8 minutes
PONTIAN: Pakatan Harapan chairman Tun Dr Mahatir Mohamad is surprised by the opposition coalition’s decision to continue using the “dacing” logo in the Tanjung Piai parliamentary by-election, despite the crushing defeat in the last general election.
Mahathir said BN has ceased to exist after the historic GE14, which saw Pakatan Harapan taking over Putrajaya.
“BN is now merely a shadow of itself. There is nothing left in BN. MCA is left half-dead, MIC is not represented (in terms of numbers), while there are only a quarter of Umno members left in the party,” Mahathir said in his speech in front of about 100 supporters at Warung 800 today.
He added BN is trying to justify its existence by portraying a unified front to the public.
After the coalition’s defeat in GE14, several BN component parties, including Gerakan, quit the coalition to chart their own direction.
Gerakan is set to square off against BN and PH in the Nov 16 by-election.
Mahathir said as a BN former leader, it was hard for him to jump ship and leave the coalition but he ultimately decided to do so and formed Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu).
He claimed BN had strayed from its path and no longer championed the rakyat’s cause.
On another matter, the prime minister commented on a photograph of himself, clad in traditional BN attire, being spread around to create the perception that he is still a BN leader.
“Tell those who believe I’m still a BN leader that I am the chairman of Pakatan Harapan and have been elected to be the prime minister.”
On Wednesday night, Mahathir and other PH big guns, including Home Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, spoke to huge crowds in Kukup during a PH ceramah.
Mahathir in his speech urged voters not to take things for granted by turning against PH.
“Good health, among other matters in life, is usually taken for granted by many and will only be missed once it is gone,” Mahathir said, adding he couldn’t believe it when he heard that Tanjung Piai incumbent MP Datuk Dr Mohd Farid Md Rafik had passed away on the morning of Sept 21.
Recalling the last moments he spent with the late Mohd Farid appeared to set the tone for Mahathir’s speech.
“We tend to miss the things that we lose.”
Despite the apparent unhappiness towards the PH government that he leads, the prime minister urged voters to be rational and to think twice before voting against the government candidate.
He said PH is doing its best to help restore the nation’s economy after taking over Putrajaya from BN.
“It will take time to heal (the economy), same like a chronic disease.”
