100-Year-Old Dr. Mahathir Tells Anwar: 'Stop Protecting Me, I Want To Fight!'
The country's centenarian former Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad has done something that would make most politicians break into a cold sweat: he's actively
asking
to be prosecuted.
The backstory is pure geopolitical heartbreak.
Back in 2008, Malaysia lost a chunk of its territory when the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that Pulau Batu Puteh (Pedra Branca) belonged to Singapore.
Think of it as Malaysia's equivalent of losing a beloved family heirloom in a messy divorce.
The island, sitting strategically at the entrance to the Singapore Strait, had been contested for decades.
Fast-forward to 2018, when Dr. Mahathir, in his second stint as PM, made what a recent Royal Commission called a catastrophic decision: he withdrew Malaysia's application to review the ICJ ruling.
It was like folding a winning poker hand because you got tired of playing.
The Courtroom That Never Was
Last week, current Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim stood in Parliament and delivered what amounted to a judicial verdict without the judge's robes.
'Is he not at fault? He is at fault,' Anwar declared about his predecessor, channelling his inner prosecutor.
But then came the plot twist: 'We agreed not to take action' because Dr. Mahathir is 100 years old.
It was a political mic drop that landed with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer.
The Defiant Response
Dr. Mahathir's response was swift and characteristically sharp.
In a Facebook post that went viral faster than a TikTok dance, the former PM essentially told the government: 'Hold my walking stick and watch this.'
'I don't want immunity,' he wrote, with the defiance of someone who's survived decades of political storms.
If you accuse me of being guilty, bring me to court and prove I'm guilty. I know I'm not guilty and I want to prove it.
The post was pure Dr. Mahathir – part legal challenge, part political theatre, and entirely unapologetic.
He accused Anwar of playing a triple role as Prime Minister, judge, and prosecutor, noting dryly that 'the Constitution doesn't say the Prime Minister can be a prosecutor or judge.'
The People's Court of Public Opinion
The Facebook comments section exploded like a Malaysian political version of reality TV.
Supporters praised the 'legendary' former PM for his courage, while others questioned the entire legal framework.
One commenter captured the surreal nature of the situation: 'It's better if the Prime Minister just appoints himself as Chief Justice.'
The irony wasn't lost on anyone: here was a 100-year-old man essentially begging to be prosecuted, while the government was trying to protect him from prosecution he didn't want.
The Real Issue: When Politics Decides Who Gets Justice
This isn't just about one island or one old politician's pride.
It's about the fundamental question of how justice works when politics gets in the way.
Dr. Mahathir's refusal of age-based immunity raises uncomfortable questions about equal treatment under the law.
The Royal Commission had recommended criminal investigation under fraud-related sections of the Penal Code, but stopped short of suggesting civil action due to time limitations.
It's like having a smoking gun but being told
What Happens Next?
As Malaysia watches this unprecedented standoff between a centenarian demanding prosecution and a government offering protection he doesn't want, the real question becomes: what does justice look like when the accused is begging for his day in court?
Dr. Mahathir's final line in his Facebook post cuts to the heart of it: 'Immunity is for people who are afraid to go to court because they know they're guilty.'
In a political landscape where most politicians would kill for immunity, Malaysia's oldest former PM is doing the opposite – fighting for his right to fight.
Whether you love him or hate him, you've got to admit: 'Lao Ma', or Old Horse (based on the Chinese transliteration of his name), still has teeth.
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