PUTRAJAYA: PUTRAJAYA: Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad reiterated that he will keep his promise to eventually relinquish the prime minister role in two years.
“I’m holding firm to my promise; I will hand over this role (of prime minister). That is my promise,” he told reporters after chairing the Pakatan Harapan presidential council meeting here today.
The prime minister was commenting on a motion by Setiawangsa Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM), who called for him to be allowed to remain as prime minister until the next general election.
He repeated his stand that he will only be prime minister for two years before handing over the reins to PKR president-elect, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
“I’ve already said, I’m here for only two years. Two years or... who knows, maybe he (Anwar) is giving me two-and-a-half years,” he quipped, drawing laughter from the PH presidential council members and the media.
“l was the only ‘dictator’ who resigned. Can you remember an instance where I did not fulfil my promise?” he added.
Also present were Anwar; DAP stalwart Lim Kit Siang; PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail; PPBM president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin; Amanah president Mohamad Sabu; and DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng.
Dr Mahathir, who was seated next to Anwar in the press conference, was asked by reporters on his relationship with his former deputy.
Dr Mahathir, putting both his fists up, said: “I wanted to fight with him but he (Anwar) smiled back.”
Anwar, meanwhile, said he has no problems with Dr Mahathir.
“We are working well. I don’t have a problem... the media is the problem,” he said.
On another matter, Dr Mahathir, who is PH chairman, said the presidential council did not discuss the entry of Barisan Nasional, members of parliament into the coalition.
“(There was) no decision (made) on accepting them. We cannot allow a big group of them to come in. They would then be bigger than us. We want to be above them,” he said.
Dr Mahathir also denied having called up any former BN ministers for meetings.
“They wanted to meet me. I never called them.
“Even (former Umno Supreme Council member) Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed used to meet me when he was in Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s Cabinet.
“He (Mustapa) used to see me. He was not happy but he was afraid.
“Many people are afraid of Najib. I am also afraid of Najib,” he said when asked why Mustapa was singled out.
On the issue of Pas labeling him a ‘traitor to the Malays’, Dr Mahathir said the Islamist party is free to criticise him. He said Pas had in the past used labels such as ‘Maha Zalim’ and ‘Maha Firaun’ against him.
“At the end of the day, what’s important is that the people didn’t choose them. They chose us.”-- Additional reporting by Mohd Husni Mohd Noor and Siti A'isyah Sukaimi