KUALA TERENGGANU: Only days after being discharged from hospital, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad is hitting the campaign trail to stump for Perikatan Nasional in Terengganu.
The former prime minister is among the top guns to be featured by Perikatan as it tries to amp up support in the Kijal state seat this week. Kijal is a Barisan Nasional stronghold.
He will be campaigning in the constituency located south of the state’s capital tomorrow despite having just been discharged from the National Heart Institute where he was treated for an infection.Terengganu PAS deputy commissioner III Datuk Dr Alias Razak said Dr Mahathir’s presence in the remaining few days of campaigning would rattle Terengganu Barisan chairman Datuk Seri Ahmad Said in his bid to retain the seat in the state polls.
“This is to make sure Ahmad fails to defend his seat in Kijal. In fact, during the 15th General Election (GE15 last November), he lost the Kemaman federal seat to PAS with a big majority,” he said.
Dr Mahathir, who recently made peace with his former rivals from Perikatan, showed up on Kelantan PAS’ campaign trail on July 21 to endorse the coalition’s candidates.
Kijal, where Ahmad has been assemblyman since 1990, is located within the Kemaman parliamentary seat. In GE15, he failed to snatch the federal seat from its incumbent, Perikatan’s Che Alias Hamid, who won with a 27,179-vote majority.
Come polling day on Saturday, Kijal will see a straight fight between the former Terengganu mentri besar and Perikatan’s Datuk Rozali Idris.
Perikatan chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin went to the constituency on Monday night after a rally in Seberang Takir, which is also a Barisan bastion with another former mentri besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Razif Abdul Rahman being the incumbent.
PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang is set to be at rallies in his home state, starting in Langkap today, Bukit Besi tomorrow and Ajil on Thursday.
