Ditch corrupt Umno leaders first, Dr Mahathir tells PM

Zaim Ibrahim Zaim Ibrahim Updated 4 years ago · Published on 8 Mar 2020 6:31PM · 4 Comments

Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad is adamant his successor Muhyiddin Yassin distance himself from Umno leaders facing prosecution for corruption before he will consider any kind of talks between the two. – The Malaysian Insight file pic, March 8, 2020.

FORMER prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad said he would consider meeting Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin for a reconciliation talk if the latter ditches corrupt Umno allies in his new government.

Dr Mahathir, who is Bersatu chairman, also confirmed he had received a letter from party president Muhyiddin seeking the one-on-one meeting.

“I have not met him yet. Why should I meet him unless he is ready to get rid of the corrupt Umno people?

“Even then, I will have to consider it first,” Dr Mahathir said today after meeting Bersatu members in Langkawi, adding it was difficult to fulfil the wishes of party grassroots, if he and Muhyiddin did work together again as the latter was willing to work with corrupt Umno leaders.

“I can’t work with people who have been charged in court with stealing billions of ringgit.

“I have always said I will accept Umno members joining Bersatu. They must quit Umno and apply to join Bersatu.

“However, Muhyiddin is ready to accept the party en bloc, including those charged,” said the former prime minister.

It was revealed earlier today that Muhyiddin wrote a letter to Dr Mahathir, asking for an appointment.

Party supreme council member Wan Saiful Wan Jan said Muhyiddin disclosed this in a meeting on Friday.

“Muhyiddin said he had sent a letter to Dr Mahathir asking to meet. They are just waiting to set a date.

“We pray that Dr Mahathir will be able to meet as soon as possible,” he said in a statement today.

Wan Saiful said the majority of Bersatu members wanted the party leadership to reunite.

The Malay party is now split after a majority of its MPs backed Muhyiddin, the MP for Pagoh, as prime minister after Dr Mahathir quit the post and role as Bersatu chairman.

Despite Dr Mahathir’s turnaround in his decisions, the party continued to back Muhyiddin for the post.

Since then, Muhyiddin has forged a new alliance: Perikatan Nasional with BN, PAS and Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS). – March 8, 2020.

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Comments

  • Dont fooled around with old Eagle.
    Tun crush him to pieces.

    Posted 4 years ago by Alan Tang · Reply

  • Sounds like the old man is willing to throw PKR, DAP and Amanah under the bus

    Posted 4 years ago by Vincent Chan · Reply

  • One want Bersatu to be Umno2 while another want to lead Umno 1 for 3 years

    Posted 4 years ago by S L · Reply

  • OK, zoomed out summary of the situation:

    1) It seems that TDM's ultimate goal is to have UMNO Baru Baru keeping the racial supremacist ideology but ditching the corrupt people.

    2) Before this kemelut, Bersatu was bleeding UMNO of MPs and people were complaining about 'frogs' and seeing this as problematic.

    3) Suppose now TDM strikes a deal with Muhyiddin in which they pick and choose which UMNO MPs to work with (i.e. absorb into Bersatu), making Bersatu the biggest party in the country and 'stabilising' the PH government. They may then be portrayed as 'heroes' who saved the PH government and saved the country from PAS, who will probably be demonised as Islamic extremists.

    The end result is the same: Re-founding UMNO minus people that TDM doesn't like and doesn't want in his entourage, and securing its old position as the biggest party in the country. The racial supremacist ideology (which in Malaysia is always mixed with religion) will remain.

    The only different is that in (2) people were complaining and in (3) maybe people will be applauding.

    If this is what is going on, I have to say it is a 'nice play' by TDM. Are TSMY, WSWJ etc. in the know re. the plan? Perhaps, in some sense, it doesn't matter...

    The rakyat are the losers. If the above happens and the PH coalition holds, in GE15, again, many citizens will not have the choice of voting for a moderate or progressive party. Just look at undi.info and see how many seats were contested between UMNO and/or PAS and/or Bersatu. This may happen again in GE15, only with a resurgent Bersatu replacing a dying UMNO, who will probably continue to demonise PAS and portray themselves as a lesser evil (i.e. racial supremacy is less bad than religious extremism or something of the sort).

    Posted 4 years ago by Anak Kampung · Reply