The Umno supreme council member said the suggestion to place a nonagenarian in such a position made it seem like no one else from Pakatan Harapan (PH) was able to lead the country.
“It is as though there is no one else in the opposition who can become prime minister. That is what’s troubling us Malaysians,” Rahman said.
“Why do you have to put forward a 92-year-old man, who has so many controversies and who is divisive, to win the general election?
“That’s how desperate you sound, Zaid,” he told a press conference here today.
Rahman said there are many others leaders in PH who can assume the role instead of Mahathir, who should have had enough after leading the country for 22 years, from 1981 to 2003.
“(DAP national publicity secretary) Tony Pua, and my favourite, (PKR vice-president) Rafizi Ramli can be the prime minister,” he said.
Zaid, a former Umno minister in charge of law, had yesterday suggested a shadow cabinet for PH.
Mahathir, who is chairman of PPBM, was named as prime minister and Amanah president Mohamad Sabu as defence minister.
Rahman scoffed when asked about Mohamad undertaking such a role, saying: “God help us all.”
There were a few surprises from Zaid in his cabinet composition, including a suggestion that there be no deputy prime minister “because there is no legal requirement for one”.
DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang was named as education minister, PKR deputy president Mohamed Azmin Ali as finance minister and PPBM president Muhyiddin Yassin as minister for a new portfolio on oil and energy that Zaid said would oversee national oil and gas company Petronas Holding Bhd.
Zaid, who joined DAP in February, also suggested that Pua be made trade minister, a role that would encompass both domestic and international trade.
DAP’s Liew Chin Tong was assigned as transport minister and PKR’s R Sivarasa as both attorney-general and law minister.
Other notable mentions were PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution as telecommunications, science and technology minister, Nurul Izzah Anwar as federal territories minister, PPBM Youth chief Syed Saddiq Abdul Rahman as youth and sports minister and Amanah vice-president Mujahid Yusof Rawa as minister in charge of religious affairs.