JOHOR BAHRU: Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein has questioned the sincerity of opposition leader Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s wish to visit the grave of the late Pas leader, Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat.
Hishammuddin, who is Umno vice-president, said Dr Mahathir had never even paid a visit to the grave of his father, Malaysia’s third prime minister Tun Hussein Onn.
“Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad had never visited the grave of my father, who was a former Umno president. Why then is he insisting on visiting the graves of Pas leaders now?
“If he was truly sincere in wanting to visit the grave of Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat, do it after GE 14,” said Hishammuddin.
He was commenting on the move by Dr Mahathir, who had allegedly wanted to visit the grave of the late Nik Aziz but was prevented from doing so by the family of the former Kelantan Menteri Besar.
Hishammuddin said Dr Mahathir’s move in wanting to visit the grave of the former Pas spiritual leader during the GE14 period is seen as insincere.
“He never visited my father’s grave so I feel the family of Nik Aziz understand because if he (Dr Mahathir) was really sincere in wanting to visit the grave of Nik Aziz, do it after the election.
“If he never visited the grave of a former Umno president, my late father, then why is he insisting on doing it now?” said Hishammuddin in a press conference after attending a meet-the-people event at the Kempas People’s Housing Project (PPR) here.
Also present were Deputy Home Minister and Barisan Nasional Pulai parliamentary seat candidate Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed, and BN Kempas state seat candidate Datuk Ramlee Bohani.