KUALA LUMPUR, July 25 — There is no reason for Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamed who was Malaysia’s longest-serving prime minister to allow himself to be controlled by anyone, DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang said today.
Responding to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s remarks earlier, Lim said a seasoned politician like Dr Mahathir was unlikely to kow-tow to him now.
"When did Mahathir become my stooge and puppet? Why should a 92-year-old Mahathir, who had been prime minister for over one-third of Malaysia's 60-year history, suddenly become Lim Kit Siang's stooge and puppet?" Lim asked during a press conference at Parliament.
Najib earlier today said that DAP is the dominant party in the Opposition coalition and that Lim is "hiding" behind Dr Mahathir and "deceiving Malays" into thinking that Dr Mahathir is an interim candidate for the post of prime minister should Pakatan Harapan (PH) claim federal power.
Lim also jibed that the comments meant that he had become the most powerful person in Malaysia.
"I have become the most powerful person in Malaysia, but how come I do not know about it?" he asked.
The four-party PH bloc chaired by Dr Mahathir submitted its draft constitution to the Registrar of Societies yesterday to apply as a formal coalition to go head-to-head against the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition in the next general elections due next year.
