Pass vote of no confidence if you want, says Mahathir

(FMT) – Dr Mahathir Mohamad is unperturbed by rumours of attempts to remove him as prime minister through a no-confidence vote in the Dewan Rakyat.

“You want to do anything, do it, you’re free,” he told reporters after chairing a PPBM Supreme Council meeting here.

“We’re a democratic country. You can move a vote of no confidence or you can move a vote of confidence,” the prime minister said.

Mahathir said any sudden change in the top leadership role could be “confusing” and cause problems, although he maintained he had no qualms about it.

“What happens to me is not important. What happens to the government and the country is more important.”

A flurry of political commentators had called for Mahathir to make way for PKR president Anwar Ibrahim, following Pakatan Harapan’s disastrous outing at the Tanjung Piai by-election on Nov 16.

Barisan Nasional’s Wee Jeck Seng won the by-election by an overwhelming majority of 15,086 votes, in the ruling coalition’s worst electoral defeat since coming to power last year.

Meanwhile, Mahathir denied he was behind PKR deputy president Mohamed Azmin Ali’s meeting with a group of BN MPs on Monday night.

“Maybe I’m a dictator, but I didn’t dictate this time,” he said.

He maintained that he had no knowledge about the purpose of the meetings, adding that any conflict within PKR should be handled within the party.