Muhyiddin defends Mahathir and BTN

Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said that it is rather extreme to label former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad as a racist.

He said Mahathir had contributed significantly to the country and was still capable of giving ideas.

"So, to label him as a racist is rather extreme. He (Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Mohamed Nazri Aziz) is my friend too but I don't know how it (labelling Mahathir) could have come about. Under the country's political situation today, many people can misinterpret," he told Malaysian journalists in Tokyo yesterday.

Muhyiddin, who is currently on a special trade and investment mission to Japan, was commenting on the statement by Mohamed Nazri yesterday labelling Mahathir as a racist for defending the National Civics Bureau's curriculum module.

Mahathir had earlier felt that the government should not be trapped by the opposition's political game to the extent of revamping the curriculum module which had been adopted by the bureau in the country effectively all this while.

Better to 'talk less'

Muhyiddin said everyone, especially the leaders, should not be trapped by the opposition's strategy to the extent of quarrelling among themselves.

He said it would be better if everyone would adopt the 'talk less' approach.

"Ideally, we should not be seen as debating openly. I feel there is no need to debate or enter into polemics on government agencies such as the BTN (National Civics Bureau)," he said.

The deputy prime minister said that since capturing several states in the last general election, the opposition coalition had a strategy to discredit all government institutions including the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), the Royal Malaysia Police, the Royal institution, or even the National Civics Bureau so that the people would have a negative perception of the government and the leaders.

"This is their strategy. All this while we had never debated on such matters. The BTN is for the good of the country and not meant to bring any adverse effects on the nation," he added.

- Bernama