Mahathir says he is willing to work with former foe Muhyiddin to champion Malay cause
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Dr Mahathir Mohamad (left) said he does not mind working with Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin for the sake of the Malays.
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KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia’s two-time prime minister Mahathir Mohamad said on Thursday that he does not mind working with one-time foe and Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) president Muhyiddin Yassin for the sake of the Malays.
Tun Dr Mahathir said he will join hands with Muhyiddin if an agreement can be reached on mutual goals about the country’s ethnic majority.
“We want to work together, but the end goals must be set out. We have split into many parties and we have lost power. When we lose power, we cannot correct the circumstances which are detrimental to Malays,” he told news outlet MalaysiaNow.
Dr Mahathir said the main goal from his standpoint is to champion the Malay cause and reject those involved in corruption and criminal misconduct.
“This is why we need to unite. But who is in favour of unity? Not those who are involved in corruption or who have been sentenced to prison. Malay voters are thinking about the problems they face. They want someone who cares about their plight and can do something to fix their issues,” said the former premier.
In response, Muhyiddin said on Friday that he is ready to work with Dr Mahathir to defend the Malays and Islam.
“I am aware of recent political developments putting the Malays and Muslims in this country at a tough crossroads. As a Muslim, I am ready to cooperate with all Malay and Muslim leaders to defend religion, race and country,” Muhyiddin added in a statement.
Alongside Muhyiddin in 2016, Dr Mahathir established Bersatu, which became part of the Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition that came to power in 2018. removed from Bersatu in 2020
Dr Mahathir declaring his willingness to collaborate with Muhyiddin comes after Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS) president Abdul Hadi Awang said in May that he had met the 97-year-old to discuss enhancing unity among Malays. Several PAS leaders have also signed the Malay Proclamation – a 12-point document written by Dr Mahathir on the issues faced by Malays.
Bersatu deputy president Ahmad Faizal Azumu told The Straits Times that Dr Mahathir’s desire to work together with Muhyiddin was mainly on account of the Malay Proclamation, adding that the party had given its members freedom to sign the document.
“There are two priorities that the party is focusing on. One is the state elections, and the other is championing the cause of Malays, as the Malays might feel threatened by the Chinese-based Democratic Action Party, a key ally of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s unity government,” he said.
Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, Penang, Kelantan, Terengganu and Kedah are expected to hold their state polls in July.
The proposal for the two former prime ministers to work together also comes at a time when the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) is investigating a former minister who served under Dr Mahathir’s administration over matters highlighted in the 2021 Pandora Papers,
Muhyiddin in March was separately charged with multiple counts of money laundering and graft
Combining forces will aid both former premiers and Tan Sri Abdul Hadi, said political analysts.
It would be beneficial for Dr Mahathir as his allies are being grilled by the MACC over alleged wrongdoings during his first stint as prime minister from 1981 to 2003, said Mr Halmie Azrie Abdul Halim, a senior analyst at Vriens and Partners.
“Dr Mahathir still has a lot of things to protect and seems to be willing to dedicate resources and reconcile with Muhyiddin, whose party’s accounts are currently frozen, as well as with Mr Hadi Awang to circumvent Anwar’s prime ministership. If Muhyiddin and his opposition alliance Perikatan Nasional perform, the Islamist party PAS stands to gain the most by securing its hold in the North and East Coast as well as increasing seats in Klang Valley,” he told ST, referring to the upcoming elections.
PAS ended up as the largest party in Malaysia’s Parliament
Dr Mahathir is always practical in forging partnerships to advance his agenda, especially his brand of Malay nationalism, said KRA Group director of strategy Amir Fareed Rahim.
He added that the prospect of two Malay nationalist leaders and former premiers burying the hatchet may present a formidable challenge to the unity government’s move to win Malay votes.
Said Mr Amir: “Dr Mahathir’s influence in shaping public discourse, especially on the Malay ground, is not to be underestimated, despite the electoral miscalculations in the last general election and the humiliating defeat suffered in Langkawi.”
