PM also dismisses calls for P Waythamoorthy to step down as a minister following the inquest verdict on firefighter Adib’s death.
Dr Mahathir Mohamad today brushed aside a scathing attack on him by Syed Husin Ali, saying the former PKR deputy president was not part of the discussions to appoint Anwar Ibrahim as the eighth prime minister.
“We did not discuss anything,” he said briefly when asked about Syed Husin’s remarks that Mahathir was trying to avoid handing over power to Anwar as promised by Pakatan Harapan (PH) before the elections last year.
Syed Husin’s comments last week came after Mahathir told a forum in New York that he would need at the most three more years before handing over “to a suitable candidate”.
Syed Husin had said that a delayed handover between Mahathir and Anwar would “destroy” the PH coalition.
He added the PH coalition had agreed to have Anwar replace Mahathir as soon as the PKR president was pardoned, and branded Mahathir “unreliable” for not keeping to his promises.
Mahathir has come under pressure from some PKR leaders who are calling for a date to be fixed for Anwar to take over.
The PH chairman today said he would set a date once his work was done, saying it would be “difficult” if work was half-done.
Meanwhile, Mahathir dismissed calls for unity minister P Waythamoorthy to step down, following findings by an inquest that fireman Muhammad Adib Mohd Kassim was murdered.
“I don’t see any problem. I can still keep him on as a minister for now,” he said briefly when asked by the media in Putrajaya today.
Several Malay-interest groups have said that Waytha must be held responsible for fuelling tension during the riot outside the Sri Maha Mariamman Temple in Subang Jaya late last year.
Adib died three weeks after he was injured at the scene of the riot.
Back in January, the Mahathir told Chinese daily Sin Chew that he would only determine the National Unity and Social Wellbeing minister’s fate after the inquest on Adib determined the cause of death.
At the time, Opposition and Pakatan Harapan leaders were demanding that Waytha quit and accused him of giving rise to racial tension after he criticised the police for racialising the first night of the Seafield riots and being late in arriving at the scene.
On Aug 22, Mahathir was reported as saying there might be a minor change in Cabinet portfolios soon instead of a reshuffle.
Waytha had said he would leave it to the prime minister to decide on his position in the Cabinet.
On Sept 23, Coroner Rofiah Mohamad ruled that Adib’s death was the result of both criminal acts by several assailants and police inaction when he was attacked.