Reluctant Dr Mahathir says he may be forced to stand for election

Alfian Z.M. Tahir Alfian Z.M. Tahir Updated 2 years ago · Published on 3 May 2021 11:22AM · 5 Comments

Dr Mahathir Mohamad says there have been many times he has had to do what his people want him to do, including to stand for election after retirement. – The Malaysian Insight file pic, May 3, 2021.

DR Mahathir Mohamad today said while he is not interested in participating in the next general election, his supporters could compel him to do so.

“I do not want to contest but my supporters will be angry with me if I don’t.

“I do not know what to do. There have been many times that I had to follow what my people wanted me to do,” he said during a live interview on Facebook.

Dr Mahathir is the Langkawi MP. He won the seat in the last general election after defeating Barisan Nasional and PAS candidates.

He was appointed the seventh prime minister in 2018 after the polls but his tenure was cut short when Bersatu pulled out of the Pakatan Harapan coalition in 2020.

As a result, Dr Mahathir resigned the prime minister’s office and also relinquished his post as Bersatu chairman.

Dr Mahathir has said he chose to resign after he lost the command in Bersatu to Muhyiddin Yassin, who preferred to work with election losers Umno and PAS.

He also said he would still be the PM if Pakatan Harapan had not made the mistake of naming Anwar Ibrahim as its prime ministerial candidate.

Pakatan Harapan did not have enough MPs to support Anwar’s bid for office and the king subsequently gave the appointment to Muhyiddin Yassin, who had the support of lawmakers in Umno, PAS and PKR defectors.

With the five MPs who left Bersatu with him, Dr Mahathir has formed Pejuang, a Malay based party.

The five MPS are Mukhriz Mahathir (Jerlun), Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman (Muar), Maszlee Malik (Simpang Renggam),  Amiruddin Hamzah (Kubang Pasu) and Shahruddin Md Salleh (Sri Gading).

Dr Mahathir was the world’s oldest PM at age 93. It was his second stint in the office, having served from July 1981 to October 2003 when he was the Umno president. – May 3, 2021.

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Comments

  • Tun at your age, you actually don't have please your supporters and people around you, except for immediate family members particularly Tun Dr Siti Hasmah. The nation is already in this state be it either you have a part of it or not and let history be the judge to that. You have to accept the fact that Malaysian at large either like or hate you but one thing is certain there's no one on the fence when we Malaysian thinks of you. It's your call Tun.

    Posted 2 years ago by Teruna Kelana · Reply

  • Enough is enough. Just retire. Don't create more damage than what is already done.

    Posted 2 years ago by Manian kaneson · Reply

  • When he said supporters wants him to run, it could just be a handful. No one can stop
    Him if he wants to run but dont expect much. He is already history.

    Posted 2 years ago by Elyse Gim · Reply

    • Nobody is named and no supporters have come up to say this. He's doing his usual thing of putting words in the mouth of others. If you follow his statements this happens quite often. Unfortunately the media seems to be fine with repeating this kind of hearsay without any proof.

      Posted 2 years ago by Anak Kampung · Reply

  • Who is forcing him? I hope TMI can try to find out... Otherwise it may just be hearsay and not news.

    Posted 2 years ago by Anak Kampung · Reply