LANGKAWI – Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad is perplexed as to why he was not allowed to show proof that he had the necessary parliamentary numbers last year when the Sheraton Move was executed by Bersatu leaders to take over the government.
He said he was not even invited to show the MPs’ support he had garnered as Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin was quickly appointed prime minister.
“That was a decision made by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong. I don’t know why,” said the 96-year-old Langkawi MP.
“I had the support of 114 MPs and I should have been allowed to form the government.
“I should have led the government, but Muhyiddin was appointed and I wasn’t given a chance to make a presentation. So, he became the prime minister.”
Dr Mahathir, who is now Pejuang chairman, said this yesterday during a constituency visit to padi farmers at Kg Telok Ulu Melaka here.
He was commenting on the selection of Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob as the ninth prime minister of Malaysia. Ismail Sabri took his oath of office before the Yang di-Pertuan Agong last Saturday.
Prior to the swearing-in ceremony, Comptroller of the Royal Household Datuk Ahmad Fadil Shamsuddin had confirmed that Ismail Sabri enjoys majority support in the Dewan Rakyat with 114 MPs in his corner, enough to form the government.
The king had ordered all lawmakers to submit statutory declarations on their choice of prime minister by 4pm on August 19. He then granted audiences to 114 MPs to confirm their backing for Ismail Sabri.
The new appointment followed Muhyiddin’s resignation as prime minister on August 16.
“I don’t care who becomes the prime minister, but he must be a good leader,” Dr Mahathir said yesterday.
“Muhyiddin only gained support by offering people positions to become ministers. That is bribery,” he said.
“As people can see, it didn’t last long. Shorter than my time; I had 22 months (as prime minister), he had 17 months.”
On February 29 last year, Pakatan Harapan had declared that 114 MPs supported Dr Mahathir to return as prime minister after he had resigned.
However, Muhyiddin, who is Bersatu president, was sworn in as prime minister at Istana Negara two days later.
Dr Mahathir, who was then PH chairman, had claimed that Muhyiddin had mistakenly declared he had 114 MPs behind him when six of them were actually in Dr Mahathir’s corner.
“The number he presented to the king was incorrect,” he had said then.
‘Offer to opposition must be sincere’
On Ismail Sabri’s invitation for the opposition to work with the new government, Dr Mahathir said that he is always willing to give people a chance to prove their abilities.
I want to observe what they do. They are offering opposition members to participate in the government. I think it is good for us to try.”
He added: “We can participate; we have to see whether they are genuine or not. If we participate and they only think of getting credit for themselves, then it is not worthwhile participating.
“But, if they are willing to do what we tell them to do, particularly with regard to Covid-19, then it is worthwhile for us to participate.”
On investor confidence, Dr Mahathir said: “They want to see if this government is genuinely business friendly or not.
“If they find out that (it is like) in the last government, (where some) ministers refused to see investors, where some obstacles were created in the way of potential investors, including asking for money, it may not work for us,” he said.
He said because of this attitude in the previous government, some investors went to Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines instead. – The Vibes, August 24, 2021
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