Australia and Singapore; otherwise, the former Langkawi MP will once again create more controversies, bringing about further embarrassment to himself and his family on why they are not in Malaysia to face the trials.
In short, any place that Dr Mahathir goes, the ghosts of his past will continue to haunt him. If only he would remain elegantly silent after Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was picked as the country’s 1oth Prime Minister, he could very well die as a statesman.
But Dr Mahathir being Dr Mahathir, he would remain the country’s most controversial figure but this has unfortunately damaged the country’s reputation. - Jan 29, 2024
https://focusmalaysia.my/where-will-tun-m-be-in-five-years-time/
Created by savemalaysia | Dec 22, 2024
Created by savemalaysia | Dec 22, 2024
Created by savemalaysia | Dec 22, 2024
credit has to be given to Anwar Ibrahim for such courage. These people, which many of us be thinking were untouchable, are now scrambling looking for cover as investigations intensified for unexplained wealth..
2024-01-29 14:54
I don't know why u call it courage. looks more like revenge and abuses to me.
2024-01-29 16:45
the volume of fake news on my tiktok is becoming like america............Malaysia never used to have so much fake news.
u want to talk about courage show me anwar dares to take on the taiko of sarawak.
2024-01-29 20:35
what courage is anwar trying to show in going after siddeq ? plus all the surprising cases in court.
2024-01-29 20:38
"UNTOUCHABLE".
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what untouchable? M and D and M's sons have no political powers anymore , going after them are just political moves popular with the lower classes and voters easily influenced by tiktok. with the additional benefits of sweet revenge and abuses.
2024-01-29 20:42
wait till the elites get together and get their own revenge against anwar.
2024-01-29 20:43
untouchable
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what is so proud to shame your political opponents in such a public manner without telling them what wrong they have done?
2024-01-29 21:02
@qqq47660 it seems you have no idea why they are being charged.. Then why have the urge to comment on this issue?
2024-01-30 01:06
They are being charged because of failure to declare all their assets. Fair, right? Their names were mentioned in the Pandora paper..Repeated requests were given but was not entertained. Hence, the charge.
2024-01-30 01:10
The onus is on the government in such political cases to show what wrong has the accused done. It has to be something more serious than non disclosure of assets.
2024-01-30 01:50
30 years ago daim is call gold fingers of bursa. Cannot have a few Benzs meh
2024-01-30 01:53
Malaysiakini comments is call trial by the uneducated, uninformed....it may even be good for votes but it's too much like America with too much fake news.
It's not good for malaysia.its not even Malaysia.
What diam says is correct. He says he would be much richer if he didn't join the government with his hands tied . Much richer are the oligarchs like ytl, like Syed mochtar and all the oligarchs just like russian oligarchs
2024-01-30 11:37
To be an oligarchs and make money from privatisations is so much easier. To be a minister there are rules against yourself benefiting from privatisations
2024-01-30 11:40
Now daim has the best lawyer in the country defending him. I am willing to bet the government will lose their case against daim
2024-01-30 11:42
And daim name don't even appear in a avillion shareholders list. The government got no case.
2024-01-30 11:45
And a few cars lol...this tun is already the gold fingers in the 1990s under Anwar. And a highly successful businessman before he join the government. What cars u talk about?
2024-01-30 11:48
It's call trial by media, it's call vote fishing by pandering to the uneducated uninformed.
It's call miscarriage of justice it's call abuse
2024-01-30 11:50
Corruption is not a " Photo finish" crime nor Spot instance event but an Orchestrate Agenda
2024-01-30 13:01
Now daim has the best lawyer in the country defending him. I am willing to bet the government will lose their case against daim
2024-01-30 15:01
Best lawyer will win the case?? Then bossku won’t staying in kajang right now,,,,,wakakaka,,,,
2024-01-30 15:14
and Tommy Thomas is representing Daim. and Tommy Thomas is good guy and will only represent the side of the good.
it has nothing to do with good governance, fight corruption, rule of law, reformasi.....etc....in fact all the judgements and court cases shows anti corruption is the last thing on ANwar's mind.
2024-01-30 16:09
ks55
He may be dead by then. Just let him alone. His personal view is no more relevant. Can completely ignore him till his last day. After that, people will come out to praise him for his contribution to help develop Malaysia.
2024-01-29 13:50