Dr Mahathir has been speaking a lot the recent months. Some feel he should not criticize government’s policies as it would weaken the credibility of Pak Lah, his anointed successor.

I think Dr Mahathir has every right to speak up, after all Malaysia is also his country.

Maybe Dr Mahathir should now speak up on the predicaments of Tenaga Nasional and to respond to Ani Arope’s views that the utility company got a raw deal with the Independent Power Producers (IPPs).

Ani Arope was former TNB executive who headed the company from 1990 to 1996. It was during his tenure that the first generation IPPs was created.

When asked by the StarBiz on how the Malaysian model of IPPs was created, Ani simply replied: “Ask our previous Prime Minister.”

Asked how he was affected by the process of awarding the IPP contracts, Ani answered: “I felt sick. It was morally wrong and not fair.”

Tenaga’s predicaments are linked to a certain extent with the raw deal they got from the IPPs, a move that have benefited Dr Mahathir’s cronies.

How long are we going to be stuck with these raw deals?

Dr Mahathir should break his silence and give his two-cent worth on the matter.