Malaysia must not provide asylum to beleaguered Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, argued Pakatan Harapan Youth leader Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad.

He was responding to online reports that the 93-year-old African leader may seek asylum either in Malaysia or in Singapore.

“One hopes that this is not true and if so, that the government of Malaysia does not allow him to do so,” Nik Nazmi added in a media statement this afternoon.

Nik Nazmi was also disappointed with Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi for stating that Malaysia would not stop Mugabe from coming to Kuala Lumpur to seek treatment on the basis of medical tourism.

“Malaysia should not be party to any deal that prevents or retards the democratisation as well as the course of justice in Zimbabwe.

“Mugabe’s fate should ultimately be decided by the people of Zimbabwe via a civilian, democratically-elected government,” he said.

Though refusing to endorse the military coup in Zimbabwe, Nik Nazmi (photo), however, said Mugabe must realise that his people have turned against him and his time is up.

“A military coup - for that is what it was despite all the denials - can never be the way to solve a country’s problems, no matter how dire. No credit or recognition should be given to any military-led or backed regime.

“The only legitimate and acceptable outcome to the current impasse is the complete, peaceful restoration of civilian rule as well as free and fair elections for a new government of national reconciliation,” he added.

Known to be close to Mahathir

Despite mounting pressure, Mugabe has refused to resign.

The Zimbabwean president was also known to be close to Harapan chairperson Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who came under fire for gifting him with rare timber for his palatial mansion near Harare.

In November 2005, DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang (photo) vowed to raise the matter in Parliament.

“The (then) foreign minister Syed Hamid Albar will be asked in Parliament next week how much the rare timber gift, which Mahathir Mohamad had given to Mugabe when he was prime minister, for the RM34 million (based on the exchange rate then) palatial mansion outside Harare had cost Malaysian taxpayers,” Lim said.

A year earlier, Mahathir said the sawn timber was given as a gift to promote Malaysian products.

He also claimed that the total cost of the timber given was RM100,000.

The matter came to light when Mugabe told British Sky News in an interview that, among others, Malaysia and China had funded his 25-bedroom mansion.