Former Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad has made it clear that his resignation from Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) was a decision made on his own terms, challenging claims by Dato' Seri Dr. Ahmad Zahid Hamidi that he played a key role in Mahathir’s ousting. The veteran politician, who has weathered decades of political storms, insists that it was not Zahid or Umno that led to his departure but rather his refusal to continue leading a party that no longer aligned with his principles.
Dr. Mahathir’s resignation in February 2020 sent shockwaves through Malaysia’s political landscape, effectively dissolving the Pakatan Harapan government and paving the way for a new coalition. However, contrary to Zahid’s assertions of being the “mastermind” behind Mahathir’s exit, the former prime minister clarified that the decision was driven by internal disagreements within Bersatu.
"Ahmad Zahid or his party cannot remove me. A party that was defeated in the election has no authority to unseat the party that won," Dr. Mahathir declared with conviction, rejecting the notion that Zahid had the power or influence to force his resignation. He emphasized that his resignation was a matter of principle, a leader stepping down when his advice and direction were no longer accepted by his followers.
Dr. Mahathir also took the opportunity to refute Zahid’s narrative of heroism. According to the former prime minister, Zahid should not paint himself as the savior of Umno, a party that Mahathir claims is now willing to cooperate with its former adversary, the Democratic Action Party (DAP), simply to secure political positions.
"Zahid is no hero. He is someone facing court charges and is willing to make Umno collaborate with its bitter enemy, the DAP, just to secure the position of deputy prime minister and avoid standing trial for his criminal charges," he declared.
Zahid’s recent statements at the Cameron Highlands Umno division meeting, where he claimed responsibility for orchestrating Mahathir’s fall to prevent the deregistration of Umno, are seen by Mahathir as an attempt to rewrite history. Zahid’s narrative, which included accusations that Mahathir intended to ban Umno, was dismissed by the former prime minister, who clarified that his resignation had nothing to do with external pressures or threats but was a result of Bersatu’s rejection of his leadership.
Dr. Mahathir also recalled his meetings with Zahid after Umno’s defeat in the 14th General Election and again when Zahid was facing corruption charges. In these meetings, Zahid tried to convince Mahathir of his innocence, a claim that the latter dismissed, advising Zahid to present his case in court instead.
As Zahid prepares to reveal more details in his upcoming memoir, Dr. Mahathir’s rebuttal stands as a strong reminder of the complexities of Malaysian politics. His resignation was not the result of a political coup but a conscious decision to step away when his leadership was no longer respected.
The narrative of Zahid as a political mastermind may serve the deputy prime minister’s interests, but Dr. Mahathir’s version of events presents a different story, one of a leader choosing principle over power.
Or is it that both events apply? Tun M resigned on his own, hoping to be reappointed as Unity Prime Minister but risking it for a coup leading from the Sheraton Move, with the collaboration of Tan Sri Muhyiddin's Bersatu, PKR's splinter leader Dato' Seri Azmin Ali, and Umno’s VP Dato' Seri Hishammuddin Hussein.
The perplexing events of the coup did not involve Zahid, the President of Umno, in the picture. Zahid did not hold any government positions then as Umno’s top leader, which is intriguing.
From the scenario of events, the winners were Bersatu's Muhyiddin, Umno’s Faction B Group led by Hishammuddin Hussein, and PKR's Azmin faction. Mahathir's power struggle strategy failed disastrously. Zahid stayed on the sidelines, watching the drama unfold.
The truth: Mahathir failed, and Zahid was the silent winner. But did Zahid overpraise himself by claiming a victorious hero role for not playing the main part?
By: Kpost
Information Source: malaymail , thevibes
Kpost is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
The User Content (as defined on Newswav Terms of Use) above including the views expressed and media (pictures, videos, citations etc) were submitted & posted by the author. Newswav is solely an aggregation platform that hosts the User Content. If you have any questions about the content, copyright or other issues of the work, please contact Newswav.
