Dr Mahathir sarcastically proposes new political party ‘Parti Apa Aku Dapat’

KUALA LUMPUR, June 12 — Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad today sarcastically suggested the founding of a new political party to enrich Malays who have yet to receive positions and financial perks.

In a brief blog post, Dr Mahathir said he proposed that this entity be formed, as many Malays seem to like setting up political parties.

Dr Mahathir noted that he himself had previously founded the Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu), which he said was now split in two.

“That is why I wish to form one more Malay political party.

“The name of this party is Parti AAD or ‘Parti Apa Aku Dapat’,” he said, with the term in Malay roughly translating to “What I can get”.

Dr Mahathir said the purpose of such a hypothetical party would be to “enrich Malays who have yet to receive” benefits, with no membership fees required and with an invitation to anyone who has yet to receive such advantages to apply to become a member or for party posts such as president, deputy president and vice-president.

Such a party would enrich Malays by appointing them as officers in organisations set up specifically to fulfill the desire of giving lucrative incomes to those who have yet to receive benefits and wish to receive more, Dr Mahathir said.

Dr Mahathir did not elaborate further on his “suggestion”, but his blog post comes two days after his June 10 blog post where he criticised the current government under Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s leadership.

Dr Mahathir had claimed that many of the current Cabinet were appointed if they accepted offers to support the current administration under Muhyiddin, suggesting that such candidates were asked what they wished for before their appointments and that some positions were created in return for their support.

He had also claimed that almost two-thirds of the MPs who support Muhyiddin were appointed as ministers and deputy ministers, while the rest were appointed as chairmen of government-linked companies and institutions including those he said were facing criminal charges in court.