Dr Mahathir baits Perikatan with general election ‘reminder’ even if it means ‘letting more die of Covid-19’

Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad speaks during a press conference at the Perdana Leadership Foundation in Putrajaya September 3, 2020. ― Picture by Yusof Mat Isa

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 12 — Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has thrown more shade at the current administration in his latest blogpost.

Taking to his official blog, chedet.cc, the former prime minister sarcastically reminded the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government not to break its promise that it would call for a general election should it win the Sabah state election.

“The top leadership said, if they won, a general election would be called,” he wrote.

“Don’t break your promise. Hold a general election. Let thousands get infected. Let even more die.”

Dr Mahathir also appeared to suggest that the PN government did not care if more Malaysian lives are lost to Covid-19 because that is the high price its leadership is prepared to pay to achieve its endgame.

“Politics is more important than principles,” he added.

“Why should I care. It is mine.”

Although he did not refer to him by name, it is likely that Dr Mahathir’s post was directed at Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

On September 18, Muhyiddin had said that the result of the Sabah state election could determine when he would call a general election.

It is believed that he was contemplating a general election early next year to dispel views that his PN administration was a “backdoor government”.

PN took over after Dr Mahathir’s resignation as the prime minister in February caused the collapse of the Pakatan Harapan administration.

“At the national level, we haven’t decided when the general election should be called but if we win the state election in Sabah we should quickly hold the general election,” he was quoted as saying by national news agency Bernama.

Muhyiddin said the Sabah election result would be an indicator of public support for him and the PN government.

In the recently concluded Sabah state election, the PN-lead coalition of Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) won 38 out of the 73 seats up for grabs, enough to form a state government.

 

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