Of course, there’s a possibility this whole thing is being orchestrated by Mahathir in some elaborate 4D chess game so he can stay as PM for another 10 years. After all, it’s hard to believe the world’s longest-serving politician is so inept at politics he did not see the rumblings of ambition from within his own party and cabinet.

It’s even harder to understand why he does not just come out and say: “That cocksucker Azmin betrayed me. Fuck him. I stand with Anwar.” He is being awfully quiet for a man who simply could not shut up about George Soros, Lazy Malays, The International Jewish Banking Conspiracy and How He Is Not At All A Dictator.

However, I’m inclined to believe he’s not the mastermind behind The Greatest Betrayal In Malaysia History. Pakatan Harapan, after many tortured negotiations, had already given up on getting him to hand over power. At the Presidential council, they basically gave him free rein to stay as long as he desired. He has ‘full discretion’ on when to step down—a suitable time for retirement was left to ‘Dr. Mahathir’s wisdom’. Hence, with free rein to do whatever he pleases, it seems unlikely that Mahathir would leave PH to rejoin Najib.

It’s not that I trust in his integrity. I trust his vanity.

The man is 94 years-old, and with Covid-19 in the air, he honestly might die any day. I don’t think he wants to go down in history as Malaysia’s oldest and most promiscuous Prime Minister. I don’t think he wants to be remembered as the man who saved Malaysia, only to betray it once again, to further entrench the corruption he’s spent years railing against.

Nevertheless, he does have a share of the blame for this entire fiasco. By failing to commit to an exact date for the transfer of power to Anwar, and by refusing to honour the pre-election deal, he has weakened the PH coalition and its reform agenda. His refusal to handover has led to backroom dealing and backroom-stabbing on an unprecedented magnitude because everyone was keen to exploit his purported rift with Anwar.

Let’s just hope it doesn’t descend into further chaos. There’s plenty of time to backstab each other when the Covid-19 outbreak is over.