KUALA LUMPUR: Ahead of elections in Malaysia, former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamed has spoken out against the ruling Barisan Nasional, kind of, saying that the party that has ruled the Southeast Asian country since independence has been in power too long and the country needs a change. However, that change is not in the opposition, which he has repeatedly said would be “frightening” for the country if they won a general election. His detractors claim that the prospect of Anwar Ibrahim, the one nemesis whom Mahathir has been unable to cast into the political wilderness, would be the future of the country. The 87-year-old former premier hit the campaign trail over the weekend and took opportunities to demonize Ibrahim and the coalition that he leads. In an interview with Mingguan Malaysia published over the weekend, Mahathir once again poured scorn on his former heir-apparent, reminding Malaysians of the perils that await them in voting for change. “Many say that the Alliance-Barisan Nasional has been in power too long. I would agree. I believe in not overstaying one's welcome. But I am not so sure now whether this should apply in every circumstance. “It is because the alternative to BN is frightening. It is led by a man who is obsessed with becoming prime minister, no matter how. I had wondered why he joined Umno instead of PAS. Now I know. He would do anything to become prime minister," he said. “By joining Umno instead of PAS, which had never produced a prime minister, he could become prime minister simply by climbing the ladder of its leadership. And so immediately upon joining Umno he contested for the position of chief of Umno Youth. Then he went for the vice-presidency and then the deputy president's post. The next move was to overthrow the president and become the prime minister. It was all very simple. “But the prime minister [Mahathir] did not seem to want to go. And so he began an underground campaign to demonize the prime minister. The rest, as they say, is history," he added, referring to the fallout between Anwar and him more than a decade ago. Bikyanews.com
