HIT ON HIS RM230MIL ACHILLES HEEL, ZAHID TURNS NASTY ON 'SENILE' DR M

Kuala Kangsar - Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid tells former Prime Minister Dr Mahathir to shut up before someone says the 91-year-old is senile.

Mahathir while at the 1MDB colloquium in Kuala Kangsar earlier today, told the crowd Zahid had declared he had RM230 million when the latter was Umno Youth chief.

Zahid when asked at a press conference responds curtly, "I am of the view that he better shut up, otherwise people may describe him as senile."

"That's all I have to say, don't ask me about him (Mahathir). Better to shut up before others call him senile," he replies.

Zahid however neither denies nor confirms if he possesses the huge sum of money alleged by the former PM.

Slow response from S'pore-based voters, DAP phones hacked

Meanwhile, DAP's free bus service from Singapore to Sekinchan has received a lukewarm response.

According to Sabak Bernam DAP Youth rural liaison officer Chia Siang Chun, only 30 have signed up thus far.

"Compared to the 2013 elections, this is about half the number," Chia tells Malaysiakini.

Selangor DAP Youth chief Eric Teh says Chia and three others have had their phones hacked to deliver anti-Amanah messages.

"The messages are similar to what MCA has been saying... 'Amanah and PAS are the same, one has betrayed us and another will betray us soon'," Teh says at a press conference.

They have lodged a police report over the matter.

Gerakan confident voters won't be swayed by 1MDB, donation scanda

Also in Kuala Kangsar, Gerakan president Mah Siew Keong is confident that Dr Mahathir Mohamad will not have a big impact with his 1MDB and Save Malaysia messages.

"From what I know, lots of people go and listen, even in Sungai Besar it was quite jammed. But to me, a lot of the (attendees) are not local voters.

"I think the local voters will make their decision based of what they think is best for both constituencies," he says at Gerakan’s Parents Day celebration.

He said the crowds turning up for Mahathir may be big, but doubted its impact on the votes.

"This is because, with due respect, he didn't practise a lot of things (he speaks of) when he was leading (as PM)," said Mah.

"There is a lot of flip-flopping, DAP was the biggest critic of Mahathir, today they are best friends just for the vote," he adds.

DAP has continuously urged voters to vote against BN to reject corruption, citing the 1MDB scandal and the RM4.2 billion in Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's accounts.

Mah, however says these accusations will not sway the voters.

"I think the voters will take many things into consideration (apart from these)," he says.

He also disagrees with calls for outstation voters, who are said to usually vote against the government, not to return to vote.

"Some people said that this would be a low turn out. I hope it will be a high turn out for them to make decisions on many issues," he says.

"I don't agree either, (with the notion) that outstation voters would vote against BN," he says.

Umno deputy minister Ahmad Maslan had earlier called for Chinese voters living outside the constituency not to come home to vote.

Billboard and now, leaflets war

Undeterred by the eight DAP's giant posters sabotaged in both the by-election constituencies, the party has replicated those messages into print copies and are distributing them to the voters.

"We have printed 4,000 leaflets," says DAP Pokok Asam state assemblyperson Teh Kok Lim.

The leaflets depict Prime Minister Najib, PAS president Abdul Hadi and MCA president Liow Tiong Lai side by side.

"A vote for PAS is a vote for Umno," read the leaflets.

"BN and PAS conspired, their racial and religious issues will be detrimental to the country," reads the caption.

"There is a need to strengthen Amanah as it will probably contest in Umno and PAS seats that did not swing to the opposition in the last general election.

"Amanah's strength will determine the strength of Pakatan Harapan.

"We hope the people in Kuala Kangsar and Sungai Besar will help Amanah empower the progressive voice of the Muslim party," it says.

This leaflet's contents come from the controversial billboard that the Election Commission took down in Sungai Besar, and which was also found sabotaged in Kuala Kangsar.

Another leaflet distributed depicts a man forced to take the heavy burden of the Goods and Services Tax (GST), the national debt and price hikes.

- M'kini