DrM blamed on Zambry for BN to lose in Bkt Gantang

Former premier Mahathir Mohamad has blamed his Umno party’s loss in Bukit Gantang on the flotilla of posters displaying BN Menteri Besar Zambry Kadir.

“There were lots of banners and posters in Bukit Gantang. A lot of them showed the portraits of the candidate. But quite a lot showed the picture of the Menteri Besar,” said Mahathir.

Unwittingly, the veteran politician has hit bull-eyes.

Not that Zambry is unpopular in his personal capacity, but the Pangkor assemblyman has become a symbol for the injustice and frustration felt by the majority of the people in the state.

Independent surveys have shown that as many as three-quarters of Perakians want a fresh mandate via state-wide polls to choose their leadership.

The Umno-BN line-up foisted on them by their Sultan and Prime Minister Najib Razak has not been able to gain respect and acceptance, simply because it lacks the key ingredient of legitimacy, which can only come with by being elected - not appointed and dubiously too.

On the other hand, the fight-back launched by the Pakatan Rakyat, which was displaced by Zambry’s ascension, has gotten stronger - boosted immeasurably by the blatantly cheating tactics adopted by the Umno-BN.

From locking up the gates to state secretariat, threats of imposing curfew, denying the Speaker of the assembly the right to his own legal counsel, instigating his secretary into betraying him, vandalizing the Tree of Democracy, all the way to persuading the highest court in the land to utter declarations that have been slammed right, left and centre by the legal fraternity.

All these mis-steps have hurt the nation more than just Perak. (SuaraKeadilan)