The new Mitsubishi Triton Quest 4X2 MT

You would have known by now that the new Mitsubishi Triton is in Malaysia, with specs and estimated pricing released, along with the opening of order books. The variant featured in the teaser roadshow is the top-spec Triton Adventure, naturally. 

Entry-level variants are meant to be hidden away from public view and are rarely shown in promo materials, so here’s a rare pre-launch view of the base Triton Quest model, courtesy of oto.my. A Triton Lite replacement with a new name, the Quest is only available as a low-rider double-cab 4X2 manual, with an estimated price of RM71,000 OTR with insurance. 

- Source: Paultan.org

'Dia terlampau cantik untuk dipandang'

Lee Hee Danae dikatakan melakukan pembedahan plastik demi memenangi hati bekas kekasihnya.

SEORANG gadis remaja di China menjadi bualan hangat di internet apabila bertindak melakukan pembedahan plastik untuk memenangi semula hati bekas kekasihnya.

Lee Hee Danae, 15, mentransformasi dirinya menjadi anak patung Barbie hidup demi merealisasikan hasratnya itu.

Dia dikatakan melakukan pembedahan bagi mencantikkan lagi bahagian rahang, dagu dan matanya.

Lee yang berasal dari Wilayah Henan memuat naik gambarnya ke laman sosial Weibo dan pengikutnya kini mencapai kira-kira 400,000 orang.

Tidak dapat dipastikan jika usaha Lee ini membuahkan hasil atau jika bekas teman lelakinya mahu kembali ke pangkuannya, namun ramai pengikut di laman berkenaan memberi komen yang Lee "terlalu cantik untuk dipandang."

Sesetengah pengikutnya pula mengibaratkan Lee seperti 'semangat ular' yang merupakan sebuah kisah legenda rakyat China.

Pembedahan plastik, khususnya pembedahan pada bahagian kelopak mata dan rhinoplasty amat popular di China.

Pembedahan lazimnya untuk membuat struktur wajah kelihatan tirus di mana ia merupakan lambang kecantikan wanita di negara itu.

- Sumber: Astro Awani

10 fakta anda tidak tahu tentang Titanic

Titanic memiliki akhbarnya sendiri, Atlantic Daily Bulletin yang diterbitkan di atas kapal berkenaan. - Foto www.boston.com

Tanggal 14 April merupakan salah satu tarikh yang akan kekal dalam lipatan sejarah dunia. Pada tarikh ini pada tahun 1912, pada jam 11.40 malam, kapal RMS Titanic melanggar ketulan ais besar di Lautan Atlantik sebelum tenggelam kira-kira 2 jam selepas itu.

Kejadian menyayat hati ini mengorbankan 1,517 penumpang dan anak kapal.

Sebagai memperingati ulang tahun ke-103 tragedi ini, mari kita lihat 10 fakta yang mungkin anda tidak tahu tentang Titanic dan malapetaka dahsyat ini.

1. Latihan keselamatan bersama bot keselamatan dibatalkan

Semua orang tahu bahawa Titanic tidak membawa bot keselamatan yang mencukupi, tetapi ramai yang tidak tahu pada pagi hari kejadian, penumpang dan kru Titanic sepatutnya mengadakan latihan kecemasan bersama bot keselamatan. Ia bagaimanapun dibatalkan dan ramai percaya jika latihan itu dilakukan, ia boleh menyelamatkan lebih ramai nyawa.

2. Hanya 37 saat

Ketika pengawal peninjau memberikan amaran tentang ketulan ais tersebut, pegawai bertugas hanya mempunyai 37 saat untuk melakukan sesuatu. Pembantu kapten, William McMaster Murdoch, mengeluarkan arahan agar kapal dihalakan ke kiri serta merta, namun ia tetap gagal mengelakkan kapal itu daripada melanggar ketulan ais tersebut.

