WHO would have known best mindset of the man currently helming the country, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, if not his mentor-turned nemesis Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
Armed with that notion, the United Rights of Malaysian Party (Urimai) interim council chairman Prof Ramasamy Palanisamy has picked the brain of the twice former premier on the matter at the latter’s office in Putrajaya yesterday (May 23).
In so doing, the former DAP stalwart stated that his hour-long meeting with the centenarian who administered Malaysia for 22 years and 22 months is purely a fact-finding mission as opposed to endorsing or forgiving the latter for his past misdeeds.
“I’m not a political desperado but merely wanted to solicit TunM’s views and inputs on the present government headed by Anwar,” Ramsamy told FocusM. He was accompanied to the meeting by Urimai deputy president David Marshel and the party’s secretary-general Satees Muniandy.
“I asked TunM why he didn’t trust Anwar with the prime ministership? He replied by saying that Anwar betrayed him while in UMNO. It was TunM who brought and groomed him in UMNO but Anwar betrayed him by joining forces with (Datuk Seri) Ahmad Zahid Hamidi (now Deputy Prime Minister).”
According to the former Penang chief minister II, his meeting with Dr Mahathir was also part of the larger strategy of his newly-founded Urimai party which has been prevented from being registered by the Madani government to address the position of the discriminated Indian community and the rights of non-Malays in general.
“I also brought to TunM’s attention the pitfalls of the present opposition narratives that only highlight race and religion without the insertion of inclusive politics in the country,” asserted Ramasamy.
“Our meeting also focussed on the Malaysian government’s failure on successfully resolving the Thai Muslim conflict in Southern Thailand.”
Added the former three-term Perai state assemblyman: “In a way, this was the first time I met in official sense with TunM although I have been to meetings chaired by TunM when he was the second-time PM.” – May 24, 2025
