Heart-to-heart Talk: My Personal Reflection over Mahathir's Past

A photograph circulating in the social media may be AI generated. 

I came across this message on social media, showing a photograph which could be real or AI-generated. 

However, its message is a lesson for all, including politicians who think they have made it to the heights in their political careers.

After reviewing the piece currently circulating on social media (appended below), I felt it necessary to share my perspective. My goal is to address the various controversies that have emerged and provide much-needed clarity on the matter.

The Reckoning Has Arrived

​The hour has come.

The Wheel of Heaven turns; whom do the Heavens ever spare?

​Who says Heaven and Earth are heartless? Who says cause and effect do not exist? Those who commit many evils may escape judgment for a time, but they ultimately cannot escape life’s most authentic lesson. In full view of the public, to lose the ability to move and to lie on a sickbed suffering a living hell!

​Marathir. This name was once packaged as a reformer, a savior of the nation. Yet, in his long political years, he flipped, tore apart, and subverted the country time and time again. The fate of a nation is often ruined by the few who believe they possess the Mandate of Heaven.

​What he leaves behind is not a stable system, nor an inclusive society, but a fractured people, a stagnant economy, and a national body repeatedly torn by the teeth of religion and racism.

​In his political logic, power stands above institutions, and personal will overrides the nation's future. He is skilled at manufacturing enemies, simplifying complex issues into racial opposition, and transforming political failure into emotional mobilization.

​The result is a society hollowed of trust, where reason is mocked and extremism is indulged. Even if newcomers take the stage, they must stumble forward through ruins, with the cracks almost impossible to repair.

​The one-hundred-year-old Mahathir, engaging in his daily exercise before work, fell from a treadmill and fractured his right hip. Due to his advanced age, doctors advised against surgery, leaving only the option of long and agonizing physical therapy. This scene requires no mockery, nor any schadenfreude; it stands on its own as the calmest, cruelest warning.

​Lying in a hospital bed, unable to move, is life's greatest torture. When your feet no longer obey your commands, when the body is no longer driven by will, only then do you suddenly realize how insignificant everything you once clung to is in the face of life and death. Face, dignity, and pride are automatically set aside; power, status, and historical legacy lose all substantive meaning.

​In this moment, one fact becomes truly clear: The world will not pause its rotation because of your fragility. Society will not stop for any individual, and no one is obligated to bear the consequences of what you caused in your lifetime.

​The high spirits and vigor of the past are not worth mentioning in the face of pain; the arrogance and calculations of the past crumble instantly under the pressure of reality. The only wish remaining in the heart is to live quietly, to breathe well, and to have a good sleep.

​Life has never been about who lives the most glamorously or who can summon the wind and rain, but about who, in their limited days, can lighten their heart and view attachments lightly. Happiness is not something you possess only when there are no troubles, but a choice to live gently even after seeing clearly the impermanence of life.

​To live happily for one more day is a victory—this should have been the wisdom of an ordinary person, yet for some, it is a realization that comes too late, only at the very end of life. The Wheel of Heaven turns; whom do the Heavens spare? History may remain silent, but the Heavens never show partiality to anyone.

​Who says Heaven and Earth are heartless? Who says cause and effect do not exist? Those who have done much evil will, in the end, find it hard to escape the judgment of the Almighty.

​Translation Notes regarding Cultural Context

​"The Wheel of Heaven" / "Tian Dao" (天道): I translated this as "The Wheel of Heaven" or "The Heavens." In Chinese culture, Tian Dao refers to the natural order, cosmic law, or divine justice. The phrase "Heaven spares no one" implies that karma inevitably catches up to everyone.

​"Packaged" (包装): The text uses this word to imply that his image as a savior was manufactured or artificial.

​"Living Hell" (活生生受罪): The literal translation is "suffering vividly/alive." In this context, it implies a very raw, tangible suffering that is worse because the person is conscious and enduring it physically.

​"Summon wind and rain" (呼风唤雨): This is a Chinese idiom describing someone with immense power and influence.

