Mahathir to take over as Putra president?

 

Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad is set to take over as the president of Parti Bumiputera Perkasa Malaysia (Putra), which he just joined as an adviser.

According to Utusan Malaysia, current Putra president Ibrahim Ali will hand over the rein to the former Pejuang chairperson in an upcoming party reshuffle.

The report also said this could explain why Mahathir was handed the "Member No 1" card, which was previously held by Ibrahim when the former joined the party recently.

Former Federal Territories Pejuang chief Khairuddin Abu Hassan told Utusan that Ibrahim is currently finding an ideal date to hold Putra's supreme council meeting to discuss the transition and finalise the new leadership line-up.

"Ibrahim is Mahathir’s loyalist and he personally told me that he wanted to make a sacrifice by giving (Mahathir) a registered (political) channel.

"This is because Ibrahim has faith in Mahathir's leadership and he's confident (Mahathir) can spread the party's influence wider. So, when Mahathir reshuffles the party, Ibrahim said he is willing to accept any position, as long as he can fight alongside (Mahathir)," Khairuddin, who also recently joined Putra, told the Malay daily.

On Feb 10, Mahathir announced that he and 12 others would be quitting Pejuang, which he founded.

This was after Pejuang, which is led by Mahathir's son Mukhriz, severed ties with Gerakan Tanah Air.

Khairuddin also dismissed claims that Mahathir was causing the Malays to split by constantly changing parties.

"It's just a baseless perception. If we follow Mahathir's struggles, his ultimate goal has always been to unite the Malays."

Speaking to reporters after his appointment as Putra adviser recently, the nonagenarian said he chose the party to champion the rights of the Malays, whom he claimed have lost political and economic control.

"Although I’m already 97, my heart is still for the struggle of the Malays, who are now facing more problems than the other races. This is not about racism.

"We need to see the Malays getting their share in our country, as now they do not control the economy and politics. If we do not save the Malays, our country will be beset with problems,” Mahathir was quoted as saying.

In the last general election, Mahathir and his son failed to defend their respective Parliament seats and lost their deposits. - Mkini