DR M FACING CRISIS OF CONFIDENCE

DAP leaders attempting to distance themselves from him as he is a ‘liability’

TUN Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s footing in the opposition camp continues to be wobbly as he grapples with a crisis of confidence, against the backdrop of an increasingly critical segment of youth voters, analysts say.

The latest episode took place at a talk in Petaling Jaya on Wednesday where the former prime minister and DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang had to bear the brunt of the crowd’s dissatisfaction when he became evasive about Dr Mahathir’s alleged transgressions.

Dr Mahathir had reportedly failed to quell anger among PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s supporters, when he appeared defiant over his decision to oust his former deputy, among others. Several opposition leaders also expressed reservations about him following Wednesday’s forum.

Analyst Prof Dr Sivamurugan Pandian said Dr Mahathir was finding it difficult to convince opposition leaders and supporters due to past enmity.

“Otherwise, he would not have a problem in convincing the crowd over the said controversies. Dr Mahathir’s difficulties in convincing his new friends are due to clashes in the past.

“There is a lack of confidence or trust in him. Voters today are looking beyond Dr Mahathir’s top agenda, which is to topple Datuk Seri Najib Razak. They are now more interested in policies.”

Yesterday, PKR vice-president Tian Chua expressed regret over Dr Mahathir’s reply when he was asked about his role in Anwar’s removal from the cabinet and Umno. Dr Mahathir reportedly evaded the question, by responding that Anwar’s arrest was a police decision and his removal from Umno was a party consensus, despite having endorsed the ouster earlier.

“The recent rehashing of sexual allegations against Anwar is an example of desperate attempts of character assassination. It is unfortunate that Dr Mahathir, in a forum on Nov 21, was unwittingly trapped into a divisive discourse when asked to comment on a scurrilous allegation made against Anwar in 1998. As a leader of PKR, I regret the manner in which he chose to answer,” Tian Chua said in a statement.

Another analyst, Prof Hoo Ke Ping, contended that Dr Mahathir was a liability, following his alleged involvement in the Bank Negara Malaysia foreign exchange (forex) scandals in the 1980s and 1990s, and his silence over the implementation of the Unified Certified Examination (UEC). He said DAP leaders were attempting to distance themselves from Dr Mahathir “as much as they could”.

“Dr Mahathir is very much a liability. Lim, for example, has not been seen with Dr Mahathir for more than two weeks until the forum. Issues surrounding the forex and UEC controversies have further eroded their trust in him.

“DAP members have always been wary of Dr Mahathir, whose anti-Chinese stance was rather prominent when he was the prime minister. He is a tool being used to rein in the Malay votes, but as of now, Dr Mahathir is causing problems.”

DAP members have always been wary of Dr Mahathir, whose anti-Chinese stance was rather prominent when he was the prime minister.

PROF HOO KE PING

Analyst