Where it all went wrong for Harapan

COMMENT | Twenty months have passed since that historic day where Pakatan Harapan trounced Umno-Baru/BN and buoyed the hopes of millions of excited Malaysians, eager for change after decades of institutionalised racism, religious extremism, corruption and mismanagement.

The day after GE14, we saw video footage of a bleary-eyed Dr Mahathir Mohamad demanding a reluctant Election Commissioner declare a Harapan victory.

We held our breath when the 93-year-old rushed to the palace to meet the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and form a new government, only to be told to return in the afternoon. Our concern intensified with the additional delay.

During this time, it was alleged that a disgraced Najib Abdul Razak was trying to coerce the police into engineering his return. They refused!

Finally, the moment to be savoured came at 11pm. With his hand on the Quran and quivering from fatigue, Mahathir swore allegiance to the King, but more importantly, it was the fulfilment of a nation's dream, a change for the better after 61 years of stifling one-party rule...