Vote for change, Mokhzani tells Felda settlers in campaign debut

GE14 | The son of Pakatan Harapan chairperson Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Mokhzani Mohamad, made his campaign debut last night.

Riling against the Felda scandals at a Bersatu ceramah at Felda Sungai Tiang in Kedah, he urged voters to be bold and make the necessary changes to ensure that their lives took a turn for the better.

“We need to make a change that must be done on May 9 by choosing good candidates, good leaders, to change our fate and those of Felda settlers so that one day, we can fix all these.

“It is not that we can’t. We can. God willing, we can. So, steel yourself. On May 9, we’d have to go to the ballot box and we’d have to decide to vote for Pakatan Harapan candidates. They are the ones who will be entrusted to change our lives.

“If we don’t do the necessary on May 9, this thing (Felda scandal) will get worse, and worse, and worse. One day we will sit here – you will smile at me, I will smile at you, but everything’s gone,” he said.

The Bersatu election operations centre where Mokhzani spoke is in between the Sungai Tiang Blok A and Sungai Tiang Blok B polling districts, both of which voted for BN in the last election.

The area is part of the Sungai Tiang state constituency and Pendang parliamentary constituency.

Its Bersatu candidates Abdul Razak Khamis and Wan Saiful Wan Jan, respectively, were also present as speakers at the ceramah, as well as Persatuan Anak Peneroka Felda Kebangsaan (Anak) chairperson Mazlan Aliman.

Mokhzani is Mahathir’s second son, with Kedah Harapan chief Mukhriz Mahathir being the eldest.

The prominent businessperson was a former Umno Youth member, but he had subsequently quit to focus on his business.

His reappearance on the political scene coincides with that of many other Mahathir-era leaders.

Former finance minister Daim Zainuddin had campaigned in Pendang on May 1, while former international trade and industry minister Rafidah Aziz is slated to make her campaign debut in Malacca before coming to Pendang on May 7.

Supporting his friend

Speaking to Malaysiakini later, Mokhzani said he is not only here to support Harapan, but also Wan Saiful as a friend.

“Wan Saiful is a friend of mine. I know what he does with the Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (Ideas), and I’ve always felt that he has a lot of ideas of his own that should be given an opportunity to be implemented. Especially in rural Malaysia and rural Kedah,” he said.

Asked if he will be going around the country to campaign like Daim, Mokhzani said he is merely helping his friends.

“I don’t know. Tun Daim is an icon. I just go around and help friends,” he said.

Meanwhile, Wan Saiful said he was surprised to see Mokhzani in Pendang, and at first could not recognise him as he has never seen Mokhzani wearing slippers before.

"I actually asked him his name, because I thought it couldn't be him," he said. -Mkini