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PETALING JAYA: Former Prime Minister Dr. Mahathir Mohamad says that Pakatan Harapan would still be in power if the three coalition parties backed him instead of Anwar Ibrahim during the political crisis earlier this year.
In a blog post today, Mahathir refuted claims that he prevented PKR President Anwar Ibrahim from succeeding him.
“I did not object to Pakatan Harapan’s proposal that Anwar replace me when I resigned as prime minister, but even before the time came, his people were pressuring me to resign.”
Mahathir recounted the incidents that led to his resignation as prime minister, from the final PH Presidential Council meeting where he was given sole discretion to decide when to leave office and the subsequent PPBM Supreme Council meeting where top party leaders they demanded that they resign from the ruling coalition.
Still, Mahahtir said, his decision to resign had nothing to do with the proposal that Anwar take over as prime minister, but because he felt his own party did not support his decision to remain in PH.
A political crisis broke out when Mahathir resigned as prime minister, and it was then that Yang di-Pertuan Agong interviewed MPs to determine who had the majority support.
Mahathir said that 92 PH MPs supported Anwar, while he only got the support of 66 MPs.
“If the three parties of the PH had named me a candidate, I would have received 158 votes, with the 66 deputies who supported me.
“But since they gave Anwar 92, I lost and Anwar lost too.”
Had he been supported by the 92 MPs, Mahathir said that the PH-led administration would have been intact and that when he resigned, Anwar would have succeeded him.
Mahathir revealed that when Anwar’s nomination failed, PH wanted to support him again and claimed that Anwar even agreed, on the condition that he be deputy prime minister.
“I did not agree because I wanted a cabinet that would remain (unchanged) for a long time.”
Anwar, he said, relented, but by then it was too late because the Yang di-Pertuan Agong had already appointed Muhyiddin Yassin as prime minister.
Even after that, Mahathir said, he and his supporters agreed to continue efforts to overthrow the Perikatan Nasional-led government, but Anwar rejected his involvement, which included a proposal for him (Mahathir) to become prime minister again for six months. .
“If they reject me, my followers would not agree and we would not obtain the three deputies necessary to secure the numbers.”
Therefore, he said, when Dewan Rakyat met again after the change of government, Muhyiddin still had the support of 112 MPs during the vote to change the president.
Later, Mahathir said that Anwar stated that he had the numbers and once again he and his followers were excluded by Anwar.
“But we all know that Anwar is not yet PM. His claim that he has the numbers is found to be false. I have no place in Anwar’s plans. It’s clear, even after I was pushed aside, that Anwar can’t win.
“In 2008, Anwar also failed. Was it me who stopped Anwar (then)? “he said in reference to Anwar’s failed takeover bid.
