KUALA LUMPUR – Aides have played down a conversation between Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim amid excitement, confusion, and trepidation that the two allies-turned-foes-turned-allies-turned-foes are talking about another partnership to take over the government.
Following a phone conversation on May 28 between the former two-time prime minister and his once deputy, aides from both sides have asked observers not to get excited.
An aide to Anwar said Dr Mahathir’s secretary had called him to convey Dr Mahathir’s wish to speak to Anwar.
“Datuk Seri then obliged and called Tun. It was a 20-minute face time between the two.
“As expected, they spoke about current affairs and concerns over the pandemic and economic situation,” he said, without elaborating.
However, he stressed it was a casual conversation.
“Anwar was merely paying a courtesy to an older gentleman by agreeing to call him,” he said.
The Yang di-Pertuan Agong has been meeting political leaders from yesterday to discuss the reconvening of Parliament, as well as their views on how the pandemic has been handled, and if Malaysia could do better in its response, as well as the vaccine roll-out.
After meeting Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin for 35 minutes first thing in the morning yesterday, the Agong had a second audience with Anwar, the opposition leader, for over an hour.
The Agong is expected to meet Dr Mahathir at 2.30pm this afternoon.
Anwar had said last week that to save lives being lost to the pandemic, one may have to resort to “working with enemies”.
“However, I believe that he was not referring to Dr Mahathir, but perhaps with Umno,” said a PKR leader.
Dr Mahathir, after all, was the cause of the collapse of the Pakatan Harapan government when he resigned, said the leader.
Datuk Marzuki Yahya, who is pro-tem deputy president of Dr Mahathir’s Parti Pejuang Tanah Air, had told Sin Chew yesterday that the two men exchanged Raya greetings and views on how to fight the pandemic.
On rumours that Dr Mahathir had reached out to Perikatan Nasional election director Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali to discuss moving forward as a unity government, another Pejuang leader dismissed the talk.
“There were no talks nor discussion with him and/or other parties. The only person Tun spoke to was Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim... but that too, took place like a week back or so,” the source said. – The Vibes, June 10, 2021
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