Prime Minister Najib Razak is seeking to entrench his own legacy and move out of the long shadow cast by his predecessor turned opposition chief Mahathir Mohamad, who led Malaysia for 22 years.

In recent speeches ahead of an election expected by May, Datuk Seri Najib has decried policies implemented by Tun Dr Mahathir from 1981 to 2003, a period largely remembered as one of rapid economic development for Malaysia.

Analysts like S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies‘ senior fellow Johan Saravanamuttu believe “the Mahathir factor will be the overarching overtone” of the general election, so an attack on his legacy “is a good tactic aimed at deflecting opposition campaign issues”.

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