Opposition leader Dr Mahathir Mohamad has appealed to the  generals of the armed forces to allow their charges and their spouses to vote freely on May 9.

In an April 30 letter dated addressed to the chiefs of the army, navy and air force, the Pakatan Harapan chairman urged the heads of the these forces to encourage the members to vote without incentive or restraint.

“They must be given the freedom to choose,” he wrote.

Mahathir said the Malaysian armed forces be seen as professional, so as to must live up to their reputation for being the best organisations in the country.

In another letter to the police force dated April 25, Dr Mahathir urged the police and the army not to utilise violence to quell the people should the prime minister issue such an order.

“The rakyat has the the right to demonstrate peacefully. But there is a possibility they could be ‘roughed up’ by the security forces or certain individuals. If that happens, a peaceful demonstration can turn into chaos.” – May 2, 2018.