BATU PAHAT, Nov 16 — A good seed will become an island, Perikatan Nasional candidate Datuk Mohd Rashid Hasnon said to rebut Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, his former party’s president.
Rashid used the Malay proverb to respond to Anwar, who said at a political rally here last week that he would kick Rashid “into the sea” for defecting to Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) as part of the Sheraton Move in 2020.
“Did I attack him back? No, I didn’t attack. He and I have been taught religious education. We do not indulge in openly shaming someone.
“Furthermore, that issue, as I had said, is a fairy tale. There is no truth of that happening, about me crying asking for positions,” the Batu Pahat incumbent said in an interview with Malay Mail here.
Anwar alleged during the ceramah that Rashid had cried and begged for a position, and left for Bersatu out of spite, after which he was made a deputy Speaker of Parliament.
“Personal attacks are not my game and I looked up to him and I don’t want to go down that path,” he said.
Rashid then recalled when Anwar left the Malaysian Muslim Youth Movement (Abim) to join Umno, which was led by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, the prime minister then.
“We said, ‘eh Anwar, why are you doing this?’” he said, adding that Anwar was a figure he adored and supported in his student days.
“You know, in my personality as an engineer, I develop people. Whoever gets a chance, I bring them up. I have never degraded someone.”
The former Penang deputy chief minister said his objective for seeking re-election was to continue his existing efforts on education, flood management, and solving housing issues.
He said his experience helping solve displacement and housing issues in Penang would help in his constituency.
Rashid said that he was also hoping to develop Batu Pahat as a tourism destination, as it has potential for extreme sports as well as leisurely hiking.
While saying he would not ask for a ministerial position, he described himself as capable of handling one.
He claimed he had been considered as the international trade and industry minister during the Pakatan Harapan administration but allegedly lost out to Datuk Darell Leiking because Dr Mahathir wanted the position to go to a Sabah lawmaker.
