KUALA LUMPUR: Leaders of the opposition party may resort to using prolonged violent demonstrations to win the 13th general election as the democratic approach would not yield them victory if general election results in the past is anything to go by, said former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
He said Malaysians and foreign observers had admitted the election process could not bring down Barisan Nasional (BN).
“The majority of Malaysians will give victory to the BN, as all accept that the BN government has brought much development and benefits to the people.
“BN has succeeded in bringing peace and prosperity to the country. Every Malaysian has attained a better life and is happier under the BN administration,” he said in his latest entry in his blog at chedet.cc yesterday.
Mahathir said all attempts by the opposition parties to reduce support and good perception of BN and its administration had failed.
Therefore, he said, the Bersih electoral reform movement was created with huge and violent demonstrations as preparation to reject the general election results if the opposition failed to win.
“Their defeat would be followed by continuous violent demonstration so the election results can be rejected and another government set up at the behest of the opposition.
“Later they would try to hold an election again which can be manipulated by them,” he said.
Mahathir said it was obvious that before the elected government could be brought down, the country would be repeatedly attacked by violent demonstrations and riots and business would be interrupted with strikes here and there organised by the opposition parties.
“The stability of the country would be threatened. Police would be accused of carrying out violence so that they cannot control the unrest and demonstrations effectively. Foreign powers would criticise the elected government for apparently using violence to prevent freedom to voice and demonstrate. Malaysia would then be branded as a police state,” he said.
He said Malaysia, which was fast developing, would be transformed into a country no longer stable and prosperous and could no longer provide the people happiness and blessings.
“They do not believe in democracy and the people would lose their right to choose their government. The country will become poor and Vision 2020 will not become a reality,” he said.
Mahathir said this was because the parties not in the BN would be disappointed in not able to capture Putrajaya and if the violent way could help them gain power, then democracy would be destroyed and that the country would be hit with misfortunes. — Bernama