Mahathir willing to contest under DAP ticket
KUALA LUMPUR: Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad is willing to contest under the ticket of any of the political parties under Pakatan Harapan, including DAP in the 14th General Election (GE14 ) if his party Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM) is dissolved.
The PPBM chairman said this was the option he was considering in view of the dilemma faced by his party following action taken recently by the Registrar of Societies (RoS).
“I’m open, I can stand for DAP even, maybe (as) president of DAP,” he said sarcastically at a press conference in Parliament’s lobby yesterday after a meeting of Pakatan Harapan’s Presidential Council.
He was commenting on whether PPBM would field candidates under the ticket of its allies in the opposition coalition in GE14 if the party was dissolved.
Asked if the crisis faced by PPBM was an obstacle to the opposition pack in GE14, Dr Mahathir said: “Of course, if they (RoS) don’t approve, it would be difficult but we will campaign as Pakatan Harapan.”
Recently, the RoS issued a notice to PPBM which required the party to provide certain information and documents to it by March 29 or face de-registration.
Meanwhile, Dr Mahathir said in an interview with Chineselanguage newspaper Sin Chew Daily he is blaming the police for the action he took as prime minister against his then deputy Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who was sacked and arrested for corrupt practices and sodomy in 1998.
The former prime minister said that he “had no choice” but to take action against Anwar after the police had presented all the evidence to him.
“I was angry with the police. I asked them why they didn’t give him a trial.
“They didn’t tell me initially but later said they had given him a ‘black eye,’ but I insisted that he be given a trial,” he said in the exclusive interview published on Monday.
Dr Mahathir was referring to the assault Anwar suffered in police custody which led to a literal black eye, among other injuries.