COMMENT It doesn’t take a political pundit to tell us that the two-week- long savage battle in Kedah is a proxy war between former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak that has ostensibly gone very wrong.

Much as I would want to comment on the decision proper, it is already history, as they say it. But one reminder for former Kedah menteri besar Mukhriz Mahathir (whom I surely would have sided with if I were to be directly engaged) is: you now know your true friends and foes; if you are cut out to be a leader, you will certainly bounce back.

As American essayist Ralph Waldo Emerson once said: “Our greatest glory consists not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” Likewise Mukhriz, the rakyat would surely want to see you rise again.

That brings me to the bigger question of why the battle had been fought in the first place. Was it fought for the rakyat - who are the real stakeholders and owners of this sovereign nation?

The sultan and the sovereign are responsible to see that orderliness is maintained, so as to ensure that His Majesty’s government and position is also not undermined or subverted.

Yes, for all the fights to unseat each other and wrestle for power (i.e. the position of Kedah MB), were the interests of the rakyat a prime consideration?

Was the challenge to Mukhriz mounted and the fight fought because the position of the rakyat is at stake, undermined or compromised? What was at stake, and why was Mukhriz so dangerous?

Rakyat or party first?

Was it ever about the rakyat, if at all, that a change was necessary? Or was it entirely about greed and vendetta?

Was it about Najib and his merry band wanting to exhibit their unbridled and unfettered power, that they could decide with impunity to hire and fire, at their whims and fancies?

How, and what, were the ‘sins of commission and omissions’ of Mukhriz that warrant him to be removed with this sort of indignity - and so forcefully executed , at that?

Explain it to the rakyat of Kedah at least; perchance they might understand and support the removal. Perchance, the successor would be reminded not to do the same!

So, if Najib was unable to come out with a convincing narrative and answer for the rakyat, it surely was not about anything that would befall them. Instead, it was all about fighting for partisan parochial interests - which Mukhriz was alleged to have miserably failed at.

Going by his own mantra, Najib would want the nation to believe that Umno has put the 'party interest first' and for that, he has lauded Kedah Umno.

Now is the time to turn the tables on Najib, our very own PM-cum-finance minister.

In the same vein - in the name of "putting the party first" - after the RM2.6 billion donation expose and the perennial problem of 1MDB and its litany of scandals, why can’t Najib be similarly removed now?

Not only has he become Umno's single biggest liability, Najib has also become the nation's greatest bane as well.

For once, do the right thing and resign for the sake of the rakyat and the nation!

DR DZULKEFLY AHMAD is Parti Amanah Negara strategy director.