Whenever conversations veer towards leadership succession in Malaysia, there are some people who subscribe to the theory that the selection of a prime minister is linked to the letters in the name of the country's first premier, Tunku Abdul Rahman.
Upon inspection, the so-called Rahman theory appears to hold water. Rahman (R), the 'father of independence' ruled from when Malaya, as it was known, gained independence from Britain in 1957 until 1970, when Abdul Razak Hussein (A) took over. His tenure lasted only until 1976, when he died of leukaemia and his brother-in-law, Hussein Onn (H), took over. The present ruler, Mahathir Mohamad (M) came to power in 1981. He says he will leave office after October, when he will be succeeded by Abdullah Ahmad Badawi (A).
Mr Abdullah, who will be Malaysia's fifth prime minister, is keeping his choice of deputy - who will succeed him - close to his chest. The rumour mill has been working overtime, but if the Rahman theory is to be believed, then the front-runner is Najib Razak (N), the defence minister and son of the second prime minister. Besides Mr Najib, there are two other contenders - Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Muhyiddin Yassin and Muhammad Taib, former chief minister of Selangor state. But their names, of course, do not fit the theory. All seemed to fit nicely. Then, out of the blue, comes relatively little-known Nor Azami Ahmad Ghazali, a self-styled 'four-star general'.
He rocked the establishment last week when it was revealed that he planned to become the sixth prime minister - through armed struggle.
The leader of the Federal Special Forces of Malaysia (FSFM) duped Malaysians into joining the paramilitary group. His main claim was that members of the force would arrest corrupt officials and politicians. Such a promise was too potent and intoxicating for the downtrodden or those with an axe to grind.
At the last count, before police moved in, more than 8,000 people had joined to become 'guardians of the country'.
Men and women from villages, offices, government bodies and even entrepreneurs paid between US$2,000 and US$6,000 in exchange for smart-looking blue uniforms, 'authority cards' and military ranks ranging from second lieutenant to captain and even colonel.