Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad’s stunning electoral victory at 92 years of age, making him the oldest government leader in the world, after he decided to un-retire and challenge his handpicked corrupt successor in Malaysia’s 14th general election on May 9, validates my 2004 argument in Custom Maid Spin for New World Disorder that:
“Reformist Islamic intellectuals are openly talking about new interpretations of the holy world. Political power, they argue should rest with We the People. The clerics should not believe that they have a mission from God to run peoples’ affairs….These non-Arab Muslim countries, with their Asian brothers and sisters….are home to over 60 percent of the world’s Muslim population. A Muslim population that is moderate, tolerant and becoming democratic.”
Islam has become synonymous in the minds of many Americans with the biggest post-Cold War threat, even though most Muslims do not support fundamental extremism. Malaysia is such an example. A wake-up call that the voice of the people of all religions, including Islam, do rise and bring about real change.
Indonesia, with the world’s largest Muslim population, India with the world’s second largest Muslim population, and now Malaysia, a devout Muslim nation, are proof that Islam and democracy can co-exist peacefully.
Mahathir is now facing a different world order than the one he left 15 years ago when he retired. He ruled from 1981-2003, and was a vocal critic of America, Israel and China. He will probably re-assert his vocal Malaysian foreign policy and reset relations with China, especially in the South China Sea where Malaysia occupies several land features contested by China.
In Custom Maid Knowledge for New World Disorder I quote part of a speech Mahathir gave at the Islamic Summit Conference in 2003 that was widely quoted as being anti-Semitic — and it was. However, many of his criticisms of Islam and its leaders were ignored or downplayed by the media. He actually articulated why ignorance has been perpetuated in the Muslim world by Muslim leaders.
“We try to bring down our governments through violence, succeeding in weakening and impoverishing our own countries. Islam is not wrong, but the interpretations by our scholars, who are not prophets even though they may be very learned, can be wrong. We have a need to go back to fundamental teachings of Islam to find out whether we are indeed believing in and practicing the Islam that the prophet preached.”
Mahathir’s gravitas and past criticism of Islam and its leaders makes him the perfect mediator for a Palestinian peace plan and two state solution.
A couple of things to keep in mind is Malaysia’s political makeup and the challenge it presents for Mahathir to take on such a mediator role, and what Mahathir has said about Israel and China.
Pakatan Harapan, the movement that propelled Mahathir back to power, is a patchwork coalition of four parties, Islamists, multi-racialists and Malays. The largest is Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), formed by Anwar Ibrahim, a radical Islamic student leader, Mahathir’s foe turned ally, helmed by his wife Wan Azizah Wan Ismail — the deputy prime minister designate — and which was formed in protest to Mahathir’s rule in 1999, following Anwar’s first jail sentence on trumped up charges of corruption and sodomy. When Anwar’s conviction was set aside and he returned to politics, the retired Mahathir declared he would “make a good prime minister of Israel.”
A cornerstone pledge to voters was that Anwar will be made prime minister within two years.
The second largest party in the coalition is the Chinese-centric Democratic Action Party.
Mahathir’s Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Malaysian United Indigenous Party), a Malay-only comprised of rebels from Najib’s United Malay National Organization is the third largest in the collective movement.
The fourth is Amanah, made of moderate rebels in the country’s hardline Islamist Parti Islam se-Malaysia.
On the campaign trail Mahathir criticized the billions of dollars of infrastructure deals Najib signed with China as “debt traps” that have to be “reviewed.”
Notwithstanding the fore-mentioned political obstacles, Mahathir can do a Nixon on China. A Mahathir on Jerusalem! That’s right. This anti-Semite and anti-China Muslim can self-correct, just like anti-Semite and anti-China Christian Nixon did when he established relations with China, and became a strong supporter of Israel — and Trump. Why not Mahathir?
Besides, Malaysia also has a very close and good working relationship with North Korea. That may also come in handy for America and the world.
Malaysia, notwithstanding the loss of a couple planes, is a qualified and necessary co-pilot to any peace plan in the Middle East — and Korea! What better legacy for a seasoned senior career politician like Mahathir Mohamed?
President Trump, forget about the golf game with corrupt Najib. Think about a different tee — tea with Mahathir.
Malaysia and China should be brought onto the Trump Palestinian Peace Plan team led by Jerald Kushner. They can be key players in the creation of the two state solution. A Palestinian State next to Israel with its Capitol in East Jerusalem with Malaysian, Saudi Arabian, Egyptian, Jordanian, Chinese and American embassies opening in both Israel’s Capital Jerusalem and Palestine’s Capital. Salam Alekum! May peace Be Upon Us!