'Mahathir affected my life'
Published on: Sunday, July 17, 2016
Kota Kinabalu: Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan is no stranger to the political manoeuvring of former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohammad, saying he is a man with a strong personality who will do everything in his power to dislodge the person he dislikes.A reflective Pairin, who is now Deputy Chief Minister, pointed to his difficult relationship with Mahathir when Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) was in power between 1985 and 1994 before Pairin was forced to resign after several PBS assemblymen defected to the BN."Mahathir affected my life during my political terms in office as Chief Minister very strongly.
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When I, as a leader, tried to do the right thing for Sabah under those circumstances, he got me arrested. And he pretended not to know who is the Chief Minister even after a proper election was concluded," he said.Pairin recalled the political upheavals during the PBS administration when asked for his thoughts on Mahathir's relentless efforts to unseat current Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, the latest being his plan to set up a new political party.Pairin explained that Mahathir, being a political animal, will continue to be very participative in the political arena and needs to be in the middle of the political game, despite his age.
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Currently, he said, Mahathir is unhappy with the present Prime Minister and the current government, even though it was he himself who created and laid down the foundation for this government."It is not surprising to find him now taking the side of the opposition and talking even to the extent of forming a new coalition party. What will result out of this, remains to be seen. It is anybody's speculation. Now this is a very interesting period, fortunately or otherwise," he said.
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He conceded there is nothing stopping Mahathir from forming a new political party but added that eventually it is up to the people to make up their minds when it comes to the ballot box."But he is such a strong personality that he manages to bring the people together to support him, whether they like it or not," he said.At the moment, he said, there seems to be two opposing forces in the country, both with their own strengths and weaknesses, vying for the people's support and because both camps are playing up issues that matter to the people, it seems that the people are divided right in the middle.Before the next election, he added, the people will obviously align themselves to certain ideas, study the issues at hand and then respond to the occasion right up to the last minute, as what he had observed so many times in the past.Despite all the issues being played up to gain the people's support, Pairin said BN's victories in Sarawak and the two by-elections in the peninsula showed different people look at things differently and react differently."So anybody can make speculations. Of course, there are general guidelines, yes. Issues that are close to our hearts such as Sabah's rights, they are not exclusive to only certain groups. "Some people can say they have done their part, they have spoken their piece because they love their country, as if other people do not love the country, as if others have not done anything at all."That kind of thinking needs to be taken with a pinch of salt because you cannot simply praise yourself sky high. We may not be truly satisfied with everything but consider other things which we have achieved," he said.Pairin also cautioned politicians against making brazen statements to the public without thinking things through and then having to go back and take those words back or modify them later.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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