RPK: It’s really about putting Mukhriz as PM
Mahathir wants to punish Najib for not helping his son, says blogger, holding out little hope for Anwar.
(FMT) – Controversial blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin believes that Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s sole objective in putting together an anti-Najib alliance was to position his son Mukhriz to be the next prime minister.
In his latest article at Malaysia Today, the blogger observed that Dr Mahathir had refused to state whom he preferred to be the new Prime Minister. “Mahathir only says he does not want Najib any longer and does not agree to Anwar Ibrahim taking over.”
Raja Petra also noted that the formation of an anti-Najib alliance on Friday had led to the DAP now becoming the “kingmaker” in politics, with the power to influence or decide who in Umno would become the next prime minister should Najib be ousted.
While Mahathir wanted his son to take over, Anwar’s party, PKR, and supporters of Pakatan Harapan preferred Anwar. However, neither Anwar nor Mukhriz was a member of Parliament and he speculated on how either could accomplish the feat.
However, he flatly stated that “the man whom Dr Mahathir wants as the new Prime Minister is his son Mukhriz. And Dr Mahathir has to make sure this happens while he is still around”, making a reference to Mahathir’s age. (The former premier is now 90 years old.)
He said Mahathir’s onslaught against Najib was the result of Najib’s failure to help Mukhriz become a vice-president of Umno when Umno last held its party elections. As vice-president, Mukhriz would have been better placed to vie for the presidency or be in a position to be made prime minister.
“It was after that when Dr Mahathir decided to punish Najib for not helping his son,” Raja Petra wrote. “Because Najib refused to help Mukhriz, that has shattered Dr Mahathir’s dream for his son to become the new Prime Minister.”
Raja Petra said the formation of an anti-Najib alliance on Friday had positioned Umno’s longtime nemesis, the DAP, as kingmaker.
“DAP is going to determine who becomes Umno’s president and in the process the Prime Minister of Malaysia. And that was basically what happened on the afternoon of Friday, March 4th,” Raja Petra wrote.
He did not go into further detail about the DAP. However, the party holds the second-largest number of seats in Parliament, 38 to Umno’s 88, and has a stranglehold on the votes of the urban Chinese community. In addition, it controls the state government in Penang, and has a commanding position in the Selangor and Perak state assemblies.
Raja Petra was dismissive about the prospects of Anwar Ibrahim becoming prime minister. Anwar’s party PKR, and civil society leaders such as Ambiga Sreenevasan, have demanded that Anwar’s release be made part of the anti-Najib campaign.
Dr Mahathir himself, when asked on Friday, avoided answering whether the anti-Najib alliance would seek Anwar’s release from prison.
