Dr M rejects Muhyiddin’s claim that country's crisis started when the former resigned as PM

KUALA LUMPUR (March 3): Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has denied Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s claim that the political crisis in the country started when the former resigned as prime minister.

It does not make sense that out of a sudden and without a reason that he (Mahathir) will resign as prime minister, Mahathir said in his blog chedet.cc.

“Did I really resign suddenly for no reason, (especially as) I supposedly have the support of the government and opposition parties, including (former prime minister Datuk Seri) Najib Abdul Razak and a few others who are on trial for corruption? This doesn’t make sense,” he said.

“The truth is that I resigned because in the declaration before His Majesty the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, I did not receive support from my supporters. I did not have the majority and was no longer eligible to be the prime minister,” he added.

Mahathir said the palace accepted his resignation, and he was instructed to stay on as interim prime minister.

On the question of his replacement, Mahathir said: “The people are tired of politicians who give priority to politicking over good governance.”

He said he suggested forming a “national government” that will also include non-political and knowledgeable figures, as well as party members "as ordinary people", whereby this government will not subjected to party agenda.

“But my proposal was rejected, and I resigned. And this crisis continues. I don’t know when it will end,” he added.

Mahathir lost majority support among members of parliament, when Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia and a breakaway group from PKR led by Datuk Seri Azmin Ali, exited from the ruling Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition.

In his maiden address to the nation as prime minister, Muhyiddin said on Monday (March 2) that the political crisis erupted after Mahathir stepped down, leaving a vacant position that had to be filled.

“I did not covet the post of prime minister. I only came forward to save the situation, when the two candidates for prime minister did not get the majority support of the members of the Dewan Rakyat," he said.

Muhyiddin went on to say if he had continued to support Mahathir, that the political crisis would have prolonged and Parliament might have been dissolved for a snap election.

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