PETALING JAYA – Former Malaysian premier Mahathir Mohamad is set to become an “unofficial adviser” to an official grouping of the four Perikatan Nasional-controlled state governments, said Terengganu Chief Minister Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar.
Datuk Seri Samsuri said the chief ministers of Kelantan, Terengganu, Kedah and Perlis would be discussing an action plan for the group that has been dubbed the “State Government 4” or “SG4”.
“Specifically, Mahathir will give us advice on effective governance to ensure the proposed grouping will be managed efficiently,” Dr Samsuri was reported as saying on Thursday.
“Dr Mahathir’s role will also be to connect the four states with investors from countries like Japan and South Korea that have good ties with him.”
The move will see Tun Dr Mahathir, Malaysia’s longest-serving prime minister over two spells, working with the opposition coalition Perikatan Nasional, comprising politicians from Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS) and Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia, which is led by another former premier, Muhyiddin Yassin.
Dr Mahathir had said in June that he would not mind working with his former deputy turned foe Muhyiddin, who is president of Bersatu, to champion the Malay cause in Malaysia. The two also met in July, seemingly putting aside their differences that led to the collapse of the government in 2020.
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who is also chairman of the governing Pakatan Harapan coalition, had dismissed the cooperation between Dr Mahathir and Muhyiddin as a plot to “defend their ways and their wealth”.
Dr Samsuri, a vice-president of PAS, had previously announced that the leaders of Perlis, Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu had agreed in principle to form the multi-state government cooperative on Monday.
“Strategic cooperation will be according to the jurisdiction of the four states and will focus on economic development and improving the people’s standard of life in the states involved,” he said in a statement.
“Through identifying available assets and strengths, the strategic cooperation and other future projects can be implemented.” THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
