11-16-2020, 10:06 AM
PETALING JAYA: An analyst views former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s consistent support for a unity government as just a ploy to keep PKR president Anwar Ibrahim from ever becoming Malaysia’s prime minister.
James Chin of the University of Tasmania’s Asia Institute said, as long as Mahathir is still around, he will do his best to stand in the way of Anwar’s pursuit of helming the top post.
He added this could be traced to the fallout between the two in the 1990s when Anwar was Mahathir’s deputy in the government.
“It’s nothing to do with a unity government. It’s basically Mahathir’s personal agenda to make sure that Anwar doesn’t become the prime minister. There’s nothing more than that.
“Even if (Mahathir) doesn’t become the prime minister himself, it can be anybody else, except Anwar.
“Even the 2018 deal (when Mahathir and PPBM were a part of Pakatan Harapan) was done in bad faith. Mahathir never had any intention of letting Anwar take over,” he told FMT.
Universiti Malaya political scientist Awang Azman Pawi said Mahathir seemed to be “stuck in his own world” where no one else but himself was worthy of leading the nation.
He said Mahathir had moved to bring down Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and Najib Razak because they did not follow his wishes, even though he had chosen Abdullah as his successor and later gave his blessing to Najib.
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James Chin of the University of Tasmania’s Asia Institute said, as long as Mahathir is still around, he will do his best to stand in the way of Anwar’s pursuit of helming the top post.
He added this could be traced to the fallout between the two in the 1990s when Anwar was Mahathir’s deputy in the government.
“It’s nothing to do with a unity government. It’s basically Mahathir’s personal agenda to make sure that Anwar doesn’t become the prime minister. There’s nothing more than that.
“Even if (Mahathir) doesn’t become the prime minister himself, it can be anybody else, except Anwar.
“Even the 2018 deal (when Mahathir and PPBM were a part of Pakatan Harapan) was done in bad faith. Mahathir never had any intention of letting Anwar take over,” he told FMT.
Universiti Malaya political scientist Awang Azman Pawi said Mahathir seemed to be “stuck in his own world” where no one else but himself was worthy of leading the nation.
He said Mahathir had moved to bring down Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and Najib Razak because they did not follow his wishes, even though he had chosen Abdullah as his successor and later gave his blessing to Najib.
- More -