Kedah Menteri Besar Mukhriz Mahathir said today 95 percent of Kedahans support his leadership, and questioned Umno on why there is a need to replace him.

Mukhriz said the impression given by the media and Umno is that all the Kedah divisions have turned against him but Jerlun, the division he heads, is solidly behind him.

But what is more important to him are the two million Kedahans and their 95 percent support, he added.

He also said the post of menteri besar is appointed by the sultan after recommendations by the prime minister.

"However, if the sultan does not agree, no matter who you recommend, he would not be able to be MB," Mukhriz said, indicating he has the support of the people and sultan.

He would stay on as the menteri besar for as long as the people and sultan want him, Mukhriz added in a speech in Jerlun.

"It's not my way to beg or kneel on my knees to plead for this post because leaders must have dignity. I was brought up that way.

"When Deputy Prime Minister Zahid Hamidi came recently to visit, I told him that if the rakyat no longer support me, I, myself will resign. But they still want me, so please give me your support."

About 500 people turned up at the event to pledge their support for Mukhriz.

Throughout his speech, the crowd was heard saying "Sack them! Sack Ahmad Bashah!" and "Kita Lawan!"

Muhkriz also revealed the reasons why he was attacked by the Umno leadership.

Questioned several controversial issues

He said it was not about his weak leadership but due to the fact that he questioned the top leadership on several controversial issues.

He did not outline the issues but Mukhriz has thrown his support behind sacked deputy prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin following Mouhyiddin's queries about Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's involvement with the 1MDB scandal.

"Some said it is also because of my father," Mukhriz said, referring to former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad who has turned into Najib's harshest critic.

"But I had to raise the issues as everywhere I go, people talk about them and asked me about them," he added.

Later, asked if he had met with his father as he was leaving the venue, Mukhriz replied, "I have not spoken to him yet".

He also said the unhappy leaders claimed he could not unite Umno in Kedah and so he had to be removed.

"But if they are told not to attend meetings or events, that is not my fault," he said.

Mukhriz added that if the Kedah Umno leaders were unhappy with him, they could discuss their problems with him.

These matters should be handled internally, not by going to the press, he said.

However, there is nothing much he could do if these leaders preferred to go to the top directly, he stressed.

[More to follow]