KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 3 — Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s waning influence on Malaysian politics could be confirmed If Barisan Nasional (BN) fails to wrest the Sungai Limau constituency in tomorrow’s by-election in Kedah, one of his fiercest critics and long-time rival said today.

Even as Dr Mahathir made a last minute campaign appearance for BN in Kedah today, the DAP’s Lim Kit Siang pointed out that the former prime minister had failed to prevent him from winning the Gelang Patah federal seat in the May 5 general election, and that the elder statesman’s son, Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir, had lost his bid for the vice-presidency in the recent Umno party polls.

“The Sungai Limau by-election tomorrow will answer the question: Will Mahathir and Mahathirism suffer a third and probably final set-back in six months?” said Lim in a statement today.

“Right from the very first day, lies, falsehoods and character-assassination were the staple diet of the Umno/BN (Barisan Nasional) campaign in the Sungai Limau by-election, including the dastardly lies that the DAP wants to form a Christian state, abolish the system of constitutional monarchy and that the DAP is anti-Malay and anti-Islam,” added the DAP adviser.

The veteran opposition politician noted that such a campaign was similarly mounted by Dr Mahathir in Election 2013, citing accusations that he was contesting in Gelang Patah to make the Chinese “dislike and hate the Malays”, and claiming that the DAP wanted to remove the Malays from political dominance.

“But Mahathir and Mahathirism suffered a great setback six months ago during the 13^th General Election on May 5, when thanks to Malay voters who did not succumb to their lies and falsehoods, I was able to win in Gelang Patah with a majority of over 14,000 votes,” said Lim.

Dr Mahathir said last month that the “lunatic fringe” is now controlling Malaysia and that the Najib administration feels the need to succumb to “unreasonable demands” from extremist groups, especially from the opposition, to remain relevant.

Lim said in response that the “lunatic fringe” was not Pakatan Rakyat (PR), but was personified by Dr Mahathir himself, “holding the ‘moderate majority’ to ransom with their ‘lunatic’ lies and falsehoods, undermining and even sabotaging the country’s nation-building, national unity and national development”.

He added that the “lunatic fringe” was represented by Perkasa president Datuk Ibrahim Ali and vice-president Datuk Zulkifli Noordin, who were both defeated in Election 2013.

“In fact, the Shah Alam Umno division chief said after the general elections that if Mahathir had not campaigned in Shah Alam, BN might have earned more votes,” said Lim.

The federal lawmaker said that Dr Mahathir said in the Sungai Limau state constituency today that money politics in Umno elections against Mukhriz was reprehensible, “but ‘OK’ for Umno and Mukhriz when practised in the Sungai Limau by-election”.

BN’s Dr Ahmad Sohaimi Lazim is contesting against PAS’ Mohd Azam Abdul Samat after the incumbent representative Tan Sri Azizan Abdul Razak died on September 26 after a struggle with ill health related to diabetes, aged 69.