Razaleigh: Many hurdles ahead for Dr M

SHAH ALAM: Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad faces many hurdles as the prime ministerial candidate for the Opposition, said veteran leader Tan Sri Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah.

“If his party wins the majority of seats in the election then his name can be put forward to be prime minister if the Opposition wins.

“If another Opposition party wins big, however, Dr Mahathir is unlikely to get the full support he needs from coalition members, then again I do not know how they function,” he said at a press conference at the G25 public forum “Reforms for a Progressive Malaysia” on Saturday (Jan 27).

On another matter, Tengku Razaleigh said he remained unsure if he would contest the upcoming general election.

“It depends on whether I can still walk by then,” he said jokingly when asked by reporters.

The 81-year-old former Finance Minister was first elected to parliament in 1969 and has held the Gua Musang (formerly Ulu Kelantan) parliamentary seat ever since.

Razaleigh also said that political parties that win an election through gaining the highest number of seats but not the popular vote do not have the moral right to lead.

He said that there were two elements in the right to lead in a constitutional democracy.

“The first is the physical right. For instance, a political party must win a fairly contested election to govern a country.

“Should that election be run on the principle of victory as reflected by being first past the post, then a political grouping without a majority of popular votes but having the majority of elected seats will be on a sticky wicket.