Dr M targets Zaid, Anwar, Pak Lah in Hulu Selangor

Written by Chua Sue-Ann, The Edge 

Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad took to the Hulu Selangor campaign platform on Thursday, April 22, taking swipes at his usual targets — PKR’s candidate Datuk Zaid Ibrahim, Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and former premier Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

Dr Mahathir began his ceramah in Serendah here by reminding his audience that the country’s progress, achievements and stability had been due to BN’s efforts since independence in 1957.

He denied that his son Datuk Mirzan Mahathir had owned shares in a beer company, saying that San Miguel Corp was looking to move into other sectors. “If he’s in a company that sells beer only I will ask him to leave, but the one that drinks alcohol, it is true,” Dr Mahathir said, referring to Zaid.

Zaid, the former Kota Bharu member of parliament, has admitted to consuming alcohol in his youth but had since repented.

“I advise Pakatan Rakyat (PR) and PKR members, no need to choose such a person. He’s not certain. When he gets drunk, we don’t know what he would do,” Dr Mahathir said, prompting laughter. He also criticised Zaid for allegedly owning race horses.

The former premier labelled Zaid as a “frog”, the common term for someone who changes parties, referring to his exit from Umno to join PKR.

Zaid was sacked from Umno in December 2008 for attending opposition functions. He later joined PKR in June 2009.

Dr Mahathir said that Zaid cannot be trusted because “one minute he’ll follow this person, another minute he’ll follow another”.

The veteran leader accused Zaid, who founded the country’s largest law firm, of forgetting his roots and abandoning Umno after becoming rich.

“Have we seen Zaid in court? Never. His work is only to sign forms. Even that, it was the government who paid him wages to sign forms. When he became successful, he can talk big. In the past, he always looked for Umno. Now that he’s rich, he doesn’t need Umno anymore,” Dr Mahathir said.

He then moved on to slam Abdullah, his successor turned nemesis, without naming him.

“For decades before 2008, we know our country was good. But 2004 to 2008 what happened?” Dr Mahathir said, referring to Abdullah’s tenure as prime minister.

“I don’t want to say anything, later people will say I am not a good person. I know choosing (Prime Minister Datuk Seri) Najib Razak was far better than the previous guy. I hope Najib can fix the mistakes,” he said.

Dr Mahathir had been a fierce critic of Abdullah’s administration and continued hitting out even when the latter stepped down as prime minister in March 2009.

On Pakatan Rakyat, Mahathir said the Malay word “pakatan” means to create “conspiracies to do bad things”.

“What do they pakat for? To grab power. We cannot trust them. They only quarrel,” Dr Mahathir said, before quickly moving on to attack his former deputy.

“From far, Anwar looks good but when you go near you can see the blemishes. Many have left his party. Only when you go near, you would know who he is. I was also like that (fooled),” he said.

Dr Mahathir claimed that Anwar had initially wanted to join PAS but decided to join Umno when he realised that “he could not become prime minister if he joined PAS”.

The senior politician also made many allusions to sodomy and Anwar’s sodomy trial, urging Anwar to be brave to face the courts and swear on the Quran if he was telling the truth.

Independent Pasir Mas member of parliament Datuk Ibrahim Ali, who is also the president of Malay nationalist group Perkasa, was also present at the ceramah.

More than 300 people filled the compound of a house in Serendah here, eager to hear the former premier speak.

Dr Mahathir’s presence here was a last-minute surprise as the veteran leader had earlier declared that he was would not be campaigning in Hulu Selangor.

He said that he was “happy” to be campaigning again, adding that the first time he campaigned was in 1946 for BN and Parti Perikatan.

Dr Mahathir later told a press conference that “as a loyal supporter of Barisan Nasional, I must come”.

The last time Dr Mahathir, 84, joined the campaign trail was in April 2009 during the Bukit Gantang parliamentary by-election in Perak and the contest for the Bukit Selambau state seat in Kedah.

He urged voters to back BN’s candidate P Kamalanathan and to back BN for continued development and stability.

Kamalanathan, who spoke at the event earlier, hailed Dr Mahathir as his “idol”.

Met by reporters, Kamalanthan declined to reveal his “new strategy” planned for the last two days of campaigning, saying that he would “keep it close to (his) chest” and only announce it on Friday.

The MIC information chief had earlier told a Chinese newspaper that he would employ a new approach to give his campaign a final push.