Despite having opportunity, Tun M refused to be PM to 'unholy' political coalition

Former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad today admitted that he had received an offer to retain his post as prime minister but with the condition that he should lead the coalition government of UMNO, PAS and Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu).

However, the Langkawi Member of Parliament said that accepting the offer meant that he had to work with a group of individuals that he worked hard to defeat in the last General Election (GE).

Apart from that, he added, it would mean that he will betray the trust of the majority of the people who supported him in the last GE, as well as break promises to other component parties in Pakatan Harapan (PH). “I just could not accept the suggestion that I should be the Prime Minister of this ‘unholy’ coalition.

“And when Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin accepted the cooperation, I broke away from his group.” he said in the latest post on his blog and Twitter account, today.

At the beginning of his post, he said, the Perikatan Nasional government today has the slimmest majority, with a difference of only two seats.

Explaining why the situation happened, Dr Mahathir said, former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, after losing in the last GE, knew he would be imprisoned for the offences he had committed.

“So, immediately he (Najib) proposed to PAS to set up a Malay Muslim Government. But they did not have enough (support) to form a government. He needed more Malay support.”

“He claimed the PH government was dominated by DAP and that the DAP would destroy the Malays. To oust DAP, the PH Government must be overthrown. For this Bersatu had to leave PH. It should then join UMNO and PAS to form a new government,” added Dr Mahathir.

He said Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainuddin then tried to get UMNO members to support him after he was offered to be the Prime Minister for the new coalition, including the support from Najib himself.

“I opposed this move. But Muhyiddin supported the idea and the majority in Bersatu supported him.”

“When Bersatu left PH, the PH ceased to be the government. This meant that all members of the cabinet lost their ministerial positions. This included me. I had lost my position as prime minister. Resigning was only a formality,” he added.

Due to principles, Dr Mahathir insisted he would not accept the offer to be the prime minister for the coalition.

“Today I have been stripped of my membership of Bersatu and its chairman. I have gone to court to dispute the validity of my dismissal.”