Take a break before it’s too late: Karpal to Dr M

The 73-year-old DAP leader advises the 87-year-old former premier to stop interfering in politics and to spend time with his grandchildren.

GEORGE TOWN: Senior parliamentarian Karpal Singh has advised Dr Mahathir Mohamad to spend more time with his family before it is too late.

Karpal criticised the former premier for continuing his political tirade against the country’s opposition leaders and in trying to influence the current federal government to get tough on them.

The veteran DAP leader claimed that Mahathir continued to wield control over the Barisan Nasional government, undermining Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and his administration.

“Mahathir should stop controlling the government. It’s an insult to Najib and his government.

“He should take a walk and rest at home, spend more time with his grandchildren before it’s too late,” Karpal, 73, told reporters here.

He suggested that Mahathir, 87, take a political break for good to build-up his status of a statesman.

He advised Mahathir to follow the footsteps of other retired political leaders around the world by staying away from active politics and not to influence the government.

He cited an example of how former US presidents stayed retired and stopped interfering in government affairs.

“He should show political maturity for his age. He should act like a former prime minister, like others who have retired. That’s how the system works.

“He should go down in history as a statesman, not a politician,” said Karpal.

He was referring to Mahathir’s latest call on Najib to get tough and not give face to Pakatan Rakyat leaders for insulting the country’s democratic system.

Karpal recalled that Mahathir initially played the “good guy politics” by releasing detainees, including opposition leaders under the now repealed Internal Security Act when he assumed the premiership in 1981.

Some detainees released were detained since 1974.

However, Karpal said Mahathir went back to his original position by detaining many opposition leaders and activists during the infamous Ops Lalang in October 1987.

After the 1999 general election, Karpal recalled that Mahathir had decided it was payback time by constituting various charges against opposition leaders, including charging him with sedition.

“Mahathir is renewing the same old tactic,” he said.

Let the 505 rally go on

On Pakatan’s planned 505 rally at Padang Merbok in Kuala Lumpur on June 22, Karpal called on the police to allow it and avoid a confrontation with the PKR leadership.

He said the police should allow the rally, which would be held two days before the parliamentary swearing-in on June 24, in line with the Peaceful Assembly Act.

“Any confrontation between the police and PKR leadership will not be in national interests. The Peaceful Assembly Act should be given an ambit of expression,” he added.

On another matter, Karpal reiterated his call on the Pakatan leadership to accept Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) into its fold to maintain a two-party system in the country.

He said PSM’s inclusion would avoid three-cornered fights in certain seats in the next general election, like what happened in 13th general election.

He said he understood that PSM was upset that PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang once described its leaders as communists.

He insisted PSM was a party upholding socialist ideals and not communism.

He said it would not be detrimental or problematic for Pakatan to include PSM into its domain as long as PSM can work together on a common platform.

“Pakatan must be inclusive. I can’t see any reason why PSM cannot be accepted,” he added.