The Malaysian Insight

DR Mahathir Mohamad will not hand over the prime minister’s post to Anwar Ibrahim as he does not trust the PKR president, said Umno veteran Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah.

“I think he doesn’t want to give anybody he cannot completely trust because the person who succeeds him may go after him later.

“I think it’s (the decision) governed by fear,” the Umno Council of Advisors president told The Malaysian Insight.

Tengku Razaleigh, better known as Ku Li, said his 94-year-old rival will govern as prime minister as long as he’s healthy.

Ku Li challenged Dr Mahathir for the Umno presidency in 1987, which led to a split in the Malay party.

“That’s what he meant when he said last week, he’s the best man for the job at the moment. I think he will be there unless he’s not well. But he looks good,” said the 82-year-old Gua Musang MP.

Ku Li formed a splinter party, Semangat 46, in 1989 after a fallout with Dr Mahathir in a contest for the Umno presidency. He eventually disbanded Semangat 46 in 1996 and re-joined Umno.

He also did not sign the citizens’ declaration issued by an array of Malaysian political leaders in 2016 to demand then prime minister Najib Razak’s resignation.

Several months later, however, Ku Li gave his undivided support to Najib after signing the Kelantan declaration along with other state Barisan Nasional representatives.

He was in Tg Piai over the weekend to pitch for Barisan Nasional candidate Wee Jeck Seng.

Wee, a two-time MP in Tanjung Piai, is attempting to wrest the seat from Pakatan Harapan after the death of incumbent Dr Md Farid Md Rafik.

Ku Li, the country’s longest serving MP, said BN is ahead in the Tg Piai race.

“The swing is moving slowly towards BN as they have fielded a well-known candidate from here. I think Wee is going to get the votes.”

Ku Li said that PH is bogged down by self-created problems.

“There’s no cohesion and coherence in thoughts among the PH leadership.

“Dr Mahathir has even vented his frustrations about things he wants to do but can’t. He said there are people who are trying to obstruct him.

“He’s a very direct person in terms of expressing his thoughts and feelings. He calls a spade a spade,” he said.

A PH agreement before the last general election stipulated that Dr Mahathir must hand over the PM’s post to Anwar.

Supporters of both leaders have urged either for Dr Mahathir to remain the full term or for Anwar to take over soon. – November 12, 2019.