How much longer must I suffer, says Anwar jokingly

Anwar Ibrahim spoke about his reluctance to becoming DPM again under Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

PETALING JAYA: Anwar Ibrahim spoke tonight about his reluctance to become deputy prime minister again under Dr Mahathir Mohamad, and said he had jokingly said to party colleagues: “How much longer must I suffer?”

The suggestion had been made that Pakatan Harapan would nominate Mahathir for a third stint as prime minister for six months, with Anwar as his deputy.

He said he had been told that “I must, or as they said, I am compelled” to take up the post of deputy prime minister under him.

“I have already had to undergo a great deal of adversity,” said Anwar, referring to the past two decades of his struggle against the Barisan Nasional since he was removed from the deputy premiership under Mahathir in the 1990s.

“I joked with my friends, this is going to make me suffer for how much longer,” he said in a Facebook Live address to party members.

Anwar’s remarks come in the wake of days of controversy over Pakatan Harapan’s moves to bring about a change of government after PH collapsed in February with Mahathir’s resignation as prime minister, leading to a new Perikatan Nasional government. - FMT