COMMENT It is interesting to note how Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak has been taking polite swipes at the man who is raining blows on him.

 

During his keynote address at Invest Malaysia 2015 yesterday, he quipped about not feeling lonely in the presence of his audience.

 

In an obvious reference to Mahathir, Najib noted how "certain quarters" claimed that it could be lonely in telling the truth.

 

"Well, I can tell you that I don't feel lonely standing here today. In fact, I feel I am in very good company,” the prime minister said with a grin.

 

And then in a blog post, he remarked that the old must give way to the young.

 

Najib used his daughter’s recent marriage to put the point across on how the old must take a step back when it is time for the young to be independent.

 

But he also stressed that the young must respect the old, for the latter possess vast experience.

 

Some claim that unlike his immediate predecessor Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, this prime minister is not one to bow out without a fight.

 

Mahathir, on the other hand, does not believe in the art of pinching.

 

He is the political equivalent of a mixed martial arts exponent who pushes his opponent to the ground, straddles him and unleashes a torrent of punches until the other is knocked out.

 

And when Mahathir enters the ring, there is a chance that even the referee could be beaten black and blue.

 

Will Najib punch back?

 

Since April 2, he has landed so many jabs on Najib that if this was a real fight, the prime minister’s face would have turned to sludge without a single facial bone left intact.

 

In the case of jailed opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, the latter got a literal punch and a black eye while under Mahathir’s premiership.

 

As for Abdullah, who was unconscious most of the time, all it took were a few taps here and there for him to submit.

 

Now, Mahathir is embarking on a roadshow against Najib, and those who have kept track of his past performances warn that the assault could escalate into a bloodbath.

 

So if there is to be any hope for Najib to survive this duel, he must discard his aristocratic ways of playing croquet with his opponents and bloody a couple of noses himself.

 

He must stop pinching and learn to punch. He must put his foot down and tell Mahathir off in the strongest possible terms.

 

He should make it clear that the former premier is no saint and lacks the moral authority to point his finger at others.

 

But this could be a dangerous tactic for someone with too many skeletons in the closet, for it could just incense Mahathir to the point of taking it to a death match.

 

As the saying goes, it is not the size of the dog in the fight but the size of the fight in the dog.

 

And Mahathir, though pushing 90, is still ferocious.

 

If Najib lacks the confidence of entering the ring alone, he could perhaps convince his wife Rosmah to join him for a tag team match since Mahathir is also targeting her.

 

Now, that might just do the trick and rattle the old man.