PUTRAJAYA – Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has challenged Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to hold a general election (GE) to gauge their political popularity.
In response to the ongoing investigations involving his family and close associates, the former Langkawi MP asserted that he would not have been elected prime minister for two separate periods if he had engaged in any wrongdoing.
During a press conference at the Perdana Leadership Foundation today, Dr Mahathir, who was accompanied by lawyers Mohd Rafique Rashid Ali and Mohamed Haniff Khatri Abdulla, highlighted his electoral success.
“During my time, I won every election with a two-thirds majority. I faced five elections and secured a two-thirds majority each time. The people had the opportunity to remove me, but they chose not to. If I had abused my position, I wouldn’t have won the elections,” he said.
“Therefore, I challenge Anwar to call for a general election today. Whether he dares to or not, let’s see what the people will say.”
The next GE is likely to take place in 2027, and Anwar, on January 11, had dismissed opposition claims of a ‘no confidence’ motion.
Anwar argued that the opposition lacked the strength to present such a motion in Parliament and accused them of resorting to propaganda to maintain support.
Dr Mahathir, 98, served as prime minister twice, from 1981 to 2003 and from 2018 to 2020.
However, he experienced a setback in the last GE in 2022, where he failed to secure a return of his deposit, receiving only 4,566 votes.
This marked his second ever electoral loss, the first being in 1969.
His son, Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir, also faced defeat in GE15, failing to reclaim his deposit with 3,144 votes and losing to Perikatan Nasional candidate Dr Abdul Ghani Ahmad for the Jerlun parliamentary constituency.
On January 18, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) confirmed summoning Dr Mahathir’s eldest son, Mirzan, the previous day as part of investigations arising from information leaked in the Panama Papers.
He was present at the MACC headquarters at around 9.30pm on January 17 and was given a notice to declare all his assets both here and abroad within 30 days.
The probe is being conducted under the MACC Act 2009 and the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001.
Similarly, former finance minister Tun Daim Zainuddin, who is Dr Mahathir’s long-time close ally, is being investigated by the MACC over the revelations in the Pandora Papers, which linked him and his proxies to offshore businesses worth at least US$31 million (RM146.5 million).
Earlier, sources said the MACC probe into Daim would include his role in the 1998 over-the-counter stock-trading system in Singapore, known as CLOB (Central Limit Order Book) as well as “forced divestments” by those on the opposing political divide.
Last Tuesday, Daim’s legal team, led by former attorney-general Tan Sri Tommy Thomas, went to the high court here to challenge MACC’s probe.
MACC’s investigation into Daim was opened nearly a year ago, in February 2023, based on the mention of his name in the 2021 Pandora Papers. No charges have been brought against him yet.
On Saturday, Anwar said it was not easy to conduct investigations on high-profile figures such as those who carry the title ‘Tun’.
As such, he urged the public to support the government’s efforts to investigate top individuals in connection with the misappropriation of government funds.
“We will go after the crooks, I don’t care… when we want to take action (against these individuals), the people get angry. They say this prime minister is too harsh.
“For me, this is strange. You should support (the investigations). It’s not easy, you know, to investigate a Tun.
“Investigating a village chief is easy, investigating a school teacher is even easier. I want to investigate the big shots who steal big money… think it’s easy? It’s not.
“We want to protect this country and not let them steal the people’s wealth.” – January 22, 2024