Scheduled to land in Subang Skypark at 12.30pm today, but due to delay in obtaining clearance to take off from Saudi Arabia, Dr Mahathir Mohamad was then slated to arrive at 3pm.

This sparked off jokes of how Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak might have attempted to sabotage the plane.

Mahathir and his wife Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali had gone to Mecca to perform the umrah as the Tabung Haji-1Malaysia Development Bhd land deal raged at home.

Pundits predict that a spiritually-recharged Mahathir would now heighten his criticism against the prime minister.

Mahathir wants Najib's head to roll. There is no compromise on this.

Given his track record, the former prime minister will not stop. He will expose an abundance of skeletons until his will is done.

Crabs in a barrel

As one political observer remarked, "Killing prime ministers is a sport for Mahathir."

He will deliver blow after blow at the foundation until the structure collapses. He is patient, intelligent, crafty and vicious.

But Najib refuses to be bullied out of power.

Despite detractors claiming that he dwells in a glass house, Najib too has chosen to throw stones.

He lambasted Mahathir and reminded him of how he saved the former prime minister from defeat in the Umno party elections in the late 1980s, as well as recounted the MAS bailout during the Mahathir's tenure.

So, it appears that Umno is now in the pincers of the 'crab mentality', or the metaphoric 'crabs in the bucket'.

Individually, the crabs could easily escape from the bucket, but instead, they grab at each other, which prevents any of them from escaping and this ensures their collective demise.

Both Mahathir and Najib seem adamant in exposing each other's follies and wrongdoings in a bid to prove who is the greater villain.

Risking it all

As these two crabs claw at each other, the other crabs in the bucket are left wondering about their fate, vis-a-vis the next general election.

Mahathir and Najib are putting the entire ruling coalition at risk and scores of political ambitions are now hanging in the balance because of them.

Something must be done soon.

Umno cannot afford to allow this feud to drag on.

This feud has now overshadowed and foiled Umno's initial plan of helping certain factions in PAS to engineer the decimation of the opposition bloc.

The rakyat have been distracted from wondering if Pakatan Rakyat would lose its limbs due to the hudud imbroglio, and whether the doctor would decapitate Najib.

Umno is flirting with disaster. As it is, the Tabung Haji-1MDB land deal has soiled its reputation in the Malay heartlands.

So, it is time for Umno to either tell Mahathir that he is indeed alone or point Najib to the exit.

Failing which, the electorate might just choose to cook Umno in the next general election. Chilli crabs, anyone?

RK ANAND is a member of the Malaysiakini Team.