Dr M: My children succeeded from own efforts

KUALA LUMPUR- If PKR adviser Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim becomes the prime minister, the cabinet will be filled with his family and friends as ministers.

Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said if this happened, it would be easy for them to do anything they wanted.

The former premier said Parti Keadilan Rakyat belonged to Anwar as he appointed his wife as the president and chose her to contest for the Permatang Pauh parliamentary seat.

"He then asked his wife to resign so that he can contest the seat. There is also no evidence of any contest for the party adviser's position held by him. Now his wife is the president while his daughter is the vice-president", he wrote in his blog chedet.cc

On the other hand, Dr Mahathir said when he was the prime minister and finance minister, none of his children held any positions in the government or in the party.

"Their names were nominated several times but I did not allow it until after my retirement. They also never received any government contracts."

He said that if they succeeded in politics or in business, it was solely through their own efforts and all these happened after he retired from politics.

Dr Mahathir said Petronas did not give any opportunities to his children when he was an adviser with the oil company.

"In fact, no contracts were given to my children by Petronas until their businesses had flourished. Although I am called a Petronas adviser, I never gave any advice. It is under the prime minister and he gives instructions to Petronas."

He also denied any involvement in the new contract given to his son as alleged by Anwar.

"I was only informed by the Petronas president after it was given out. I never participated in the decision making process and am ready to swear upon the Quran in a mosque."

Dr Mahathir said giving out such contracts would probably be done by Anwar if he was in power.

He added that when Anwar was the deputy prime minister and finance minister, many contracts were given to his political supporters and family.

He said this was displayed during the Umno general assembly, where the names of those who got contracts when Anwar was in power.

"The names of his supporters and families are there. None of my children's names is there."

Dr Mahathir said his son Mirzan was the target of Anwar's slander.

"It is true that he was a director in the San Miguel company but it is not just a beer company as it is increasingly involved in the food and petroleum industries."

He said that following the allegations, Mirzan resigned and he was now a director in the Petron oil company, which was previously known as ExxonMobil and a fuel supplier to aircraft in Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

"When ExxonMobil was taken over by San Miguel, it was placed under Petron and my son was appointed a director while the fuel supply contract was inherited by Petron.

"If Anwar's wife and daughter can become politicians, why can't my children do business without being slandered by him? Is he out of ideas now?"

- New Straits Times