‘Opposition banking on non-Malay votes’

Dr M believes they can be helped by Indian and Chinese communities

KUALA

SELANGOR: Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad believes that the Opposition will be greatly helped by Indian and Chinese votes in the coming general election.

The Pakatan Harapan chairman said the challenge for the Opposition would be in wooing Malay support.

Speaking to reporters after a Pakatan ceramah in Bestari Jaya here yesterday, Dr Mahathir claimed that this was why electoral boundaries were being redrawn.

He claimed that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak wanted enough Malay representatives to form the Government without the participation of the Chinese.

“Even PAS has said that there should not be non-Muslims in the Government,” he said.

Dr Mahathir, who is tipped to contest a parliamentary seat, ruled out further negotiations with PAS ahead of GE14, calling the party “untrustworthy” and going against Islamic principles.

“With PAS, they will agree one thing and behind they will support someone else.

“For example, they agreed Anwar Ibrahim should be the prime minister candidate but behind Anwar they talked to Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah and supported him for the post instead,” he said.

On the support of the Minority Rights Action Party (Mira), formerly known as New Generation Party, for Pakatan, Dr Mahathir said the Opposition bloc might consider giving some positions to the party if it wins the general election.

Earlier, Mira president Rajaretinam Armuggan announced the party’s support for Dr Mahathir as interim prime minister candidate for Pakatan.

He said Mira was not seeking seats to contest in GE14, but to help convince the voters to choose Pakatan.