Mahathir says ‘already old’, ‘senile’ to contest in upcoming Malaysia state elections
07 June, 2023
Former Malaysian prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad said on Tuesday (Jun 6) that he will not be contesting in the upcoming state elections as he is “already old” and “senile”.
“No, I’m already old … (and) senile,” said the 97-year-old during a press conference after a closed-door meeting on the roundtable negotiations of the Malay Proclamation.
The Malay Proclamation refers to a 12-point document written by Dr Mahathir that purportedly aims to protect the interests of and unite the Malay community to “restore the political power of Malays”.
“I don’t understand. People overseas invited me to speak about what’s next for the world. Japan and South Korea invited me. But, when I’m back here, people ask when am I retiring,” said Dr Mahathir.
The upcoming state elections in Malaysia will be held in six states - namely Kedah, Kelantan, Negeri Sembilan, Penang, Selangor and Terengganu - and are expected to happen by August. Separately, Dr Mahathir said that he will meet Perikatan Nasional (PN) chairman Muhyiddin Yassin to discuss cooperation. “(Muhyiddin) has stated his position; he supports the (Malay Proclamation) and he is not against me. I am not against him either. These are all public knowledge,” he said.
When asked if the cooperation with PN would be permanent or only for the state elections, Dr Mahathir said it will be discussed during the meeting with Muhyiddin.
“We will discuss. There is a possibility that we will compete in the state polls if we find that it is the wishes of the public,” he said.
According to The Star, Dr Mahathir also said that all leaders present during the meeting on Tuesday agreed to address issues faced by the Malays.
Among those present at the meeting include Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS) president Abdul Hadi Awang, PAS secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan and Parti Pejuang Tanah Air (Pejuang) president Mukhriz Mahathir who is also Dr Mahathir’s son.
“This is not to deny the rights of the non-Malays,” he said.
“Don’t assume that our movement is anti-non-Malays. We are not against non-Malays; anything we do in future, we take into consideration the rights of others.”
He added that it was important for the Malays in the country to unite regardless of the state elections, as disunity will only make them weak.
Dr Mahathir also said that parties which have signed the Malay Proclamation have agreed not to compete with each other at the polls and are also considering contesting together, according to Malaysiakini.
“All of us agreed on the need to move forward together. This includes during elections, because we cannot do much if we do not hold (political) power,” he reportedly said.
Last Thursday, Dr Mahathir announced that he is prepared to work with Muhyiddin if the two leaders can reach a consensus on mutual goals, including efforts to champion the Malay cause and to reject those involved in corruption or criminal misconduct.
"We have split into many parties and we have lost power. When we lose power, we cannot correct the circumstances which are detrimental to the Malays … This is why we need to unite,” he told Malaysia Now.
Dr Mahathir, who led the Gerakan Tanah Air (GTA) coalition in the 15th General Election last year, failed to defend his Langkawi seat - his first electoral defeat in 53 years. He lost his deposit after finishing fourth in a five-cornered fight, which was won by PN’s Mohd Suhaimi Abdullah.
Source: www.channelnewsasia.com