PUTRAJAYA: Pakatan Harapan (PH) chairman Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad will go to Tanjung Piai to campaign this Wednesday (Nov 13).
Dr Mahathir, who is also the prime minister, said, he hoped his presence in Tanjung Piai would clear any confusion among the electorate whom he claimed still assumed he was Umno president.
"Many voters (in Tanjung Piai) who support Barisan Nasional (BN) have now thrown their support behind PH.
"(However), many electorate there still think I am the Umno president, although I am in PH. I am the PH chairman and as chairman I am the Prime Minister.
"Since I am going to Tanjung Piai on Nov 13, I hope they will realise I am no longer Umno president," said Dr Mahathir after chairing the Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) Supreme Council meeting today.
The Bersatu chairman also said the party is growing with some 500,000 already holding membership cards and there were more without one.
He said Sabah had the highest number of new members, but did not disclose the exact figure.
On former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak expressing his shock to have been asked to enter his defence on all seven charges of abusing SRC International Sdn Bhd funds, Dr Mahathir said: "He was shocked? I am shocked that he was shocked."
"This government follows the rule of law. We send him to face the court to see whether he has a case," he said, adding the PH government would not arrest people for no reason.
Dr Mahathir added Najib had a good hearing and was even allowed to go on bail of which he could campaign in Tanjung Piai.
"He has claimed he has sore eyes. Campaign is okay. But, court cannot.
"All these nonsense you get from him (just) because we are being lenient since we follow the rule of law," he said.
On claim by Umno Supreme Council member Datuk Lokman Noor Adam that Dr Mahathir meddled in court matters, the prime minister invited Lokman to prove it.
"I never interfere with the court. (Even) during my time, the court once decided to regard my party as illegal. I went through the proper way."
The lead counsel in Najib’s defence team was reported as saying the former Prime Minister had anticipated being acquitted, as he felt that the defence had successfully rebutted every single point raised by the prosecution.
On another matter, Dr Mahathir said he had no issue with Perak Menteri Besar's viral video claiming he was fighting a "lone battle" against DAP over several matters in the state that has surfaced on social media.
He explained that Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu was facing quite an aggressive crowd of fishermen who had the assumption DAP was the one controlling PH.
"He was telling them despite being alone and DAP has the biggest number (in state assembly), he is still in power (as Perak Menteri Besar)," said Dr Mahathir.
On calls made by PKR and DAP, urging Ahmad Faizal to apologise, he said: "There is nothing to it. If they want to fight, I can give them gloves."
Dr Mahathir was also asked on a Reuters report, stating the US Federal Aviation Administration having downgraded Malaysia’s air safety rating, restricting the country’s airlines from adding flights to the United States.
He said the government would take measures if there was anything wrong with the Malaysian civil aviation authority.
"I have no knowledge about the details but I will look into it and find out why.
"We will correct the situation, so that the whole world will respect Malaysia's aviation authority," he added.
Asked whether he has been notified about the "downgrade", he replied: "No, I have not".