Dr Mahathir's assessment of Anwar based on past experience, says Mukhriz

ALOR SETAR: Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad's assessment that PKR President Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is incapable of leading the country in the face of an economic crisis is based on the former Prime Minister’s experience in 1997.

In this regard, the pro-tem president of Parti Pejuang Tanah Air (Pejuang), Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir, described the allegation that Dr Mahathir was trying to prevent the people's mandate from being returned to Pakatan Harapan (PH) as not true at all.

Mukhriz stressed that the action of the Langkawi Member of Parliament to resign as prime minister was due to the loss of the support of the majority of Members of the Dewan Rakyat apart from not being assured that "jumping party" activities did not occur among MPs.

"I remember Tun (Dr Mahathir) stating the truth, he told us about 1998 when we experienced the financial crisis, when he took leave… he handed over to Datuk Seri Anwar as Deputy Prime Minister, to replace him as acting Prime Minister.

"Perhaps he saw how (Anwar) managed the country's finances by accepting the recommendations of the IMF (International Monetary Fund) at that time, was not in accordance with the situation.

“That is what (Dr Mahathir) mentioned in the A Doctor In The House book… (also) mentioned in the interview recently," he said to reporters after the presentation of the Kedah State Budget 2021 by Menteri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor at Wisma Darul Aman, here on Sunday.

Earlier, Pejuang pro-tem Information Chief, Ulya Aqamah Husamudin, described PKR's action of accusing Dr Mahathir of obstructing the return of the people's mandate as hasty and baseless.

According to him, the cause of the ‘Sheraton Move’ was the betrayal of the camps of Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali and Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

In an interview with a daily news portal recently, Dr Mahathir said he had tested Anwar's ability to lead the country for two months in 1997 when the country was hit by the economic crisis.

However, Dr Mahathir said the Port Dickson MP was unable to manage the crisis, causing him to take over as Finance Minister and submitted a recovery plan to save the country.