Dr Mahathir' Mohamad is wasting his time - and that of all Malaysians - with his criticisms of Pak Lah. Thanks to the precedent set by Pak Lah's predecessor and what was put in place by him when he ruled for 22 years, Pak Lah will not and does not have to respond to these criticisms.

He is in power while Mahathir (as noted by the good doctor himself) is a mere 'commoner' and is being treated as such by Pak Lah. There is no way a 'commoner' can take on the all-powerful prime minister of Malaysia cum president of Umno.

If Mahathir truly believes in his criticisms of Pak Lah, he should challenge him for Umno's presidency, regain the prime ministership and correct all the 'wrongs' Pak Lah is being accused of. If that is not feasible, Mahathir should start a new party (Umno Terbaru?) and challenge Umno/BN in the next general elections to form the next government.

Given his standing amongst Malaysians of all races (note: his greatest achievement, as noted by him, is the harmony and goodwill between the races), the new party should receive overwhelming support from all Malaysians regardless of race, religion, class or creed.

PAS would certainly be ready to form a pact, given its new-found high-esteem for Mahathir. Mahathir has many powerful and wealthy friends inside and outside Malaysia who would certainly back him if he were to mount such a challenge.

Message for Mahathir - please change the current 'police state' cum 'economic disaster' back into the 'Shangri La' that you left behind when you stepped down three years. As it stands, you can do this only by becoming the No 1 again.