Expect Mahathir to exit later rather than sooner

QUESTION TIME | On the face of it, it looks like Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad will go if Harapan’s presidential council asks him to. But as with most of his blanket statements, there is a catch which makes all the difference.

That presidential council has five members from each of the component parties - PKR, DAP, Amanah and Mahathir’s Bersatu, which is of course out of all proportion to their numbers in Parliament because they are all “equal partners”.

This is what Mahathir told reporters a few days ago in response to questions: He is prepared to relinquish his post with immediate effect should the Pakatan Harapan presidential council demand it.

But here is the clinching addendum: “I think this will be decided by all four (Harapan) parties together. Whether they want me to go or not to go. As far as I am concerned, if they want me to go now, I will go now.”

Remember the key phrases which will be used over and over again - “equal partners” although Bersatu is clearly more equal than others and “decided by all four parties together”.

Will all four parties decide that he has to go sooner rather than later? Definitely not Bersatu, Amanah is already swaying Mahathir’s way and even DAP which is not just leaning towards Mahathir but is embracing him when it’s secretary-general and party supremo Lim Guan Eng endorsed Mahathir’s “I will leave after Apec...