Why ask Sabahans to be wary of Mahathir?

Writer says PBS secretary-general a hypocrite for making such a call when the party enjoyed benefits during Dr Mahathir Mohamad's tenure as head of Barisan Nasional.

COMMENT

By Clement Stanley

PBS secretary-general and deputy speaker of the Sabah state assembly Johnny Mositun has called for Sabahans to “be wary of Mahathir”.

Johnny saw it fit to criticise former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad and the manner in which he dealt with “promising leaders” in Barisan Nasional (BN).

He also claimed that Mahathir had never cared for Sabah except to see it as a vote bank. Johnny spoke with such venom against Mahathir, alleging that Mahathir did not do the right thing by Sabah. His statement was carried widely in the local dailies.

However, Johnny conveniently forgot to mention that it was the same Mahathir who gave PBS a second chance by bringing the party back from the cold and into the Barisan Nasional fold.

As an opposition party in Sabah from 1994-2002, PBS was crumbling like a deck of cards as more of its leaders left to join BN.

It was the same Mahathir who was willing to forgive and forget by not only welcoming PBS into Barisan Nasional again, but ensuring that its president would be made a deputy chief minister with other leaders given ministerial and deputy ministerial posts.

However, Johnny did not have the guts or courage to highlight that one of Mahathir’s greatest offences against Sabahans was the ousting of PBS in 1994 and Barisan Nasional gaining power via party hopping.

Why ask Sabahans to now “be wary” of Mahathir when you have enjoyed the “fruits of his labour”? Why this hypocrisy?

Why bite the hand that fed you and helped keep you in power? Is this the best Johnny can do? Warn Sabahans to “be wary” of Mahathir?

Johnny and PBS refuse to see THE major sin of Mahathir, knowing very well that this was all to benefit the ruling government of which PBS is a part. Instead, all the other reasons why Johnny has called on Sabahans to “be wary” of Mahathir are nothing more than dust in the wind.

Clement Stanley is an FMT reader.