Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has admitted that both DAP and him were merely using each other to achieve the goal of toppling Datuk Seri Najib Razak ahead of the 2018 General Election.
Responding to the apparent inconsistency in dealing with DAP and PAS, Dr Mahathir said he too acknowledged that DAP wanted to use him since both shared the same goals, using the age-old proverb “the enemy of my enemy is my friend” as an analogy.
“If I had not used DAP, we would not have achieved a majority and Najib would have continued as prime minister.
“Between DAP and Najib, which one do we need to eliminate? That is why I used DAP,” he said on the latest episode of the Keluar Sekejap podcast.
In the 14th general election, Dr Mahathir partnered Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia with Pakatan Harapan and succeeded in defeating the Barisan Nasional led by Najib at the tinme, ending the coalition’s six-decades rule since the country’s independence.
Asked if such inconsistencies were Machiavellian in nature or the justification of all political means, Dr Mahathir conceded that one needed to hold on to such thoughts to “a certain extent”.
“At one time, I needed DAP to defeat Najib. Now, we have a problem and I realised there’s no other choice other than working with PAS since we have the same goals.
“Indeed, if we were to achieve something and continue to hold onto our old ways, we will not succeed,” he said.
On September 15, the federal Opposition coalition Perikatan Nasional (PN) named Dr Mahathir as its unofficial adviser to the four states under its control dubbed the “State Government 4” (SG4) coalition.
On him still being politically active despite his old age, Dr Mahathir said he felt a duty to voice his concerns if he felt a prime minister had done something detrimental to the country and the Malays.
“If I remained silent, that would mean I am being irresponsible. My struggle is to ensure my race stands equal with others.
“If you want to hold the prime minister’s reins, you must contribute to the country’s success and the rejuvenation of the Malays,” he said, without naming anyone.
Dr Mahathir is Malaysia’s longest serving prime minister, having held the position for over two decades between 1981 and 2003.