DR Mahathir Mohamad is in Cameron Highlands one day before polling tomorrow not because Pakatan Harapan fears losing the by-election but because he wants to talk to voters, PH deputy president Muhyiddin Yassin said today.

Dr Mahathir, who is PH president and the prime minister, is in the Barisan Nasional stronghold of Jelai, where the Malay vote went to the latter coalition’s candidate in GE14.

BN, in fact, has never lost the Cameron Highlands federal seat since it was formed in 2003. 

“Don’t assume just because Tun M (Dr Mahathir) is here, that we are feeling like we will lose (the by-election),” Muhyiddin told reporters in Kuala Medang today.

The president of Bersatu, of which Dr Mahathir is chairman, said PH leaders practised the “open concept” of meeting constituents to discuss their concerns.

“After the general election, the people wanted to meet the prime minister. That’s why Dr Mahathir will talk to the voters, who want to hear what he has to say.

“He has came down before (in the previous by-election) in Port Dickson, and he is here as well because he is committed to supporting the machinery,” Muhyiddin added.

He also addressed claims that he had handed out cash as part of PH’s Cameron Highlands campaign, after a video had emerged showing him handing money to elderly person.

Muhyiddin said that it was an old video recorded following floods in Penang.

“There are those saying I have been campaigning but I only arrived (in Cameron Highlands) today. 

“That happened during a flood in Penang. It was long before the elections were held,” he said. – January 25, 2019.