Perak Menteri Besar Zambry Abd Kadir today denied comparing himself with historical greats Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi in his recent blog posting.

"I never equated myself to Mandela and Gandhi... don't do that. Please don’t do that," he told a press conference at the menteri besar’s office in Ipoh after chairing the state executive council meeting.

zambry perak state assembly building pc 130509 The blog posting yesterday had been picked up by numerous newspapers resulting in widespread debate and ridicule over the comparisons.

Meanwhile, Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat now appear to be in a tug-of-war over who gets the credit for some big projects coming Perak's way.

Zambry said the announcements today, which included the expansion of air services and establishment of a new medical school, were the result of the toil of his three-month old administration.

Similar announcements were made yesterday by ousted senior exco member Ngeh Khoo Ham, on behalf of ousted menteri besar Mohd Nizar Jamaluddin, who was briefly reinstated by the High Court for 19 hours before Zambry obtained a stay of execution order.

'Business as usual'

Zambry said over the past three months, he had personally met budget carrier Firefly and AirAsia officials to iron out deals to allow them to ply routes from Ipoh’s Sultan Azlan Shah Airport.

He added that it was he who sought permission from Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak to extend the runways of the airport.

On the university, Zambry said it was the result of three years of hard work by the previous BN administration.

"However, there were other people who made the announcements yesterday," he said, with a tinge of sarcasm.

Zambry also assured that it was "business as usual" for his administration, although the Kuala Lumpur High Court had decided that Nizar was the legitimate menteri besar and the matter is pending appeal.

"As far as economic development is concerned, nothing is affected. There is nothing to worry about," he said when asked how the government machinery can function smoothly in view of the uncertainty.