GE14 | Kedah Pakatan Harapan chief Mukhriz Mahathir has admitted that it is awkward to be contesting against his friends and former party colleagues.

Mukhriz was the Jerlun Umno chief and the state’s menteri besar until he was sacked in 2016. He was the incumbent Ayer Hitam assemblyperson at the time, and had also served one term as the Jerlun MP following the 2008 general election.

Now with Bersatu, Mukhriz will be facing the Umno incumbent Aminuddin Omar in Jitra, who had backed him in 2016 during his sacking. In the parliamentary seat of Jerlun, he will be facing his friend Othman Aziz.

“I have to admit it's awkward also but I guess this is the democratic process. We never planned it this way but it turned out this way, so we just accept how things are as we go along.

“So, I have no qualms contesting against my former colleagues and what it means is that I hope that the temperature during the campaign is kept at a cool level. Because it’s not like we don’t know each other anyway.

"So I think Insyaallah we should witness 11 days of intense campaigning but hopefully in a very cordial manner,” he told reporters at the Jerlun nomination centre in SM Sains Kubang Pasu today, after nominations had closed and were being finalised.

Asked if he expects sabotage, Mukhriz said “friends on the other side” had told him that BN are focusing on several seats including Langkawi (Dr Mahathir Mohamad), Jerlun and Pagoh (Muhyiddin Yassin).

“Therefore we are prepared for any eventually. The spirit of our party machinery should be able to withstand any tactics employed against us,” he said.

Mukhriz added that Bersatu would just have to be prepared to face the possibility of sabotage.

Meanwhile, Othman said it is “a pity” to contest against Mukhriz who is now “on the other side” of the political divide.

Nevertheless, he concurred that the campaigning should be cordial, and done fair and square to allow the voters to decide.

He highlighted various programs that were either ongoing or had been promised by BN, expressed confidence that voters will ultimately vote for BN.

“Election is election. Elections are about the party, not about the individual. It is about what the party can offer to the rakyat […]

“Based on what we have done before, I’m very positive that the rakyat will be with us because rakyat can only rely on a YB who can understand the local issues, and is very passionate about helping people,” he added.

Asked about the possibility of sabotage, Othman dismissed it as mere prejudice against Umno and BN.

“We have no (track) record of such thing. I think that’s just prejudice that might draw some sympathy, but BN is not the sort of party that does dirty work like this.

“I think all of us are very open. We allow all candidates to come in, and we will fight squarely,” he said.

Othman won the Jerlun seat with a 3,270-vote majority during the last election. The constituency is a rural, Malay-majority seat in northern Kedah.

Also contesting in Jerlun is the Jerlus PAS chief Abd Ghani Ahmad.

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