“All's fair in love and war, and in elections,” said former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

He was referring to the smear campaign against Hulu Selangor by-election candidate Zaid Ibrahim, doctored pictures of whom have appeared in BN-friendly blogs.

NONE Mahathir, a veteran of election campaigns since his first election as MP in 1964, pointed out that he, too, had been at the receiving end of such tactics.

“ Saya dulu pun kena macam-macam (I, too, have been hit with all sorts of attacks). Last time, someone said I had a (second) Chinese wife, in Singapore.

"That's politics," he quipped.

Asked whether such tactics would translate to votes for BN, he said this is hard to tell.

“Maybe, maybe not. It's up to the voters to believe. Those who listen (to the claims) should make up their own minds on whether to believe or not,” he said.

Mahathir was speaking to journalists after giving a talk to Islamic studies teachers and Perkim members in the Federal Territories Mosque in Kuala Lumpur this morning.

Mahathir also dismissed claims that MIC is an “Umno puppet” in the by-election.

“Those are just claims. If it was really true (MIC president), S Samy Vellu would have left (BN) a long time ago,” he replied with a smile.

On the recent exodus from PKR, Mahathir said the motion for this had been set a while back.

“The longer (PKR supporters) stay, the more they will come to their senses,” he said.

NONE It is only when people get close to PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim (right) - Mahathir’s one-time protege - that they will realise who he is, said Mahathir.

“He is not sincere. Anyone who supports Anwar in becoming prime minister, Anwar will also support them in return. That's why he supports Hindraf,” he said.

Mahathir cited the example of previously hardcore PKR leaders who have quit the party, including academician Chandra Muzaffar and Anwar's former lawyer Zainur Zakaria.

On trade ties with Iran

On an unrelated matter, Mahathir commented on the reported suspension of gasoline supplies to Iran as purportedly announced by Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.

“When I first read about it, I did not quite understand it, because Iran itself has a lot of gasoline. But I was disappointed. But Najib has clarified, and he denied the suspension.

“But if it really is true, we could lose a lot of trade and opportunities with Iran. We have a lot of trade with them,” he said.

iran military nuclear capability Scoffing at the US sanctions against Iran over its controversial nuclear programme, Mahathir wryly said that a lot of other powers, including Russia and China, are still dealing with the Islamic republic.

“That is the US' own stand,” he said.

AFP had quoted Najib as saying that Petronas would cut gasoline supplies to Iran, while calling on Tehran to review its uranium-enrichment programme.

The statement came last Friday on the heels of his meeting with US President Barack Obama at the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington.

However, Najib clarified his remarks the next day, saying that the deal was just a spot sale and that there have been no requests by Tehran since mid-March. He also said any decision on the sales would have been a purely commercial one.

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