Mahathir to stay with foundation even if no govt support
Former PM claims people who support the Perdana Leadership Foundation are now scared as those close to him are being harassed.
He said in his latest blog posting that even if the Government stopped renting space in the PLF building and refused to pay government staff accorded to him, he would continue to work there.
Since he has been at the PLF building, Mahathir said, all kinds of people have come to see him, singly or in groups.
“When they are unhappy with the Government they seek my help. I never close my door to anyone. That’s why after retirement I still go to office as if I am still working.”
Of course, he added, people met him in other places too, in three other offices and also at his house. “But now that I have resigned from Proton and Petronas, the PLF is usually where I work.”
However, he claimed, “those who support PLF are now scared as people close to me are being harassed.”
If people ceased to support the PLF, continued the former prime minister, it might have to stop the research being done in its library and archives, and also end the campaign to criminalise the killing of people and the destruction of countries through war.
“But it’s okay. I only want to let people know what the PLF is all about.
“Now that the government of Najib (Razak, the prime minister) is trying to destroy this Foundation, it has achieved a certain notoriety,” he said, adding it might be time, therefore, to enlighten the public about its origins and its work.
He said it began with a proposal by a few businessmen for a library to be built to commemorate the twenty-two years of his premiership.
He felt greatly honoured, but knowing that they would be accused of being his cronies, and the fact that the idea went against his principle of being against any personality cult, he rejected it.
Throughout the time he was in government, Mahathir said, he had tried to stop the practice of naming public places after living people. The exceptions he made were for the rulers. Others would have to wait until they died before their names would be given to public places.
As he was still alive, he had rejected the proposal. However, he could not ignore the contributions of his predecessors to the development of Malaysia.
Accordingly, he suggested that they commemorate all the previous prime ministers and future prime ministers by setting up an institute to gather all documents relating to the policies, strategies and plans initiated and implemented by all Malaysian prime ministers.
Hence, the name Perdana Leadership Foundation or institute, he said.
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Read the rest of Mahathir’s blog here on the history of the PLF.