Factoring in Tun Mahathir.

I am loath to find fault with our great Tun Dr Mahathir. In the final analysis, he will be judged by the court of public opinion. Simply put, his 22 years have stamped an indelible mark on our country's history. Malaysia is what it is today, as a result of one man's determined vision. There was a time in my own personal life, if I dreamt of insulting TDM, I felt compelled to wake up and apologise to him.

He has undeniably earned the right to be cranky. He can, like a character alluded to by Lord Blackadder in the Blackadder series, sit on the payment and make catcalls to passing females. Who can ever talk back to TDM? He is after all a father figure to all of us.

TDM has had 22 years of his rule. He has done a lot more great things. But he has also done a lot of costly mistakes for this country. The MEC city in my hometown of Kuantan near Gambang was a monumental error of judgement. TDM was suckered by a glib-tongued trickster of a businessman. The many IPPs that he sanctioned are placing great costs to the country. Malaysia is still burdened by the cost of certain highways that lead to nowhere.

TDM is not infallible. TDM's latest self appointed role is as the guardian of our nation's soul. Shortened into abbreviation, that spells GOONS.

He must let go. Allow others the chance to do their job; the water level will rise to its natural mark. When Tun became PM, there was no one who can talk down to Tun. Tun Hussein did not for it would have gone against the principles of the man himself. Tun Razak had been dead. In short, TDM has had more or less unbridled latitude to do whatever he pleased.

There will never be anyone who will come close to his own measure of a leader. That is simply because TDM is the singularly unique measure of what a leader is. We have already seen what the measure has reduced Pak Lah to.

There is no one who can censure TDM. Imagine the tremulousness of anyone younger and following after TDM, summoning the courage to do that. That would be equivalent to either Jiang Zemin or Li Peng investigating Deng Xiaoping. (Adapted from Francis Seow's Beyond Suspicion.

Now TDM has turned his attentions to Dato Seri Najib. The man has not even sat in the chair; he has already been prejudged and pre-measured. Out with the corrupt! thundered TDM. Yes yes of course. DS Najib will do it in the same manner as TDM did to corruption in his 22 years.

Just like TDM, Dato Najib will address the issue of corruption based on the facts and not mere suspicions. He will not be forced to do so, simply because TDM says so. DS Najib must politely decline TDM's invitations however forceful and earful those are.

The new administration under DS Najib will encounter difficulties if it does not factor in the influence of Tun Dr Mahathir but it will also be dismissed as ineffectual and lacking fortitude if it allows itself to be nose-thumped by the blistering thunders of TDM.

The greatest disservice that TDM is doing to this country is to arrogate himself the position as the final arbiter of things here in Malaysia. Sorry Tun.