Dr Mahathir was invited to Merdeka Celebration in 2022, records challenge government’s post-2018 protocol explanation

PUTRAJAYA — Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s press secretary, Sufi Yusoff, has challenged the government’s explanation that former prime ministers have not automatically received invitations to National Day celebrations since 2018, saying the former premier was officially invited to the 2022 event.

Sufi told Sinar Daily that records showed Dr Mahathir received an invitation to the Merdeka celebration in 2022, during the administration of then-prime minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

He said Dr Mahathir did not attend the 2022 celebration because of concerns related to the Covid-19 situation at the time.

“According to the records, from 2020 to 2026, the only Merdeka invitation received was in 2022, during Ismail Sabri’s administration.

“This negates the statement by the KSU (Communications Ministry secretary-general Datuk Abdul Halim Hamzah),” he said.

The disclosure adds a new dimension to the controversy surrounding Dr Mahathir’s attendance at this year’s Merdeka celebration, where images of the 101-year-old statesman in a wheelchair among members of the public sparked widespread debate over protocol, optics and the treatment of former national leaders.

The clarification came after the Communications Ministry, through the Secretariat of the 2026 National Day Celebrations, issued a statement explaining the protocol governing invitations to the annual celebration.

The secretariat said that, based on confirmation from the Prime Minister’s Department’s Istiadat and Intergovernmental Affairs Division (BIUPA), which manages invitations for major Federal Government events, former prime ministers have not been automatically invited to National Day celebrations since 2018.

It said the attendance of former prime ministers was not prohibited and could be arranged through an application by the individual concerned.

The statement was issued by Abdul Halim, who also chairs the Working Committee for the 2026 National Day and Malaysia Day celebrations.

The government’s explanation followed public reaction to Dr Mahathir’s presence at Monday’s National Day celebration in Dataran Putrajaya.

Photographs and videos showing the former prime minister in a wheelchair along the roadside, apparently without a reserved seat or shade, drew strong reactions on social media, with many Malaysians questioning whether a former prime minister of his age and stature should have been accommodated differently, regardless of political differences.

The secretariat’s statement also said it had been informed by the Prime Minister’s Office that Dr Mahathir was expected to be overseas from Aug 28 to Aug 31 this year.

It said the information was based on an application for a foreign travel facilitation letter that had been received and approved by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, in accordance with provisions under the Former Prime Ministers (Benefits) Act 1980.

However, Sufi said the information about Dr Mahathir’s expected absence did not address what he described as the central issue — that the former premier had not been invited to this year’s celebration.

“The statement said the committee was informed that Tun would be out of the country.

“But the fact remains that the Government did not invite Tun.

“If the Government did invite, perhaps Tun’s response would be different. But that’s moot at this point in time,” he said.

Sufi maintained that the issue came down to whether an invitation had been extended to Dr Mahathir.

“The issue ends with the fact that the Government did not invite Tun,” he said