Mahathir’s worst ever U-turn

In June 2016, Mahathir funnelled USD5 million to the Clinton Foundation to trigger a defamatory lawsuit by the United States (US) Department of Justice (DoJ), implying that Najib had defrauded Malaysians by robbing 1MDB of its worth

THE THIRD FORCE

The Guardian is telling us that Dr Mahathir Mohamad wants Anwar Ibrahim freed.

In an interview yesterday, Mahathir told the British daily – ‘owned’ and funded by George Soros – that Anwar was a victim of “a political vendetta” waged by the administration of Prime Minister Najib Razak. According to him, his former deputy was in prison because the government of the day had manipulated the judiciary to end the latter’s political career.

“In the case of Anwar we can make a case that he was unfairly treated. The decision of the court was obviously influenced by the government and I think the incoming government would be able to persuade the king to give a full pardon for Anwar. In which case he would be able to participate in politics and become PM. I can have no objection to that,” said Mahathir in the interview.

Ironically, this is the same Mahathir who sacked Anwar in 1998 amid allegations of a political conspiracy to end the latter’s career, then at its peak. The former premier, whose administration saw to Anwar’s incarceration on charges of corruption and sodomy, sparked a nationwide protest seeking his resignation from government and Anwar’s unconditional release from prison.

Back then, Mahathir turned a deaf ear.

Today, however, he stands alongside his arch nemesis – dictator for life, Lim Kit Siang – to demand Anwar’s unconditional release from prison. According to Mahathir, his former deputy was incarcerated by Najib for posing a ‘threat’ to his administration and not for anything else.

READ MORE HERE: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-malaysia-politics-mahathir-idUSKBN19R1HA?il=0

And that reeks of irony.

The reason being, in 1998, every political pundit said the same of Mahathir, swearing heaven and earth that it was Anwar who posed a threat to the former’s administration. The existence of such a threat was attested to by Mahathir himself in a televised statement he made to the Associated Press (AP) not long after Anwar was sacked from government.

So which is it then, Mahathir?

Is Anwar the instigator, out and out sodomist and womanizer you once claimed he was, or is he now the victim of “a political vendetta” you say he is? Are you going to make your mind up anytime soon, or are you going to continue pursuing this path of deceit, contrived to sabotage the economy and fan unrest among the people?

The many U-turns Mahathir made of late is a sign of sheer desperation. Two years back, he was very sure Najib would be out of office by July 2015. The deadline was later extended to October, and then again, to December. But to date, Najib is still the Prime Minister and is getting stronger and stronger by the day.

So strong is he, in June 2016, Mahathir funnelled USD5 million to the Clinton Foundation to trigger a defamatory lawsuit by the United States (US) Department of Justice (DoJ), implying that Najib had defrauded Malaysians by robbing 1MDB of its worth.

When the DoJ plot didn’t work, Mahathir established a new political outfit to hijack Pakatan Harapan and has since positioned himself as its de facto chief.

The former premier intended to rebrand Pakatan Harapan as The Third Force. But now that it’s no longer possible (since I am The Third Force), he set his sights on naming the coalition “Pakatan Harapan Baru” and may have discussed the matter with Nurul Izzah in London. Prior to his Guardian interview, the duo is said to have hammered out a deal that addressed the question of Pakatan’s choice candidate for the role of Prime Minister.

Under the terms of this secret deal, Anwar would agree to Mahathir’s choice for Deputy Prime Minister only if Mahathir supports him as Prime Minister. Azmin, however, is not too pleased with what has gone on. In a statement yesterday (READ HERE), the Selangor Menteri Besar stressed that Pakatan’s line-up could only be decided by its presidential council and not by Mahathir or Nurul on a unilateral basis.

Still, that begs the question – was the Guardian interview a sign that Nurul and Mahathir had come to an understanding we will soon come to know of? Assuming that to be the case, will Wan Azizah warm the seat for Anwar while Pakatan Harapan – in the unlikely event it usurps power from Barisan Nasional – twists the arms of judiciary like Mahathir did in 1988 to secure Anwar’s release from prison?

Can Mahathir please respond to this?