3. Akhbar Titanic

Titanic memiliki akhbarnya sendiri, Atlantic Daily Bulletin yang diterbitkan di atas kapal berkenaan. Ia melaporkan pelbagai berita; perniagaan, politik dan hiburan, malah turut menyenaraikan menu harian yang disediakan di atas kapal.

4. Bot keselamatan tidak penuh

Bukan sahaja tidak memiliki bot keselamatan yang mencukupi, tetapi hampir kesemua bot yang dilepaskan untuk menyelamatkan mangsa tidak diisi sepenuhnya. Bot pertama yang dilepaskan hanya membawa 12 orang walaupun mempunyai kapasiti seramai 40 orang, manakala bot-bot lain ada yang hanya membawa 20 hingga 30 mangsa, walaupun mampu diisi hingga 65 orang.

5. Dua tab mandi

Kebanyakan penumpang Titanic perlu berkongsi bilik air (kecuali penumpang kelas pertama yang mempunyai kemudahan bilik air peribadi). Penumpang kelas ketiga disifatkan paling 'malang' apabila terpaksa berkongsi tab mandi. Bayangkan, 700 orang berkongsi dua tab mandi!

6. Kapal paling dekat tidak beri respon

Ketika isyarat kecemasan dilepaskan Titanic, kapal yang berada dalam jarak paling dekat dengannya ialah The Californian. Namun tiada respon dari kapal berkenaan. Krew kapal The Californian dikatakan mengejutkan kapten mereka selepas melihat isyarat kecemasan itu, namun tiada arahan daripadanya untuk bertindak. Jika The Californian bertindak, mungkin lebih ramai mangsa boleh diselamatkan.

7. Dua anjing diselamatkan

Agak mengejutkan kerana ketika orang ramai dimaklumkan bahawa bot keselamatan tidak mencukupi dan keutamaan diberi kepada wanita dan kanak-kanak, dua ekor anjing rupa-rupanya 'terlepas' dan berjaya menaiki bot keselamatan dan diselamatkan.

8. Serombong hiasan keempat

Imej Titanic yang biasa kita lihat menerusi foto adalah sebuah kapal besar dengan empat serombong asap. Tetapi daripada empat serombong itu, hanya tiga yang berfungsi. Serombong keempat hanyalah hiasan semata-mata kerana pereka Titanic berpendapat kapal tersebut akan nampak lebih 'megah' dengan empat serombong asap.

9. Kapal penghantar surat

Singkatan RMS pada pangkal nama Titanic menggambarkan ia bukan sekadar sebuah kapal persiaran, tetapi juga berkhidmat sebagai penghantar surat. Terdapat 5 buah peti surat disediakan di atas kapal itu, dengan lima pegawai pos bertanggungjawab menyelenggara kira-kira 3,423 surat. Menariknya, tiada satu pun surat-surat ini berjaya ditemui selepas Titanic karam. Jika ada yang berjaya ditemui, ia akan tetap dihantar perkhidmatan pos Amerika Syarikat kerana kebanyakan surat itu dialamatkan ke Amerika Syarikat.

10. Pengurusan mayat

Kapal CS Mackay-Bennett menghabiskan masa lima hari untuk mencari sebanyak mungkin mayat mangsa Titanic. Kapal tersebut dibekalkan dengan 40 bahan pengawet, ais dan 100 buah keranda. Anak kapal CS Mackay-Bennett berjaya membawa naik 328 mayat, namun 119 daripadanya berada dalam keadaan yang terlalu teruk dan terpaksa dibiarkan 'tertanam' di dasar lautan.

- Sumber: Astro Awani 

Kereta dipandu oleh ‘robot’ sejauh 5,470km

Banyak yang kita sudah dengar daripada syarikat pengeluar kereta mengenai usaha membangunkan pemanduan autonomous, terutamanya Audi yang kami anggap sebagai peneraju teknologi ini. Tetapi, apa yang Audi (ataupun mana-mana syarikat kereta) capai tidak semestinya hanya dengan usaha satu pihak.

