Monday, September 18, 2023

Dr M trying to undermine Anwar with new PN post, says Salleh


FMT:

Dr M trying to undermine Anwar with new PN post, says Salleh


Salleh Said Keruak says Dr Mahathir Mohamad is looking to win a seat in the Dewan Rakyat to become the opposition leader.



Anwar Ibrahim was in Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s Cabinet from 1983 until his sacking from both Umno and the government in 1998.


PETALING JAYA: Perikatan Nasional’s de facto leader Dr Mahathir Mohamad took up his new post to undermine Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, says former Sabah chief minister Salleh Said Keruak.

In a Facebook post, Salleh said Mahathir’s role as the unofficial adviser to a grouping of opposition-led states would only benefit the former Langkawi MP if he could win a seat in the Dewan Rakyat and become the opposition leader.

“Mahathir is a very smart politician. He is smarter than most of us,” said Salleh of the former prime minister.

“He wants to have a more effective influence over the political domain so that he can undermine the prime minister’s control and influence.


Salleh Said Keruak.


“He is a master at this kind of games, (and) I salute him for that. In politics, age and ambition have no limit. Therefore, do not underestimate the will of an old man.

“When dealing with an adversary, it is not only his actions but his intentions that have to be watched. If one does not act first, one will suffer first.”

The Usukan assemblyman said that the 98-year-old Mahathir could even become prime minister again if “all his enemies regard this as impossible and remain off guard”.

The former federal minister added that PAS would not have supported Mahathir unless it believed that he could help PN regain federal power.

Last Thursday, Terengganu menteri besar Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar said a grouping of PN-led states known as the “state government four”, or “SG4”, was in the works, with Mahathir set to serve as their unofficial adviser.

On Sept 2, Mahathir met with a top-level PAS delegation, which included the menteris besar of the four PN states — Kelantan, Terengganu, Kedah and Perlis.

Anwar was in Mahathir’s Cabinet from 1983 until his sacking from both Umno and the government in 1998. He served as deputy prime minister from 1993 to 1998.

While Mahathir and Anwar had made up before the 2018 general election and worked together when Pakatan Harapan (PH) was in power, their relationship eventually soured again after the fall of the PH government.

Before the toppling of the PH government in February 2020, Mahathir had repeatedly promised to hand over the top post to Anwar, who was regarded by PH supporters as their prime minister-designate.


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