KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 4 — Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad was insulting the intelligence of Malaysians by now blaming a former attorney-general for the 1988 judicial crisis, said MCA’s Datuk Ti Lian Ker.
The MCA publicity spokesman pointed out that the former prime minister has already blamed Tun Salleh Abas’ sacking on the Yang di-Pertuan Agong then, Sultan Iskandar Sultan Ismail, and was now adding Tan Sri Abu Talib Othman to the list.
“The latest attempt by Dr Mahathir to exonerate himself from any culpability in the episode of the removal of Tun Salleh Abas as the Lord President and subsequent expulsion of senior judges is a new low and an absolute disregard for the intelligence of the average Malaysian,” he said in a statement.
Ti added that Dr Mahathir could not deny that he saw fit to recommend the tribunal to eventually remove Salleh, or that the former prime minister was not aware of the repercussions that would result from sacking the country’s most senior judge then.
“For Dr Mahathir to admit making the representation that precipitated a crisis of such a gigantic proportion and yet refused to admit his culpability by blaming the Agong and the AG is typically classic of Dr Mahathir’s recalcitrance,” Ti added.
The MCA leader went on to criticise Dr Mahathir’s allies in Pakatan Harapan for keeping silent on the matter now, when some such as DAP’s Lim Kit Siang, was a contemporary of the former prime minister.
Ti then urged Malaysians not to allow Dr Mahathir to insult the country and judiciary with his attempt to clear himself of any blame for the judicial crisis.
Dr Mahathir repeated yesterday his denial of responsibility for removing Salleh, insisting this was done under instructions from the Yang di-Pertuan Agong then.
He also claimed there had been a letter with remarks from the Agong regarding Salleh, but said this has since been lost.
