BN leaders slam Tun M, Anwar alliance

PETALING JAYA: Barisan Nasional (BN) leaders have been highly critical about the announcement by Pakatan Harapan that Tun Dr Mahathir Mohammad is their anointed Prime Minister and Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim will be in-waiting.
MCA Publicity spokesman cum Religious Harmony Bureau chairman Datuk Seri Ti Lian Ker said this shows that the nation has been taken for a ride by both Anwar and Dr Mahathir.
"We are back to square one after 20 years. We have gone one full circle. Twenty years ago, Anwar insisted that Dr Mahathir must go or the nation will go bankrupt or collapse.
"The Rakyat believed him and a Reformasi movement was formed leading to a series of street protests pitting the street protesters and the police against each other on a massive scale which put the country in a limbo," he said.
He pointed out that a majority of the people supported Dr Mahathir, they all continued to back him up in his removal of Anwar as the Deputy Prime Minister.
"After two decades of taking the nation on a political roller-coaster ride, these two master politicians are now back to square one albeit one to be the Prime Minister and the other Prime Minister in waiting," Ti said in a statement.
He said their supporters and sympathisers have been cheated, both Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Anwar cannot be trusted.
Ti said when Pakatan Harapan decides to name them their future Prime Minister and Prime Minister-in-waiting shows it is not serious about the change they have been promoting and promising the people.
MIC leader S Vell Paari said under former premier Dr Mahathir's 22-year tenure, Malaysians had seen a period of "democrazy" as opposed to democracy.
"During his time, it was not that we enjoyed democracy but most Malaysians suffered from democrazy policies where we were led by a dictator who did whatever that he wanted without thinking about the well being of the rakyat.
"Now for the opposition to nominate Dr Mahathir as their prime minister candidate is clearly pushing Malaysia back to the dark days of a democrazy dictator who had destroyed our democracy, judiciary and our monarchy system," said the MIC treasurer in a statement yesterday.
Barisan Nasional (BN) Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin said the choice of Dr Mahathir as prime minister by the opposition pact if it wins the upcoming general election will only trigger political instability.
He said this was because of uncertainty in how long the Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM) chairman would hold the post as there had been talks that his appointment would only be temporary.
"There is an attempt by the opposition to seek a royal pardon for Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) de-facto leader Anwar Ibrahim (who is serving his prison sentence) to be released as soon as possible to take over as the prime minister," he said after launching the BN election machinery for Jelebu parliamentary constituency on Sunday.
Khairy said today they may be friends because they have a common enemy … but the 1998 unrest cannot simply be forgotten.
Johor Baru Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said Dr Mahathir has hijacked the opposition after the former premier was named as the coalition's choice for prime minister.
He said Mahathir who has been in and out of Umno several times, had successfully hijacked the struggle of the opposition pact, especially PKR, which was formed to fight for Anwar under Dr Mahathir's premiership.