More than two months after former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad commenced his open hostility to Najib Abdul Razak in a bid to oust him, the prime minister does not appear ready to concede any time soon.

Najib is not taking Mahathir's punches lying down, for he has mounted his counter-offensive to shore up support, doing so in a general election-like campaign.

Unlike Mahathir's swift ouster of his immediate successor Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, both sides,  this time, appear to be digging in for a long battle...