Thursday April 9, 2009
Dr M denies making deal with Najib to get son in Cabinet
By NG CHENG YEE
PUTRAJAYA: Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said there was no deal between him and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak to get his son Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir appointed to the Cabinet.
The former prime minister said it would be Najib’s prerogative if he wanted to appoint Mukhriz as a minister.
“No deal. No deal. As you can see, I never campaigned for him (Mukhriz). I never spoke up for him.
“I have let him be entirely on his own and when he lost (in the Umno elections), it was his own business,” he told reporters after launching the book In Search of Happiness and Mencari Kebahagiaan yesterday.
However, Dr Mahathir said it was also wrong for him to say that Mukhriz could not be appointed because he was no longer in the Government.
“I am not a prime minister now. If people think that because he is related to me he should not be a minister, it’s also wrong,” he said.
On the new Cabinet line-up, Dr Mahathir hoped it would give a good image of the Government.
“The people chosen must not in any way be tainted with corruption,” he said.
On the three by-election results, he said there were a lot of things that Barisan Nasional needed to do before the next general election.
“Najib has to be firm in restoring the image of Barisan, especially Umno and its image of corruption,” he said.
“People are also not happy that there is not much development after six years and despite contracts being given out, the public does not know who were awarded these contracts.”
Asked to comment on the proposal to have a Chinese Deputy Prime Minister, Dr Mahathir said: “It is not that they (the Chinese) are not qualified to be Deputy Prime Minister; it is up to Barisan to decide whether it is time (for such a post to be created). It must also get the agreement of all sides, not just the MCA.”
MCA deputy secretary-general Datuk Loke Yuen Yow had recently urged Najib to create a post for a Chinese Deputy Prime Minister as well as a Chinese Barisan Nasional deputy chairman.
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