I Feel No Guilt About What Happened To Anwar, Says Dr M

ALOR STAR, March 6 (Bernama) -- Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad reiterated Wednesday that he felt no guilt whatsoever to what happened to Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

He said the video clip containing his remarks about the former deputy prime minister that had been distorted by the opposition to say he regretted the jailing of Anwar, was taken at a ceramah (political talk) he (Mahathir) gave two years ago.

"I was making some sarcastic remarks because there were still people who believed I was responsible for his jailing when the fact is, it was the court that found him guilty," he told Bernama at his home in Kampung Titi Gajah here Wednesday.

Mahathir also said that the Parti Keadilan Rakyat advisor was an opportunist and would use whatever means available to get what he wants.

"Initially he wanted to join PAS. But when he saw he would get nowhere in that party, he asked to join Umno... not that we invited him in... I did not bring him into Umno.

"Two days after joining he wanted to be the youth leader, a year later vice president and a year after that deputy president... I after 18 years only got a chance to be an elected representative and 28 years after that became a minister.

"I was willing to be patient but he wanted to become prime minister straight away and even went to the extent of getting his boys to take swipes at me and accuse me of practising nepotism and cronyism when in fact, he was the one doing it," he said.

Mahathir said Anwar was indeed a "chameleon" and now even his close friend Dr Chandra Muzaffar was criticising him when then, he (Chandra) had taken him (Mahathir) to task for purportedly oppressing Anwar.

"Anwar, when he is talking to Palestinians, he will support Palestine, and it is the same with him if it is with the Chinese or members of Hindraf. When he talks to the Malays... he is a Malay," he added.

Asked about his son Mukhriz's chances in the Jerlun parliamentary seat in the election on Saturday, Mahathir said Mukhriz's chances were bright so long as he had the full support of Umno members.

Mukhriz is involved in a straight fight against PAS' Idris Ahmad for the seat

-- BERNAMA