COMMENT | Yesterday, we evaluated Dr Mahathir Mohamed from more personal angles. Today, let us consider questions that concern the larger political context and landscape.

The first issue we will address is one that I really feel has been grossly overlooked: Mahathir’s new party, Bersatu.

Pakatan Harapan’s decision to name Mahathir as candidate for prime minister is not the end of the matter.

When the time comes, should Harapan win a majority in Parliament, parliamentarians from PKR, DAP, Amanah and Bersatu will presumably declare their support for Mahathir, which is where he derives his position from.

Said position will always be dependent on the support from these parliamentarians, and which can be withdrawn at any time, so the dynamics between them will be important.

What does Bersatu really stand for?

I was a little surprised to hear that 18-month old Bersatu will contest the most seats in Peninsular Malaysia as this does make sense to an extent if Mahathir is to be made PM.

The question I find myself asking is: what do Bersatu and their parliamentarians really stand for?

I realise I don’t know what their position is on things like bumiputera privileges or whether they have any genuine commitment to issues like human rights.

To be honest, it took me a while to even remember who their leaders were beyond Mahathir - his son Mukhriz Mahathir and ex-deputy prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin. Even then, I could only think of fellow writer Rais Hussin and Syed Saddiq Abdul Rahman.

Not knowing who will represent Bersatu in their 52 seats or what they will truly stand for and who they will ultimately stand with, introduces a large and very significant element of uncertainty.

While the PM’s post is an extremely important one, the PM cannot maintain his position without maintaining the support of a united coalition.

I feel we should thus be pressing Harapan and testing the degree of their unity instead of focusing only on who they put forth as a candidate for premiership.

Mahathir is a unique individual in a unique position. This is a large part of the reason he was chosen by Harapan to lead them into GE14.

The question is, where does Harapan stand post-Mahathir...