FORMER prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad surprised Putrajaya residents in Precinct 2 when he turned up at a farmers’ market this evening.

Video footage of his walkabout was aired live on his Facebook page, garnering 1,800 live views, 283 shares and more than 900 comments in less than half an hour.

Dr Mahathir began his walkabout around 5.30pm.

Amid shouts of “Hidup Tun!” wherever he went, the 92-year-old appeared to be challenging the common belief that he is unpopular among government servants.

Putrajaya, the administrative capital that was built during his tenure as prime minister, has more than 16,000 voters, comprising mainly civil servants.

The seat, which was created during the 2003 redelineation exercise, is one of three seats that Dr Mahathir has said he is thinking of contesting in the 14th general election.

The other two seats are Langkawi and Kubang Pasu in Kedah.

However, analysts have told The Malaysian Insight that Dr Mahathir stands little chance of winning if he chooses to contest in Putrajaya due to the high number of civil servants in the constituency.

The seat is currently held by Federal Territories Minister Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor, who beat Amanah vice-president Husam Musa, who contested for PAS in 2013, by 5,541 votes.

Tengku Adnan has held the seat since 2004. – January 30, 2018.