BANGKOK: Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has given his assurance that Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM) will not go down the same path as Umno.
Dr Mahathir, who is also PPBM chairman, said the party was formed out a of necessity to have a Malay-based party to give an option to Malay voters.
He said he had observed that following the general election in 2008 and 2013, it was difficult to get Malay voters, especially rural voters, to vote for a change in government.
“They kept voting for Umno, and the opposition could never get their support to achieve victory.
“As these Malay votes were necessary, we founded a party that is a fair copy of Umno albeit with key differences,” he told the audience during a lunch with the Malaysian diaspora in Bangkok.
During the question and answer session, he fielded a query on whether there was any guarantee that PPBM would not tread the same path as Umno once he retires from politics altogether.
Dr Mahathir, in his reply, said he did not wish to see PPBM become a new Umno, in the sense of being mired in corruption.
“We will be more like the Umno that was formed in 1946. At the time, Umno was dedicated to giving a good government for Malaysia and was about gaining independence for the country.
“But the Umno led by Najib (Datuk Seri Najib Razak) was more about stealing money and living a good life on stolen money.
“We cannot be like the Umno of now, but we can be organised like Umno so its members can be Malays and those from Sabah and Sarawak,” he said.
At the event, Dr Mahathir fielded various questions from the audience, with topics ranging from the economy, the third national car project, financial aid for education, as well as women’s rights in Malaysia.
On the economy, he reiterated his stand that the previous government had left the country in shambles. However, he said the recovery process was going according to plans.
“The rehabilitation of the country is going well and we will eventually recover. Full recovery will take many, many years but within the next year or two, we will have set up a basis for recovery for Malaysia.”