Salleh: What is 'de facto' opposition leader Dr M saving Malaysia from?

Federal minister Salleh Said Keruak said Dr Mahathir Mohamad appears to have emerged as the new de facto opposition leader.

"Mahathir Mohamad appears to have emerged as the new de facto opposition leader and head of the ‘anti-Najib campaign’ or ‘Save Malaysia campaign’.

"All the others appear to have given tacit approval to Mahathir’s leadership role by not nominating any other leader," he said in a blog posting today.

However, he questioned what the Save Malaysia Movement is trying to save the country from.

"What or who, in the first place, are they trying to save Malaysia from? And how can ousting the prime minister unconstitutionally be considered saving Malaysia?

"To save Malaysia, the constitution should be protected instead of violated like how they are proposing to oust the prime minister," he said.

Salleh was weighing into the Save Malaysia gathering last Sunday, where Mahathir sought to build a groundswell, to make the case to the conference of rulers for the removal of Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.

On the coalition's condemnation about shrinking democracy in the country, the communications and multimedia minister said they would not have been able to gather in the first place if Najib did not allow democratic space.

Salleh (photo) predicted that the coalition was doomed to fail as its members are too disparate, adding that they didn't even appear to be able to decide on the fate of jailed former opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim.

"All those in the Save Malaysia alliance do not share the same ideals, doctrines, aspirations or objectives. They only want one thing - to oust the government.

"Beyond that they have not agreed on what to do. And they will never agree because each partner in that Save Malaysia alliance has its own view as to who should take over as the new prime minister if their plan succeeds.

"And should the Save Malaysia campaign include or exclude freeing Anwar Ibrahim from jail? Opposition leader Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail says 'yes' but all the others say nothing," he said.

Salleh said ultimately, Mahathir knows the only way to oust Najib would be through Umno but his involvement in Save Malaysia is only making that goal more difficult.

"Mahathir himself admits that Najib cannot be ousted from the outside. Therefore Mahathir is hoping that this Save Malaysia campaign will prove that it has the support of the rakyat and that this, in turn, would get the support of Umno.

"Instead, Umno is very angry with Mahathir and because of that Umno is united behind Najib.

"So Mahathir’s move has backfired badly and is working against him," he said. -Mkini