Mukhriz: PAS humiliated voters with doctored photo

SG LIMAU The photograph fabricated from Malay language paper Sinar Harian, which PAS claimed to be mistake of its outsourced graphic designers, is seen as a humiliation of the voters in the Sungai Limau constituency.

Kedah Menteri Besar Mukhriz Mahathir in saying this today added that the party had undermined the voters' ability to judge the candidates.

"I was shocked and feel funny about it. I feel strange. Why does the PAS campaign for this by-election has to go to such an extent?

"They have to fabricate a photograph, just to show that their candidate had good relationship with the late Azizan," Mukhriz told a press conference after an function at SMK Dulang this afternoon.

The original photograph, published in Sinar Harian on May 25, 2011, showed the newspaper's deputy editor Muhammad Mat Yakim and northern bureau chief Mohd Idros Mohd Ali visiting Azizan for an exclusive interview at Wisma Darul Aman in Alor Setar.

The doctored photograph in the PAS by-election flyer depicted Mohd Idros with PAS candidate Mohd Azam Samat meeting with Azizan in a similar setting.

As for the explanation by PAS that the flyer was produced by its outsourced graphic designers and that the party had no intention to cheat, Mukhriz said this was unacceptable.

He chided the PAS leaders for always using their ignorance as excuses, by claiming that they did not know or they were not informed.

"As a leader, you can't always say that you don't know about this and that... I think it's because of this, they (PAS) lost Kedah in the 13th general election," he added.

MCA candidate will get a state post

As for Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin's diabetes remark about the late Azizan, Mukhriz said the statement should not be taken as insult.

"I think I can explain what was said by the DPM. The topic was on the budget and he (Muhyiddin) mentioned about sugar subsidy," he said.

Asked if Kedah had a post for MCA, with the party central delegates approving a resolution at their recent EGM to allow its representatives to hold government posts, Mukhriz said he was waiting for written letter from the MCA.

He said a portfolio was ready for an MCA representative, who would be appointed once he got the letter from MCA president Dr Chua Soi Lek.