Yesterday, for instance, the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamad alleged in Kangar that Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s supporters "have gone overboard by threatening to kill his political secretary, Datuk Aziz Shamsuddin".
Mahathir said this was because they had been made to believe that Aziz was responsible for allegedly poisoning the former deputy prime minister.
Mahathir said: "I got to know that Aziz and a deputy minister from Perlis have been accused by Anwar’s supporters of poisoning him Since they are so obsessed with Anwar, they had threatened to kill Aziz."
Mahathir was clearly also referring to Azmi Khalid, the Deputy Home Minister, as there is no other deputy Minister from Perlis.
This is a very serious allegation. It is the first time that a Prime Minister or a Cabinet Minister for that matter had ever made such a serious allegation in the history of Malaysia.
If Mahathir’s allegation is true, that there are threats to kill Aziz and Azmi, it must be condemned by all Malaysians, regardless of political belief or affiliation, for this will be against all the cultures of Malaysians.
However, if there is no basis in Mahathir’s allegation, then what the Prime Minister has done is most irresponislbe, reprehensible and must be deplored by all Malaysians, including Barisan Nasional leaders and Cabinet Ministers.
Malaysians are entitled to know the full facts about Mahathir’s allegation of threats to kill Aziz and Azmi, whether police reports have been lodged and if so, when; whether police investigations have started; who is conducting the investigation and who are the person or persons who have made the threats to kill Aziz and Azmi.
If the Prime Minister cannot throw more light and give further information about his allegation, he must publicly apologise for a grave error of judgement.
I call on Mahathir to set an example of being scrupulously clean and honest instead of giving the impression that he is himself heading the Barisan Nasional’s "dirty tricks department" to make the next election the dirtiest in history - as he had warned recently.
(21/9/99)