The decision to name Dr Mahathir Mohamad as the opposition’s prime minister candidate is only to draw Malay votes in rural areas but won’t help Malaysia’s long-term struggles towards reform, a forum heard yesterday.
Panellists at the forum said Pakatan Harapan should prioritise reforms badly needed in Malaysia and not whether the former prime minister is the solution.
“We are not offered options … we are only given Pepsi and Coca-Cola.
“You force people to accept Dr Mahathir. Did you discuss with the people? What is happening now shows that there is no difference between PH and Barisan Nasional,” former PKR member Badrul Hisham Saharin, or better known as Chegubard, said at the Kuala Lumpur Chinese Assembly Hall last night.
PH previously presented itself as a viable alternative to BN but its recent decision to name Dr Mahathir showed its true colour.
“You haven’t got power yet, but you have already indoctrinated the people. And recently Dr Mahathir said toll rates here are cheap and no one objects,” he said, commenting on Dr Mahathir’s remark that toll charges in Malaysia were cheaper than many other countries.
In a Facebook Live held on January 10, he said toll charges covered the cost of road maintenance and building highways. [...]
The announcement drew derision from Barisan Nasional and even from some sections in PH.
Activist Haris Ibrahim said Dr Mahathir’s appointment as prime minister if the opposition pact captures Putrajaya will only cause problems.
“If Dr Mahathir really wants to bring down Umno and BN, we welcome him. But problems will arise when he is appointed as the future prime minister,” he said.
“Use Dr Mahathir but tell us the truth. Don’t say Malay poverty will end if PH wins. Don’t only talk about 1MDB and say PH will protect Malay rights. It’s same like Umno and BN.”
Malay Mail Online editor Fathi Aris Omar said Dr Mahathir had a bad record in upholding democracy during his tenure as prime minister, as freedom of speech eroded during his era.
Dr Mahathir was the father of kleptocracy who gave birth to today’s kleptocrat, he said.
u can still vote pas, or psm. i suggest psm to contest all seats in penang.
ReplyDeleteMost of the people attacking Mahathir these days are no fighters for any reform agenda....including Ktemoc, as he confirmed before....just self-serving attacks....
ReplyDeleteAs one blogger said (I took the liberty to quote him) : "Sure, Mahathir had ruled with iron-fist for 22 years. He had done many terrible things. But are the people better off now than they were 5 years ago? The answer is obvious. To borrow a quote from Oprah Winfrey – “You don’t have to like Mahathir. He’s not coming over your house. There really is no choice.”
ReplyDeleteWhy did Anwar Ibrahim and Lim Kit Siang, both victims of Mahathir’s iron-fist rule once upon a time, are now willing to work with the same man who had imprisoned them? The answer – Najib Razak is worse than the evil Mahathir Mohamad. At the rate Najib plunders the coffers and taxing the people, Malaysia will soon become Venezuela."
We all know why Harapan have to make Dr M the PM-designate. With one such decision, all the incessant attacks against DAP as the master controller and master puppeteer just died away, or almost. Now they all concentrated their hatred and vitriol upon that old man.
And... "like it or not, Mahathir is the only chance to swing the ignorant rural Malay voters."
that just dumb
Deletepolitician are smart unlike their supporters. they are not stupid enough to throw power and money away for feelings. this is not the first time mahathir had work with opposition nor its the first PAS-DAP breakup.
Who says anything about Harapan politicians acting on "Feelings" ? It is precisely WITHOUT feelings or any such emotion that Harapan leaders who had so suffered under the dictatorial Mahathir that they are willing to let go of their grudge for NOW and bring him on board as they and everyone and their dog know that ONLY the old man can have a frigging chance in hell to bring that chief plunderer down. And looking at the the DAILY attacks that go on relentlessly and without mercy...on their MSM tv network, mainstream papers, bloggers, Muslim NGOs, statements by Umno ministers.....the vicious attacks on Mahathir is proof how they really feared the old man...
DeleteSo the Harapan politicians have to assure their supporters..."you must NOT allow feelings to spoil our one last chance, you don't have to like Mahathir...we are now in a crucial stage...this GE is the watershed...there is NO CHOICE except to accept Mahathir."
Supporters, unlike their political leaders, are lead by feelings and it is right that their leaders to advice them NOT be ruled by feelings if we have to fight the evil Dumno. Work with the devil to fight the other devil...wakakaka