Shahidan: PH won GE14 because of Dr M’s aura

KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim (Barisan Nasional-Arau) yesterday reminded Pakatan Harapan that it won the 14th General Election only because of Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s aura.

He said because of this, PH ministers and members of parliament should start governing the nation seriously rather than constantly blaming the previous Barisan Nasional administration.

He said there was a tendency for certain PH leaders to continue claiming that the problems faced by the current administration were due to BN’s 60-year rule.

One such leader, he said, was Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng.

“However, for 24 years, Malaysia was under Dr Mahathir,” he said, referring to Dr Mahathir’s 23-year tenure as prime minister from 1981 to 2003.

“Then, there is PD,” he said, referring to Port Dickson member of parliament Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who held ministerial roles in the BN administration from 1983 to 1998.

“Do you want to say that they (Dr Mahathir and Anwar) administered the country well (then)?

“PH must remember that you YB (Yang Berhormat) won because of Dr Mahathir’s aura. Otherwise,

PH must remember that without PKR, PH would not have won. DATUK SERI SHAHIDAN KASSIM

Arau lawmaker

(PH) could not beat us (BN) as we were strong.

“PH must remember that without PKR, PH would not have won.

“Two things: Langkawi (Dr Mahathir) and PD (Anwar),” he said, prompting laughter from both sides of the political divide in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday.

He was speaking during the debate on the motion by Foreign Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah on Malaysia’s foreign policy outlined by Dr Mahathir at the United Nations General Assembly.