WHO IS THE MOST POWERFUL PERSON IN MALAYSIA?

PASSING BY: The most powerful person in Malaysia needs powerful allies and must know whom not to upset.

He must be able to convince the rakyat without irritating industrial moguls.

He must not annoy royalty, and at the same time, he must be acceptable to the ulama.

The most powerful person in Malaysia cannot be former PM Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

In the past, he would have been consulted by all prime ministers.

Mahathir could make and break PMs. He only needed to call a press conference to influence public opinion.

Today, Mahathir has trouble making himself believed.

Disappointed with Najib Razak, he has tried to criticise him, his wife and his policies, but to no avail.

In previous years, he would have had no difficulty removing Najib.

Today, despite twice joining the Bersih 4 march, being supported by rebel Umno Baru politicians and prominent Malaysians, Mahathir cannot unseat Najib, and is not the most powerful person in Malaysia

Could the most powerful man be Najib?

No! He has great difficulty earning the respect of the nation.

Foreign heads of state do not value him, but they look forward to negotiating favourable deals with him.

They value his wallet, especially as he is also the finance minister but he has a millstone, which cannot be mentioned.

Could the Petronas Chairman be the most powerful man in Malaysia?

No! The Petronas Chairman's power does not extend to politics. He has influence in the oil business, but he is beholden to the PM and his advisers.

Could the IGP be the most powerful man in Malaysia?

No! He is so busy chasing opposition politicians and people in yellow shirts, that he has lost sight of his job priorities and lost the respect of the rakyat.

He is adept at managing the tweets of people, but he cannot tackle crime and the causes of crime.

Could the home minister be the most powerful man in Malaysia?

Ahmad Zahid Hamidi acts tough and behind the scenes, is known as a bully.

If the Tiga Line gang did not provide support, Zahid would be just another class bully.

Somewhere in Sungai Buloh prison is a man who has dedicated his life to righting the wrongs in Malaysian politics.

He was removed from an active political life, because he was considered a threat.

Can Anwar Ibrahim claim to be the most powerful man in Malaysia? No. Not really.

Is the most powerful man in Malaysia the leader of PAS?

Hadi Awang's vacillations, his misogynistic views and his focus on the after-life preclude him from being the most powerful person in Malaysia.

Is the most powerful man the Chief Minister of Penang, Lim Guan Eng?

He receives a lot of attention from Umno Baru supporters and cybertroopers, but his power is limited.

Penang may be his turf, but his influence may not extend outside Penang.

Is Harrusani Zakaria the most powerful man in Malaysia?

Not really, unless you want to seek the fast track to heaven, or his advice about sex on a camel or the choice of football jerseys.

So who is the most powerful person in Malaysia?

It is you!

Your vote can determine who will rule the country.

Do not waste your vote.

Do not keep silent in the face of corruption, injustice and abuse of power.

You may not realise it, but as an individual you are strong. When you team up with others, you are invincible. You are the most powerful , pass it on..

by Mariam Mokhtar (Portal The Antdaily)