Mukhriz is not daddy's boy, says Siti Hasmah
With less than 24 hours to Umno's polling day, one mother has joined the fray to boost her son Mukhriz Mahathir's vice-presidency campaign.
With less than 24 hours to Umno's polling day, one mother has joined the fray to boost her son Mukhriz Mahathir's vice-presidency campaign.
Keen to step out of the shadow of his father, Malaysia's longest serving prime minister and Umno strongman Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Mukhriz has stressed that he is not “daddy's boy”.
But if you have doubts, his mother, Siti Hasmah Mohamad Ali (right), has vouched for this in an interview with Malay-language daily Sinar Harian today.
According to Siti Hasmah, if Mukhriz was indeed a 'daddy's boy' he would have been initiated into politics much earlier to “sustain Mahathir's legacy” as some claim, instead of starting only after his father resigned.
She added that instead of running to his dad for advice, Mukhriz, who is Kedah Menteri Besar, usually uses her as a sounding board.
“I would agree if people say Mukhriz is a mummy's boy. He refers to me first in all sorts of matter before he reaches out to his father.
“Even during the general election he brought me along on campaigns, and not his father,” she said of her son who is viewed as an underdog in the six-man tussle for the three VP spots.
Wanita backs status quo
Meanwhile, the incumbent vice-presidents appear to have received a late and important boost from the Wanita Umno wing.
Yesterday, after a closed-door meeting with second term VP hopeful Hishammuddin Hussein at the Royal Bintang Hotel, newly re-elected Wanita chief Shahrizat Abdul Jalil said the wing will back “sovereignty, peace and the people's well-being”.
“First, (we back) candidates who protect 'national sovereignty' ... which I see in Hishammuddin as defence minister.
“Second, peace, which (Ahmad) Zahid (Hamidi) is entrusted with by the prime minister by heading the Home Ministry.
“And third, people's well-being, for which (Rural and Regional Development Minister) Shafie Apdal has been tasked with carrying out,” she was quoted by the New Straits Times as saying.
According to her Twitter page, the second-term Wanita chief also attended a “security briefing” with Zahid at the same hotel the previous night.
Meanwhile, Hishammuddin has received outright endorsement from newly-elected second term youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin.
The other two vice-president candidates are newly-appointed senator Mohd Ali Rustam and Federal Land Development Agency (Felda) chairperson Isa Samad.
The Youth and Wanita votes make up about 40 percent of the 146,000 votes to be cast in this weekend's party polls.
Related stories
My son's not the chosen one, laments Mahathir
Malays told to 'grow a spine', stop blaming others
Ali Rustam defends 'illegal Chinese businesses' remarks
Are you sure you want to delete this comment?
This action cannot be undone.