MALAYSIA is a democracy and Dr Mahathir Mohamad is free to visit Najib Razak’s Pekan parliamentary constituency, said Fauzi Abdul Rahman.

The Pahang Pakatan Harapan chairman said Malaysia was a democratic country, and the “threat” from Pekan Umno to the pact’s prime minister designate to cancel the visit scheduled for tomorrow was immature.

“I want to ask Pekan Umno, does our country practise communism or democracy?

“If we practise democracy, Dr Mahathir is free to go anywhere he wants as a Malaysian citizen,” the Indera Mahkota MP told The Malaysian Insight.

Fauzi was responding to a report in news portal Malaysiakini that Pekan Umno had issued a warning to Dr Mahathir, saying there was widespread dissatisfaction towards him in the prime minister’s constituency.

As such, Dr Mahathir has been advised to call off his visit to Pekan.

“I think it’s better if the programme is cancelled. There are going to be problems, there will be fights,” Pekan Umno committee member Abdul Rahim Yahya was quoted as saying in the report.

Yesterday, The Malaysian Insight reported that Dr Mahathir would campaign in Pekan tomorrow, in what appears to be a tit-for-tat move against his protege-turned-nemesis Najib.

The planned visit comes about a week after Najib visited Langkawi, where the former prime minister is speculated to contest in the 14th general election.

Fauzi said Umno members in Pekan should attend Dr Mahathir’s scheduled programme to hear what he had to say.

“If he says anything wrong, then correct him. If he is right, then they have to support him.

“This is democracy. Pekan Umno doesn’t need to have ‘denial syndrome’,” said the state PKR chairman.

State PH deputy chairman Wan Mohamad Shahrir Wan Abdul Jalil said a police permit had been obtained to organise the programme.

“So far, we have gotten a police permit, but we don’t know what will happen at the last minute.

“This programme has nothing to do with Felda. This programme will be held at the house of our supporters, who are PKR and Bersatu members,” he told The Malaysian Insight.

Wan Shahrir said the state PH would not cave in to pressure, reminding Pekan Umno members that the opposition did not cause any trouble when Najib visited Langkawi.

“When Najib visited Langkawi, we didn’t do anything. Pekan Umno should remember that Najib is only an MP there, and not a king.

“So, they should stop this kind of talk, which is not suitable for a democratic country like Malaysia.”

Kuantan MP Fuziah Salleh said Pekan Umno was acting like a “wounded tiger”.

“That’s the situation with Najib and Pekan Umno. That’s why they are afraid of PH organising a programme in Pekan.

“If Najib is really strong, he shouldn’t be afraid. Let PH organise programmes in the constituency, in the name of democracy,” said the PKR leader.

A source said the 92-year-old Dr Mahathir was scheduled to visit Felda Chini and the Orang Asal community.

Dr Mahathir is expected to touch on Felda’s controversies, in the hopes of swaying settlers’ votes away from Najib.

Sources said even though Dr Mahathir still held sway over rural Malay voters, he faced an uphill battle in reaching out to voters in Pekan, who have been solidly behind Najib and the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition. – February 27, 2018.