SIBU: The willingness of the two-time former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad to hold the post for the third time has received mixed reaction from the public.
Many are concerned especially when it comes to his age and health condition.
The 97-year-old became the fourth prime minister in 1981 and held the position for 22 years until 2003 when he retired.
However, in 2018, he defied the odds to become the only person to be appointed prime minister twice in Malaysia when he led Pakatan Harapan (PH) to an unexpected victory over Barisan Nasional (BN) in the 2018 general election.
Here are some of the comments from local residents here when asked by New Sarawak Tribune about their opinion on Tun Mahathir if he were to be the prime minister for the third time.
REXY FERNANZELLE, 26
Civil Servant
Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has the capability to bear the responsibility as a prime minister.
However, in terms of health and physical strength I have my doubts. He has a lot of great ideas and now our country is facing inflation, he has a good record on dealing with this issue.
In term of chances for him to win, he has a very slim chance unless he can establish an alliance with another major party that is strong and stable, then it will be another story.
The party he is in right now is quite small and to be a PM you need huge amount of votes from the people.
MOHAMMAD KHAIRUDDIN RUSDI AYUPHAN, 28
Private Sector Worker
In my opinion, the opportunity should be given to someone else to become prime minister.
Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad is too old and his current health situation is not even good.
Tun M has a lot of experience in managing the country, but looking at certain factors, he is no longer qualified to hold the position.
After all, he has held the position twice and the opportunity should be given to others who are more qualified from various aspects to hold the position.
LEANDRO MCRAE, 26
Senior Admin Executive
For me, it’s best for him to have his rest. Let the new generation takes over.
We want to see our new generation take the lead and give back to the country.
If they are not given the chance, how can they learn?
It is better for us to have a new leader rather than the same faces all over again.
We should not be afraid to make changes because sometimes changes can be a surprise in disguise, a good one I must say.
ADRINNA ARUN, 25
Human Resource Officer
Putting your country’s future in the hands of a 97-years-old man doesn’t seem right to me.
I do agree he has contributed a lot to the country but I think it is time for him to retire and enjoy his life.
He has vast experience but I doubt that he can keep up with all these technologies and digitalised era.
We need young leaders that can cope with all this development in technologies but his health seems to tell another story.
I appreciate his contribution but it’s time to move on.
HELMINA ERIC, 24
Pharmacy Assistant
My opinion is that it should be considered again because apart from the age and health factors, Tun M should also consider the young generation.
The increasing number of young voters in Malaysia will definitely make it difficult for Tun M to become prime minister for the third time and I think the current generation longs for a leader with a better vision and mission to raise Malaysia’s name in the eyes of the world.
