TTF: Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said today he plans to step down as prime minister once he has fixed the country’s problems — and that this may take two to three years (see news item below).
When asked to clarify the timeframe in which he will remain as prime minister before stepping down, Dr Mahathir said: “I don’t know whether it is three years or two years, but I am an interim prime minister.”
Yesterday, I wrote:
In a span of just four months, both he (Anwar) and his wife have repeatedly claimed that Mahathir is sincere about handing over the premiership to him.
Mahathir too has repeatedly affirmed and reaffirmed the plan.
The problem is, nobody has really questioned the plan to such an extent to warrant such affirmative mantras from either of them.
Truth is, all of this is merely part of a cloak-and-dagger styled power play between Anwar and Mahathir, with each side challenging the other to “make the first move.”
Anwar’s message to Mahathir is as follows:
“Both me and Muhyiddin got Johor and several states covered, so make your next move now or give it up.”
Mahathir’s message to Anwar reads as follows:
“I played this game in 1998 and can play it all over again. I got the dirt on Sodomy 3.”
But neither Anwar nor Muhyiddin knows what Mahathir has up his sleeve.
That having been said, Tok Mat is wrong – Mahathir will not dissolve parliament when his two years is up.
Looks like I may be right.
All this while, Mahathir has either been hinting of handing over the premiership in another year (which is when the promised two-year period expires) or when he finishes “cleaning up the ‘mess'” left behind by the previous Barisan Nasional administration – which could be anytime between now and forever.
Yesterday, though, he reiterated that the transition would take place in another year, which makes it two years since he took over as Prime Minister.
Today, it’s a different story.
Today, he’s branding himself as ‘interim’ Prime Minister and says that it may take another two to three years before he hands over the premiership to Anwar.
Note, that I have consistently held that the 15th general election (GE15) will most likely be called in 2021.
That’s two years from now, meaning, Anwar will never be made Prime Minister by the existing Pakatan Harapan administration.
That honour will go to Dato’ Seri Azmin Ali, who is set to lead whichever permutation of the present ruling coalition that comes into existence in the next couple of months.
Both Anwar and Muhyiddin are going to do whatever it takes to fight this even if it means destroying Pakatan Harapan altogether.
KUALA LUMPUR: Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said today he plans to step down as prime minister once he has fixed the country’s problems — and that this may take two to three years.
“We will make most of the corrections within a period of two years, and after that, I think the others will have fewer problems to face,” Singapore’s Straits Times quoted the prime minister as saying during a group interview with the foreign press today.
When asked to clarify the timeframe in which he will remain as prime minister before stepping down, Dr Mahathir said: “I don’t know whether it is three years or two years, but I am an interim prime minister.”
Dr Mahathir has yet to detail when Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim will take over but has consistently downplayed concerns over a succession plan.
The transition issue has been a contentious one. Although Dr Mahathir has repeatedly stated that he will hand over the prime minister’s post to Anwar, no formal timeframe has been set.
Some within Pakatan Harapan (PH) also feel that Dr Mahathir should be allowed a full term to carry out the coalition’s reform pledges.
In addition, PH secretariat chief Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah had said in January that the length of Dr Mahathir’s term has never been discussed at the pact’s presidential council’s meetings.
In February, Anwar reiterated the narrative of a smooth transition process, saying he expects to be prime minister in not more than two years’ time, but stressed that Dr Mahathir must be accorded enough space to govern effectively during “very difficult and trying times”.
Amid a factional tussle in Anwar’s party PKR, Economic Affairs Minister and party deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali was also forced to deny rumours that he will be made the deputy prime minister during the Ramadan fasting month period.
Source:
