For Mahathir, what goes around comes around.

2016 and 1985. What do they have in common? Political skullduggery. The removal of one man, to win the next General Election.

They say that, what goes around, comes around.

On 27 January, former PM Mahahir Mohamad acknowledged that his son, the Kedah MB, Mukhriz, is a pawn in Najib Abdul Razak’s game.

Mahathir said, “This is Najib’s political game. Whoever criticises him will be ousted, even expelled from Umno.”

So, it looks like Ibrahim “Libya” Mahmood, Mahathir’s old nemesis is striking back, from beyond the grave. Mukhriz appears to be hounded, in much the same way as Ibrahim “Libya” was, 31 years ago.

History has a strange way of repeating itself.

In 2016, one of the reasons, for the 2016 Umno-Baru rebels’ dissatisfaction with Mukhriz, is his failure to plan for GE-14.

Among the rebel leaders, demanding Mukhriz’s removal, is the Baling MP, Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim. Baling is near Memali.

The name of this place, Baling / Memali, is significant because because of a tragic incident, back in 1985.

Cast your mind back to 1985. The Memali massacre was poorly reported because our mainstream media had already been compromised.

At the time, political parties were preparing for the general election of 1986, and Kedah Umno (this was before Umno-Baru was formed), was desperate.

They feared Ibrahim “Libya”, an influential and highly charismatic ustaz, a popular radio and TV commentator, who was aligned with PAS, and who lived in Kampung Memali.

The area in and around Memali appears to be full of dissent. Back in 1985, today, in 2016.

Umno Kedah informed the PM at the time, Mahathir, to do something, or else Umno would lose Kedah. So, he launched, what is known as the Memali massacre.

Mahathir mudah lupa peristiwa (Mahathir easily forgets history). Today, in the run-up to GE-14, Mahathir’s bloodline may be cursed by the Memali incident.

The Memali tragedy happened thirty years ago. It was not a coincidence, or God’s will. It was the political assassination of one man, Ibrahim “Libya” Mahmood.

Today, we learnt that Mukhriz Mahathir was kicked out of office.

Karma or political expediency? For Mahathir, what goes around, comes around.

More importantly, will Najib realise that what goes around, comes around?