‘HABIS’… NO SIGN OF SHERIFF NAJIB AS MAHATHIR & DAIM RIDE INTO TOWN WITH THEIR LASSO: YET PEKAN FOLK RUSH FOR PICS WITH EX-PM AS HE CAMPAIGNS IN NAJIB’S ‘FORTRESS’

Dr Mahathir Mohamad has taken the fight to his enemy’s front steps, literally, by conducting a walkabout just in front of Pekan Umno’s office today.

The Pakatan Harapan chairperson had arrived to campaign in Pekan, the parliamentary seat of incumbent Najib Abdul Razak who is seeking reelection there for a tenth consecutive term in next week’s polls.

Najib, who is the caretaker prime minister and Umno president, has held the Pekan seat for over the last four decades, since 1976 when he took over from the late Abdul Razak Hussein who was Malaysia’s second prime minister and his father.

In pictures uploaded on Facebook, the 92-year-old Mahathir could be seen grinning widely as he posed for photos beneath the awning of a coffee shop situated just across the road from the Umno’s office.

Later, during a press conference with former finance minister Daim Zainuddin, Mahathir said that the Umno in existence today was not the same as the Umno of yesteryear.

In a video uploaded to his Facebook fan page, Mahathir said “Umno (now) is not Umno-lah” and was a far cry from the party established by the country’s former leaders.

“The Umno now is not the Umno established by (former prime ministers) Datuk Onn (Jaafar), the one established by Tunku Abdul Rahman, Tun Razak (Abdul Razak), Tun Hussein (Onn)… The Umno now is not Umno (of old),” he said.

The statement echoed that of an open letter he had penned to Umno members dated April 17, which he had uploaded to his Facebook page yesterday.

In the letter, Mahathir appealed to members of the party he himself had helmed for many years until 2003, to rethink their support for Najib.

He alleged that the party has lost its noble roots and was now there merely to legitimise Najib’s “crimes.”

ACCORDING TO FMT:

Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Daim Zainuddin, now a key ally in his campaign to oust Barisan Nasional at the coming polls, were at Pekan this morning, the constituency of Prime Minister Najib Razak.

Daim, the former finance minister, was in Lembah Pantai last night where he spoke in support of PKR candidate Fahmi Fadzil.

ACCORDING TO ANN:

Daim Zainuddin: I support Dr M but do not want to be minister again

Tun Daim Zainuddin. -Star filepic

PEKAN: Tun Daim Zainuddin has declared his loyalty to Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad but said that it did not mean he wanted to take up a ministerial post in the event Pakatan Harapan wins GE14.

“As long as I have breath in my body, I will stand by Dr Mahathir. I don’t have to be a minister,” the former finance minister said during his visit to Pekan with Dr Mahathir on Thursday (May 3).

Dr Mahathir made a brief stop in Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s home constituency to campaign for Pakatan candidates here.

He left shortly after giving a speech but Daim stayed behind to speak to supporters.

 “We should review these projects instead and accept the good ones. Don’t tell me you want to accept projects that will cause losses?” he said.

Daim served as finance minister under Dr Mahathir twice – from 1985 to 1991 and again from 1999 to 2001. – ANN

MKINI / FMT / ANN