The former prime minister, speaking at a press conference held online today, said that there has been no reply yet from the Palace.
“We believe the King is the protector of the rakyat. So, when the rakyat are disappointed because they are not getting any attention from the government, they look up to the King to solve their problems,” he said.
“If not the King and the government, then who else (can the rakyat turn to for help?).”
He had been asked to comment on the rising anger within the Malays in the present climate. He was also asked his views on the emergency.
Mahathir also questioned if the rakyat should allow a “cruel government” to continue running the country.
“That is why we have written an appeal letter (to the King) to look at the rakyat’s suffering,” he said referring to the surge in Covid-19 cases and deaths, and the emergency.
Earlier, Mahathir expressed his disappointment over the delay by the Registrar of Societies (RoS) in registering his new party Pejuang.
“We are not registered yet but we have received questions from RoS on why we are still holding meetings.
“But when we asked the RoS to explain its failure to register our party, we were met with silence,” he said.
Mahathir also criticised Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin for following ex-prime minister Najib Razak’s “style” of running the country, citing how the RoS under the former Barisan Nasional administration had also failed to register Bersatu and Pakatan Harapan prior to the last general election.
“If they don’t want (an opposition) then inform us so we can inform our members,” he said.
He also claimed Muhyiddin offered appointments with high salaries, sometimes giving positions of special envoy to deputy ministers and ministers, to get support, alluding to Najib’s “Cash is King” statement in the past, which he had also criticised.
The 95-year-old further lashed out at Putrajaya for failing to handle the Covid-19 crisis despite implementing an emergency.
“When Perikatan Nasional imposed an emergency in January (there were 2,000 daily cases), now our cases have surged up to 9,000-plus with 126 deaths in a single day. The emergency has failed,” he said.
Mahathir added that the rakyat were calling for Muhyiddin to resign but “he doesn’t seem to care”.
Describing the present government as “dictators”, he said the rakyat felt as though there was nowhere they could turn to for help due to the emergency.
He reiterated that Pejuang will act as a third force and not work with Pakatan Harapan or Perikatan Nasional. Pejuang, he said, will work with parties who reject the use of money during elections.
When asked why he did not wish to work with PH even though he had previously contested under a PKR ticket, Mahathir said, “We want to be free so that people will not link us with their baggage; it will affect us.”
On China’s 16 planes in Malaysian airspace, Mahathir said: “I think China will respect Malaysia’s stand on this issue because we are not going to unnecessarily antagonise the Chinese.”
Meanwhile, at the press conference, Pejuang’s Mukhriz Mahathir called on MPs to state their support for this government.
“We cannot vote (as Parliament is closed), now it is only for MPs to state their support or rejection,” Mukhriz added.
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