Photos by Asyraf Hamzah
PETALING JAYA: Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has been urged to clarify alleged negotiations to allow his son, Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir, to contest the 14th General Election under the Barisan Nasional ticket.
Former Transparency International-Malaysia vice-chairman Tunku Abdul Aziz Tunku Ibrahim said the move, if true, meant that Dr Mahathir has no faith in Pakatan Harapan.
He said this also meant that Dr Mahathir was not confident of his son’s chances of winning a seat under the opposition ticket.
“This could be part of his tactical arsenal, and for him to make such a U-turn shows that he is now in desperation,” said Tunku Aziz during a press conference here, today.
Dr Mahathir is the chairman of Pakatan Harapan and Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM), while Mukhriz is PPBM deputy president.
“Dr Mahathir must now come forward and explain whether such allegations are true and if they are true, then he should clarify what this is all about,” he said.
Tunku Abdul Aziz was commenting on a statement made by blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin, in which the latter alleged that Dr Mahathir would cooperate with BN and Umno if Mukhriz was allowed to contest GE14 as a BN candidate.
"It is all to serve his own agenda. Ultimately, it is up to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak whether to accept the terms offered by Dr Mahathir," he said.
"He will offer to stop his continuous tirade against Najib, in exchange for a place for Mukhriz back in Umno, simply because he knows that only by being in Umno, can he stand a chance of ascending to the prime minister's post.
"He will then expect the Umno hierarchy to smoothen Mukhriz's path to the top. If this actually happens, it would simply be cynical," said Tunku Aziz, expressing doubt that Najib and Umno would accept Dr Mahathir’s offer.
Tunku Abdul Aziz added that Pakatan Harapan themselves were being destabilised by the indecision between the component parties in the pact over their candidate for prime minister should they win the election.
"They are talking about temporary PMs, like (Datuk Seri) Wan Azizah Wan Ismail warming the seat while awaiting (Datuk Seri) Anwar Ibrahim's release from prison. There can be no such thing as temporary PMs, it's ridiculous," he said.
He also urged DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang to state his stand on Dr Mahathir if the allegation was true.
“Because if this is true, then clearly he (Dr Mahathir) has simply used Pakatan Harapan for his temporary convenience to suit his ultimate ambition, which is now his obsession — to make Mukhriz the prime minister.”