Anwar’s govt an ‘oppressive’ dictatorship, silences critics: Dr Mahathir

KUALA LUMPUR – Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has described Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar’s administration as a dictatorship  and “oppressive”– amidst a slew of legal actions and other purported restrictions taken by government critics and opposition lawmakers.

In a no-holds-barred press conference today, Dr Mahathir called out the purported hypocrisy of the current administration led by Anwar, who in the past often led street protests against policies or actions taken by the Barisan Nasional (BN) led government.

Dr Mahathir then again stressed that the Malays have lost more power under the current administration due to their “multiracial” approach.

“The Malays are the founders of this country yet the government won't allow us to even gather. This is the new government today, a dictator(ship).

“We as the people have the right to gather and criticise the government but this is a dictator’s government. People can’t speak up or criticise (the government),’’ he said during a press meet at the Perkasa headquarters here today.

The press conference came after the Proklamasi Orang Melayu gathering was halted from being hosted yesterday.

Dr Mahathir said he was perplexed by why the event was halted despite the attendees being law-abiding citizens who merely wish to voice their concerns on Malay affairs.

The veteran statesman also alleged that the current administration has censored any sort of news coverage on his efforts to unite the Malays as well as criticism against the government.

“The press is censored, nothing bad about the government can be printed. If you read the press, it is as if this is the best government in the world. but in fact it is not attending to the needs of the people, in particular the Malays.

“They do not care what happens to the Malays. What they think is that this is a multiracial country and therefore the best race will win. We want people to be informed of what is really happening in the country.

“Now if the government says what we say is not true, please prove it,” he said.

Dr Mahathir said Sekretariat Tanah Air, which is hosting the proclamation event, will do roadshows and utilise every digital platform to spread their message.

Meanwhile, Dr Mahathir, formerly with Pejuang, also dismissed the notion that Perkasa will form a political cooperation with Perikatan Nasional.

Dr Mahathir had recently joined Perkasa to continue his effort in championing Malay rights.  – The Vibes, March 19, 2023