Riding on Nga's 'lion', Dr M swats Umno

Summary

• Dr Mahathir Mohamad lends his own spin to the war of words between DAP’s Nga Kor Ming and Umno’s Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh.

• The former premier claims that Umno has been reduced to a “fly” in the government.

• Umno Veterans Club reminds Mahathir of when Lim Guan Eng was a “lion”.

Based on DAP leader Nga Kor Ming's analogy, he likens himself to a lion and Umno Youth chief Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh to a fly, implying that the latter is not worth engaging with.

However, Dr Mahathir Mohamad, trained in medicine but excelling in spin doctoring, pounced on the chance to swat the entire Umno.

The veteran politician, who will turn 100 in July, also put words into the housing and local government minister’s mouth, remarking, "According to Nga, Umno is just a fly. Nga is a lion."

“Umno has accepted being a fly because it is afraid of the lion,” he added in a Facebook post.

Mahathir, who was Umno's longest-serving president before clashing with two of his successors and eventually leaving the party, expressed his regret over the current state of the once powerful organisation.

“This is what Umno is now. Nothing more than a fly in the government,” he said.

‘Remember when Guan Eng was a lion’

In response, Umno Veterans Club chided Mahathir for misrepresenting Nga’s personal remark against Akmal to insult Umno.

Umno Veterans secretary Mustapha Yaakub also reminded the nonagenarian of when the latter was a “fly” in the presence of the “lion” Lim Guan Eng, DAP’s chairperson.

“Mahathir knows that Nga’s reference was meant for Akmal… But due to his malicious intent and hatred towards Umno, he intentionally twisted Nga’s meaning to insult Umno.

“When he was the seventh PM (from 2018-2020), he appointed Lim as the finance minister. When people asked why he appointed Lim, he replied because Lim wanted the position.

“This means he was once a fly and Lim was a lion. He should have been the lion since he was the prime minister at the time,” he added in a statement.

Mustapha said Umno Veterans would like to advise Mahathir to stop making “foolish” statements.

“Allah has granted him a long life. He should use the remaining years of his life to repent for his sins of dividing the Malays by engaging in more charitable work and spending more time at the surau and mosque,” he added.

Pig with lion’s mane

Nga's comparison of "predator versus insect," which emerged during the "ham and cheese sandwich" debacle, had incited Akmal's anger, prompting the Umno Youth leader to call the DAP leader a "ham brain”.

Upping the ante, the firebrand Akmal, who has been at the forefront of racial and religious issues, also shared an image on his social media of a pig with a lion’s mane, dubbing it a “new species”.

In contrast, Nga commended Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s shift towards moderation since the formation of the coalition government.

However, in an obvious reference to Akmal, he said that “bad apples” were bound to exist in all organisations.

“A party with a million members will inevitably have its share of individuals who might tarnish its reputation. The key is for Umno’s top leadership to manage these challenges wisely,” he added.

Akmal's acerbic outbursts have consistently been a thorn in the Madani government, making it increasingly difficult for DAP to justify its alliance with Umno, a party it once vehemently opposed on the grounds of corruption and racism.

For Umno's base, Akmal is seen as a figure who keeps DAP in check, ensuring that the status quo remains intact and unchallenged.

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