Throwing Kitchen Sink at Dr Mahathir

An 81-year old man wants to be a delegate to the UMNO general assembly, hopefully to have his 10 to 15 minutes of speech there, and what happens?

They have been interdicting his ability to meet UMNO people through organised functions - semua batal (all cancelled), or diversionary tactics were employed like holding a concert and having 7 buses to ferry UMNO members away from a function he was invited to.

Now they are throwing the kitchen sink at him.

It has been alleged that the anti-Dr Mahathir faction (meaning pro-who faction?) has even recruited former Kedah menteri besar Osman Aroff into standing besides them, as part of the repertoire of ‘dirty tactics’ that have been employed against Mahathir.

The allegations reported in Malaysiakini is that Osman would accompany current Menteri Besar Mahadzir Khalid to officiate the division meet. The aim would be to show that even Osman, once a Mahathir man and supposedly good friend, does not support the former PM.

Those current UMNO leaders must be desperate - but read on.

A source informed Malaysiakini that the anti-Mahathir faction has resorted to using high-ranking officers from the waterworks department (JBA), public works department (PWD) and the Tekun Malaysia Foundation to exert pressure on branch leaders (their employees) who supported Mahathir. It was alleged that a branch leader who worked with JBA was told by his superior ‘not to leave the house’ throughout the campaign period.

Another branch Youth wing chief, who is a delegate to the division meet tomorrow and strong supporter of Mahathir, was also warned by his superior not to participate in the Kubang Pasu polls.

Malaysiakini reader Sulaiman Rejab informed that there have been rumours that the Biro Tata Negara and Rela members have been sent to Kubang Pasu to ensure that Mahathir is not appointed as delegate at tomorrow's election.

Rela members? This is frightening, remembering how Rela had acted. If you can't, please refer to my earlier postings:

(1) Rela-gate! Do we have Warlords?
(2) Rela-gate - we want some answers!
(3) Warlords & their goons

Then, pro-Mahathir teachers who were members of Umno branches and would be delegates for tomorrow’s meet have had their leaves cancelled. (leave because Saturday is a working day in Kedah).

A source also alleged that officials from the Home Ministry and Biro Tatanegara as well as university students and members of youth organisations have been camping in Kubang Pasu since last week. They were seen entering and exiting the kampungs in the area whenever a pro-Mahathir (or his Mukhriz) faction was visiting a particular kampong.

BTW, has anyone seen powerful motorbikes roaming around?

The source also described the tactics used by the anti-Mahathir faction as unethical while their large-scale dinners could even be classified as money politics.

He said “Last night, a group of branch leaders were called to attend a briefing on ‘current issues’ by a government agency but it turned out to be a campaign to reject Mahathir.”

They even resorted to ‘reverse psychology’, claiming that not electing Mahathir would be to protect his status of a former party president.

As Malaysiakini reader Sulaiman Rejab said in his letter: Why fear Mahathir?