- author unknown 

My Reflections 

1. The above piece was likely written by a Chinese‑educated Malaysian who lived through the era of Dr Mahathir Mohamad. As I do not fully grasp the nuances of the Chinese idioms used, I will refrain from offering any commentary on them.

2. However, there is a distinction between this piece and the messages circulating on social media recently that indulge in unseemly gloating over the court’s decision to reject the validity of the Addendum, thereby denying Najib Razak the possibility of house arrest.

3. I will not comment further on the Addendum except to note that Justice Alice Loke Yee Ching ruled that the alleged order was invalid because it was never deliberated or decided upon by the Pardons Board chaired by the former King. 

If an ordinary citizen like me could foresee a year ago that the Addendum would carry little weight, Najib’s lawyers—led by Tan Sri Shafee Abdullah—should have known better. Unless they are prepared to fight the case on a pro bono basis, perhaps receiving remuneration only upon success, their attempt to prolong proceedings appears frivolous.

4. Let us now turn to one of our favourite animated films, The Lion King and draw some lessons from it: when rejoicing is an acceptable, and when it is not. The movie offers many moral lessons worth reflecting upon. Consider these two:

•  When Simba’s wicked uncle Scar died after the hyenas turned against him, from the audience's perspective, there was no celebration; it was typically seen as a just end for the villain. He deserved it! 

• In contrast, celebration marked the ascension of the rightful heir Simba to the throne. All of the kingdom erupted in joy when justice was finally upheld. 

5. Returning back to Dr Mahathir Mohamad in his twilight years: it is a fact that he suffered a fall in January 2026, fracturing his hip, and is now undergoing non‑surgical physiotherapy. Reports confirm he was conscious and in stable condition, though recovery will be long. In such moments, no matter how lofty one’s stature, reflection on life is inevitable. 

6. Is this an occasion to rejoice? Of course, the answer is in the negative although to many Malaysians, especially within the Chinese community who lived through the dark period of May 13, Mahathir is remembered harshly. 

Malaysia’s first Prime Minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman, had warned that Mahathir could become a disaster for UMNO, even remarking that if anyone could destroy Malaysia, it would be him.

7. Although Mahathir’s popularity rose during periods of apparent economic growth, accusations of cronyism and misuse of public funds persisted. The Asian Financial Crisis of 1997 exposed the fragility of many of his mega‑projects, which were heavily reliant on Petronas revenues and proved unsustainable.

• Proton: Founded in 1983, later sold in 2017 to DRB‑HICOM (50.1%) and China’s (49.9%).

• Perwaja Steel: Established in 1982 as a flagship heavy industry project, but collapsed and was dissolved in 2013.

• MAS (Malaysia Airlines): Acquired by Tajuddin Ramli in 1994; by 2001 the government had to buy back shares at inflated prices, leading to billions in losses.

• Cyberjaya: Launched in 1997 as part of the Multimedia Super Corridor to be Malaysia’s “Silicon Valley.” While it remains a tech hub, it never achieved the global stature envisioned. This is because the policies he put in place did not help retain many of our talents. The brain drain would not have happened if people felt they were fairly treated.

• Biotechnology Valley: Conceptualised in the early 2000s, we have yet to achieve the ultimate aim of Malaysia’s Vision 2020 plan to diversify beyond manufacturing and agriculture into high-value knowledge industries. 

Again, Malaysia launched the National Biotechnology Policy 2.0 in 2022, but despite some progress (e.g., ALPS Global becoming a biotech unicorn in 2024), it has not yet become a thriving global hub.

• MISC & Mirzan Mahathir: In 1998, MISC acquired shipping assets from Mirzan Mahathir’s Konsortium Perkapalan Bhd, widely criticised as a bailout. The troubled company later recovered after restructuring.

When someone is already at the tail end of his life, it is likely that reality will begin to set in. We can only pray that he will acknowledge all his wrongs and may God have mercy on him. Ultimately we cannot escape from the Judge of judges. No amount of good deeds that we practise or the billions that we are able to accumulate in a lifetime will be enough to settle that debt, unless it is settled beyond what our minds can imagine.