FORMER prime minister (PM) Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad who laid the groundwork for the infamous Sheraton Move contributed to the collapse of his own Pakatan Harapan (PH) government after a mere 22 months in power.
If he had no qualms of bringing down his own government, then what do you expect him to do with governments that he is not part of it?
“Proklamasi Melayu” was just another attempt from a frustrated leader to undermine the government headed by Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
He labelled Anwar as the dictator and the person responsible for the alleged cancellation of the two events organised for the “Malay Proclamation” gathering.
Dr Mahathir was expected to be the keynote speaker. A man who used the infamous internal security act (ISA) to detain hundreds of political opponents has the temerity to label Anwar as the dictator.
Even the former premier Datuk Seri Najib Razak has weighed in on the matter by saying that Mahathir should be the last person who should be calling others dictators and oppressors. He went on to describe Dr Mahathir’s condemnation of Anwar as a case of the pot calling the kettle black.
It is not whether there is proof or not that Anwar ordered the cancellation of events marked for the declaration on Malays but there is something more sinister behind the move.
Tun M’s worries heightened?
Anwar’s crackdown on corruption relating to the Jana Wibawa stimulus financial package has resulted in the arrest and charging of three Bersatu leaders, including the head honcho Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
Since there is no let up on the part of Anwar, there is concern that more corrupted leaders might be charged by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).
There is lingering fear among those who were the recipients of the ill-begotten wealth that Anwar might cast his net wider to bring in those who enriched themselves and their families in the name of assisting the poor Malays.
In this respect, Anwar might even be contemplating about going after earlier leaders who had hand in robbing the country of billions.
Dr Mahathir who has often being accused of assisting his cronies and relatives might have reason to be concerned. Perhaps this is the reason why he wants to destabilise the unity government in the name of “Proklamasi Melayu”.
Anwar might have oscillated on some matters earlier but he is taking on the bull by its horns. He has made it clear that there would be no compromise on corruption and other forms of malfeasance.
He has instructed the security agencies to monitor and take the appropriate measures to nab those using race and religion. No right-thinking Malaysians would want to disagree with Anwar. Ethnic and religious extremism must be curbed before they flare up to engulf the nation as a whole.
When Dr Mahathir was in power, he lambasted the Malays for not taking advantages of the economic opportunities that presented themselves. However, when he is not in power, he harps continuously on how the Malays have lost out to the non-Malays.
My question is simple: Why did he do to address the plight of the ordinary Malays for he was PM on two separate occasions – first, for a 22-year period and second, for 22 months. One thing is for sure: his cronies and family members amassed considerable wealth.
His contradictory politics has no traction in the Malaysian political arena. The fact that he and many others lost their deposits in the 15th General Elections (GE15) should be stark reminder that hate politics is no place in Malaysia.
I think Anwar is doing the right thing. – March 20, 2023
Prof Ramasamy Palanisamy is the state assemblyman for Perai. He is also Deputy Chief Minister II of Penang.
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia.
