‘Unfair to voters if DrM contests in Kubang Pasu’

KUBANG PASU: It would be unfair for voters here should former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad contest in the constituency under the Pakatan Harapan ticket.

Deputy Defence Minister Datuk Seri Johari Baharom said it would be unfortunate for voters, especially Barisan Nasional supporters, who had been loyal to the former Umno president throughout his three decades of service in the constituency.

Johari, who succeeded Dr Mahathir as Kubang Pasu member of parliament in 2004 after the latter’s retirement, said it would be unfair to voters as their loyalty and support for him for 30 years would go to waste.

“It would be an unfortunate affair for voters here who had been loyal to Dr Mahathir since he first won the constituency in 1974 until his retirement.

“It is heartbreaking for us to imagine that the leader whom we had supported for more than 30 years would be returning to contest in Kubang Pasu under the Pakatan Harapan ticket.

“It is also sad for the nation’s politics, especially for voters here, should the leader they had supported through thick and thin for decades contest here again under an opposition ticket,” he said after opening the National Service Department’s “Camp Warriors” online contest at Dataran Darulaman here yesterday.

Johari, who has once served as Dr Mahathir’s political secretary, urged his former boss to rethink his strategy, as the move would suggest that he did not appreciate the support by party members and the election machinery, which had been loyal to him during his time as the prime minister.

Johari was responding to Dr Mahathir’s statement during the Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia’s annual general assembly last week that he might contest in either Langkawi, Kubang Pasu or Putrajaya in the next general election