BN detected opposition tactic to send Tun M to hospital
BAGAN DATUK: Barisan Nasional (BN) has detected the opposition’s ploy to admit former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad into a hospital before polling day for the 14th general election on May 9.
Divulging this yesterday, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the opposition’s ‘surprise last minute attack’ (SLMA) was aimed at getting sympathy votes from the people of Langkawi and other constituencies.
Zahid said he did not discount the possibility that Dr Mahathir who is also chairman of Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM) would use this tactic, based on his recent allegation that his aircraft had been sabotaged.
“It was because he wanted to get sympathy one day before nomination day, claiming that the incident was to get him disqualified to contest in the Langkawi parliamentary seat.
“We know him because we have worked for him. His strategy and tactics may have changed, but the template remains the same, to confuse the voters, to gain sympathy and blame others, even if the weakness is with him,” he said.
Ahmad Zahid was speaking to reporters after attending a village feast held as part of the meet-the-people programme organised by the Ministry of Communications and Multimedia for the Bagan Datuk parliamentary constituency at Kampung Pasang Api here yesterday.
Also present were Information director-general Datuk Ibrahim Abdul Rahman and BN candidate for Rungkup state seat Datuk Shahrul Zaman Yahya.
Ahmad Zahid who would be defending his Bagan Datuk parliamentary seat for the sixth time in GE14 urged voters not to be duped by the desperate tactics of the opposition to gain sympathy.
He said if Dr Mahathir was not satisfied, he could ask an independent body or company to look at the report released by the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM).
“I do not think Datuk Seri Azharuddin A.Rahman hid anything. He is not involved with any party and acted in a professional capacity. So Dr Mahathir should seek an explanation from a credible party, which means he must be confident with the system he himself set up,” he said. Last Saturday, Azharuddin who is chairman of CAAM rejected the allegations that the aircraft which was to fly Dr Mahathir from Subang to Langkawi had been sabotaged.
Azharuddin said the Bombardier Challenger CL60 aircraft managed by Vista Jet Limited could not depart following a minor and routine technical fault which involved an air leakage from the left nose wheel.