Youth and Sports Minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman has nothing but words of praise for Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
The 26-year-old Bersatu Youth chief spelt out the 93-year-old Bersatu chairperson's characteristics in a tweet responding to former PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah's remarks regarding Mahathir.
According to Syed Saddiq, Mahathir is willing to sacrifice himself for Malaysia.
“He is a workaholic who never stops working.
“He listens to everyone's views, regardless of how young you are. He loves unconventional ideas.
“He has the moral courage to do things which no one else would. He always puts Malaysia first even if it means sacrificing himself. That's Tun (Mahathir's honorific title),” he added.
Nurul's views regarding Mahathir in a Singapore Straits Times interview had caused ripples in Malaysia's political landscape, although she had mentioned them in passing when talking about having to work with her father Anwar Ibrahim's former political nemesis.
Apart from claiming to be heartbroken, the Permatang Pauh MP noted that it was difficult to join hands with a “former dictator who wreaked so much damage on her family and the system”.
Following this, various quarters took to social media to share their views.
Without mentioning names, PKR deputy president Azmin Ali said the nation needed fighters and not "crybabies".
Similarly, leaving out names, PKR lawmaker Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad retaliated, “When a lady makes a stand, call her a crybaby? Cheap, very cheap."
PAS and Umno also sought to capitalise on the situation.
The Islamist party, via Harakah Daily, rekindled its earlier claim that there is a plot to remove Mahathir as prime minister via a no-confidence vote.
Umno secretary-general Annuar Musa, on the other hand, claimed that if the “princess of Reformasi” (Nurul) herself is disappointed, “what more ordinary citizens like us”.
“Nurul will fuel the people's courage to reject Pakatan Harapan...Come, let us 'rearrange' our Malaysia. Do not defend the wrong formula... start in Rantau,” he tweeted.
Annuar was referring to the upcoming Rantau by-election in Negeri Sembilan, which would see Umno acting president Mohamad Hasan defending the state seat.
