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Politics

• Former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s appearance among the crowd at the National Day parade in Putrajaya yesterday raised questions about why he wasn’t at the VIP box.

  In a statement, Communications Ministry secretary-general Abdul Halim Hamzah, who is also the head of the celebration’s working committee, said there have been no automatic invitations to former premiers since 2018.

  However, any former premier who wished to attend would not be blocked.

  He further explained that in Mahathir’s case, the Prime Minister’s Office had informed the committee that the centenarian had applied to use overseas rest facilities from Aug 29 to 31, implying that they thought he had gone on vacation.

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