Mahathir is Prime Minister for 37 years now
So, who says Mahathir was Malaysia’s Prime Minister for 22 years? He was Prime Minister for 37 years, 15 of those years as the de facto Prime Minister. By the time Mahathir hands over power, he would have been Malaysia’s Prime Minister for 40 years, 15 years as de facto Prime Minister and 25 years as ‘hands-on’ Prime Minister. And before he hands power, he will close down PPBM and return to Umno. That is what Mahathir planned to do all along and today he hinted that this is his game-plan.
THE CORRIDORS OF POWER
Raja Petra Kamarudin
When Umno got deregistered in 1988, Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah submitted his registration for Umno Malaysia. The Registrar of Societies, however, rejected Umno Malaysia’s registration at the behest of Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. Mahathir wanted the Umno name for himself. Three days later, Mahathir submitted the registration for Umno Baru.
Tengku Razaleigh had no choice but to submit a new registration for Semangat 46. Tengku Razaleigh explained that Semangat 46 means the spirit of 1946, the year that Umno was formed. So, basically, Semangat 46 is still, in spirit, Umno.
Eight years later, Semangat 46 was wound up and Tengku Razaleigh and all his people returned to Umno.
From Umno we came and to Umno we will return
Today, Mahathir said “Umno is a good and noble party…My soul is still that of Umno’s, but when they got involved in corruption, deviated from its struggles I can’t tie myself to the party after it became a party led by someone accused of being a thief. It would be wrong for me to remain and continue supporting Umno after it has deviated so far from its original struggle.” (READ MORE BELOW)
Now, this is very interesting. Mahathir left Umno three times since 1969 and twice, so far, he has returned to Umno — just like Tengku Razaleigh did. Does that mean Mahathir may yet return to Umno for the third time since “his soul is still that of Umno’s”?
Okay, what was the reason Mahathir left Umno this third time around?
Mahathir said, “My soul is still that of Umno’s, but when they got involved in corruption, deviated from its struggles I can’t tie myself to the party after it became a party led by someone accused of being a thief.”
When Abdullah Badawi refused to follow the orders of the de facto Prime Minister he was removed from office
Actually, Umno has always been involved in corruption since Mahathir took over the party 37 years ago in 1981. So, it is not new. It is not something that happened just four years ago since 2014. Why after 37 years of corruption Mahathir suddenly finds corruption offensive only over the last four years? The corruption was okay for the first 33 years but only since the last four years it is not okay.
This shows the corruption ‘reason’ is a lame excuse just to justify why he decided to leave Umno and form a new party. If not, he would look like a self-centred idiot who is even prepared to kill his own party for his own interest (which is what the truth is).
Mahathir also said “Umno has deviated from its struggles”. And which struggles are that? And in what way has Umno deviated from its struggles? Umno’s struggle is Ketuanan Melayu. Is Mahathir saying Umno no longer upholds Ketuanan Melayu and he wants Umno to return to this struggle?
After the 2013 general election, Mahathir attacked Najib Tun Razak for “neglecting the Malays, who keep Umno in power, and for wasting his time with the Chinese, who will never support Umno whatever you may do for them”.
Is this what Mahathir means by “Umno has deviated from its struggles”?
Mahathir complained that Najib refused to follow orders and even avoided taking his phone calls for six months
Many say Mahathir has reformed, has repented, is a changed man, and so on. You really think so? Just wait another year and watch the real Mahathir emerge. Will the real Mahathir please stand up? In time, in time. The real Mahathir is actually the same old Mahathir of 1969.
Anyway, many say Mahathir was Prime Minister for 22 years. Actually, Mahathir has been the Prime Minister for 37 years since 1981. It is just that 15 of those 37 years he was the de facto Prime Minister but still very much called the shots and decided what happens.
From mid-2002 until October 2003, Mahathir sat down with Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to lay down the rules on how Abdullah was to run the country when he takes over as Prime Minister on 1st November 2003 (Mahathir himself admitted this in 2006). When Abdullah deviated and did not follow the rules, Mahathir launched his attack on Abdullah in June 2006 and by April 2009 Abdullah was out.
Najib then took over and, again, Mahathir decided the ground rules and stipulated how the country was to be run. When Najib, too, did not follow Mahathir’s orders, in December 2014 Mahathir launched his attacks and by May 2018 Najib was out as well.
So, who says Mahathir was Malaysia’s Prime Minister for 22 years? He was Prime Minister for 37 years, 15 of those years as the de facto Prime Minister. By the time Mahathir hands over power, he would have been Malaysia’s Prime Minister for 40 years, 15 years as de facto Prime Minister and 25 years as ‘hands-on’ Prime Minister. And before he hands power, he will close down PPBM and return to Umno. That is what Mahathir planned to do all along and today he hinted that this is his game-plan.
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(Malay Mail Online) – Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM) members cannot follow Umno’s corrupt and greedy ways as it would suffer the latter’s fate and be rejected by Malaysians, its chairman Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has said.
Dr Mahathir said PPBM could even cease to be part of the ruling Pakatan Harapan coalition when he is no longer around if the fledgling party is tainted by such practices.
“What ruined Umno was corruption and other practices. If we become a party that is consumed by greed, we know we will be rejected by the people.
“So our lifespan will be determined by how sincere we are in fighting against corruption. If they do good things (when I’m no longer around), I think they will last (in Harapan).
“If they are influenced by the Umno culture of fighting for themselves, ‘what do I get,’ they won’t last; Bersatu will go the way of Umno,” the 93-year-old was quoted saying today in a Thursday interview with news portal Malaysiakini and local daily Sinar Harian.
Dr Mahathir’s remarks were published today on the second anniversary of Umno splinter party PPBM’s formation, and he was also reported saying that the political party will make fighting corruption a priority by changing its members’ mindset.
Dr Mahathir, who was once Umno president for 22 years, indicated that his soul is still of the party but said he could no longer associate himself with the party.
“Umno is a good and noble party… My soul is still that of Umno’s, but when they got involved in corruption, deviated from its struggles I can’t tie myself to the party after it became a party led by someone accused of being a thief.
“It would be wrong for me to remain and continue supporting Umno after it has deviated so far from its original struggle,” he was quoted saying.
