Pakatan Harapan chairperson Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s every move, tweet and word is closely monitored by his legion of fans and opponents.

Last night, his “date night” with wife Siti Hasmah Ali to watch "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" created a stir when he tweeted he was “looking for inspiration to fight the Dark Forces" while watching the latest instalment of the blockbuster series.

The tweet was accompanied by a selfie with Siti Hasmah, along with another photograph.

In the "Star Wars" saga, users of the "dark side of the Force" are depicted as the tyrannical rulers of the galaxy.

When asked after the movie about his favourite character, the Bersatu chairperson quipped, “Luke Skywalker.”

“It was a great picture,” he told Malaysiakini, but laughed when asked again if he thought he resembled his favourite character.

In the early "Star Wars" movies, Skywalker is a Jedi who joins the Alliance fighting against the authoritarian rule of the Galactic Empire.

Set decades after the last entry in the saga, "The Last Jedi" features the protagonist Rey attempting to enlist the now-exiled Skywalker in the rebellion against the march of the First Order, which emerged in the Galactic Empire's wake. 

Mahathir, who helmed Umno for 22 years during his tenure as prime minister, left the party in 2016 to form Bersatu. He now leads the Pakatan Harapan alliance to battle against his former party, which heads the BN coalition.

The 92-year-old is one of Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak’s staunchest critics.