FORMER prime minister (PM) Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has accused Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim of being a dictator. However, people on the internet are now criticising him and reminding him of the past, when he was PM and used the Internal Security Act (ISA) to silence his opponents.
This is not the first time that Dr Mahathir has accused Anwar of being a dictator. The first time was in May this year, after a pro-Malay gathering was called off.
Though Dr Mahathir said he had no evidence that Anwar was behind the sudden cancellation of the rally on Malay solidarity, he said the premier has been displaying increasing intolerance of free speech by attacking the opposition and his critics.
Yesterday (Aug 18), Dr Mahathir reiterated his claim that Anwar is running a dictatorship.
This time, Dr Mahathir got a call from the police, who asked him to visit their premises to explain his postings on Facebook.
His posting, which was made on July 27, was titled ‘Malaysia is a Malay Country’.
He stated that his speech was considered “against the rules”. He also claimed this was a way of threatening him against speaking about the problems in the country.
The former PM said that the points in his speech were based on clear facts and were not against the rules and he accused Anwar of being a dictator.
In May, jailed former PM Datuk Seri Najib Razak took Dr Mahathir to task for the abuse of the ISA.
Moreover, a post on his Facebook account pointed out the irony of Dr Mahathir’s accusations (that Anwar is a dictator), given the liberal use of the ISA during Dr Mahathir’s tenure as PM.
Pro-Pakatan Harapan (PH) users on Twitter are fed up with Dr Mahathir.
Bila org tua yg kena tapau oleh seluruh rakyat Malaysia bersuara. 😁
📌Kalah semua 42 kerusi dlm PRN Johor.
📌Kalah semua 121 kerusi dlm PRU15.
📌’Negarawan’ yg hilang deposit di Parlimen Langkawi.
📌Pegang rekod tahanan ISA paling ramai 1200 individu.Jika benar @anwaribrahim… https://t.co/sS8HN7lTt0
— Amer 𝕏 Hustler (@amer7211) August 18, 2023
(When an elder is defeated and silenced by the entire Malaysian population speaking up. 😁
(📌Lost all 42 seats in the Johor state election.
(📌Lost all 121 seats in the 15th General Election.
(📌The ‘statesman’ who lost his deposit in the Langkawi Parliament.
(📌Holds the record for the most individuals detained under the ISA, totaling 1200.
(If indeed @anwaribrahim is a dictator, you wouldn’t have the chance to hold any press conferences, let alone campaign and sign the Malay Proclamation.
(Anwar is a Prime Minister who obtained the PEOPLE’S MANDATE through a coalition of parties forming the Unity Government. 148 parliamentary seats. Strong and Resolute!
(LOSERS should remain SILENT! Remember?)
Furthermore, most of those who commented on this thread gave their piece of mind to the ‘statesman’. They kept reminding him of his political defeats in the recent elections. – Aug 19, 2023
Main photo credit: Bloomberg
