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Excerpt 1: 'Spin-doctoring from the other side'

Can Mahathir, against all the odds, get the power back when someone else holds it and is not about to give it up? Especially when his successor, whom he picked, led Umno and Barisan Nasional to the most resounding victory ever in the general elections of 2004. That victory, the scale of which may not have been possible if Mahathir was at the helm, represented a return to the fold of Malays who had deserted Umno in 1999, post the Anwar Ibrahim crisis.

That we have to actually ask and answer this question indicates in no uncertain terms that the silly season in Malaysian politics is back when the unthinkable is thought and an increasing weight of opinion seems to think that the impossible is possible. Or is this merely another form of spin-doctoring from the other side?

Excerpt 2: 'Mahathir just wants to raise dissent'

Mahathir is too astute to mount a direct challenge to Abdullah. What he will do is to continue to agitate and to raise the same old issues he has time and time again ­ issues which have been answered enough times and over which no sane government will back down.

What he wants to do is to raise so much dissent on the ground ­ real or apparent ­ to try and force Abdullah to "voluntarily" step down, much like what happened to the Tunku. Abdullah will be falling into his trap if he does throw in the towel.

In Mahathir's mind, even if he fails to force Abdullah out, he is hoping to at least put on the defensive or neutralise those individuals close to Abdullah who he regards as unfriendly to him (Mahathir).

Excerpt 3: 'Malays and Umno will be split again'

The unfortunate thing is that a whole lot of ill and ailments that will supposedly affect the country is conjured up by the doom and gloom sayers, who create a momentum of pessimism by inviting and even coercing others to their point of view by their incessant prattle.

The Malays and Umno will be split again, there will be political instability, this is the worst crisis Abdullah has faced, economic development will grind to a halt, the stock market will fall, don't underestimate him, etc. Are all these justified?

Excerpt 4: 'Let Mahathir do what he pleases, just ignore him'

Of course these do not mean that we advocate restraining Mahathir or silencing him. No! He and anyone else must have this freedom. Let him crisis-cross the country, let him say what he wants, let the newspapers report it if they consider it newsworthy. He is entitled to take any measure within the law.

More than the danger of underestimating is over-estimating his power and assuming that what he does will plunge this nation into the depths of social and economic upheaval. Really, there is no need for the government to react to his every move. Let him be and just get on with the job, and lord knows there's much to be done. Mahathir pointedly ignored two former prime ministers in his time.

Excerpt 5: 'Malaysians prone to shooting themsleves in the feet'

Mahathir's time is up ­ it ended some three years ago when he gave up power. To try to hold onto it by using his image and influence to force things is regrettable and will backfire on him eventually. It is more than time to move on.

But we Malaysians have this habit of shooting ourselves in our feet oftentimes, blowing up larger than life political posturing into political crises instead of getting on with the matters that matter. Mahathir is counting on that.

Excerpt 6 : 'Power of the incumbent'

Partly because of what Mahathir has done to strengthen the seat of the incumbent president of Umno, it is not going to be easy to unseat Abdullah. On top of this there are considerable powers that the prime minister has under the laws of the country.

You didn't get to read P. Gunasegaram writing this way over 22 years ago, did you?

I'm still waiting for some enligtenment to Questions 10 (Mahathir's handling of the Judiciary) and 13 (patronage and cronyism during the Mahathir administration) he raised among 20 others in June, in the context of the Bowman Papers and the lawyer that tycoon Vincent Tan once employed.