No proof, but Dr M insists plane was tampered with

Dr Mahathir Mohamad maintains some people wanted to prevent him from filing his nomination papers.

(FMT) – Pakatan Harapan chairman Dr Mahathir Mohamad has maintained that it was possible that someone could have tampered with a private jet to prevent him from flying to Langkawi in time to be nominated as an election candidate.

Speaking at a ceramah here last night, he said: “I see what happened to the aircraft as something serious. I find there is a possibility that it may have been done by someone.

“I don’t know and I do not have proof, but there is that possibility. I believe that the plane was intentionally damaged so that I cannot come to Langkawi.”

Mahathir’s arrival in Langkawi was delayed by three hours on Friday. He said he had been told there was something wrong with the aircraft.

Yesterday, aviation authorities said an investigation at Subang airport had found “a routine technical fault” in the the Bombadier Challenger operated by Value Jet that Mahathir was to have boarded.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia said there was only an air leakage at the aircraft’s nose wheel and its chairman said “It is morally wrong to make such wild and false allegations for the sake of political gain”. The government has also ordered a police investigation. 

Last night Mahathir repeated his claim that the damage to the aircraft could have resulted in an accident “that could lead to death”.

Mahathir said he was not accusing the CAA but just pointing out what had happened, adding that the agency had acknowledged that the plane was unable to take off due to a fault.

“Whether or not it is because of sabotage, it cannot be determined by CAA if there is no investigation,” he said. “I think it was intentionally done to stop me from being a candidate.

He also repeated his claim that three friends who owned private jets all told him that they could not allow him the use of their planes and that one said he had received a warning from certain people not to lend him the jet.

“It appears as though there are people who knew about the fault to the jet, and tried to determine that there would be no jets I could borrow so I cannot fly to Langkawi,” he added.