news feature

After a 10-day vacation in Italy, Dr Mahathir Mohamad returned home this morning and received an extravagant treatment of no less, if not more, than what had been accorded previously to the 76-year-old premier although he is leaving office in 16 months.

A large crowd, including leaders and members of Barisan Nasional component parties had gathered at the Royal Malaysian Air Force base in Subang, Selangor since 6.30am to welcome back the prime minister.

Joining them were at least eight busloads of students from four private universities and colleges, who were there under the arrangements of their respective institutes.

The area outside the arrival hall was laden with colourful banners bearing party logos and slogans such as 'We love you, Mahathir' and 'We want you to continue leading us'.

By 7am, the crowd swelled to about 5,000 people who appeared to be in high spirits despite not being allowed into the compound.

On the other side of the fence, ministers, mentri besars, BN leaders and other dignitaries waited in the VIP room.

At about 7.45am, the leaders gathered along the red carpet which stretched from the entrance of the room to the runway.

Five minutes later, the government jetliner rolled to the edge of the carpet and came to a halt.

Garlanded and crowned

Mahathir, who had shocked the nation on June 22 when he announced his resignation, alighted from the plane together with his wife, Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali, amid a rapturous roar from the crowd.

Casually clad in a blue shirt, dark grey blazer and matching grey slacks, the premier appeared to be tired but was nevertheless in his composed self.

Following the customary handshakes, Mahathir was garlanded and later crowned with a tengkolok a traditional Malay headgear commonly worn by royalties to symbolise his struggle for his race.

In the VIP room, the premier spent about 10 minutes chatting with friends and colleagues, many of whom he had not seen since the Umno annual general assembly, where he announced his decision to quit.

Among those present were Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who is also Mahathir's anointed successor, Sabah chief minister Chong Kah Kiat, MCA president Dr Ling Liong Sik and UmnoYouth chief Hishamuddin Hussein.

Following this, a media conference was held at the airport lounge which saw the presence of some 200 journalists, both local and foreign.

The conference was also telecast live on the two state-run Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM) channels.

Old and emotional

The first question came from a RTM journalist who said: "The people want to hear from you why you want to quit."

Mahathir replied he was old and would have stepped down in 1999 but was forced to stay because of the regional financial crisis and the leadership vacuum following the sacking of his deputy-turned-nemesis Anwar Ibrahim in 1998.

Anwar, who claims to be a victim of a political conspiracy, is currently undergoing a 15-year jail term for sodomy and corruption.

"Had I left then, it would have seemed like I was running away from my responsibility," said Mahathir, adding "but the party (Umno) has recovered its strength and support now so the time is right."

Asked why he cried at the Umno meet if he knew he had already planned to go, Mahathir quipped, "...I am old, and old people get a little bit emotional."

On the 16-month transitional period for his deputy to take over, the premier said it was not very long.

He added that he would have liked to leave in a month but was persuaded to stay until the Organisation of Islamic Conference holds its meeting in Kuala Lumpur next October.

No power struggle

Mahathir also hinted that some kind of arrangement or agreement had been made within Umno in order to offset a possible top-level power struggle in the party.

"I was promised that there will not be any struggle for power and anything that is tak manis (not nice)," he said.

Since 1993, when Anwar challenged the then deputy president Ghafar Baba, there has not been any contest for party's No 2 post.

Even Abdullah was appointed and not elected as deputy president after Anwar's departure.

After the press conference ended at about 9am, Mahathir addressed the crowd who waited patiently for him under the sweltering sun.

Banners were held high, and chants of ' Hidup Mahathir ' (Long live Mahathir) greeted the premier as he approached them.

He told the crowd that the transition of power will be smooth and the country will continue to prosper even after he leaves office.

Almost every line of his 10-minute speech was met with applause and cheers.

The caliph

Later, two children presented Mahathir with a scroll containing the lyrics of a song entitled ' Khalifah Kami ' (Our Caliph).

The song likened Mahathir to a caliph the most authoritative leader in ancient Islamic empires.

When the premier asked the children who the gift was from, they replied, "It is from all the Malaysians" and he broke out in laughter.

Mahathir then recited a few verses of the song before being driven away in his black Proton Perdana Executive, with the number plate "2020".

At the end of the whole episode, one cannot help but wonder why the huge crowd had turned up to convince Mahathir to stay on, to support his decision to go, or to show the world that the outgoing premier has not lost his support?