Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad uses rally to denounce government, pitch PPBM
DIFFERENT STAND:
Bersih 5 allegedly funded by Soros whom ex-PM once despised
MALACCA Chief Minister Datuk Seri Idris Haron slammed former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad for participating in the Bersih 5 rally, which he claimed was funded by Hungarian-American billionaire George Soros.
Idris said Dr Mahathir had previously despised Soros for manipulating the ringgit, alleging that it led to the 1997 economic crisis, but now took a completely different stand by taking part in the rally.
He said this at the final session of the investiture in conjunction with the 78th birthday of Yang di-Pertua Negeri Tun Mohd Khalil Yaakob in Seri Negeri here yesterday.
Idris blamed Bersih rally-goers for tarnishing Malaysia’s clean image.
“They call themselves Bersih (clean) but they are dirty and greedy for power, and want their own blood to be in power,” he said.
He said there was no need to resort to rallies to topple the government when there was a better way of doing so via the general election.
“The previous Bersih rallies were proven ineffective and a fifth was unnecessary. Barisan Nasional is still ruling the country effectively even after a fifth Bersih rally.
“If the government was really ineffective and inefficient, then the first rally would have been enough to topple the ruling government.”
Idris said this state was peaceful with no rallies or heavy police presence, with the rakyat honouring Khalil at the investiture ceremony.
A total of 425 recipients were conferred awards and titles, including Primeworks Studio chief executive officer Ahmad Izham Omar and Utusan Malaysia editor Zulkefli Hamzah, who were conferred the Darjah Pangkuan Seri Melaka which carries the title “datuk”.
In Kuantan, Wanita Umno chief Senator Datuk Roslin Abdul Rahman described Bersih 5 as a gathering of opposition members, who were disappointed with their failure to wrest power in Malaysia via the democratic election process.
“It is clear that Bersih’s planning and financing originated from Soros,” she said of the billionaire who was accused of seeking regime change via his Open Society Foundations.
She said the Bersih gathering in Kuala Lumpur was similar to the regime change that occurred in various countries such as those effected by the Arab Spring in 2011.