Mahathir: Opposition will arrest rivals if in power & running scared

The opposition coalition will move against its political rivals once it comes into power, says former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

“They will take action against people who were not friendly, or they think were not friendly to them,” Mahathir said in a speech in Kuala Lumpur today.

He said there was talk that a Pakatan-controlled federal government would arrest such people, including himself.

“Some say I should leave Malaysia before election results are announced. That the first thing they (Pakatan) will do (when in power) is to close down all the airports so that no private plane can take off.

“But I don’t think they will do that. The opposition are nice people. They may arrest people and charge them.”

Mahathir joked that he was happy the Internal Security Act no longer existed and that Pakatan, which agitated against the law, could not simply throw people in jail if it came to power.

“Without the ISA, I feel more comfortable,” he said.

Such “disruptions” to Malaysia, he said, are what will happen if Pakatan were to come to power.

He cautioned those seeking change to realise that “all change will cause disruptions” and not necessarily for the better.

Not only will there be such arrests but the Malaysian economy and development will also be arrested, argued Mahathir.

“If Pakatan is elected, there will be radical changes, but it won’t be an orderly kind of change.”

He likened the change that a change of government may bring may be like the “change” that Idi Amin brought about when he overthrew the government of Uganda.

Mahathir cautioned Malaysians not to change just for the sake of change or because they are bored of things, but only if there is real need as any change will be tumultuous.

Asked in a press conference later if he intends to take the advice and flee prior to any possible change of government, Mahathir dismissed any concern.

He said that he intends to stay on in the country, jokingly adding that while rumours may circulate that he built a secret tunnel from the PM’s residence in Putrajaya to the KLIA, the house where he is living now has no secret tunnel.