Untuk pemanduan autonomous, antara pihak ketiga yang membantu adalah Delphi, syarikat teknologi yang banyak menyumbang kepada industri automotif dan berpengkalan di UK.

Jika Audi boleh berbangga dengan kereta autonomous mereka yang boleh mengelilingi litar perlumbaan dan lebuhraya Autobahan, Baru-baru ini pasukan penyelidikan Delphi telah berjaya menjadi penumpang kepada sebuah kenderaan R&D autonomous sepenuhnya yang mereka gelar sebagai ‘Roadrunner’.

Jarak yang dilalui sungguh mengujakan iaitu melebihi 5,470km dari San Francisco, California ke kota New York! Ini jarak dari pantai barat Amerika Syarikat hinggalah ke pantai timurnya, merentas 15 negeri dan mengambil masa sembilan hari.

Perjalanan mereka bermula pada Mac 22 lalu dengan sebuah jentera Audi Q5 khas yang dilengkapi enam radar jarak jauh, empat radar jarak dekat, tiga kamera visual, enam unit LIDAR (teknologi ‘remote sensing’ yang mengukur jarak menggunakan pancaran laser), satu sistem lokalisasi, algoritma perisian pintar dan pelbagai sistem bantuan pemandu termaju. Mengikut Delphi, sehingga 99% daripada waktu pemanduan adalah tanpa input pemandu dan sepenuhnya menggunakan kawalan autonomous.

Sudah pasti pelbagai keadaan berjaya dilalui, termasuk jalan berbukit, kesesakan di samping terowong, halangan jalan raya dan suhu serta cuaca yang berubah-ubah. Pengguna jalan raya lain yang agresif juga tidak menjadi masalah besar kepada sistem ini dan mampu mengekalkan keselamatan penumpang.

Pasukan penyelidik Delphi mengumpul hampir tiga terabyte maklumat sewaktu perjalanan ini. Dan semuanya akan dianalisa untuk menambah baik teknologi keselamatan aktif yang juga sektor teknologi yang paling aktif berkembang bagi industri automotif.

- Sumber: Astro Publication 

Laluan khas basikal pertama di ibu kota kini dibuka

Laluan khas basikal pertama di Kuala Lumpur sepanjang 5.5 kilometer dari Dataran Merdeka ke Mid Valley, Bangsar, kini dibuka kepada umum.

KUALA LUMPUR: Laluan khas basikal yang pertama di Kuala Lumpur sepanjang 5.5 kilometer dari Dataran Merdeka ke Mid Valley, Bangsar, kini dibuka untuk kegunaan orang ramai.

Perasmian laluan tersebut disempurnakan Datuk Bandar Kuala Lumpur, Datuk Seri Ahmad Phesal Talib yang berbasikal menyusuri laluan tersebut bermula di Mid Valley bersama penunggang lain pada pagi Selasa.

“Saya berharap laluan basikal ini dapat dimanfaatkan sepenuhnya dan tidak disalahgunakan,” kata Ahmad Phesal dalam sidang media pelancaran laluan khas tersebut di Menara Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur (DBKL).

Pembangunan laluan khas menyusuri Sungai Klang, Brickfields, pekarangan Kompleks Dayabumi dan seterusnya Lebuh Pasar Besar itu dimulakan pada 2013 dan menelan belanja sekitar RM700,000.

Langkah ini bertujuan menggalakkan penggunaan basikal sebagai mod pengangkutan alternatif bagi mengurangkan jumlah kenderaan yang menyumbang kepada kesesakan lalu lintas setiap hari, selain usaha mengurangkan kadar pencemaran di Kuala Lumpur.

Selain itu, ia dapat menyemarakkan budaya berbasikal dalam kalangan masyarakat Malaysia terutamanya yang tinggal di ibu kota, sejajar pelaksanaan Fit Malaysia dalam membentuk negara yang lebih sihat dan cergas.

