Buoyed by reception in Kedah, Dr M claims wind of change blowing

Dr Mahathir Mohamad believes that the massive turnout at a Pakatan Harapan ceramah in Kedah last night indicates that the wind of change is blowing in favour of the opposition coalition.

“Thank-you Kedah,” said the former premier in a Facebook posting to the people of his home-state.

“Parliament has not been dissolved, but the people are ready to change (the government),” he added.

Mahathir, who turns 93 this year and is crisscrossing the nation to speak at various ceramah, also urged Malaysians to rise up for the future of the country.

“Last night Kedah, tonight Gunung Medan Utan Aji in Perlis. See you there,” he said.

Mahathir also posted a photograph of the crowd at the Kedah ceramah on his Twitter account with the caption, “..in Kedah with a sea of people who desire change.”

According to DAP lawmaker Liew Chin Tong, the ceramah in Guar Chempedak in Kedah, drew a crowd of 15,000.

He believes that the overwhelming support signalled the coming of a Malay tsunamiduring the 14th general election.

Mahathir, who led Umno for more than two decades, has positioned his new party Bersatu as an alternative to the backbone of the ruling coalition.

Harapan, on the other hand, is hoping that the former premier would fill the vacuum left behind by Anwar Ibrahim's imprisonment and PAS' exit, with regard to capturing Malay votes.

The coalition also hopes Mahathir's presence at the helm of Harapan would diffuse Umno's claim that DAP controls the other parties and poses a threat to the position of the Malays and Islam.

Umno and BN leaders, however, have dismissed the possibility of Mahathir generating a Malay tsunami.

PAS, on the other hand, believes that the Islamist party would benefit in the event of a major swing in Malay votes.

Johor PAS commissioner Abdullah Husin argued that the tsunami would not be in Bersatu's favour due to the latter's relationship with DAP. -Mkini