Muhyiddin cause of crisis, but disappointed with Anwar, too, says Dr Mahathir

Chan Kok Leong Chan Kok Leong Updated 4 years ago · Published on 1 Mar 2020 7:44PM · 8 Comments

Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad says Muhyiddin Yassin was the cause of the current political crisis but he was also disappointed in his successor, Anwar Ibrahim. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Kamal Ariffin, March 1, 2020.

PRIME Minister Muhyiddin Yassin is the cause of the current political crisis that brought down the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government, Dr Mahathir Mohamad told grassroots leaders today.

At the briefing at his office in Putrajaya today, he was asked if the crisis was started by PKR president Anwar Ibrahim, who was due to succeed him as prime minister.

“Anwar Ibrahim was just an excuse (for Muhyiddin). (BM: Anwar Ibrahim cuma menjadi alasan).

“I was initially told that Anwar would demand for the deputy prime minister’s post at the meeting,” said Dr Mahathir.

“And hence, we were upset. But Anwar did not make any demands. In fact, everyone supported me instead.

“As such, Muhyiddin had to look for another reason for the crisis,” said the 94-year-old at the Perdana Leadership Foundation today.

“When Muhyiddin could not get a reason for the crisis from Anwar, he took Bersatu out of PH. That is the cause of our crisis.”

The former prime minister was speaking to grassroots leaders about what transpired over the past week.

He was responding to a question on what happened during the PH presidential council meeting on February 21, and whether Anwar was the cause of the ensuing turmoil.

It was at that meeting that the PH presidential council agreed to let Dr Mahathir decide on a transition date to Anwar.

However, Dr Mahathir did say he was disappointed with Anwar when the latter got the remaining PH parties – PKR, DAP and Amanah, after Bersatu’s exit – to nominate him as prime minister instead.

This was before PH changed tactics to nominate Dr Mahathir when it became clear that Muhyiddin was being endorsed for the prime minister’s post by Bersatu, Umno and PAS.

Dr Mahathir said he resigned last Monday to test his support, adding that he had more numbers than Anwar to be prime minister.

“And hence I’m very disappointed with the selection process (done by the palace) as PH named him instead of me.

“If PH had named me I would have gotten 150 votes. But because he wanted to vie for the post too, although he would not have gotten a simple majority, he failed,” said Dr Mahathir.

On February 24, DAP and Amanah had initially said they would vote for Dr Mahathir when they met the Yang di-Pertuan Agong at Istana Negara.

Up to that point, Umno and PAS’ stand had been to support Dr Mahathir for prime minister.

But following Umno and PAS’ change in tactic to call for snap elections the next day, PH changed course and poised itself for a minority government under Anwar.

When PH MPs met the king in individual interviews on February 26, they named Anwar as their PM candidate instead of Dr Mahathir, hoping they could form a minority government.

The plan failed to materialise after the palace announced that it could not decide on a clear winner and called the heads of political parties to name their candidates, which took place yesterday.

Just before 5pm yesterday, the palace decreed that Muhyiddin had the majority support, and announced him as the new prime minister. – March 1, 2020.

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Comments

  • No end to his nonsense lah

    Posted 4 years ago by D JI · Reply

  • Tun M anti manifesto and anti reformasi made PH denied Tun as PM.Tun had no prncipal and only think self gain.At last Tun itself lose in the running for PM.Tun made PH like umno and this made PH leave with no reform and

    Posted 4 years ago by Yutian Lee · Reply

  • The best actor in the entire politics is TM lah

    Posted 4 years ago by Muhammad Ab Rahman · Reply

  • He is disappointed with everyone but himself. He could have stopped the whole fiasco had he put his feet down. He knew about the back door plot what has he done to put an end as the PM his views will be obeyed. He is as complicit as the PH traitors for bringing down the democratically elected government. What a shame!

    Posted 4 years ago by Justin Leno · Reply

  • The Exorcism is over and now time to move on.

    Posted 4 years ago by Richard FitzGibbon · Reply

  • He blames everyone else except himself. If he had not chosen Moohyiddin as Bersatu President and he had not mentored Azmin Ali, the backdoor government conspiracy would not have happened. So to be fair, it is time he blamed himself too.

    Posted 4 years ago by Panchen Low · Reply

  • Fair comment from Tun if anyone is interested to know more abt what happened behind the scenes

    Posted 4 years ago by Sharizal Shaarani · Reply

  • ALL THE COUP WHICH TAKE OVER THE EAS BECAUSE TUN M has no principal in governing the country and he is rasist anty reform and anti manifesto.He can't differentiate betwnen Prime minister and apresident in this country.At last he eing thrown out by his party because not sincere to PH and its leader.Hope no more Tun lead PH.Reformasi with DSAI

    Posted 4 years ago by Yutian Lee · Reply