BARISAN Nasional chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamidi today dismissed talk he has avoided criticising Pakatan Harapan chairman Anwar Ibrahim because they were working together.

The incumbent Bagan Datuk MP said there was no need for to attack his rivals.

“Why must we criticise others? We should talk about our parties; we should tell our voters our aims when we form the new government.

“We must not resort to condemning or shaming others even those who betrayed BN. I have not criticised them.

“This is mature politics and we don’t badmouth any candidates,” he told a press conference on the campaign trail today in Bagan Datuk.

When pressed about whether he was working with PH chairman Anwar, Zahid said: “Why must we work only with him? We can also work with other political leaders.”

He was responding to the claims of former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad that Anwar and Zahid had talked about working together after the general election.

Zahid said Dr Mahathir knew his party, Pejuang, was in for a thumping and that he was diverting attention away from it.

“The party was defeated during the Johor elections, lost its deposits. He was rejected by his own party and coalition members from continuing to helm the country after 22 months.

“So now he has no leverage and cannot sell his party Pejuang and the newly-formed Gerakan Tanah Air coalition. People not only in Langkawi but nationwide are rejecting him,” Zahid said.

On the possibility of a coalition with the opposition, Zahid said that will decided after the polls

 “Let us get through GE15 first. After that we will see what seats we have. We still have 11 days to go.

“Our approach is to create political stability in the country,” he said. 

Malaysians will go to the polls on November 19. – November 7, 2022.