Dr M will never work with a ‘homosexual criminal’, ex-minister says

(Malay Mail Online) – There is no reason for Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad to even consider a suggestion to work with Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to “correct” the country’s leadership, a former minister said today amid attempts by the retired prime minister to depose his successor.

Former Information Minister Tan Sri Zainuddin Maidin said in his blog there is no reason why Dr Mahathir would sully his own crusade to save the country by working with a proven “homosexual criminal”, as suggested by former de-facto law minister Datuk Zaid Ibrahim.

“A lawyer should not allow personal sentiments to take control until he makes the wrong political reading by placing Tun Dr Mahathir as an extremely wild political animal, as if Mahathir has no moral values in politics,” Zainuddin said in his latest blog post.

“Does Zahid (sic) think Mahathir is willing to forgive a person who brought ruin to the Malays and besmirched the image of Islam in this country?” he added, referring to Zaid.

Yesterday, Zaid said Dr Mahathir and Anwar — who is currently serving a five year sentence for sodomising a former aide in 2008 — are the only people who can unite the country.

Zaid added that the duo could then work with senior Kelantan Umno lawmaker Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah and “do wonders” for Malaysia while also ensure Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak is quickly booted from government, just as Dr Mahathir wants.

Zainuddin today said it would be a mistake to think that Dr Mahathir has softened his position against Anwar just because he had gone to pay his last respects to the latter’s father recently.

“That Mahathir came to see the body of Anwar Ibrahim’s father does not mean Mahathir has forgiven Anwar’s grave sins against Umno and the Malays but out of respect for an old friend in politics.

“Should a person stop respecting his friend because his son is evil?” he said.

In 1998, Dr Mahathir sacked Anwar from his post as deputy prime minister on allegations of corruption and sodomy, sparking the Reformasi movement that drew thousands of protesters to the streets.

Anwar spent six years behind bars before the Federal Court overturned his first sodomy conviction in 2004, but was sent back to prison earlier this year after the apex court agreed with a lower court ruling that he had indeed sodomised former aide Mohd Saiful Bukhary Azlan.