GEORGE TOWN – Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad should reflect on what has happened to the country’s politics in the 22 years since he sacked Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as deputy prime minister instead of keeping up his attacks on the latter, said Senator Yusmadi Yusoff.
The long-time aide to the PKR president took Dr Mahathir to task for prolonging the two leaders’ rift, especially when Malaysia is still reeling from the blow dealt by the coronavirus crisis.
“Even in a pandemic, where Covid-19 is causing untold misery, Dr Mahathir is complaining about Anwar.”
Former prime minister Dr Mahathir has reportedly accused Anwar of going behind his back to secure MPs’ support after being pardoned by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong in 2018 following Pakatan Harapan’s historic general election victory.
Anwar, who was earlier jailed on a sodomy charge that many have said was politically motivated, had teamed up with Dr Mahathir under the PH banner heading into the polls. The coalition had reached a deal that Dr Mahathir, in his second stint as prime minister, would hand over the reins to Anwar after two years.
Dr Mahathir has also claimed that Anwar courted royalty and other parties to shore up support for himself instead of PH.
Yusmadi said Dr Mahathir, as a renowned statesman, should instead ponder what has gone wrong in Malaysian politics, to the point that there were almost 450 candidates vying for 73 state seats in the Sabah election last month.
“Is there a need to politicise anything or everything until there is no time to do the real job of serving the people and meeting their expectations?”
In hindsight, he said, Dr Mahathir had it all: he was twice made prime minister, his children run successful businesses, and he has the distinction of being among the world’s longest-serving leaders – even the oldest after PH’s election win.
Now 95, just what else does Dr Mahathir want of Anwar and the country, asked Yusmadi, adding that the same question applies to Tun Daim Zainuddin, who was made finance minister in Dr Mahathir’s cabinet in 1984.
He said there comes a time when leaders must learn to let go.
“We are now at a crossroads, with a highly divided Parliament and a country that is depending on the wisdom of its leaders to navigate the new normal of the Covid-19 era.”
Anwar called a press conference on September 23 to announce that he has the numbers to topple Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s Perikatan Nasional government.
The opposition leader is awaiting an audience with Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah, who was recently discharged from hospital. – The Vibes, October 7, 2020
