Mahathir resigned because his party abandoned him, says Mat Sabu
Amanah president Datuk Mohamad Sabu said Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad was correct to resign as the prime minister after believing he had lost the support of his Bersatu party.
Mohamad, better known as Mat Sabu, said in an online video today that Pakatan Harapan was consequently entitled to try and regain control of the federal government.
“When Tun felt his party, including his senior members abandoned him, he made a move as leaders in other democracies have and resigned,” he said, citing the case of former UK prime ministers David Cameron and Teresa May who resigned when they could not fulfil their party’s aspirations.
“I’ve heard lots of people, politicians, political analysts, NGOs and individuals say that he made a mistake in resigning but he did what a democratically elected leader would do in his position,” he said in a Facebook video address he posted on the social media site.
“Where things went wrong was after he resigned, the decision should’ve been with the Pakatan Harapan government to select his successor, just like in a democracy. But in the power tussle, it was those who left the alliance, from PPBM and PKR who formed the government
“Maybe this can happen in some countries, but in Malaysia, we are a democracy and we have laws, and the people get to choose,” he said, while thanking the public for remaining calm throughout the political turmoil that gripped the country since February.
Mohamad continued by saying that PH leaders had an agreement just days before the so-called “Sheraton move” that was signed by Bersatu president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, DAP chairman Tan Kok Wai, and himself to propose Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as the next prime minister.
He said that the PH government lost because of the power grab but will continue to work on returning to fulfil the people’s mandate from the general election.
“The mid way power grab was not democratic and does not abide by the norms of a legally formed government. If there is a move to get back our power, it is an honourable one and it is those who left the PH that should be punished by the people now, and in the future,” he said.
His post comes after a one-day Parliament sitting last May 18 where the PH alliance had intended to put up a motion of no confidence against Muhyiddin but was not allowed to due to supposed Covid-19 restrictions.
In the one day sitting, the House only heard the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s royal address and there was no debate or questions.
