VOA慢速英语2019--马来总理马哈蒂尔推迟权力移交

Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad appears unlikely to surrender his leadership as promised to government coalition¹ partner Anwar Ibrahim.

Mahathir was returned to office in elections in 2018. Several times since he has again said he would serve only one to two years before passing power to Anwar.

That idea raised fears that there may be a dispute over the office that could divide the coalition and cost it the next election.

Longtime politicians, Mahathir and Anwar fought in the late 1990s. They rejoined to defeat the country's long-ruling and corrupt² Barisan Nasional coalition in May 2018. The two men promised to clean up the government, decrease living costs and support minority rights. Ninety-four year old Mahathir also promised to give Anwar the office after two years.

But Mahathir, who was Prime Minister for 22 years until 2003, seems to be enjoying his second time in office. It appears he may have changed his mind about leaving the position.

In an interview with Reuters last month, he said again he would give his office to Anwar. However, at a meeting in Doha a few days later, he said he would not commit to Anwar. He added he would think about giving up his office only after he chairs the next meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) in November.

Anwar has so far accepted all Mahathir's statements. He says the change will happen at the right time. But there are fears that a refusal by Mahathir could split their coalition, the Pakatan Harapan, said Ben Bland³. He is the director of the Southeast Asia Project at Australia's Lowy Institute.

"They end up attacking each other...damaging their prospects⁴ at the next election," he told VOA.

No one is surprised by the unpredictability of the situation. Many thought Anwar would replace Mahathir in the 1990s, when the younger man served as finance minister, but they fought. Anwar was removed from office in 1998. He was found guilty of sex crimes in 1998, which he denies, saying the case against him was brought for political reasons. Anwar spent the next six years in jail.

'No normal relationship of trust'

Their more recent effort to join forces against their enemy, the Barisan Nasional coalition, was successful.

However, "it's clear they still don't have a normal relationship of trust," Bland said. He added that many in the coalition believe that only Anwar has the political strength to lead Pakatan Harapan to a second victory.

Some experts say Mahathir also fears the loss of importance after he announces he is leaving.

An announcement at APEC, maybe?

Some say the APEC summit would make a strong goodbye for a man who has always cared deeply about his international importance.

"I think APEC is important for him... that is one way for him to cement his foreign policy legacy⁵...he's going to be the only leader to chair APEC twice," said Adib Zalkapli. He is the head of the consulting firm Bower⁶ Group Asia.

As much as Mahathir and his allies may still not trust Anwar, Zalkapli believes that Mahathir knows that a handover must come and that Anwar will need two years as prime minister before the next election, due by mid-2023.

Wong Chin Huat is a political scientist and professor at Malaysia's Sunway University. He says that Mahathir does really want Anwar to become prime minister, but the longer Anwar waits, the weaker he looks.

"If Anwar is not strong, it makes the case for Mahathir to stay a bit longer," he said.

Words in This Story

prospects – n. n opportunity for something to happen

interview - n. a meeting at which people talk to each other in order to ask questions and get information:

cement – v. to firm up

legacy – n. something that happened in the past or that comes from someone in the past

1 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

2 corrupt   

v.贿赂，收买；adj.腐败的，贪污的

参考例句：

• The newspaper alleged the mayor's corrupt practices.那家报纸断言市长有舞弊行为。
• This judge is corrupt.这个法官贪污。

3 bland   

adj.淡而无味的，温和的，无刺激性的

参考例句：

• He eats bland food because of his stomach trouble.他因胃病而吃清淡的食物。
• This soup is too bland for me.这汤我喝起来偏淡。

4 prospects   

n.希望，前途(恒为复数)

参考例句：

• There is a mood of pessimism in the company about future job prospects. 公司中有一种对工作前景悲观的情绪。
• They are less sanguine about the company's long-term prospects. 他们对公司的远景不那么乐观。

5 legacy   

n.遗产，遗赠；先人(或过去)留下的东西

参考例句：

• They are the most precious cultural legacy our forefathers left.它们是我们祖先留下来的最宝贵的文化遗产。
• He thinks the legacy is a gift from the Gods.他认为这笔遗产是天赐之物。

6 bower   

n.凉亭，树荫下凉快之处；闺房；v.荫蔽

参考例句：

• They sat under the leafy bower at the end of the garden and watched the sun set.他们坐在花园尽头由叶子搭成的凉棚下观看落日。
• Mrs. Quilp was pining in her bower.奎尔普太太正在她的闺房里度着愁苦的岁月。