SHAH ALAM: Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad told the High Court today that Malays in the country are losing power under the administration of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim due to the influence of the DAP.
The 100-year-old former two-time prime minister claimed that Anwar was compelled to obey the demands of the non-Malay party to maintain control of the government.
“When I was the prime minister (during my second tenure in 2018), DAP was under me. But now, they (DAP) are sitting on top of him (Anwar). The dominant party in this government is non-Malay.
“Malays are losing power. The government today must adhere to DAP’s policy that Malaysia is not ‘Tanah Melayu’ but a multiracial nation. It was Anwar, the 10th prime minister, who said this. He said multiracial means ‘not (Tanah) Melayu’,” he told the court during cross-examination by Anwar’s lawyer Radlan Hadri Zulkifli.
Dr Mahathir was testifying as the first and sole plaintiff witness in his RM150 million defamation trial against Anwar before Judicial Commissioner Datuk Donald Joseph Franklin.
However, Dr Mahathir acknowledged that under Anwar’s administration, Malays continue to dominate key positions in the government, such as the Inspector-General of Police, the Armed Forces Chief, the Chief Secretary to the Government, as well as senior and mid-level officers within the civil service.
Asked by Radlan whether there had been any amendments to the Federal Constitution that reduced or limited Malay powers, Dr Mahathir replied in the negative.
Meanwhile, under cross-examination by co-counsel Ranjit Singh, Dr Mahathir said he did not regret sacking Anwar, who was his deputy prime minister, in 1998.
He admitted, however, that the subsequent Reformasi movement sparked by the dismissal was an expression of displeasure against him.
He also agreed, when it was put to him, that the detention of Reformasi and student activists under the Internal Security Act had tarnished his reputation during his 22-year tenure as prime minister from 1981 to 2003.
Dr Mahathir affirmed that although his reputation was marred by Reformasi and Ops Lalang, he maintained that he remained a statesman, as he has long been recognised.
“I still maintain that I have the right to be regarded as a statesman. The statements made by statesmen are normally respected by the world,” he said.
In his suit, Dr Mahathir alleged that Anwar, 78, had tarnished his reputation by accusing him of being racist and enriching himself and his family members during his 22-year tenure as prime minister.
He claimed that Anwar made the remarks during PKR‘s special national congress at the Melawati Stadium in Shah Alam on March 18, 2023.
Anwar had allegedly referred to someone “who in the past had been in power for 22 years and an additional 22 months” as having taken advantage of his position to enrich himself and his family.
Although Anwar did not name anyone during his speech, he also said this person had complained about Malays losing everything after he was no longer in power.
Dr Mahathir said he had never been accused or convicted of any wrongdoing involving abuse of power or misuse of funds, either during or after his tenure as prime minister.
He claimed that Anwar’s statements were unfounded and based solely on hearsay from the media.
Dr Mahathir said it was vital for Anwar, as the current prime minister, to ensure that every statement he made was based on facts and not rumours or media reports.
He added that all his income was audited to ensure there was no deceit in tax payments or in the source of his earnings.
Dr Mahathir is seeking RM100 million in exemplary damages and RM50 million in general damages, as well as a written apology and a special press conference for Anwar to apologise for making the statements.
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