Fahmi said the government has always given space and opportunity for Dr Mahathir to make statements, out of respect for him as two-time former prime minister. – Bernama photo
PUTRAJAYA (Jan 24): Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil today described Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad as an attention seeker for repeatedly issuing statements that caused public confusion.
Fahmi, who is also the spokesperson for the Unity Government, said that he is uncertain about the source of the former prime minister’s information that led him to make such statements.
He said the government has always given space and opportunity for Dr Mahathir to make statements, out of respect for him as two-time former prime minister.
However, Fahmi said the government can no longer afford to entertain Dr Mahathir’s antics.
“I think we don’t have to entertain him anymore. We respect him as he is in his twilight years and give him some space, but I don’t know where he got his data from,” he told a press conference after the Cabinet meeting.
In his speech at a gathering at Istana Negara yesterday, Dr Mahathir claimed that many citizens are currently suffering to the point of ‘some resorting to suicide due to life’s pressures’.
On another development, Fahmi explained that he had previously sought advice and views from the Attorney-General, the legal advisor of the Ministry of Communications, and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) regarding the “Man on the Run” documentary.
He said all three parties concurred that no issues arose when the documentary was aired on Netflix last October.
“At that time, the Film Censorship Board had given its approval, and there were no issues when it (the documentary ‘Man on the Run’) was aired,” he said.
Prior to this, it was reported that former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s legal firm had officially written to the Communications Ministry to take action against the airing of the documentary on Netflix for what they called “subjudicial and contemptuous” content as Najib’s 1MDB’s corruption trial was still ongoing at the High Court. – Bernama