Mahakutti defends son’s stake in brewing alcohol controversy
By Clara Chooi
SERENDAH, April 23 — With Datuk Zaid Ibrahim’s drinking past a brewing issue in the Hulu Selangor campaign, his nemesis Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad quickly moved to defend his son’s directorship in a beer brewery.
Pakatan Rakyat (PR) leaders have also been quick to defend their Hulu Selangor candidate, pointing out that Dr Mahathir’s eldest son Mirzan sits on the board of San Miguel Corp, a Philipines-based conglomerate that owns 51 per cent of the San Miguel beer brewery.
“We know about the present lies being spread. Supposedly my son is a director in a beer company. That is not true,” the former prime minister said in a surprise visit to the Barisan Nasional campaign here.
Dr Mahakutti (2nd left) shaking the hands of Kam-mylan, the BN candidate for Hulu Selangor. - Picture by Choo Choy May
He explained that his eldest son, Mirzan, had merely been invited to the board for his ability to aid with the company’s bid to diversify its business from its primary beer brewery.
“Not true. The company wants to change its business. I was told they want to sell their alcohol division to someone else,” Dr Mahathir said.
He noted that if this was not true, he would tell his son not to remain in the board.
In a press conference later, Dr Mahathir continued to say that Mirzan had been chosen due to his ability to help the company diversify.
“In any case, he is not even a politician. I do not check on all my children... they do what it is that they want to do,” he said.
He pointed out that his son’s involvement in the beer business was dubious but Zaid’s drinking past was not.
“My son’s story is not true but that story about Zaid’s drinking before... that one is true... but it was ‘before’ or so he says,” he said.
The issue of drinking has been the
In the first attack, Zaid was accused of being an alcoholic, gambler and even a womaniser and criticised as an “un-Islamic” person.
The accusations levelled against the former Umno man were used in hopes of swaying the Malay support away from Zaid and for BN candidate P. Kamalanathan in this Sunday’s polling.
Zaid’s camp in the meantime, has accused Umno ministers of being no different, claiming that they too loved their alcohol.
PAS secretary-general Datuk Mustafa Ali had even said that all past prime ministers in Malaysia had consumed alcohol except for Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.
Dr Mahathir scoffed at the claims but did not dispel its truth and said that “maybe” it was true but it was “in the past”.
“Last time, we all wanted to be like the white man. That’s why we say about our former leaders drinking.
“I am not saying that I drank but then of course people will make all kinds of allegations. If they do not have anything of substance other than that to win the support of the people, then they can raise whatever they like,” he added.
When questioned if he felt that by drinking, a leader would lose his ability to lead the nation, the veteran politician said: “It is for the people to judge whether a Prime Minister can lead the nation or not. In my time, I led for 22 years.”
I just heard some stories back from Hulu Selangor. Seemed the people there have some special hand signs for Chua Soi Lek. You can imagine what is.
ReplyDeleteThat must be the most stupid statement by Dr M.
ReplyDeleteSan Miguel is an old establish and profitable
business in the Philipine. do you think they
will drop their beer division just to accommodate your son.
J4. I heard that the Chinese in HS has a special hand sign to represent Chua Soi Lek. True?
ReplyDeleteGEORGE TOWN: Newly-appointed central committee member Datuk Koay Kar Huah has been named adviser in the new Penang MCA liaison committee, while Tanjung MCA division chief Dr Loh Hock Hun is now the deputy chairman.
ReplyDeleteThe vice-chairmen are Goh Poh Chuan (Kepala Batas MCA chief), Datuk Ma Kok Ben (Permatang Pauh MCA chief), Chuah Tee Sung (Balik Pulau MCA chief) and Tang Heap Seng (Bukit Bendera).
Eng Hiap Boon and Tan Cheng Liang are also vice-chairmen by virtue of their positions as state MCA Youth chief and Wanita chief, respectively.
Bukit Mertajam MCA chief Lau Chiek Tuan has been appointed state MCA secretary.
The line-up was announced by state party chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen at the state MCA headquarters here yesterday.
She said Koay had told her in advance that he did not want to accept any appointment as he was busy with his business and might have to be abroad occasionally.
“It is not that he was not appointed but he had told me personally that he knew clearly it was a great responsibility to be a deputy, particularly at this time when there are so many issues facing the people.
“There are also very high expectations from the grassroots,” she said.
“But I’m still giving him some work that will not take up a lot of his time. He will be my deputy in monitoring the performance of Penang Barisan Nasional MCA co-ordinators,” Dr Ng added.
She said Koay would also be a representative in MCA’s think-tank, the Institute of Strategic Analysis and Policy Research.
Dr Ng said several programmes were in the pipeline to strengthen the party, with leaders channelling information on matters such as health, tourism and housing from the Federal Government to Penangites.
Dr Loh said he was happy with the new line-up and expected the journey with the new committee to be smooth-sailing.
...................................................................
Koay Kar Huan was rejected and dumped by Penang people because of his nuisance while he was in the Penang State government, instead of burying him for good, .....the MCA leadership display their stupidity to look up so highly upon this shitface....who is one of the cause to MCA poor reputation.......
Justice4otk,
Other than Eng Hiap Boon and Tan Cheng Liang, who are the other OTK supporters? Make sure to dispose off those who do not support OTK.....get the ball rolling.....
That old fart has stressed, time and time again, that his sons are "very good in business".
ReplyDeleteWhen they rugi, we Rakyat pays.
When they untung, they pocket everything.
Of course, with that arrangement, anyone can be "very good in business" what !!
Dr Mahathir - “It is for the people to judge whether a Prime Minister can lead the nation or not. In my time, I led for 22 years.”
ReplyDelete_____________________________
22 glorious years from one of the Asian Tigers to the pariah of the region. What natural resources Singapore has compare with Malaysia, and need I to expand more on the disparity of their economies?