Sementara itu, dalam sidang media pada majlis tersebut, Ahmad Phesal berkata dua lagi projek laluan basikal akan menyusul, iaitu laluan dari Wangsa Maju ke Taman Melati sepanjang empat kilometer dan Wangsa Maju ke Taman Batu Muda sepanjang dua kilometer yang melibatkan kos pembangunan sekitar RM2.3 juta.

“Selain itu kami sedang memikirkan untuk membangunkan satu lagi projek seumpamanya di kawasan sepanjang Sungai Bunus. Kalau ia dapat diselaraskan dan diperluaskan sebagai sebahagian daripada rancangan pembangunan ‘Greater KL’, apa salahnya.”

Projek laluan basikal ini merupakan sebahagian pakej pelancongan ibu negara dalam memperkenal Kuala Lumpur sebagai bandar raya pesat membangun yang turut mempromosikan budaya sihat.

Bagaimanapun, Ahmad Phesal berkata laluan khas basikal Mid Valley-Dataran Merdeka itu masih terdapat banyak kekurangan yang perlu ditambah baik.

Untuk itu, beberapa cadangan penambahbaikan seperti penggunaan lampu solar dan pemasangan kamera litar tertutup (CCTV) untuk tujuan keselamatan selain pembangunan landskap di sepanjang laluan akan dilaksanakan dari semasa ke semasa.

Anggota peronda DBKL juga akan ditugaskan mengawal lalu lintas serta keselamatan penunggang yang menggunakan laluan tersebut.

“Kita akan menambah lagi kekuatan anggota berserta aset rondaan. Ketika ini DBKL memiliki unit peronda basikal dengan kekuatan seramai 20 orang anggota, dan 40 basikal akan ditambah dalam masa terdekat,” katanya.

- Sumber: Astro Awani 

Mazda3 Sedan 2.0-litre - review

Mazdas have been under the radar for a long time, pardon my saying this but the older generation still believes that Mazdas are unreliable and ugly cars. But look at the Mazda3, not only did this model make a comeback with a look that is miles sportier than the previous model, it is also jam-packed with Skyactiv technology.

Exterior (Score: 5/5)

It’s not to say that the previous generation Mazda3 looks bad, it just didn’t make a statement like the present one does. The new 3 is revolutionised with the KODO design language. Its sharp lines offer the car a fierce and stylish look that gives a person the impression of an aggressive shark. You can’t argue that the 3 grabs your attention when it comes cruising down the road, effortlessly making overtakes like a ballerina.

Interior (Score: 5/5)

It felt like I was sitting in a sports car the entire time I was in the Mazda3: the bucket seats are set so low to give you the impression that you’re sitting close to the ground, like you would in a sports car!

Everything about the interior is comfortable although tyre roar is louder than I would have expected. But despite having conversation getting drowned out by tyre roar, there is barely any engine whine. The only times you will hear the engine would be when i-stop kicks in to turn off the engine.

Power and handling (Score: 5/5)

Flex your foot on the throttle and the Mazda3 will just fly like, as you’ve guess it, a sports car. So not only does the car sit like a sports car, it’s got the power output and torque to match as well. Even if you drive the Mazda3 hard the car has brilliant road holding and is capable of holding its own even with a much fiercer car breathing down its neck!

Tech and Safety (Score: 3/5)

The Mazda3 comes equipped with six-airbags in the specially designed Skyactiv-Body that gave the car a high score of five-stars in the Euro NCAP. The bucket seats only served to give the illusion of a safe environment in the car.

Tech wise, the 3 comes equipped with the usual seven-inch centre display that comes with every new Mazda model that rolls out of the factory but unfortunately, the navigation isn’t the helpful technology that Mazda provided.

Summary

With interior that is covered in leather to feel premium to the touch, road-holding to rival an inexpensive sport car and a look that would make anybody think twice before overtaking, the Mazda3 is ticking all the right boxes as a driver’s car. Mazda has definitely jumped the ladder by creating a car that is so much more improved than the previous model that critics had to bite their tongues!

