VETERAN journalist and blogger Datuk A. Kadir Jasin who is deemed a staunch supporter of two-time premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has remained tight-lipped at best even as he attempted to answer “an old friend who quoted another old friend claiming that even if I’m BBQ (barbequed), I will still say Dr Mahathir Mohamad is right”.
The former editor-in-chief of then UMNO-owned mainstream New Straits Times from 1988 to 2000 (which coincided with Dr Mahathir’s premiership tenure) attributed the argument to some of his writings about newly-minted Prime Minister (PM) Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as follows:
- In the 15th General Election (GE15) on Nov 19, Anwar-led Pakatan Harapan (PH) secured 37.46% of the popular votes compared to Perikatan Nasional’s (PN) 30.35%, Barisan Nasional’s (BN) 22.36% and Pejuanng/Gerakan Tanah Air’s (GTA) 0.71%.
- Of the number of Dewan Rakyat seats won, PH had 82, PN (74), BN (30) while Pejuang/GTA did not win a single seat.
- No coalition has a majority number of seats for the government body, so a coalition government was established among PH, BN and parties from Sarawak and Sabah with Anwar as PM.
- After leaving Bersatu (a party founded by Dr Mahathir) in 2020, I did not join any political party but continued to support the idealism of PH.
“Regarding me saying or not saying Dr Mahathir is right or wrong, that is up to the assessment of the two friends and all the discussants here,” he penned in a recent Facebook post.
“I just want to say that I have known them for over 40 years and Dr Mahathir for 58 years. Both friends have also known Dr Mahathir for a long time. So there is not much difference.”
Added the former Bersatu supreme council member” “As far as Malaysian voters are concerned, they have decided to give the most support to PH. Likewise the voters of Tambun (Anwar won here), Langkawi (Dr Mahathir not only failed to defend his parliamentary constituency but also lost his deposit) and Gua Musang.”
In retrospect, Kadir’s last association with Dr Mahathir could be his appointment as the media and communications advisor in the Prime Minister’s Office in August 2018.
Kadir went on to say that Anwar is now the PM “unlike in the 1990s when he was only the deputy PM or an opposition leader.
“Whatever people say, he (Anwar) is capo di tutti i capi (Italian mafia lingo which means boss of all the bosses),” acknowledged the 75 year-old former pupil of St Michael’s Institution in Alor Setar, Kedah.
“What is important is the welfare of the common people, the price of eggs and chicken supplies, the ringgit exchange rate, the stock market index, loan interest rates, the fight against corruption, institutional reform, brain drain and many other issues.”
Kadir even echoed DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang who has reiterated time and again that Anwar has to undertake reforms quickly “because he may not have up to five years to do so”.
“In the simplest language, self-respect is important but for common people, the price of eggs and chickens is more important,” quipped Kadir. “So, like white people say, get on with the job. Just do the work!” – Dec 31, 2022
Main photo credit: mykmu.net
