Group questions Dr M’s claim of 1.2mil signatures

Different figures from Pakatan and Mahathir, MCMC urged to investigate online collection of signatures

(FMT) – A claim of 1.27 million signatures for the Citizens’ Declaration has come under question by an organisation of Malay groups.

Pertubuhan Gabungan Melayu Nusantara Negeri Sembilan pointed out that two different figures had been given about the number of people who had signed, and urged the authorities to investigate.

The declaration is part of the Save Malaysia campaign initiated by former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad in his efforts to force prime minister Najib Razak out of office.

The group’s president, Mustafa Abu Bakar, said Dr Mahathir had claimed that the declaration, which he described as the “Mahathir Declaration” had been signed by 1.27 million people. However “a statement from Pakatan Harapan secretariat stated that the number of signatures collected was 500,000,” he said.

He urged the Internet regulator, Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission, to carry out immediate investigations into especially on the signatures gathered online, Bernama reported.

“We want the truth and want to know who is lying about the number of signatures collected,” he told reporters on Saturday.

Mustafa said he understood that only 800 to 1,000 people mainly from DAP, had attended the various events on a roadshow conducted by Dr Mahathir and his allies.

On Friday Dr Mahathir was reported to have said that 1.07 million signatures had been collected online, 200,000 more signatures were on printed forms, and 50,000 recorded on the online petition website Change.org.

On Wednesday, the Save Malaysia campaign secretary, Kamarudin Jaafar, was quoted as telling Sinar Harian that 500,000 people had signed the 37-point declaration.

The figure was in contrast to a claim made in a Facebook posting by Mahathir’s son Mukhriz that the declaration had obtained a million signatures.

However on Friday, Dr Mahathir said at a press conference that 1,071,997 verified signatures were received online and 200,000 physical signatures on copies of the declaration. The verified signatures did not include 253,505 signatures that were rejected for being incomplete, duplications or discrepancies.

He also claimed that the roadshows had “received overwhelming support even in the rural and remote areas” contrary to media reports.