While reiterating his commitment to step down before the end of the five-year term as prime minister, Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad says he does not want to make another mistake in his choice of PM.
“I have made many mistakes in appointing my successors, so I don’t want to make another mistake this time,” he said in an interview with the Financial Times (FT) on the sidelines of a regional trade conference in Bangkok.
“One is very nervous about just letting go of the country to successors.”
He expressed disappointment with Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and Najib Razak.
Dr Mahathir resigned in 2003, virtually appointing his deputy Abdullah Badawi as the PM but later turned his ire against the latter calling him ‘sleeping’ PM and disparaging him for his policies.
Dr Mahathir led a viral campaign against Abdullah Badawi, leading to the replacement of the prime minister in 2009, giving Najib Razak his chance to shine in the highest political post in the country.
The Pakatan Harapan chairman and PM led another campaign this time against Najib, but he had to join the Pakatan coalition in the opposition to bring down the ex-PM to end the six-decade long reign of Barisan Nasional and the Umno.
In the FT interview, Dr Mahathir denied there was a date or time frame mentioned for his resignation, indicating his intention to keep a firm grip on power.
Dr Mahathir returned as PM after the Pakatan Harapan won the elections in 2018 and a refusal by the largest party in the coalition, the Justice Party allowed him to take over the post of prime minister.
According to Justice Party sources, the leader Dr. Wan Azizah Wan Ismail was asked to take an oath as the next PM of Malaysia in 2018 but she said the deal was for Dr Mahathir to become PM, instead.
“There was no actual date or time mentioned,” Mahathir was also quoted as saying.
“What I mentioned at the time when they appointed me… was that… I would not be permanently there, that means that I wouldn’t finish a whole term.” But he gave an assurance that he would step down before the next general election, due by 2023.
“I cannot say whether it is two years or three years, but I will certainly step down as I promised.
“Although there are lots of people who have been asking me to carry on until the next election, that is their view,” he told the Sydney Morning Herald.
FT asked Dr Mahathir whether he will quit in 2020 to hand over power to Anwar Ibrahim he replied, “No. There was no actual date or time mentioned. But the actual time that I will be there depends on the problems that we face.
“I’ve had some experience solving financial problems so they want me to solve the problems before I step down.”
Yet, he said Anwar will be the person to succeed him.-/TISG
