The Malaysian Insight

DR Wan Azizah Wan Ismail today stood by Pakatan Harapan’s (PH) decision to appoint Dr Mahathir Mohamad as chairman despite objections raised by a section of its supporters, who demanded that the former prime minister be answerable for scandals during his administration.

Otai Reformasi, a group of veteran activists who rose up against Dr Mahathir in the late 1990s, urged PH to include a pledge to form a committee to investigate Dr Mahathir in its election manifesto.

Dr Wan Azizah, who is also PH president, did not dismiss the possibility of holding an inquiry but said that should be held for later.

“I think it is okay if you want to have an inquiry, but at the moment, we four parties have agreed to Dr Mahathir as the chairperson of Harapan.

“There are people who agree with him as chairman and those who do not, but we all move on,” she said, adding that even Dr Mahathir had spoken about it.

“Let us win the elections first,” said Dr Wan Azizah after a press conference in Parliament today.

She then took aim at the scandal-hit state investor 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).

“Why must the government focus on (Dr Mahathir’s) forex (scandal) but not on 1MDB, after so many years? So, what we do is what the country needs,” she added.

On Monday, Otai Reformasi rejected Dr Mahathir’s leadership role in the Opposition bloc. – July 26, 2017.