KUALA LUMPUR – Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad is baffled by the “lack of understanding” over his resignation when Pakatan Harapan fell last February.
“I don’t understand why my resignation is so difficult to understand. I was chairman of Bersatu, and they rejected my advice to stay in PH,” said the former prime minister in a statement today.
“This means my party no longer had confidence in me. They supported (Tan Sri) Muhyiddin (Yassin), and decided to exit the coalition immediately."
He said he “fell together” with PH, adding that he could no longer be prime minister if the coalition was not the executive branch anymore.
“Lim Kit Siang is of the opinion that the PH administration fell because I resigned. If PH still had the majority, it wouldn’t fall. They could find other MPs to become prime minister,” he said, referring to the DAP supremo.
Dr Mahathir said PH had the support of 114 MPs, but before the numbers could be presented to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Muhyiddin received his instrument of appointment.
“It is clear that Muhyiddin did not have the majority, because 114 MPs were not supporting him. But when he was appointed prime minister, some PH supporters were offered ministerial posts, therefore, he obtained a majority.”
Dr Mahathir said Lim will not admit that PH’s fall was not due to his resignation, but its decision to choose PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as prime minister candidate.
“If they had named me, what happened would not have happened.” – The Vibes, February 5, 2021
