The UK Times reports that "The Malaysian Government is believed tentatively to have agreed to offer Mr Mugabe asylum" if he steps down from power.

I am not surprised at the good relationship between Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe. Both are strong critics of the West in the name of nationalism or anti-colonialism. Both of them have used the race card to rise to power. Both their governments are often accused of corruption and condoning the intimidation and torture of opponents by party thugs and and corrupt police. Both are said to use their power to destroy judicial impartiality and play foul during election.

Both censure opposing views by closing newspapers. Both of them have ruled their respective countries for a long time.

In the 1999 election in Malaysia, the opposition gained ground but what followed was the closing down of schools and the takeover of newspapers. More opposition leaders were jailed, while oil revenue was stemmed to systematically impoverish the opposition-led state of Terengganu.

Mugabe has gone allegedly further than Mahathir. In Zimbabwe, he has reportedly resorted to violence and to systematically remove the MDC (the main opposition party)'s sources of financial support. He has ordered white farmers out of their farms in the name of nationalism. Mugabe is also said to have punished those who voted for the opposition by denying them access to food. Currently, there are seven million black Zimbabweans who face starvation.

The disillusioned Zimbabwean ruling class now sees a crack in their armed forces. They have found themselves at odds with Mugabe and would like to send him into exile. Since Mahathir and Mugabe have so many similarities, it is not an alien idea to accept him to stay in Putrajaya.