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PETALING JAYA: Dr. Mahathir Mohamad will not participate in the upcoming general elections, the former prime minister said in an interview with the media on Thursday.
“I want to stay a bit longer, but I thought I would serve for a short period,” he told Kyodo news agency in Putrajaya. “But I will not participate in the 15th election,” said Mahathir, who was elected MP from Langkawi in 2018.
Mahathir, 95, held the record for being the world’s oldest head of government when he returned to Putrajaya in a second term as prime minister after Pakatan Harapan won power in the May 2018 general elections.
He had previously been the longest-serving Prime Minister of Malaysia, from 1981 to 2003.
Mahathir said he hoped his son, Mukhriz, would carry on his legacy. “It depends on him. I won’t get in your way. It’s not fair to him, ”Mahathir said.
Mukhriz is Acting Chairman of Parti Pejuang Tanah Air (Pejuang), which Mahathir founded after leaving PPBM.
Mahathir said that even though he was from the government, he would continue to fight corruption through Pejuang. “Pejuang has very strong principles, one of which is to prevent this country from being corrupt,” he said.
He said that the new Perikatan Nasional government, led by his former PPBM party, had adopted the old corrupt ways of Barisan Nasional.
“For three months after Perikatan Nasional became the government, I did not comment because I wanted to see his performance. Unfortunately, he has returned to corruption, buying support for the government. Despite that, he still only has a two-man majority, ”added Mahathir.
He said that the PN government was being supported through bribes. “This is the worst form of corruption. The entire government is installed through corruption, ”he said.
