Two old nemeses, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Lim Kit Siang, have been exchanging strong words in the battle for Gelang Patah.

TUN Dr Mahathir Mohamad, as the Chinese like to say, has eaten more salt than most people have eaten rice. It is the old world way of saying that he has been there, seen it, done it.

But one experience which he could not have possibly imagined was to have his would-be assassin ask for his forgiveness.

That happened a week ago when former PAS radical Zainon Ismail, who was involved in a plot to kill Dr Mahathir when he was at the height of power, called on the former prime minister and formally issued an apology.

Dr Mahathir brought this up when he campaigned in Pendang, Kedah, recently.

“Seeking forgiveness is one thing. What’s more important as a Muslim is that Cikgu ‘Non has seen the light, he realises his mistakes and he has repented,” he said.

Zainon or Cikgu ‘Non, as he is known, was a militant member of PAS who was swept along by the party’s Amanat Haji Hadi – a religious edict which condemned Umno members as “kafir” or infidels – and which inspired Zainon to join the mujahideen in Afghanistan.

There is no denying that Dr Mahathir has become one of Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s key assets in the general election.

He was outside Umno in 2008 but this time around, he is determined to ensure that Najib wins well.

In Kedah on Saturday, he stood at the rostrum, speaking for so long that Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali, who was also there, was worried he would tire himself out and SMS-ed him.

“I was so tickled. When I told her that Tun Mahathir’s handphone was probably not switched on, she said she just had to try,” said Sungai Tiang assemblyman Datuk Su­­­raya

Yaakob.

Dr Mahathir, 87, may be the doctor in the house as his best-selling book suggests, but Dr Siti Hasmah makes the house calls.

Many had thought he would be campaigning mainly in his Kedah home, where Datuk Mukhriz is seen as the mentri besar candidate.

But, he had drawn big crowds in Muar and Kempas that Johor Umno leaders are clamouring for him to come over again.

The Malays in Johor are very sophisticated and they are attentive to what he says. Listening to him reminds them of how much this man and Umno has done for them. They see him not only as a former prime minister but a living legend.

The Johor invitations were for him to meet and advise Umno leaders on the need to unite and fight a common enemy.

But he has somehow become part of Johor Umno’s campaign to stop DAP’s Lim Kit Siang in Gelang Patah.

The Pakatan Rakyat side is still not quite sure on how to handle him. When Dr Mahathir told Lim it was time he retired, Lim responded by challenging Dr Mahathir to contest in Gelang Patah. The elder politician has no interest in contesting, that is all behind him now.

He knew when to exit and that has given him the licence to tell others they have overstayed their welcome.

There is also some sort of role reversal happening here – Lim, who was the then Opposition Leader, was a big thorn in Dr Mahathir’s side throughout his prime ministership. But Dr Mahathir is now the thorn in Lim’s side.

Pakatan leaders can hardly tell Dr Mahathir that he has retired and should stay at home.

After all, Lim, at 72, is well past retirement age, with no plans to retire despite a health scare. His DAP comrade Karpal Singh is 73, in a wheelchair and getting ready for another election. Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat of PAS is 82, sickly, and on course to setting a record as the oldest candidate of the GE13.

Lim has taken exception to Dr Mahathir’s blog jottings in cetdet.cc and demanded that the Attorney-General arrest and charge him for sedition and criminal defamation.

He has threatened to sue Dr Mahathir for saying that race relations in Johor will be affected if Lim wins and that DAP makes the Chinese hate and dislike the Malays.

Lim has also slammed Dr Mahathir as the single greatest threat to Malaysian nation-building.

But the point is that DAP has been riding on Chinese sentiment. Its hate-and-blame game against Umno has been a clever tactic in harnessing the Chinese support.

When the Chinese vote against Barisan Nasional, the main casualties are MCA and Gerakan and the big winner is DAP.

Dr Mahathir admitted that Lim’s presence in Gelang Patah has turned it into the focus of the general election. Both men are veterans and old nemeses. Their verbal warfare is basically a continuation of old antagonism from way back. They are well placed to take on each other.

Lim arrived in Johor from a position of strength. His party is at the pinnacle of Chinese support, it has never been as successful or powerful as it is now and there seems to be no limit to its influence among the Chinese.

Pakatan’s bid to make Johor its front-line state was premised mainly on untapped Chinese support.

Lim was applying a well-tested formula when he left his Perak seat for Gelang Patah.

He knew it would not be easy, but he did not anticipate running into such complicated obstacles.

Most of all, he did not imagine that he would run into an obstacle called Dr Mahathir.

It now looks like he might have underestimated the strength and determination of Johor Barisan to defend its reputation as the Umno fortress. It would have been a breeze for him to take on MCA in Gelang Patah, but it will be a different ballgame if he has to face Mentri Besar Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman.

DAP has been inciting the Chinese against Umno for the last five years. They now have the perfect opportunity to choose between DAP and Umno in Gelang Patah.

Dr Mahathir flew off for London today to attend the memorial service for Baroness Margaret Thatcher, whom he regarded as a fellow politician of conviction.

But he will be back to partake in the Mother of all Battles.

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