Dr M moots new party again if Aug 7 court decision not in his favour

Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad said if the court decision on Aug 7 regarding his removal from Bersatu is not in his favour, he may consider forming a new political party.

“If we are expelled from the party, we have to consider having another party,” he was quoted as saying by Channel News Asia (CNA) yesterday.

However, Mahathir (above) said he had not decided on whether he will be contesting in the next general election.

“That is something I have not decided, but I will play a very prominent role in the campaign and all that.

“If I am 98 years old when they have the elections, obviously there are physical constraints, but if I am well I will give every support possible,” he said.

The Kuala Lumpur High Court had fixed Aug 7 for the decision on an application by Prime Minister and Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin and three others to strike out a suit filed by Mahathir with four others.

Muhyiddin and the three are seeking to strike out the legal challenge against the removal of Mahathir and four others from Bersatu.

Mahathir first mooted the idea of a new political party on July 14, saying that he and his supporters may contest under a new party should there be a snap election.

He had also suggested that he would keep to the “sidelines” whilst still participating in the campaign.

On a separate matter, Mahathir said Pakatan Harapan does not have enough Malay support even as its component parties – DAP, Amanah and PKR – appear to be concentrated on making PKR president Anwar Ibrahim (below) their prime minister candidate.

“After long, repeated discussions with DAP, Amanah and PKR, their struggle seems to be concentrated on making Anwar the candidate for prime minister.

“There are a lot of people now who are against him (Anwar).

“I am there not because I want to be prime minister, I have been prime minister twice and that is enough, but a lot of people… do not give Harapan that kind of support especially when they see that their Malay party is not deep,” he said.

He later added that the government that was chosen by the people in the 2018 general election was led by him and not Anwar.

“You talk about reviving the government that was chosen by the people. The government that was chosen by the people was led by me, not by Anwar.

“So if you make him the head, it is not the government chosen by the people,” Mahathir said.

When asked whether Anwar had to join a Malay party in order to become the premier, Mahathir said that was not necessary but he needs to be supported by the Malays.

However, he said, when Anwar left Umno, he decided to form a multiracial party in PKR and condemned race-based parties of being racist.

“Anwar is not regarded as a protagonist for the Malays because he is the one who started a party that is multiracial and many of his leaders in the party were not Malays.

“The Malays are very suspicious of non-Malays or multiracial parties,” Mahathir added.

On Anwar offering him a mentor position if the former was given the top spot, the 95-year-old said if he were to give advice in that role it would not be heeded. 

“I have some experience in advising prime ministers. They do not listen. They want to do things their own way, they want to leave their own legacy.

“Both (former PM) Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and Najib Abdul Razak never listened to me. Anwar, even when he was in the government before, was not listening to me at all,” Mahathir said.

When asked about his relationship with former PKR deputy president Azmin Ali (below), who had served under his administration as the economic affairs minister, Mahathir said Azmin’s perspective in politics was too narrow as he was focused on his fight against Anwar.

“His focus is mainly against Anwar, his purpose in politics is about quarrelling with Anwar. That is too narrow a perspective for a politician.

“You should think about the development of the country. You cannot just because of your dislike for one person, that colours everything you do,” he said.

When asked if he will work with Azmin again, he merely said: “We will see how he performs”.

In late February, Azmin initiated a coup in what has become known as the 'Sheraton Move'.

The move saw Azmin and 10 other PKR leaders, along with a majority of Bersatu members defecting from Harapan and cooperating with Umno, PAS and GPS instead to form the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government. - Mkini