Mahathir gate-crashes forum discussing him
Published on: Friday, March 23, 2018
SHAH ALAM: Participants of a forum to discuss the topic of Dr Mahathir Mohamad were stunned when the man himself made an appearance and took a seat at the front row.Minutes later, the 93-year-old former Prime Minister tweeted: "I'm here guys. Say it to my face."Among the panellists at the forum organised by Malay daily Sinar Harian were opposition critic Kamarul Zaman Yusoff from Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM), and psychologist Mat Saat Mohd Baki.
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Many in the audience were taken by surprise, and stood up as they cheered Mahathir and his wife Dr Siti Hasmah Ali.Mahathir later answered questions from the panellists and audience.Among others, Mahathir said it wasn't his wish to become Prime Minister again."But we noticed that the crowds came when I turned up for rallies, one time in Kelantan, 12,000 people turned up."
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He admitted that his long years at the top could be a factor in him being chosen by PH parties as a candidate for Prime Minister again."So I didn't change my mind but I just responded to the demands of the other coalition parties."
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He also dismissed a claim that consensus within PH would make him a puppet, adding that he had always allowed people to have their say."When I was Umno president, and we had issues with Musa Hitam, everyone in the party was given a chance to speak and decide if he should be allowed back into the party," he said, referring to Musa who served as his first deputy when he became Prime Minister in 1981.He said the decision to sack Anwar Ibrahim in 1998 was also based on consensus."The other Umno leaders decided they didn't want him in the party."Siti Hasmah was asked about her husband returning to Putrajaya again."My main role is to look after Mahathir. That's why I follow him everywhere to make sure he is healthy."Forum moderator Nazri Kahar then opened the floor to Dr Mahathir, who commented on how he kept sharp well into his 90s."I am healthy because I stay active, not just physically but also mentally."When many people get older, they want to sleep a lot, but they must resist this."The body reacts to your environment without you knowing it," he said.Dr Mahathir later shared an important piece of advice from his mother that he still followed to this day."She always told me not to overeat, and stop once you have had enough."This is a very hard thing to do, but if you are able to achieve it, it shows you have a disciplined mind," he said.Asked by Kamarul Zaman why he initially proposed Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin as PH's Prime Minister nominee, Dr Mahathir said before the coalition was formed, he had "no wish" to be Prime Minister again."Of course, he (Muhyiddin) has the capacity. I promoted him because I had no wish to be Prime Minister. But later on, a lot of people were asking me to do this, to do that."He said he found that he could still garner support, especially from rural Malays."After some time, we recognised that people, especially Malays, have warmed up to me much more than the other leaders."We (Bersatu) cannot be multiracial. Rural Malays still cannot accept a multiracial party. They need to be assured that the leadership will be (helmed by) a Malay leader."Dr Mahathir said accepting PH's nomination of him for the post of Prime Minister was "a response to the pressure that I received from members of the coalition"."We all agreed that since I have more experience as a Prime Minister, I should lead. It was a very difficult decision for them to chose a man they disliked to be their leader. "When they wanted to name me as the next Prime Minister, I recognised that it was a big struggle on their part."I understand. I have no hard feelings against them. But, I keep saying that we have to move together."Kevin Zahri attributed the opposition leader's longevity to his enjoyment of "the life of of a political warrior" and good stress management."Of course, 93 is old. At that age, most people are already dead."As a Malaysian, I think Dr Mahathir is special. I find it fascinating that a 93-year-old man is still fighting for the country."While "anything can happen" at the age of 93, he said, Dr Mahathir seems to maintain a good diet and an active lifestyle."It is impressive that he has kept it up. But of course, the risk of something happening at his age is always there. So on paper, yes, he is old, but in reality, it is up to God."Stress is a very important factor. What kills us as we age is the wear and tear, which comes from stress."Dr Mahathir appears to be someone who is calm. He comes across as someone who is not hot-tempered. And when you're calm, stress levels are lower."Kamarul Zaman, however, said Dr Mahathir is not the right man to lead the country again."PH always talks about change, but change is a young man's game. And, change involves a lot of stress. "To appoint someone as old as Dr Mahathir to bring progress is something that's not acceptable to me."Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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