Khairy: Redelineation system started by Dr M

TANAH MERAH: The Opposition should not forget history, said Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin as he reminded them of the electoral redelineation exercise that had been carried out since Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s time as prime minister and his curbs on freedom of speech.

Chiding the Opposition for making an issue of the newly gazetted electoral map, Khairy said Dr Mahathir, who now heads the opposition pact of Pakatan Harapan, had amended the Federal Constitution and the relevant laws to create the current redelineation system.

“I hope opposition leaders and their supporters do not forget that and simply rewrite history.

“The exercise had been created when Dr Mahathir was in power,” Khairy told reporters at the launch of the Tanah Merah National Youth Skills Institute yesterday.

He was asked to comment on the concerns raised by opposition lawmakers that the redelineation exercise had given Barisan Nasional the upper hand in the general election.

Khairy, also the Rembau MP, noted that the redrawing of boundaries was carried out independently and transparently by the Election Commission (EC) with public feedback.

“It was even brought to the courts by opposition leaders.

“It was done by the EC and even debated in the Dewan Rakyat.

“The opposition lawmakers’ argument on the redelineation was not convincing and repetitive.

“The EC report has already been passed and we only follow the system introduced by Pakatan’s prime minister candidate,” he said.

On the Government’s bid to introduce the anti-fake news law, Khairy said that unlike Dr Mahathir, who had taken many measures to curb the freedom of speech during his tenure, the current government had consulted all parties on the matter.

“During his time, newspapers were shut down while reporters were arrested, and his political enemies detained under the Internal Security Act. We lived in a climate of fear.

“For me, opposition leaders who named Dr Mahathir as their prime minister candidate are responsible in rewriting the country’s history by intentionally ignoring his previous deeds,” he said.

On the event, Khairy said development projects announced by Barisan were not election goodies to woo the voters.

The Youth and Sports Minister, who announced a RM4.5mil community sports complex for Tanah Merah, said such projects were implemented even before the general election.

“It will start as soon as we identify a suitable land for the project,” he said.

For me, opposition leaders who named Dr Mahathir as their prime minister candidate are responsible in rewriting history by intentionally ignoring g his previous deeds. Khairy Jamaluddin