Anwar offered me DPM’s post in 1998, says Muhyiddin

 

Muhyiddin Yassin (left) says Anwar Ibrahim told him to be patient, believing that he would become the prime minister after Dr Mahathir Mohamad stepped down.

PETALING JAYA: Perikatan Nasional (PN) chairman Muhyiddin Yassin claims that Anwar Ibrahim had offered him the deputy prime minister’s post in 1998 amid the PKR president’s fallout with then prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

Muhyiddin admitted that he was dissatisfied with being the youth and sports minister at the time, but Anwar had told him to be patient for a while, Utusan Malaysia reported.

The Bersatu president claimed Anwar told him Mahathir was going to resign from the top post.

“He said he would become prime minister and I would be his deputy,” he said, though this did not materialise after Mahathir sacked Anwar from the Cabinet.

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After he became prime minister in 2020, Muhyiddin claimed Anwar had raised the matter again during a visit to his office.

“I told him that was enough. I was the prime minister then. He would never become prime minister as long as he was friends with DAP.

“I told him that the Malays would reject him for being with DAP. I spoke honestly with him. Today, we see that he’s still there (with DAP).”

He said Anwar, the Pakatan Harapan prime minister candidate, would find it difficult leading the country if PH wins the general election.

This was because Anwar had left government administration for about 20 years now, adding that it was not easy leading a nation at this point in time.

“Without having a certain amount of experience in managing the government, the country could be taking a major risk,” he said, without elaborating. - FMT