Dr M just hoping to relive glory days as PM, says Wee

LEDANG: The main reason Pakatan wants Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad as the seventh prime minister is because their number one choice is currently in prison, says MCA deputy president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong (pic).

He said they also know that due to the boundaries of law, that person of choice could not contest in the general election.

“Due to this, they are turning to a man who is 92 years old to be their choice of Malaysia’s seventh prime minister, hoping to relive his glory days,” Dr Wee added.

He said Pakatan backing the Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Pribumi) chairman as their choice of interim prime minister was just part of a storyboard from which many more stories would spring forth.

Dr Wee, who is also Ayer Hitam MP and Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, said this to pressmen after presenting aid to three conforming schools in Johor at SMJK Pei Hwa here yesterday.

He said Pakatan Harapan leaders such as Lim Kit Siang and Lim Guan Eng had previously vilified Dr Mahathir, but were now trying to justify to the people that he is the best choice for prime minister.

“Who used the Internal Security Act to put his political opponents in jail and curtailed freedom of the press? The answer is Dr Mahathir.

“It is under Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak that laws including the ISA have been abolished, so who is the real oppressor?” he added.

At the event, Dr Wee also said the Government had not failed in giving much needed allocations to 82 conforming schools throughout Malaysia.

In Johor alone, he said, there were three such schools including SMJK Pei Hwa here, SMJK Seg Hwa in Segamat and SMJK Pai Chee in Mersing.

SMJK Pei Hwa has received a total of RM2.5mil in allocations from the Government since 2012.

“This time around, all three schools are receiving another allocation worth RM1.2mil from the Government,” Dr Wee said.

He added that conforming schools were different compared to Chinese schools in the country as they followed the national standard of education set by the Education Ministry.

Students at these schools also take public examinations such as Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia and follow the national syllabus.

PUTRAJAYA: Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad is welcome to contest the Putrajaya parliamentary seat in the general election, says its MP Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Mansor.

“He can contest anywhere. Anyone, even those who do not belong to any party, can contest anywhere because Malaysia is a democratic country.

“Many also contest as independent candidates. No problem at all,” he told reporters after attending a Back to School and Get a Haircut programme at SK Putrajaya in Precinct 9(1) yesterday.

The programme was organised by Putrajaya Umno Youth and Puteri Umno with the help of Mara for about 400 students.

Dr Mahathir, who is the Pakatan Harapan chairman, said on Saturday that he might contest the Langkawi, Kubang Pasu or Putrajaya parliamentary seat in the 14th general election.

On Dr Mahathir’s remarks that Malaysians would enjoy freedom of expression if Pakatan won the general election, Tengku Adnan said there was freedom of speech in the country already.

“He gives speeches every day. We know the Opposition is using this sentiment to poison the minds of the people,” he said.

Tengku Adnan said Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia should prove that its struggle was to champion the cause of the people instead of certain factions.

“I am confident that the people will realise that it is just like other splinter parties that were set up due to dissatisfaction and revenge, and to try and achieve unattainable goals,” he said. — Bernama