In the days of yore, a jeling (stare) from the 'captain' would send ministers and mentri besars scurrying for shelter like rats under the gaze of the hot sun.

Now it seems that times have changed and there is talk of mutiny on the high seas and the good ship Umno is creaking and listing under the heavy burden of expectations of its disgruntled seamen.

The seemingly endless bounty has been depleted and the new captain has not been able to quell the rumblings of revolt from her almost starving crew.

Isn't it ironic that the boon of an overwhelming mandate has become the bane of Pak Lah? Talk of party splitting and evoking memories of 1981 seem almost a convenient excuse for Pak Lah not to face his enemies and internal demons.

What better time to consolidate and reaffirm his stewardship by silencing the restless natives and taking on any challenge, Ku Li or otherwise, and dispel any lingering doubts of his legitimacy?

However that is not exactly Pak Lah. His lack of conviction and fortitude has led to near immobility and perhaps he has had to resort to the shenanigans of his son-in-law to rescue his waning fortunes. (He though should be very wary of a son who by most accounts sees marriage as a career move.)

No doubt he had inherited an almost broken ship, but it will be a true test of his mettle to right the boat, and hiding behind convenient calls for no-contests only amplifies his insecurity and perceived weaknesses.

As Wan Azizah aptly puts it, be a man Pak Lah, stand tall and get ready to rumble. You may just scare your opponents away, and will be respected and feared as, dare I say it, Mahathir was.