GEORGE TOWN – Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has no basis to claim that he would still be prime minister if it were not for opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, said a veteran activist.
P. Ramakrishnan said Dr Mahathir should, instead, be blamed for ruining PKR Anwar’s prospect of being his successor, and in turn, plunging the nation into uncertainty.
Ramakrishnan, who is a former president of Penang-based civil society group Aliran, said the two-time prime minister Mahathir tended to blame every other person – even though he may be the root of the problem.
“Typically, he will project himself as blameless and claim he was maligned by his enemies and his erstwhile friends,” Ramakrishnan said in a statement.
“In short, he was never the problem! It came as no surprise when he claimed, ‘If not for Anwar, I’d still be PM.’”
In an interview with Utusan Malaysia on Friday, Dr Mahathir said he would only engage in the “big tent” approach with the opposition bloc and other parties provided it is not led by Anwar, or Bersatu president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
Dr Mahathir also told Utusan that he would still be prime minister in the Pakatan Harapan government if not for the PKR president.
In response, several opposition leaders, including Kapar PKR’s MP Datuk Abdullah Sani Abdul Hamid and another PH lawmaker Khalid Samad said Dr Mahathir was the one who derailed PH from the government.
Similarly, Ramakrishnan said Dr Mahathir had no justification to blame Anwar for his lack of majority support among the 222 MPs.
He said Dr Mahathir only commanded a “pathetic” 62 votes – or 27.9% – which effectively removed him from returning as the eighth prime minister.
“Then, how could Mahathir blame Anwar for his failure to be the eighth PM? He never had a chance, not even the remotest possibility of ever becoming the PM for the third time. He was a non-starter!” he said.
“He could have continued to be the PM if he had not foolishly resigned.”
Ramakrishnan said all PH component parties were “solidly” behind Dr Mahathir when he resigned, but he proceeded with a calculated risk to step down on February 24, 2020, in hopes of being reappointed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to lead a “unity government”.
“That strategy failed miserably, and he was out in the cold. He did it to himself!” Ramakrishnan said.
“When (Dr) Mahathir resigned, he did not even bother to consult or inform PH. That would have been the courteous thing to do in all good etiquette.
“But he didn’t. This breached the principle of reciprocity between the leader and the coalition that he led. In the circumstances, Mahathir was arrogance personified!”
Ramakrishnan said Anwar had the backing of 92 MPs, and with Dr Mahathir’s 62, the total numbered 154.
He said, out of the total of 222 MPs, only 68 did not support Anwar or Dr Mahathir.
He said the third candidate, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, did not qualify as prime minister.
“Under the circumstance, it was Anwar who stood to be appointed as the eighth PM of Malaysia,” Ramakrishnan said.
“But strangely, that did not happen. Anwar was bypassed.”
Ramakrishnan also said Muhyiddin’s ascendency would forever remain a “mystery”.
He said Dr Mahathir should have kept his promises to support Anwar’s succession as it would have given Anwar an unassailable majority of 154 MPs.
“Didn’t he agree to pass the baton to Anwar? He reneged on his word; he dishonoured his pledge. Again, he was the problem – not Anwar!” he said.
“It is all because of Mahathir! All because he failed to keep his word and make way for Anwar, as he had promised.” – The Vibes, June 5, 2022
