INTERVIEW | Two decades ago, during the height of the Reformasi movement, this would have sounded nothing short of bewildering – Anwar Ibrahim becoming Dr Mahathir Mohamad's heir-apparent once again.

However, Malaysian politics has witnessed a series of bizarre and ironic twists over the past years where friends have turned into bitter foes, and sworn enemies have turned into allies.

In an interview with Malaysiakini in Putrajaya on Friday, Mahathir addressed the issue of his political relationship with Anwar having come full circle.

The former premier, who in 1998 after sacking his then deputy over allegations of sexual misconduct, had made numerous accusations about his immoral behavior, conceded that he is often asked if he now considered Anwar fit to be prime minister.

Sidestepping the allegation that Mahathir had trumped up a false allegation and orchestrated a sham trial, he said that a person cannot be punished for a lifetime.

“Yes, we all commit some little mistake sometimes. But we cannot be punished for that for the whole of our lives. That is not fair.

“You have to punish a person for up to a certain limit. Beyond that, you can't punish him anymore.

“You can't say, 'Oh, as a boy you did something wrong, you stole a pen, therefore you cannot become prime minister in future'. That's not right. A person who has repented perhaps…,” he added.

Mahathir also said that since those in the opposition were willing to accept him despite their past enmity, he should extend the same degree of goodwill as well.

“I mean they are willing to accept me, you know? Accept me, their sworn enemy, as their leader.

“Now, I cannot accept them as a leader? That is absurd. I can be pardoned by you, but this man cannot be pardoned by me? That's wrong,” he added.

'Black-eye cost me 300,000 votes'

Mahathir also spoke about Anwar's arrest under the Internal Security Act (ISA) in 1998 where armed balaclava-clad police special operations force personnel stormed his residence in Bukit Damansara, Kuala Lumpur.

According to the former premier, he was not responsible for the manner in which the arrest was carried out.

On the contrary, Mahathir claimed that he had asked the police not to resort to such tactics.

“But police, they have their SOP (standard operating procedure). This is how they handle things. You know when they wanted to arrest Anwar, I told them, 'Please don't use the...'

“What they did was, their SOP was to wear the masks (balaclavas), go with a gun, break the door. That was their SOP. I didn't know they were going to do that! I told them, 'Please don't do these things' ... But

I have to bear the price,” he added.

Recalling Anwar's infamous black-eye, which became an iconic symbol of the Reformasi movement, Mahathir said he suffered a political backlash because of the incident.

“You know when Anwar got a black-eye? You think I asked them to give Anwar a black-eye? You think I didn’t know what would be the result politically? I lost 300,000 votes because of that black eye. I didn’t give Anwar the black eye.

“You know? I asked them (police), 'Why aren’t you charging Anwar in court?'

“They were silent at first. And then eventually they admitted. They had given him a black eye and they didn't want him to appear in public,” he added.

A Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) later found that Anwar was assaulted in detention by the then inspector-general of police Abdul Rahim Noor.

Two years or more as PM?

Meanwhile, Mahathir was also quizzed on his recent remark that if Harapan wins the general election, he might continue as prime minister for more than two years.

Previously, he was quoted as saying that he would hand over the reins to Anwar after two years once the latter, who is slated to be released from prison on June 8, secured a royal pardon.

Mahathir’s latest remarks on this time frame being flexible drew criticism, but the former premier brushed this aside.

“Critics must say whatever, opposition must say whatever, political parties must demonise the opposition. I used to do that against the opposition, the opposition used to do that against me.

“How do I know what is going to happen in the future?

“I’m prepared to work for two years, three years. But if they ask me to go on, if I am well, and I say, ‘No, no, no, I want to rest’. That is not being fair.

“If they need my service, I am prepared to give my service. If not as a prime minister, at least I could give some advice. But to say that I must not say that I will continue...,” he said.

However, Mahathir confirmed that if there is a consensus in Harapan that he should step down after two years, he would abide by this.

“Yes, I would. I have already given the undertaking. I did not exactly say two years. Because we have to await this pardon for Anwar also. Because they have named him as my successor,” he added.

Anwar is currently serving a five-year prison term for a sodomy conviction, which he claims was also fabricated by his rivals.

Though he and his wife Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail might have buried the hatchet, a recent ceramah featuring the latter revealed that the ordeal of 1998 was far from forgotten.

Wan Azizah had called on voters to avenge the tyranny her husband was subjected to and likened the PKR logo to Anwar's black-eye.

She even recalled going to the police headquarters barefoot to plead with the police not to harm her husband.

PKR's logo is the common logo for all Harapan candidates, including Mahathir, who would be contesting the Langkawi parliament seat.

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