ECRL ‘blunder’, ‘unreliability’ cost Azmin PM-job, book claims

Dr Mahathir Mohamad once viewed Bersatu’s Azmin Ali as a potential future prime minister, according to Shattered Hopes, a new book by Romen Bose. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA: A gaffe over the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) project, changed Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s opinion of Azmin Ali, the man the former prime minister once identified as his potential successor, a new book has revealed.

“While Azmin had always been his choice, Mahathir was now seriously disillusioned with him,” author Romen Bose wrote.

In January 2019, Azmin, the economic affairs minister during Mahathir’s second stint as prime minister, told the media that the government had decided to scrap the ECRL project as the country could not afford its annual interest payments.

According to Bose, Mahathir was of the view that former prime minister Najib Razak had “effectively chained the country under China” by not insisting that an exit clause be built into the deal.

shattered-hopes book

“However, Mahathir’s position on the issue was for the internal consumption of his Cabinet colleagues,” Bose said, quoting sources, since discussions with China were still ongoing.

He said Azmin’s announcement, made two days later, “complicated matters”.

“So, Mahathir was then forced to step into the issue but to also somewhat support the position Azmin had taken,” Bose said.

“It is not that we don’t want to honour our contracts, but we just cannot pay,” Mahathir was quoted as saying. “As such, we seek the understanding of the parties concerned.”

“Azmin was right (but) should not have opened his mouth to make the announcement,” Bose, a former political communications consultant to Najib, wrote quoting a source.

In August 2018, Mahathir announced that the RM65 billion ECRL project would be shelved in view of the government’s fiscal position. It was resumed a year later with the construction cost reduced to RM44 billion.

The former PKR deputy president’s blunder and the slow progress of economic reforms left Mahathir “no longer impressed with Azmin as he had been in the previous year”, Bose said.

“Mahathir felt slightly disillusioned with Azmin’s leadership abilities and his economic acuity.”

He also branded Azmin “unreliable” for failing to resolve a land scandal and cash crisis involving the Federal Land Development Authority (Felda), despite promising to do so quickly.

Mahathir said the entire Felda affair made his administration look “dysfunctional” and slow “in the eyes of the people”, Bose wrote.

‘Anyone-but-Anwar policy’, sees Muhyiddin get a shot at PM-ship

With Azmin becoming less of an option and Mahathir reluctant to hand over the reins to former protege Anwar Ibrahim, Bose said Muhyiddin Yassin began to position himself as a likely prime ministerial candidate.

With the help and backing of former finance minister and Mahathir confidante, Daim Zainuddin, Muhyiddin spoke to Mahathir about the possibility of becoming the next prime minister, Bose said.

“After the meeting, Mahathir told his close aides that at that point, he was willing to consider any option even Muhyiddin” having previously ruled him out as being “too old”, according to Bose.

“Within days, Muhyiddin began jockeying for power, telling Mahathir’s senior staff that he wanted to be next in line to be prime minister,” Bose said, adding that Muhyiddin had even told them that he had Mahathir’s blessings to challenge Anwar.

In February 2020, Muhyiddin was named the country’s eighth prime minister following the infamous Sheraton Move, which saw Mahathir resign as prime minister.

Shattered Hopes goes on sale from June 30.