Difficult to work with Dr Mahathir, but it must be done, says Wan Azizah

Asila Jalil Yasmin Ramlan Gan Pei Ling Asila Jalil, Yasmin Ramlan, Gan Pei Ling Updated 6 years ago · Published on 18 Jan 2018 4:27PM · 1 Comments

Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail speaking during a Facebook Live session with The Malaysian Insight today. She says things have not been easy for the family since her husband, Anwar Ibrahim, was imprisoned in 1998. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Najjua Zulkefli, January 18, 2018.

IT is difficult to work with former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, but it has to be done for the country’s future, said Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.

The PKR president, who is the wife of jailed opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, said things had not been easy for the family since Anwar was imprisoned in 1998, but stressed that change was needed.

“He (Dr Mahathir) listens. Maybe he is a bit difficult (to work with), but we have to work things out for the country’s future,” she said during a Facebook Live session with The Malaysian Insight today.

She added that Dr Mahathir listened to everyone’s views.

At a Pakatan Harapan convention earlier this month, the coalition announced that its chairman, Dr Mahathir, would be prime minister and Dr Wan Azizah his deputy if it won the 14th general election and formed the federal government.

At the convention, Dr Mahathir thanked Anwar and his family for accepting him and allowing him to lead the opposition pact in GE14.

Dr Mahathir sacked Anwar, his deputy prime minister and finance minister, on September 2, 1998, and subsequently, as Umno deputy president.

On April 14, 1999, Anwar was found guilty of four counts of corruption for interfering in police’s investigations into allegations of sexual misconduct, and sentenced to six years’ jail by the high court.

On September 2, 2004, the PKR de facto leader was freed after almost six years in prison when the Federal Court allowed his appeal against his conviction for sodomy.

Dr Mahathir’s wife, Dr Siti Hasmah Mohamad Ali, was seen in tears as she listened to her husband’s speech at the PH convention.

Dr Wan Azizah said Dr Siti Hasmah was perhaps touched by the support given to her husband by the people.

“It’s not an easy task for someone of that age. Maybe he (Dr Mahathir) also feels like he has to go through it again.

“It’s not easy when you were in power, and now, you’re in the opposition.” – January 18, 2018.

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Comments

  • The one thing that you have to give to Mahathir is that he is singularly focussed on his main concern - the fate of the nation and the Malays. Charges of him that his personal agenda is the main reason for what he does. He may have very stubborn, extremist and arrogant view of what "interest of the nation and Malays" are..But you cannot doubt his patriotism and social objective. You cannot say the same thing of Najib or any of the UMNO leaders in power.

    Posted 6 years ago by Bigjoe Lam · Reply