According to PAS party secretary-general Nasharuddin Mat Isa, Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad's resignation bombshell at the close of the Umno general assembly was yet another sandiwara (play-acting) befitting a Bollywood film star ( PM's quit decision aimed at drawing party support: opposition

If it were indeed a "calculated" playacting to shore up support as Keadilan president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail speculated, it was pretty good acting deserving of an Oscar judging by the emotional response it elicited.

The revelation to me was that even tears broke out among a few non-Malays and otherwise politically indifferent women with whom I was watching the Umno assembly proceedings broadcast 'live' while awaiting the Senegal-Turkey quarter final World Cup match.

So out of curiosity I asked why they felt so distraught about Mahathir's resignation and they all said that he was a "charmer".

Whether one is a supporter or detractor, there is no denial that the PM is a strong character who does things his own way — whether capital controls or other unorthodox prescriptions — in the rhythm of what reportedly is his favourite song, My way by Frank Sinatra.

I can only explain this phenomenon of a 76-year-old 'charmer' to women in general being drawn to strength and power in men that override whatever their other shortcomings. Many women in PWTC were openly weeping if not wailing at the shock announcement.

He is, after all, to many Muslim women, hope — hope of a strong bulwark against Terengganu Menteri Besar Abdul Hadi Awang's moves to introduce hudud (Islamic law) that victimises them, especially now that with Fadzil Noor's passing, Hadi might, in all probability, ascend to the powerful position of presidency of PAS and Opposition Leader of Parliament.

Nasharuddin said he had no doubt that the announcement was "an act" staged in desperation to regain the premier's popularity among the Malays.

If PM's popularity among the Malays were indeed that low that required shoring, wouldn't this 'bluff' of resignation be very risky? It might just be accepted with the motion of thanks for past services!

As Shahrir Samad — the only Umno supreme council member who once dared to criticise the president openly for being a problem to his own party — said, "he is at his strongest today since 1999" and "there is no conspiracy within the party to oust him".

So why do some people still suspect a 'playact' resignation?

There is perhaps another possible way to explain the entire episode of resignation and retraction within an hour.

It might have been the case in the early years of political career, the PM was widely considered an 'ultra' Malay nationalist to articulate the Malay community's cause through affirmative policies of New Economic Policy, National Development Plan and National Language policies.

In the face of PAS' challenge, Umno would now need to reinvent itself to remain relevant, and as its leader, he articulates to this end the pragmatic course of deconstructing in stages the affirmative programmes and reinstatement of the primacy of English to meet the challenges of globalisation and the borderless world.

In such a drastic paradigm shift of the party's agenda in the course of re-invention, he will need to know that he has not only the majority 51 percent support but the overwhelming 95 percent unstinting support of all to overcome whatever pockets of resistance from those accustomed to and would defend the status quo and face the general elections.

When those recently converted to and inspired by his bold vision are now caught in that uncertain space between two worlds. The known world of security, privileges and the unknown world of meritocracy, competition. Between the known world of primacy of Malay language and the coming world of English resurgence.

Now more than ever, they will need and depend on a strong leader to guide and lead them through this different and uncertain path in between worlds, fraught with difficulties — imagined or real — to the new frontier.

Besides him, there is simply no conceivable others-in-waiting of comparable stature and achievement, and Wan Azizah might well be spot on to observe that Umno had a succession problem in Mahathir agrees to remain as leader after quit announcement (June 22).

If the PM were indeed play-acting as the opposition said — though I am not prepared to say that he was — for no one knows what really goes on in men's minds — the moment was nevertheless opportune, whatever the intentions, for a shock resignation to receive an immediate rejection by a return of overwhelming unanimous support arising more out of dire need for strong leadership in the absence of a viable replacement in this scenario of Umno's reinvention.

Charmer of women, re-inventor of Umno, sincere nationalist, CEO Malaysia Incorporated, patron of cronies and failed privatised projects, champion of South-South, world's most moderate Muslim leader, dictator, statesperson, visionary, Mahafiraun or Bollywood actor? He is different things to different people, and to a large number of others, still a pride to have as a leader precisely because of his embodiment of so many complexities and conflicting roles as befitting to hold together a complex society as ours, raging with unifying and divisive forces.

So what does it matter then, whether the announcement of resignation was sincere or a sandiwara as alleged by the opposition?

It is a question that need not be asked nor is it a relevant issue to speculate upon when by and large, whether due to force of character and will, solid personal achievements or absence of viable alternatives or combination of all, the entire episode and the overwhelming sense of loss felt for his resignation and the support shown for its retraction demonstrated convincingly that he is still presently regarded by majority of Malaysians — shortcomings, warts and all notwithstanding — as the most acceptable and capable leader needed to lead the country to confront the tough challenges ahead.