Stop court cluster, Mahathir tells voters ahead of Johor polls

Pejuang chairman Dr Mahathir Mohamad today urged voters in Johor to put a stop to plans by the court cluster to return to power through a series of state elections, saying the effect of the polls next month will have a huge impact on the general election to come.

“This state election was planned by the group known as the court cluster and by kleptocrats from Umno,” he said in an open letter.

“Their purpose is to bolster their positions in states as an early step before the 15th general election. Their plan is that when they win in the upcoming general election, they will be able to use their position to settle their cases of abuse of power, and theft of the people’s money and possessions.”

While some have said that the court cluster and so-called kleptocrats are not contesting the election themselves, he said candidates running on Umno/Barisan Nasional tickets would lend strength to this group.

“Your votes will determine which party leads the next Johor administration,” he said.

Mahathir’s letter comes days after former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin issued a similar warning, saying the person who leads Umno during the election is the party president.

“If they win the election, in general the person who is appointed as prime minister is the party president. If this should happen, then the plans of the court cluster will be achieved.

“They will return to power and settle their problems, God forbid,” he said in a Facebook post.

“The only way to defeat the court cluster is to ensure that BN does not win the Johor election.”

The court cluster refers to a group of Umno MPs including former prime minister Najib Razak and party president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi who are facing criminal charges in court.