KUCHING, Feb 15: The debates and controversy surrounding the Mahathir-Anwar succession plan brought could have an impact on Malaysia’s economy, said political observer Datuk Peter Minos.
“Malaysians are confused and concerned about what’s going to happen with all the ongoing twist and turns.
“More importantly, the national economy and the national mood is adversely affected by the doubts and uncertainties,” he pointed out in a press statement yesterday (Feb 14).
Peter noted that Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad had repeatedly said that he would honour the plan to hand over power to anointed successor Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) president Datuk Anwar Ibrahim after the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) 2020 summit scheduled in November.
“Anwar himself has even remarked (in September last year) that he would be the prime minister in 2020 (although the exact date was not mentioned),” he added.
However, Peter observed that many issues had cropped up while succession politics and anxiety had also intensified in the recent months. Among those were rumours that 138 members of parliament (MPs) had signed a statutory declaration calling Dr Mahathir to
continue serving a full term until 2023.
Dr Mahathir, however, had on Friday (Feb 14) denied being involved in the efforts from Pas, a group from Umno and a small number of PKR members to collect signatures to support his leadership.
Pressed further, Dr Mahathir, who is also PH chairman, was also puzzled as to how the groups claimed to have obtained 138 MPs signatures.
Peter then highlighted about speculations that ‘something big was about to happen’ in the PH presidential council meeting to be held on Feb 29, with some alleging that the council will pressure Dr Mahathir to step down by May and hand over the reins to Anwar.
“With all these rumours and doubts, even we ordinary Malaysians are asking – what is wrong with Malaysia now? Why are the top leaders entangled in such troubles? Where is Malaysia heading to?,” he pointed out.
“But I have a funny feeling the Dr Mahathir, who still have three years in power, would want to see that the Malays in Peninsular Malaysia be reunited politically and assuring his successor will be friendly to him,” he claimed. —DayakDaily
