Mahathir Declaration does not have public support - Ismail Sabri

Ismail Sabri, who is also Rural and Regional Development Minister, said the Malays especially could not accept the fact that former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad could sit at the same table as DAP advisor Lim Kit Siang who is against Bumiputera privileges.

"According to reports, the People's Congress spearheaded by Dr Mahathir did not gain traction with the public.

"I understand that at most only 300 to 500 people attended and it looks like the public did not respond well, and I believe the public rejected it," he told reporters after witnessing the signing ceremony of a takeover agreement between Diversatech (M) Sdn Bhd and Felcra Berhad here on Tuesday.

He was commenting about the People's Congress on Sunday in Shah Alam, Selangor, which was also attended by former Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin as well as the Save Malaysia Gathering held at the Ampang Jaya Municipal Council field in Pandan Indah last night.

Ismail Sabri said he hoped the public would ignore the issues brought up by Dr Mahathir and the opposition, but to support the leadership of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

"The people must move forward because there are many more development agendas by the government such as the economic problem and the fall of the ringgit which are being resolved," he said.

On the calls for the expulsion of Muhyiddin and former Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir from UMNO, he said the UMNO Supreme Council had a specific procedure to determine the issue.

Meanwhile, another UMNO Supreme Council member Datuk Bung Mokhtar Radin urged the people to assess for themselves the party's struggle under Dr Mahathir by looking at his previous 'quarrels' with various top party leaders.

In Temerloh, UMNO Supreme Council member Mohd Sharkar Shamsudin said he was confident that the Conference of Rulers would not be influenced by Dr Mahathir's call for the Malay Rulers to remove Najib as prime minister.