Former Malaysian prime minister Mahathir Mohamad believes that the Malays have "lost everything" after he resigned in February 2020.
"It is true that the Malays have become so poor since I resigned as prime minister," Dr. Mahathir stated in a Monday Facebook post (Mar 27).
Dr. Mahathir, 97, stated that he attempted to better the situation of the Malays in the country after he was re-elected prime minister in May 2018 following the 14th General Elections.
Dr. Mahathir, however, stated that the then-Pakatan Harapan (PH) administration was ousted and that he lost his post as prime minister.
This occurred after the "Sheraton Move," a political maneuver that saw Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) abandon Pakatan Harapan (PH) in February 2020, causing the coalition to be ousted from the federal government.
"That's why I'm complaining now," Dr. Mahathir said in the article to dispute current Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's charges.
Mr. Anwar is alleged to have criticized prior national leaders during a Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) special national congress convened in Shah Alam earlier this month.
Mr. Anwar said at the political gathering, without naming any names, that a past leader who served as prime minister for "22 years and (another) 22 months" had exploited his position to enrich himself, his family, and his children.
Dr. Mahathir served as the prime minister of Malaysia from July 1981 to October 2003 and from May 2018 to February 2020.
Mr. Anwar stated in his address that the leader only complained about the loss of Malay dominance in the country after he had left office.
Dr. Mahathir insisted that Mr. Anwar provide evidence for his charges on Monday.
"Accusations are easy to make. Yet, claims that lack concrete evidence cannot be recognized as true. It is libel," he stated.
Dr. Mahathir further accused the present government led by Mr. Anwar of ignoring the country's Constitution following the cancellation of a pro-Malay rally.
A Malay rights event was scheduled to take place in Kuala Lumpur on March 19, with Dr. Mahathir as the honored guest. The event was canceled when two venues withdrew their approval.
Dr. Mahathir stated on Monday that he had participated in the event, which was organized by an organization called Sekretariat Tanah Air, in order to raise Malays' awareness of their difficulties by issuing the "Malay Declaration."
In addition, he asserted that the planned event's content was consistent with the country's and United Malays National Organisation's constitutions (UMNO).
He said that the government's opposition of the launch represented a rejection of both the nation's and UMNO's constitutions.
"UMNO did not object. UMNO no longer conforms to its founding principles. To defend the rights of Malay and other Bumiputeras, other groups must be held accountable.
"When the government bans other parties from issuing this announcement, it violates the National Constitution's guarantee." Dr. Mahathir stated that the Malay population should be concerned about the administration led by Anwar Ibrahim for this reason.
He had criticized the government when the event was initially canceled, alleging that the present administration is a "dictatorship" that does not "let the people to express their thoughts or criticize it."
According to Free Malaysia Today at the time, Dr. Mahathir stated that he lacked evidence but was confident that Mr. Anwar was responsible for the cancellation since "nothing of this nature can be done without his agreement or command."
Prior to the postponement of the event, Mr. Anwar had urged the country's security forces to be on high alert for individuals stoking ethnic and religious tensions.
"Any attempt to... raise the racial or religious temperature in this nation will not be tolerated," Mr. Anwar said at a press conference following a Cabinet meeting on March 17.
Dr. Mahathir failed to defend his Langkawi seat in the 15th General Elections, losing his deposit after placing fourth in a five-cornered contest.
He suffered his first election loss in 53 years.
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