So many supporters, so little time, Najib tells crowd before leaving Pekan

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak bidding farewell to his home town of Pekan, Pahang, after a whirlwind tour of two states Perak and Pahang, today to rally support following attacks by former PM Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, among others. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Afif Abd Halim, May 23, 2015.Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak today told his constituents in Pekan of his difficulty in making time in his schedule to meet the thousands of supporters eager to see him in Pahang and Perak today.

In a speech at the launch of an automotive fair at the Sultan Abu Bakar Lake Garden in Pekan, the prime minister said he had been delayed because he was unable to turn down a request to meet 30,000 of his supporters in Perak earlier.

“I was forced to adjust my programme this morning at the request of the Perak Menteri Besar, who had organised a massive gathering where 30,000 had come to express their support to me as the prime minister.

 “I apologise for my late appearance because it was rather difficult for me to reject such a request,” Najib told some 4,000 people who had been waiting for over two hours for him to arrive.

The Umno president also told the crowd that he was forced to cut his speech short today as thousands more were waiting for him at the airport in Kuantan.

“My time is so limited, because at the airport in Kuantan there will be many, thousands, that will gather there, and after this I must visit other areas.”

Najib is shuttling between Perak, Pahang and Kuala Lumpur for different events today. The prime minister, who is under severe criticism amid calls to resign by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, has recently begun responding to allegations against him on his leadership and policies through Umno gatherings and on his website.

Najib today thanked those who had appeared at the gathering in Pekan, “especially” those who had come with banners expressing their support for him.

“InshaAllah, with your support, ladies and gentlemen, I will continue my leadership for the sake of the rakyat and the country’s interests,” said Najib.

The event today saw busloads of locals and government-friendly groups ferried to the area, courtesy of Umno grassroots leaders here.

Najib has been facing pressure to resign over a myriad of issues, including the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal and the murder of a Mongolian woman, Altantuya Shaariibuu.

Former prime minister, Dr Mahathir has, in recent months, repeatedly asked Najib to step down, saying that Barisan Nasional would not win the next general election if the prime minister continued to stay in power.

- TMI