Dr M: Thousands dying, but Muhyiddin just wants to cling on as PM

 

Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad has blasted his successor Muhyiddin Yassin for wanting to hang on to power at all costs.

This is even as thousands of Malaysians were dying due to Covid-19, said the Langkawi MP.  The death toll from Covid-19 in Malaysia now stands at 9,184.

"Thousands have died but he is happy to be prime minister. This type of prime minister has never been seen in Malaysia.

"When Abdullah Badawi received criticism of his government, he stepped aside, but Muhyiddin wants to be the backdoor PM. When people ask him to come out and face them, he doesn't come out.

"It is really unfortunate for our country that the people are suffering from the Covid-19 pandemic and economic problems, but they are more focused on politics and want to be the government.

"I hope the country will reject this kind of person from the political platform," said Mahathir.

He was flanked by his long-time rival PKR president Anwar Ibrahim and other opposition MPs at Dataran Merdeka this morning.

They had marched to Parliament from Dataran Merdeka but stopped short of attempting to force through heavy police barricades that included FRU personnel.

Opposition MPs have renewed their call for Muhyiddin's resignation after a royal rebuke from the Yang di-Pertuan Agong last week.

Anwar, Amanah president Mohamad Sabu and DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng previously accused Muhyiddin of using Covid-19 as an excuse to prevent Parliament from sitting.

"This is the first time in the history of Malaysia where MPs cannot go to Parliament, and we see that many police are guarding us. We are not criminals.

"I am with the opposition parties here. I support the position that we should hold a conference today to discuss the emergency, as scheduled.

"I hope the people understand why we did this today," said Mahathir, who had refused to set a handover of power date to Anwar and attempted to form a unity government instead, thus triggering the chain of events that led to Muhyiddin taking over as premier.

He claimed that Muhyiddin's action had left the country with a precarious government as the motion to end the emergency was not presented to the king for approval.

"But these (EOs) have not been submitted to Parliament or brought to the king.

"If there is not the slightest attempt to follow the rules, then we are no longer ruled according to laws.

"What kind of government is this, that is ruining our country?" asked the 96-year-old, who helmed Malaysia in two spells from 1981 to 2003 and again from May 2018 to February 2020. - Mkini