PAPAR – Any Malaysian can become prime minister of the country, including Sabahans, Pejuang chairman Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said today, citing the federal constitution.
“When I said that Sabahans can hold the top post in the country, I was adhering to the constitution.
“The constitution does not limit the prime minister’s post to any group,” he said. “Anyone in Malaysia can be the prime minister. So even Sabahans are eligible.”
The 97-year-old former two-time prime minister said the problem is whether a person has the backing to take the top seat in Putrajaya.
“The problem is popularity, whether or not there is support,” he said.
He stressed that leaders from Sabah should not just work in the state, but also come out to the peninsula and Sarawak in order to be known.
“With this, any Sabahan and Sarawakian can become the prime minister. (It is) not limited to only those in the peninsula,” he told reporters here today.
Dr Mahathir said Warisan president Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal holds the same right.
On another note, Dr Mahathir said the Gerakan Tanah Air (GTA) pact he leads is open to working with any party, except Umno, which leads Barisan Nasional (BN), PAS, and Perikatan Nasional (PN).
Calling the parties corrupt, he said that GTA is willing to work with parties that are clean and share the same political ideals as the coalition’s.
“Everything is possible. The only thing that is not possible is working with BN and PN,” he said.
On the possibility of Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS), which is presently ruling over Sabah, wanting to work with GTA, he said: “We will have to study the matter first after the election.”
Dr Mahathir is in Sabah to help GTA campaign for the 15th general election, which sees nationwide polling for parliamentary seats on November 19.
He launched Pejuang’s operations in the state yesterday.
A photo of Hajiji receiving Dr Mahathir at the airport here has gone viral, sparking speculation of possible cooperation between Pejuang and GRS in the election.
Dr Mahathir however dismissed the speculation when asked about it soon after his arrival, only saying: “We will see what happens after the election.”
GTA has four parties, namely Pejuang, Barisan Jemaah Islamiah Semalaysia, Parti Bumiputera Perkasa Malaysia, and Parti Perikatan India Muslim Nasional. – The Vibes, November 7, 2022
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