Anwar blasts Mahathir legacy
 |
Anwar fell out with Mahathir over how to handle the Asian financial crisis.
Story Tools
VIDEO
|
CNN's Maria Ressa reports on the career of Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad as he prepares to step down.
|
|
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (Reuters) -- Anwar Ibrahim, Malaysia's jailed former deputy prime minister, fired a parting shot at his ex-boss Mahathir Mohamad, accusing him of wrecking public governance and racking up debts on mega projects.
"He came on to the scene two decades ago in a breeze, with promises of reform, but instead he put all promises asunder by destroying all the things he promised to save," Anwar said in a written reply to Reuters questions.
He said Mahathir's recent remarks about Jews ruling the world by proxy, which sparked outrage from Western governments and Israel, had distracted from the legacy of his 22 years in power.
"It is nothing but pure and utter sensationalism -- primarily to deflect attention (from) his misdeeds and the stench from the rot in his own back yard," said Anwar.
"His selfish penchant for mega projects has now ballooned to a staggering public debt of about 180 billion ringgit ($47 billion)," he added.
Mahathir fired Anwar, his nominated successor, in September 1998, watching him arrested that month and later sentenced to 15 years in jail for sex and abuse of power offences he is still appealing.
Anwar, a political firebrand who appealed as much to Western governments and the IMF as to Malaysia's young Muslims, fell out with Mahathir over how to handle the Asian financial crisis.
His sacking and jailing sparked unprecedented street protests.
Mahathir has said Anwar's trials were fair and that his former deputy is unfit to govern.
Copyright 2003
Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
