OLD foes Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah have expressed their readiness to facilitate a new unity government if the current Perikatan Nasional (PN) government fails to pass the Budget 2021 vote tomorrow.

Speaking in a jointly held press conference today, the two elderly statesmen said they have agreed to join forces to save the nation from adverse politicking.

The two have invited other Members of Parliament to put aside their party and personal loyalties to join them in making Malaysia an economic powerhouse once again.

Dr Mahathir explained that if Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s government falls tomorrow, there will be a leadership void.

“There is a possibility tomorrow when the vote for the third reading of the budget, the possibility the government might lose.

“I hope those in Parliament will begin to think not about themselves but about the nation. They must not be motivated on what they can get but on what they can do for the nation,” he told reporters at Yayasan Albukhary in Kuala Lumpur.

The 95-year-old added that many Malaysians have sought guidance from him and Tengku Razaleigh to save the nation from economic downfall and the Covid-19 pandemic.

‘There are a lot of friends and professionals who have sought us out and asked us what we could do. We hope to get the support to implement our ideas.

“We want to serve the nation and help the progress of the people,” Dr Mahathir said.

They were, however, non-committal as to who among them would be the prime ministerial candidate for the new unity government, if it comes to that.

They also said that Muhyiddin’s government was hanging by a very slim majority, and that such a situation was not good for investor confidence.

“The country has a lot of problems, the whole government system is a mess. Politicians in Malaysia are busy politicking to keep their positions.

“They are focused on enriching themselves, they want to be ministers because it pays well. They are not keen on improving the nation,” Dr Mahathir said. 

Tengku Razaleigh added that the both of them were putting aside their differences to focus on the country.

“This is the first time I am at a press conference led by Dr Mahathir after he became the seventh prime minister. We are working together and exchanging ideas on how to return the country to its original glory,” he said.

The Umno advisory council chairman also said he “might” be able to sway Umno parliamentarians to join their plans for a unity government.

Dr Mahathir added Malaysians were now fed up with politicians and they were worried as the public were dependent on these people in the country’s fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Langkawi lawmaker added even though PN could claim that it took power legitimately, Malaysians know better.

“People are unhappy. They elected a government, but somebody comes around and steals it. Legally they can claim to be legitimate, but morally they are illegitimate,” Dr Mahathir said. – December 14, 2020.