KUALA LUMPUR: Umno's push for the 15th general election is being done with the intention to have a prime minister who can "steal" and appoint an attorney-general to "protect the crooks", Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad claimed.
The Parti Pejuang Tanah Air chairman, in a brief statement titled "I want to advise you something", questioned the reason behind Umno's call for the general election.
"Is it true (that Umno is pushing for polls) for the people? The GE is for Umno to become PM. PM can steal money, can appoint A-G, and the A-G can protect the crooks."
Following the Umno supreme council meeting on Sept 30, the party's secretary-general Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan had said Umno wanted Parliament to be dissolved as soon as possible for GE15 to be held by this year.
He had said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob was also expected to present the proposed date for the dissolution of Parliament to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
However, Ahmad had stopped short of disclosing the date that Ismail Sabri would be presenting to the king.
Ismail Sabri on Saturday said the date for the GE15 will be announced soon and urged the people to be patient.
He also said the party's call to hold the GE15 soon was not new and that they want to return the mandate to the people.