Dr M rejects CAAM’s findings
LANGKAWI: Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has repeated his claim that his private plane had been sabotaged.
This, despite a statement by the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) that it had conducted an investigation, including verifying the aircraft’s documentation, inspecting the aircraft, and interviewing the pilot and maintenance personnel.
The PKR candidate for the Langkawi parliamentary seat dismissed the findings, claiming that CAAM did not do any research on it.
“They said it was not sabotage. But how do they know?
“They did not do any research,” he said after meeting voters in Kuah yesterday.
However, he did not elaborate. Dr Mahathir claimed that the alleged sabotage was to prevent him from filing his nomination as a candidate.
“When I tried to use another plane, most of my friends, who used to oblige, refused my request. One of them said he was pressured and that’s why he could not let me use it.
“The leakage and the rejection by other airplane owners showed that someone is trying to stop me from coming here to register as a candidate.”
He was responding to a statement by CAAM chairman Datuk Seri Azharuddin Abdul Rahman that CAAM did not find any evidence that the veteran politician’s plane, which was supposed to fly him from Subang to Langkawi on Friday, was sabotaged.
Azharuddin said the aircraft was unable to fly due to air leakage from the left-hand nose wheel.
He said allegations of sabotage were serious and could impact the reputation of Malaysia’s aviation industry and the country.
On Friday, Dr Mahathir claimed that the aircraft that was to fly him was sabotaged.
He claimed that the pilot cancelled the flight just before takeoff after realising the aircraft had a problem and immediate repairs could not be done.
Following the allegation, the government ordered a probe into the matter.
Azharuddin said CAAM found no recent reported defect except for air leakage from the left-hand nose wheel.
However, in his speech here on Saturday, Dr Mahathir said there was a plan involving those in power to prevent opposition leaders from contesting in the 14th General Election.