Ghani Othman's candidature in Gelang Patah – implementation of Mahathir's first directive in the 13GH: “End Kit Siang's political career”

The announcement of Datuk Ghani Othman, the Johor Mentri Besar, as the candidate of the Barisan Nasional parliamentary constituency of Gelang Patah in the 13th General Election has not created any surprises as this has been an open secret for the past fortnight.

This was both the request of the MCA President, Datuk Seri Dr. Chua Soi Lek who was even prepared to unilaterally surrender the Gelang Patah seat, traditional fortress of MCA, as well as the directive of the former Prime Minister, Tun Mahathir who came to Johore on April 1 and called on the people of Johor in the 13GE to end my political career.

Ghani's candidature is the implementation by the Prime Minister and UMNO President, Datuk Seri Najib Razak of Mahathir's first directive in the 13GE, “End Kit Siang's political career”.

Nobody doubts that the most powerful man in UMNO and Barisan Nasional today is not the Prime Minister and BN Chairman but Mahathir, the de facto power behind the throne in UMNO and BN.

In fact, Najib is very afraid of Mahathir as the former longest-serving Prime Minister had proved that he was capable to both setting up UMNO/BN Prime Ministers as well as toppling them, as happened to Tun Abdullah after the 2008 general elections.

Although Ghani tried to deny the “undeniable” by stating that his candidacy was not to “bury” my political career but to defend what Johor had achieved all this while including the harmony among the different races, everyone in Gelang Patah, Johore and Malaysia know the real reason and agenda for Ghani's candidacy in Gelang Patah.

In fact, after Mahathir's open call on April 1, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin publicly stated that I was “trapped” in Gelang Patah saying categorically that I was “finished” politically.

There can be no more powerful evidence that the UMNO leadership, under Mahathir's directive have worked out a strategy to ensure that Gelang Patah becomes my “political grave”.

I leave my political future in the hands of the voters of Gelang Patah who will decide whether I am politically buried in the 13GE.