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By Mihar Dias (C) Copyright March 2023
Ever since 1998 Anwar has been saying he planned to take Tun Mahathir and Tun Daim to task for enriching themselves when the former premier and elderly statesman was in office." After 25 years of accusation levelled against Dr Mahathir and former Finance Minister Tun Daim Zainuddin that date back to the height of the Reformasi movement in 1998,...the onus is on Anwar to furnish the evidence". - Focus Malaysia
We learnt from news reports that a former finance minister was summoned by MACC and his statement taken. But no news has since emerged as to the progress. SPRM must be combing evidence with a fine-tooth comb.
(Editor's note: Many had speculated that the individual concerned is none other than Tun Daim Zainuddin - The Vibes)
Tun Daim has kept mum, diam diam saja! The man referred to by a reporter as one of the "untouchables" is now accessible. But since then, there was no new developments on steps to be taken to investigate Tun Mahathir and his children as Anwar promised he would.
However, in the middle of a recent controversy over a cancellation of "Malay Proclamation" event with Tun Mahathir featured as a main speaker, PMX was seen letting off his long suppressed anger against the elder statesman.
At the PKR annual congress recently, Anwar reportedly questioned how someone who was in power for “22 years and 22 months” hoarded riches for the person’s family and children. This incident which many observers thought could mark the beginning of a personal battle, a real manifestation of a long standing feud and suppressed bitterness in a relationship between the two leaders that started 40 years earlier but has gone sour since then.
What PMX expressed at the PKR congress sounded like an accusation against someone that he was opposed to over the years to make him burst out like he did at a public forum.
Following that outburst at the PKR congress, reports say Tun Mahathir's lawyers issued a letter of demand (LOD) on March 28, seeking apology from Anwar Ibrahim over comments PMX made in a speech 10 days earlier at the function that allegedly defamed the former PM. The letter, which was delivered on March 27 according to The EdgeMarkets demands that Anwar apologise and retract his comments within seven days from that date. In addition, LOD requires Anwar to hold a press conference to retract and apologise unconditionally to Mahathir over the statements, or face legal action.
Prior to the issuance of the LOD, Tun Mahathir himself had accused Anwar of making defamatory allegations against him, and said he would give Anwar seven days to either provide proof to back his statements or withdraw them.
For those who has watched the video you'll notice that Anwar did not mention Tun Mahathir by name. However, although Anwar did not name anyone in the speech, Mahathir's lawyers, in the LOD, claimed that Anwar's statements clearly referred to Mahathir.
"According to the LOD, Anwar’s statements accused the former PM of only being concerned about the rakyat after he lost power, that he once took control of the country’s assets to enrich himself and his family members, and that he would influence high-level, influential and rich individuals to see to the fall of the present government It also claimed that the words uttered by Anwar meant that Mahathir is allegedly gathering such individuals now so that Malays hate the non-Malays, that he had failed as the fourth and seventh PM, that he promoted racism, that he acted in bad faith during his administration, and that he promoted religious bigotry." (The Edge)
Mahathir also reportedly complained that the words uttered by Anwar meant the former PM had abused his power in using the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission as a tool, avoided paying or declaring true income tax, and stashed huge amounts of money overseas. LOD further states that “All these statements are false and untrue, and gave the wrong impression of our client. It is also meant to tarnish and affect Mahathir’s reputation as a former PM, a statesman, who is respected all over the world". (The Edge)
In addition, the LOD stated that Tun Mahathir considered the statements made by Anwar as serious and that they were made with the aim of affecting the trust that people have in him.
“Such allegations made against our client are untrue, and are strongly denied,” Mahathir's lawyers said in the LOD.
The LOD concluded that should Anwar fail to abide by the demands of the LOD within seven days legal action would be taken against him to seek damages the allegedly defamatory statements had caused Tun Mahathir. (The Edge)
The battle has begun between these two old foes.
We have been expecting Anwar to take action against Tun Mahathir as he did with Tun Daim in the last three months since assuming the post of PMX but it did not happen.
It will be a long hard battle the results of which we'll never know in the near future because we do not see Anwar going on his knees groveling to apologise to his old mentor in the next seven days!
Anwar too has his own pride and would not bow to pressure from an older man, perceived by many as his sworn enemy. So, expect a prolonged battle between these two politicians who have dominated Malaysian politics for the last four decades.
This reminds me of the ending of an old cowboy movie like High Noon where two nemesis would face off in a final duel in the hot afternoon sun on main street of at a little border town, somewhere in the Deep South to which only one will walk away victorious!
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