Dr Mahathir Mohamad – Berrnama photo
KUALA LUMPUR (July 8): Parti Pejuang Tanah Air chairman and former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said he does not see being an interim prime minister as a priority for the party as it is now focusing on aid for the Covid-19 pandemic.
He claimed that the party, which was approved by the Registrar of Society (ROS) today, has no interest in playing politics like other parties who are vying to be the government now.
“That is not our priority, if it happens, we will have to do something about it or think about it.
“Everybody wants to become prime minister, they care about how much money they will get, they are not interested in helping the people,” he said in an online press conference
Dr Mahathir repeated his proposal for a national recovery council which consists of experts on health, virus, economy, psychiatry, sociology and others who can actually reduce the infection rates of Covid-19 and aid those who are impacted by it.
He said that Pejuang will table the motion to create the council in the next Parliamentary sitting, citing the need to do so quickly as more and more people are suffering as the government’s National Recovery Plan is not working.
“It is no use to just be an adviser to the government as the government is not doing anything. That is why we need an independent body who will have the power to do it.
“This is the form of a council that we want to create, not political at all,” he said.
When asked on who would lead the special body, Dr Mahathir did not give an exact answer saying the leader should have “experience” in handling the problems.
“Qualified people, people with experience so I don’t want to mention anyone as later people will say we want to seize the power.
“We have to have people with experience dealing with things like this as the leader,” he said.
Last month, Dr Mahathir had said that he proposed the formation of a council like the National Operations Council (Mageran) to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong during an audience.
Mageran was formed by Tun Abdul Razak Hussein after the bloody 1969 racial riots, which also saw him taking over as prime minister from Tunku Abdul Rahman afterwards after the council was dissolved. – MalayMail