COMMENT | Malaysia is now at a stage where it is becoming increasingly clear that we need an innovative solution. Where once upon a time radical ideas for altering our nation’s sociopolitical future were considered hard to imagine, they are now becoming increasingly mainstream.

Dr Mahathir Mohammad has been in an interesting position with regards to such innovations. Back when he was on the cusp of being ousted (or rather, having successfully ousted himself) as prime minister in early 2020, Mahathir mooted the idea of a unity government.

This call would have been infinitely more interesting had it not been seen as a desperate attempt by Mahathir to retain power when he eventually realised he had overplayed his hand and was going to lose everything.

The idea of a unity government re-emerged recently, being mooted by Dewan Rakyat deputy speaker Azalina Othman Said.

Mahathir meanwhile has come up with yet another ‘innovation’. I lose track of the many names being thrown about, but I think the latest version was a “National Recovery Council.”

Once again, some of the interesting ideas in there are overshadowed by the painfully obvious fact that this is a desperate attempt by Mahathir to reassert his influence. We can admire the man’s persistence in his old age, but this by no means obligates us to be taken in once again by his endless machinations. I think Mahathir has done quite enough damage to Malaysia already.

Of course, other political players in the established elite class have completely failed to come out with anything interesting or viable either.

Foreign Minister Hishammuddin Hussein very ...