Is there a rift between PKR president Anwar Ibrahim and his deputy Rafizi Ramli?
For Pejuang chairperson Dr Mahathir Mohamad, he still needs time to deliver a verdict.
"We need to see what comes later. Is Rafizi really rejecting Anwar or is this (PKR's) strategy to create the impression that not all party members or leaders support Anwar?
"I believe that Rafizi understands that Anwar is no longer as popular as before. If Anwar wants to keep talking about how he was abused, people will not care.
"Anwar has nothing more to share. He only talks about wanting to be prime minister.
"Hence, I need more time to evaluate Rafizi. Is he really rejecting Anwar or is this just PKR's political strategy," Mahathir told Sinar Harian in an interview.
Rafizi (above, left) has been at times critical of Anwar (above, right) since 2018. In December 2020, he openly warned Anwar that the latter was surrounding himself with "opportunists".
During the recently concluded annual PKR delegates meeting, Rafizi pledged his loyalty to the party, albeit maintaining his outspoken nature.
Meanwhile, Mahathir blamed former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak as the main culprit behind the arbitration award that was granted in favour of the purported descendants of the Sulu sultanate.
He said Najib had in 2013 ceased a yearly payment of RM5,300 to the Sulu sultanate, ostensibly because of the Sulu sultanate's involvement in the Sabah incursion that year.
He added that Najib never substantiated that claim.
"The descendants of the Sulu sultanate did not do anything wrong. Hence why did (Najib) stop the payments? When he did that, then the government was assumed to have broken a promise," said Mahathir.
The descendants of the Sulu sultanate secured an award of US$14.92 billion (RM62.59 billion) from Malaysia earlier this year.
On July 11, the claimants enforced the award by seizing two of Petronas' subsidiaries in Luxembourg.
The next day, Putrajaya managed to secure a stay of execution on the arbitration award.
As for Najib, he put the blame squarely on the Pakatan Harapan administration because the arbitration process began during their watch. - Mkini
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