FOLLOWING olive branch offered by several Perikatan Nasional leaders to former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, a Umno leader urged the coalition to welcome the latter to hasten its demise.
“I heard Mahathir saying that he is willing to work with Perikatan in the next general election, as long as a ‘scoundrel’ is not there.
“We all know he is referring to Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak. However, it’s good for Perikatan to work with Mahathir as our Home Minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainuddin is okay with the idea.
“These days, Perikatan is willing to work with anyone who can ‘jump all around’,” Umno supreme council member Datuk Puad Zarkashi said, in a Facebook post.
Recently, Mahathir announced that he is willing to work with anyone in the next polls, as long as it does not involve the infamous “court cluster”.
Hamzah, who is Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) secretary-general, welcomed Mahathir’s gesture.
Najib an obstacle to Mukhriz
It is to note that Mahathir was Bersatu’s founder and former chairman, before being dislodged by Hamzah and party president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin last year.
Touching on the matter, Puad said that everyone knows that Mahathir would create problems wherever he goes, and the latter’s entry into Perikatan would only damage the coalition further.
“And he need not worry about Najib being there as Umno had decided not to work with Bersatu in the next polls. In fact, Umno will be out from the coalition too,” he stressed.
The former deputy minister then claimed that Mahathir is actually afraid of Najib, as many surveys have indicated the latter is still popular among the electorate while the nonagenarian was least favoured.
“Plus, Mahathir feels that Najib is the biggest stumbling block in getting his son, Mukhriz Mahathir to ascend the premiership, By the way, Mukhriz is not even mentioned in the surveys,” Puad added. – April 20, 2021.
