DR Mahathir Mohamad said he does not want to be prime minister again if fresh elections are held.
“I’m not offering myself, but I look at things as a duty to my country and not duty to myself,” said the country’s oldest lawmaker at a press conference in Putrajaya today.
“I don’t care about the money as I think we are overpaid as ministers. I was paid RM20,000 (per month) and I didn’t even spend one sen as everything is given by the government. What else do you want?
“I’m not interested in my personal well being but if I can be of service and people want it so, I am available.
“But not for long, as I’m already 94 years old. How many more months do I have?” Dr Mahathir said after he was asked whether he be prime minister again in another Pakatan Harapan campaign.
Speculation is rife that snap elections will be held due to the instability of the current government led by Perikatan Nasional, which ousted PH three months ago.
The PN government, led by Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, said 114 out of 222 MPs support it, but its majority has been cast in doubt after the resignation of Shahruddin Salleh as deputy works minister.
Another minister speculated to resign was Redzuan Yusof, who is a minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Special Functions). But about an hour before Dr Mahathir’s press conference today, he announced that he was not resigning.
A loss of three lawmakers could trigger the collapse of the three-month old PN government that consists of Bersatu, Barisan Nasional, PAS and Gabungan Parti Sarawak.
Dr Mahathir said PN has shown how it was willing to abuse power to remain in government.
“Although, they are just in power for two to three months, they are willing to abuse their power by offering jobs and positions to people to support them.
“Many are appointed because they want to indirectly bribe these people. Unfortunately many have succumbed to such offers.
“PH has cleaned up a lot of government companies, but they (PH appointees) are being sacked and replaced with politicians,” said Dr Mahathir, referring to the spate of MPs appointed to head GLCs.
He said the new government was also using the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission to pressure his supporters in Bersatu.
Over the past several days, the anti-graft body has arrested several Bersatu youth leaders for corruption.
These leaders are also aligned to Dr Mahathir ally and sacked Bersatu youth chief Syed Saddiq Abdul Rahman.
How Anwar feels about me? Ask him, says Dr Mahathir
DR Mahathir Mohamad says he has no issues with PKR president Anwar Ibrahim as far as he’s concerned.
“As far as I’m concerned I have no problems with Anwar.
“Maybe, he has problems with me. But I don’t know. You have to ask him,” said the 94-year-old leader at the Perdana Leadership Foundation today.
Dr Mahathir was responding to questions on why Anwar did not attend the former prime minister’s meeting with other Pakatan Harapan (PH) leaders yesterday.
Amanah and DAP leaders, as well as Warisan president Mohd Shafie Apdal, had met Dr Mahathir yesterday to discuss the future of PH and Bersatu.
But photos of the meeting, which were circulated on social media, did not show any PKR leaders, leading to speculation that Dr Mahathir and Anwar are still at odds with one another.
Prior to this, Anwar, who is opposition leader, was also absent from a press conference Dr Mahathir gave, flanked by other PH leaders, after the one-day Parliament sitting on May 18.
Anwar’s reason was that it was not an official PH press conference.
While in power, the PH administration was also plagued by uncertainty over the transition plan from Dr Mahathir to Anwar.
Just before the PH government collapsed in the last week of February this year, a meeting of the PH presidential council had agreed to let Dr Mahathir decide when he would hand over the prime minister’s post to Anwar after the Asia Pacific Economic (APEC) summit in November.
But PH collapsed when MPs in Dr Mahathir’s party, Bersatu, led by party president Muhyiddin Yassin, plotted to form a new coalition with Umno, PAS and Gabungan Parti Sarawak.
THE MALAYSIAN INSIGHT
Once a snake forever a snake. He had his chance to redeem himself but he blew it.
ReplyDelete