Anwar PM after November 2020
Published on: Wednesday, December 11, 2019
KUALA LUMPUR: Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, the world’s oldest Prime Minister, promised to hand over power to anointed successor Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim but not before the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit that Malaysia is to host in November.
“I made a promise to hand over and I will, accepting that I thought that a change immediately before the Apec summit would be disruptive,” Dr Mahathir said.
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“As far I’m concerned, I’m stepping down and I’m handing the baton to him. If people don’t want him, that is their business, but I will do my part of the promise... irrespective of whatever allegation. I made my promise, I keep my promise”, said the 94-year-old Premier.
The turbulent relationship between the two men – allies turned fierce rivals who later reunited to win power – has shaped politics in the Southeast Asian country for decades.
Dr Mahathir was unexpectedly elected in 2018 as the head of a coalition government whose largest party is led by Anwar, 72, who has been jailed twice on separate counts of sodomy and for corruption – charges he says were political.
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Last week, Anwar denied fresh allegations by a former aide that he had tried to force him to have sex – describing the accusations as “politics at its worst”.
It is Dr Mahathir’s second stint as Malaysia’s premier, a post he previously held for 22 years from 1981 to 2003. Anwar was his deputy from 1993 to 1998, when the two fell out. Anwar was jailed the following year.
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Tun Dr Mahathir is now one of the top earners among the MPs who have declared their assets.
The Prime Minister declared in November that he is currently earning RM100,004 a month, according to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) website.
Records from November last year showed that he was previously raking in RM75,861 monthly.
His monthly earnings are currently second only to his son, Kedah Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir.
Mukhriz declared a monthly income of RM105,641 last year.
Perak Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu and Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal were also among the top earners with RM91,150 and RM86,670 per month, respectively.
In terms of asset value, PKR’s Datuk Seri Dr Edmund Santhara Kumar tops the list with about RM131mil in assets to his name.
Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham comes in second with assets worth about RM79mil and Dr Mahathir third with assets worth about RM32mil.
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