Mahathir: Election likely next year as BN support drops

Pakatan Harapan chairman claims the increasing support for the opposition, including in Sabah and Sarawak, is causing Najib Razak’s heart to beat ‘very very fast’.

The Penang DAP fundraiser was attended by nearly 4,000 people at the Spice Arena in Bayan Lepas, Penang.

GEORGE TOWN: Dr Mahathir Mohamad claims that Prime Minister Najib Razak has likely made the decision to put off the 14th general election (GE14), which was planned to take place within the next few months as he has become aware of the heightened support the opposition is currently enjoying from among the masses.

The chairman of Pakatan Harapan (PH) and PPBM said even Barisan Nasional’s (BN) “fixed deposits” of Sabah and Sarawak were at stake, with many voters in the Borneo states shifting their support to PH.

The 92-year old former prime minister said Najib, who is BN chairman and Umno president, would likely hold the polls next year.

“Najib earlier said he would surely succeed in winning. He said he would win because of Sabah and Sarawak, but now he does not dare say the same,” Mahathir said, claiming that Najib was probably afraid of losing now, and his heart was beating “very very fast” behind his smile.

“That is why he doesn’t want to call for the general election as soon as he can, because the possibility of us beating BN is real,” Mahathir said at a PH fundraising dinner held by the DAP at the Setia Spice Convention Centre in Bayan Baru last night.

GE14 is due to be held by August next year. On Aug 24 this year, Najib said that the polls could be held at any time and that the Umno general assembly scheduled for Dec 5 to 9 would be postponed if there was a clash of dates.

Dr Mahathir Mohamad getting down on one knee to sign his portrait.

Mahathir however claimed Najib might not hold the election at all. Mahathir even went so far as to suggest that Najib may enlist his supporters to create trouble for such a purpose.

He urged Malaysians to come out in full force and vote for PH to prevent such a scenario from occurring.

“If he loses badly, such as three-fourths or two-thirds of the (Dewan Rakyat) seats, he would then be powerless,” Mahathir said of Najib.

“So I am appealing to all of you. If you want to see this country develop peacefully and enjoy a good life, give PH the biggest majority possible,” he said.

Also present were DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng, Penang PPBM chief Marzuki Yahaya, Amanah president Mohamed Sabu and PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.

The dinner, held to raise funds for GE14, was attended by 3,250 people, with most paying RM100 per ticket.

A total of RM20,101 was collected during the event, with five portraits of Pakatan Harapan leaders sold for a total of RM230,000.

Portraits of PH leaders sold for RM230,000 in fundraiser.

The portraits by artist Tan Kai Sheuan depicting Mahathir, PH de facto head Anwar Ibrahim, Kit Siang, Guan Eng, and Mat Sabu had a starting bid of RM20,000 each.

Mahathir also took reporters and photographers by surprise when he went down on his knees to sign his portrait during a photo-op session. - FMT