Dr M at Istana Negara for audience with Agong

KUALA LUMPUR: Pejuang pro tem chairman Dr Mahathir Mohamad has arrived at Istana Negara for an audience with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah.

This will be the first time the former prime minister has been granted an audience with the King after he was appointed interim prime minister last February, when his resignation saw the collapse of the Pakatan Harapan government.

The King has granted audiences to several political party leaders separately to discuss the emergency and measures to combat the Covid-19 pandemic.

Today’s audience comes following a press conference Mahathir held outside Istana Negara on April 20 with the Tamat Darurat committee, where the group attempted to hand over a memorandum requesting for an audience with the King to inform him about the negative impact of the emergency and the need to call it off for the sake of the rakyat.

However, Mahathir said they were only able to meet with the King’s private secretary.

Last week, Mahathir said he had submitted an appeal to the King on May 31 asking him to look into the rakyat’s problems, referring to the surge in Covid-19 cases, deaths and the emergency.

“We believe the King is the protector of the rakyat. So, when the rakyat are disappointed because they are not getting any attention from the government, they look up to the King to solve their problems,” he said at an online press conference.

The King has granted audiences to several political party leaders separately over the next two days to discuss the emergency and measures to combat the Covid-19 pandemic, with MCA president Wee Ka Siong and PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man the first two to be granted audiences today.

It is understood that Warisan president Shafie Apdal has also been granted an audience with the King this afternoon, and Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi tomorrow.

A trio of Pakatan Harapan leaders – PKR president Anwar Ibrahim, DAP secretary- general Lim Guan Eng and Amanah president Mohamad Sabu – were granted audiences with the King yesterday. — Free Malaysia Today