DPM: NO ONE MORE QUALIFIED TO RUIN COUNTRY THAN DR M
He is bound to repeat past mistakes, says Zahid
THERE is no other person more qualified to bring damage and ruin to the country than Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, when asked on Dr Mahathir’s nomination as the opposition’s prime ministerial candidate for the 14th General Election, was sarcastic in his assessment.
He said the decision made by Pakatan Harapan to nominate the 92-year-old as its PM candidate was “accurate” as there was no one else more qualified to bring damage to the country.
“This statesman served for 22 years.
“If he is to be given the same position as before, he will likely repeat his mistakes.
“This recycling of past mistakes is very much awaited by Malaysians. There is no other leader more qualified than him to bring about damage and ruin to the country.”
Zahid said this after opening a Crime Prevention Education Convention here yesterday.
After months of speculation on who Pakatan Harapan’s PM candidate would be, Dr Mahathir, the Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM) chairman, was eventually named on Sunday.
The decision has sparked discord and caused a rift within the opposition pact, with many grassroots questioning the selection of the former prime minister.
Among the main criticism of Dr Mahathir’s administration was the suppression of dissent and free speech.
In 1987, his administration cracked down on politicians and activists, with 106 of them detained under the now repealed Internal Security Act.
His leadership also saw the rise of the Reformasi movement in the late 1990s, following the sacking and imprisonment of his then deputy Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who is now his ally in Pakatan Harapan.