Dr M: We’ll hold a post-mortem
Voters could have changed their minds in supporting Pakatan, says PM
Umno-PAS cooperation, religious provocation and Pakatan Harapan’s inability to fulfil its general election pledges could have caused the ruling coalition’s defeat in the Semenyih state by-election, says the Prime Minister.
Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said voters could have also changed their minds in supporting Pakatan.
“There were also people who unnecessarily provoked anger among people, like when they insulted Prophet Muhammad.
“We will have a post-mortem and find out why we lost,” he told reporters after launching the National Landscape Day yesterday.
Dr Mahathir, the Pakatan chairman and also chairman of the losing candidate’s Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia, said Pakatan won the seat during GE14 because Umno and PAS were divided.
Barisan Nasional’s Umno candidate Zakaria Hanafi defeated Pakatan’s Bersatu candidate Muhammad Aiman Zainali by a 1,914-vote majority.
He secured 19,780 votes against Muhammad Aiman’s 17,866. Two other candidates lost their deposits.
Asked whether Pakatan’s attacks against PAS also cost it votes, Dr Mahathir said the ruling coalition was “just speaking the truth” when issues were raised about the Islamist party.
On whether he was concerned about future Umno-PAS cooperation, he said: “They can work together during by-elections, when winning or losing does not really matter.
“But during general elections, this cooperation won’t happen because if it does, PAS won’t get anything.”
On Pakatan’s general election manifesto, Dr Mahathir said the government was going against its word, explaining that things could not be achieved overnight.
“We are in debt. The money that is meant for the rakyat is being used to pay off debts,” he said.
The Prime Minister said the government had to pay RM200mil every six months as interest for the RM55bil loan taken for the East Coast Railway Link project.
“But when we spoke to the contractor, the project cost came (down) to RM35bil, meaning the project could be done at that price.
“So why the need to take RM55bil ... to steal money perhaps,” he said.