[UPDATED] BN like a naked leader pissing before Jalur Gemilang: Dr Mahathir

KUALA LUMPUR – Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad today issued one of his harshest criticisms of Barisan Nasional (BN) yet, as he called on Johoreans to vote out “shameless” leaders in the coming state polls.

The Pejuang chairman, in launching the party’s manifesto ahead of the state polls, said his political entity aspires to return the country to the right track after being derailed by brazen and unrepentant politicians, naming Datuk Seri Najib Razak among them.

Dr Mahathir went as far as likening these “corrupt” BN members to a leader shamelessly “going naked” and urinating in front of the heads of other nations, while saluting the Jalur Gemilang.

“Imagine one day we accept foreign dignitaries like presidents and king, with a line of honour. When we greet them, our leader would go naked, wearing nothing but a kopiah. Why naked? Because there is nothing to be ashamed of.

“Then, midway while inspecting the line of honour, we need to salute our flag, and our leader would just go on pissing. What is there to be ashamed of?” he said in a press conference today.

“This is the culture being brought by Najib, the culture of being shameless. It’s okay to be naked, to urinate in front of other national leaders, or to rob someone.”

Dr Mahathir said it is incumbent that Malaysia returns to its cultural roots of being modest and respecting everyone, something he said his party Pejuang would offer. 

His statement appears to be in response to the “Malu Apa Bossku” slogan that was made popular by Najib following his corruption charges.

On Pejuang’s manifesto dubbed Aspirasi Johor, Dr Mahathir expressed confidence that his party would be able to fulfil the promises made but said this could depend on the situation then.

According to the elder statesman, if given the mandate to rule Johor, Pejuang promises to rid of corruption, a virus he said would hinder economic, political and social growth.

He added that while Pejuang is a Malay party, it vows to be fair and represent the voices of all rakyat.

On the party’s economic plans should it govern Johor, Dr Mahathir said its main plan is to move the current reliance on foreign direct investment to large scale domestic investments, citing the glove industry as an example.

Some seats unwinnable

Asked on the party’s move to only contest in 42 of the 56 seats on offer in Johor, Dr Mahathir said this was decided after considering several factors, including winnability.

He added that some seats are beyond Pejuang’s reach, such as Umno strongholds and constituencies with large representation of non-Malays.

“In some areas, the loyalty towards Umno is too deep, to the point that they will vote for the party regardless of what its leaders have done.

“Also, if the dominant race is not Malay, then it will certainly be harder. For us, 42 seats are enough. If we contest in 56 seats and lose all of them, it is pointless.”

Dr Mahathir also appears to be optimistic of Pejuang’s chances of causing an upset, despite being a clear underdog.

“We think we have a good chance. But as far as the (other) opposition parties are concerned, they are always fighting each other. For them, the most important thing is the position of the menteri besar.”

He said he would not be physically campaigning in Johor following advice from his doctors, considering his age, and after recovering from his recent illness.

Dr Mahathir, however, assured that he is now in good health, after attending his press conference since being discharged earlier this month.

“I have recovered, to my own surprise. As you can see, I can still talk, think, and be logical. But of course, my recovery is not 100% yet. The doctors insist I be careful, especially with Covid-19.

“I would like to go to Johor, but I can’t. If I fall sick again, I don’t know what will happen. But as you can see, I am quite able to function well, and I think I can contribute towards the struggle of Pejuang.”

Pejuang will be announcing its candidates for the Johor election at 2pm tomorrow in the southern state, with details to be revealed soon. – The Vibes, February 23, 2022