Parti Sosialis Malaysia questions changing stance of DAP, PKR on Dr Mahathir

(NST) – Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) has questioned the discrepancy of the stand taken by the opposition pact now on the past policies of former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

PSM central committee member S. Arulchelvan said the party was consistent in disagreeing with certain policies implemented by Dr Mahathir when he was prime minister.

“PSM has always been against Dr Mahathir due to his stand and position on various issues when he was prime minister,” he said in a statement tonight.

Arulchelvan said among the issues PSM was against were privatisation public entities, the Internal Security Act, arrests of political enemies who included de facto leader of the current opposition pact Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang.

“Our comrades who used to fight along with us against all these issues were DAP and PKR. Now that they are with Dr Mahathir, have their positions against all the issues we fought along, changed?”

Arulchelvan said Dr Mahathir had never admitted to his wrongdoings in any of the issues and had only repeated himself many times of making the mistake in choosing his successors, Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

“Now that he is the ‘top dog’ of Pakatan Harapan, does this mean that all the positions he took during his admnistration, have become right?”

Arulchelvan said the current opposition pact was more focused on the country’s top leader’s personal issues and wealth.

“They are more focused on the 1MDB (1Malaysia Development Bhd) issues rather than fighting for the people,” he said.

Arulchelvan said his party had always been focused on core issues like fighting against contract system and free education.

“We have not spent our time criticising the leaders on personal issues, or using race and religion to be popular.

“Our focus is always for the people but sadly, we can never see Dr Mahathir as the ‘savior’ as he is part of the corrupt system,” he said.