Reuters, Kuala Lumpur :
Former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said on Friday he doubted whether opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim had the numbers in parliament to take the premiership and even if he did the country would remain in political deadlock.
Anwar met the king on Tuesday in a bid to prove he has a parliamentary majority to form government and take over from Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin.
Mahathir, who mentored Anwar and many of the country’s top leaders, said even with new leadership Malaysia would remain susceptible to shifting political alliances, particularly by the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) former ruling party.
“So the situation is very uncertain … either way, there is going to be a situation where there is no government in the country,” Mahathir told Reuters in an interview at his office in Kuala Lumpur.
Mahathir, with Anwar’s backing, steered the opposition to a historic win in the 2018 election, ending six decades of rule by UMNO with a campaign against corruption.
Former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said on Friday he doubted whether opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim had the numbers in parliament to take the premiership and even if he did the country would remain in political deadlock.
Anwar met the king on Tuesday in a bid to prove he has a parliamentary majority to form government and take over from Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin.
Mahathir, who mentored Anwar and many of the country’s top leaders, said even with new leadership Malaysia would remain susceptible to shifting political alliances, particularly by the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) former ruling party.
“So the situation is very uncertain … either way, there is going to be a situation where there is no government in the country,” Mahathir told Reuters in an interview at his office in Kuala Lumpur.
Mahathir, with Anwar’s backing, steered the opposition to a historic win in the 2018 election, ending six decades of rule by UMNO with a campaign against corruption.
