Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad – The backdoor government is “halal” and pure as long as can be PM.
Kuala Lumpur, Jan 8 – Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has criticised Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim over the alleged ‘Dubai Move’, a plot to form a backdoor government with the help of some opposition leaders and government MPs who met in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) recently.
In a statement posted on his Twitter account @chedetofficial, Dr Mahathir denied any involvement in the scheme and said that he had not been to Dubai for a long time.
He also said that forming a backdoor government was not a new or illegitimate strategy in Malaysian politics, and that it was the expertise of the prime minister.
Referring to past political events like the significant move on September 16, 2008, and the Kajang Move, which aimed to elevate a spouse to the position of Selangor’s MB, Mahathir contextualized these actions as strategic efforts to secure power through alternative means.
Dr Mahathir also referred to other tactics used by politicians to claim or challenge the mandate to govern, such as declaring that they have the numbers or a strong, formidable and convincing majority in Parliament.
He said that these were all attempts to take over the government by the backdoor, but they were not considered treason, betrayal, or harmful to the stability, economy, or democracy of the country.
He argued that a backdoor government was “halal” and pure as long as it could make someone the prime minister, implying that Anwar himself had resorted to such methods in the past and had no moral authority to condemn others for doing the same.
The ‘Dubai Move’ is the latest political controversy to hit Malaysia, which has seen three different prime ministers and two snap elections in the span of four years.
The plot, if true, could pose a serious threat to Anwar’s unity government, which has faced constant challenges from the opposition and internal dissent since taking power in 2022.
– TNS News