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KUALA LUMPUR: Former political rivals Dr. Mahathir Mohamad and Tengku Razaleigh Tengku Mohd Hamzah urged Malaysian members of Parliament to put the country ahead of their personal or party interests when the 2021 budget comes third reading on Tuesday (December 15).
At a joint press conference on Monday, the two local political veterans said they had come together as they hoped to help Malaysia recover and further develop the country’s economy from the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent economic fallout.
“We have people who come to greet us and ask us if we can do something about it. This government only participates in politics for themselves,” said Dr. Mahathir.
“There is no strategy to repair the economy and also handle the COVID-19 situation. The ministers are enough, up to 30, but they don’t seem to be doing anything, without experience,” he said.
The Lower House is currently in session. The Supplies Bill has been presented and approved at the policy stage, and the third and final vote is scheduled for tomorrow.
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Initially viewed largely as a vote of confidence against Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s leadership, the supply bill has been tabled and passed at the policy stage. The allocations for each ministry, debated at the committee stage, have also been approved by block or voice vote.
Dr Mahathir, 95, told the press conference that the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government of Muhyiddin could fall if he loses the vote.
“If he loses, then we don’t have a government. So it is necessary to form a government.”
“But when we want to form a government, we hope that they take a government that is dedicated to serving the country and the people. Not because I want to be prime minister, not because I want to be menteri (minister), so that I can get a good salary.
“That is the hope that the wakil rakyat (parliamentarians) will choose wisely,” said Dr. Mahathir.
When asked if he would lead the new government again, he said: “If everyone supports me, tomorrow I will be prime minister.”
JOIN FORCES FOR THE COUNTRY
At the press conference, the duo also said they were willing to cooperate and bring their respective experience in politics and administration.
“The government has changed. (Politicians were sold and bought) and that policy is not for the country.
“We believe that we have to reactivate the policies to develop the country, not for ourselves or our parties, but to develop the country. That is why the two of us are cooperating,” said Dr. Mahathir.
Tengku Razaleigh, 83, added: “I am here, sharing the platform with (Dr. Mahathir), simply because I want to make sure that we have a legitimate government. The government that we have today is not a legitimate government, and the prime minister Today is not the legitimate PM. ”
When asked if he could get any support from MPs for Tuesday’s vote in his capacity as Chairman of the United Malaysia National Organization (UMNO) Advisory Council, the former finance minister said: “Maybe.”
The joint press conference came a few months after the duo was said to have met for dinner.
A photo of them at the latter’s residence had sparked speculation about political cooperation in October.
Mahathir Mohamad (center) and Tengku Razaleigh Tengku Mohd Hamzah (second from left) were photographed together at the latter’s residence. (Photo: Twitter / @ amofficialmy)
Both Dr. Mahathir and Tengku Razaleigh have openly opposed the leadership of current Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, and have individually called for a vote of no confidence against Muhyiddin in parliament.
In September, Tengku Razaleigh wrote to the Speaker of Parliament Azhar Azizan Harun asking for a guarantee that a vote of no confidence would be taken against Muhyiddin at the current parliament meeting.
Dr. Mahathir, who served as Prime Minister of Malaysia twice, was previously President of the United Malaysia National Organization (UMNO).
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Tengku Razaleigh, a member of the Kelantan royal family, had competed with Dr. Mahathir for control of UMNO in the late 1980s, ultimately precipitating a political and constitutional crisis that split the party in two.
His splinter party, Semangat 46 (Spirit of 46, referring to 1946 when the first UMNO was founded), was finally dissolved in 1996, while he rejoined the UMNO.
Tengku Razaleigh is the oldest MP in Malaysia since 1974.
Meanwhile, Dr. Mahathir, who retired from politics in 2003, resurfaced to form Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) and work with opposition parties under the Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition to wrest federal power from Barisan Nasional ( BN) in 2018.
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However, Muhyiddin, as party chairman, removed Bersatu from PH in February this year and joined forces with BN and Parti Islam Se-Malaysia to replace PH as the federal government.
Dr. Mahathir resigned as prime minister and was subsequently fired from Bersatu in May for sitting with the PH bloc in parliament.
He then founded a third called Parti Pejuang Tanah Air with several other deputies fired at the same time from Bersatu.
PAKATAN HARAPAN URGES MPS TO REJECT THE BUDGET
In a statement Monday night, PH urged all MPs, whether from the opposition camp or from the government side, to reject the budget at its third reading on Tuesday.
The joint statement signed by the general secretaries of the constituent parties said that the announcements by Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz did not meet the requests and expectations of many parliamentarians or those of the people.
“This budget does not meet the goals and objectives of fighting COVID-19, helping citizens and reactivating the economy, so it chooses to reject its third reading tomorrow,” he said.
At Monday’s press conference, Dr. Mahathir said he was not in talks with opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, as the latter “has had no contact” with him. Mr. Anwar was considered his heir on two occasions.
Furthermore, Dr. Mahathir said that although Anwar was the leader of the opposition, he was not in command of the majority of the opposition MPs.
“We are not under his command, he is appointed leader of the opposition but he does not control us.
“We can do what we want, that is a given as far as parliament is concerned, so I have no need to pledge support or allegiance to an opposition leader,” said Dr. Mahathir.
