COMMENT There is a reason that if you count numerically, Malaysia seems to have more men with the title of former deputy prime minister than those titled former PMs.

Perhaps it was because at one time, the most dangerous job in Malaysia was to be the deputy to then prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

Some say that it all started with the former PM's aversion to being stabbed in the back by his deputy, like what the trusted Brutus did to Julius Caesar, though in that case it was actually from the front as historical accounts told.

The good doctor was probably mindful of giving too much power or too long a time in office to his second in command lest they oust him off his seat, though Dr M's fears were perhaps never realised. It was he who seemed to be 'deposing' his deputies than the other way around.

The overthrow of a sitting PM by his erstwhile deputy only came after Mahathir's successor Abdullah Ahmad Badawi took over in 2003.

This was when current Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak had pushed Pak Lah out and siddled into the PM's seat with the help of his previous deputy Muhyiddin Yassin in 2009.

Ironically, Najib himself took over from Pak Lah mid-term, before the former PM's elected days in office finishes, something he hypocritically now said should not and cannot be done to himself as he is a PM "elected into office by the rayat" despite widespread disenchantment with his rule.

And indeed the man with the most sleep to lose over his deputy turned out to be Najib himself who had pulled the hair out of his own boss.

He was until late last year having to look over his shoulder when his former deputy kept attacking him over various national scandals.

Thus in an effort to sleep better at night, Najib appointed Ahmad Zahid Hamidi as DPM, in a party purge that saw Najib's critics, including Muhyiddin, take out of the power structure and sidelined.

But as things go, the man in the number two seat nowadays may still be giving some sleepless nights to Najib as he too seems to be making noises about improper use of politics to enrich corporate and crony coffers .

Why is he making these noises at the inconvenient time that his boss is facing several accusations of being involved in scandals which saw billions in public funds and billions of 'donations' diverted to his boss' own pockets?

One can say that Zahid is simply speaking up to the timbre of the times, taking on the tune of the people's concerns.

Or perhaps he has other motives as the number two man who is also in charge of home affairs?

Is he too gunning for the number one post now that he found himself, like his own boss once did, facing a PM that is not that popular and faced with personal scandals and perceived political failures?

Too early to tell probably, for as history has shown, you can never be sure with the deputy or number two man to Malaysian PMs, just as it was for Caesar and his right-hand man Brutus in Rome.