Overall score: 18/20

Mazda3 Sedan 2.0L 

Price: RM135,159.00 (without insurance, not inclusive of GST)

Engine:  1998cc, SKYACTIV-G, In-line 4 Cylinder DOHC 16 Valve, 162 @ 6000, 210 @ 4000

Transmission: SKYACTIV-DRIVE 6-Speed Automatic

Length/ width/ height: 4580/ 1795/ 1450

Weight: 1292kg

- Source: Astro Publication 

The Jungle Giants

The Jungle Giants are an Australian four-piece band, formed in 2011 in Brisbane, Queensland. Consisting of Sam Hales on vocals/guitar, Cesira Aitken on lead guitar, Andrew Dooris on Bass Guitar/Backing vocals and Keelan Bijker on drums/trombone. The four members attended the same high school and it wasn’t until university that they came together to create The Jungle Giants.

In May 2013, they released “I Am What You Want Me To Be”, the first new track off their debut album “Learn to Exist” which was released in August 2013. Learn to Exist was released on August 20, 2013 and received a positive response overall! They performed on the national Big Day Out touring festival alongside acts such as music juggernauts, Arcade Fire and Pearl Jam. The pop quartet have earned their stripes and are known for their electrifying and rousing live performances. “She’s A Riot” tackles the universal issues of love and loss with ultra-rhythmic percussive lines, chordal harmonies and pop sensibilities that will have you swooning over The Jungle Giants. They have a great sense of rhythm and nimble guitar lines which keeps the track going through the bouncy chorus with their jangly Afrobeat reminiscent of Jinja Safari or Hungry Kids of Hungary.

We asked Andrew Dooris, Bassist for The Jungle Giants a couple of questions about a typical day in The Jungle Giants’ studio, their unique sound and what sets them apart from other bands. 

1) Your debut album, Learn To Exist came out in August 2013. Was the response and outcome quite what you expected?

For Learn To Exist, we were all on a bit of a high because it was our first album and we’d taken a lot of time away from touring to focus on it. Not playing shows can make you forget that people might actually be interested in your music. So, really my expectations were met the moment we started playing shows again and the response was overwhelming.

2) It was about a three-year gap between your first EP and the album, does it feel like a lot of your hard work is paying off?

It’s funny you say hard work. I look back on all the time I’ve put in to this band since 2011 and it only occurred to me about halfway through last year that we had been ‘working hard’. I think the strongest thing in our band is that we’re constantly creating new goals to work towards as a team and for us, it’s not about hard work paying off, but living how we want to live and making that possible through whatever means we can.

3) Would you imagine being where you are today and what direction would you like to head towards as a band?

I guess the next step is releasing our second record and perfecting the live show to go along with it. From there, it’s anybody’s guess.

4) Who influences or inspires your music?

Sam’s Mum. 

5) If you could collaborate with any band or artist, who would it be?

It’s always changing, but through this album process we we’re listening to a lot of Caribou and Beck, especially Sam. I think he’d have a field day picking their brains.

6) What’s a typical day in the studio for The Jungle Giants?

We’ve always liked to record in rural places that have lots of space and nice views. This time around about the only consistently thing we did most days was have a fried breakfast and sit on the front deck with our morning coffee and stare out at the scenery. Oh, and we also played A LOT of FIFA. 

7) The band has a unique sound. Did you look to any specific albums or artists to spark ideas or to impact your music?

Nothing specifically. We love music, so we’re always searching for new things to listen to and to get obsessed with. There’s always a new album, every time we see each other and each one has influence on us. 

8) In terms of your overall sound, there are a lot of bands coming out with that indie-pop-rock sound. Do you think your effort into your song writing is a way of differentiating yourselves?

When we were first starting out, Indie-Pop/Rock was really the thing that caught our ears, but quickly we started taking a lot more interest in music from a range of different styles and cultures. So, when it came to producing new material we always had a new set of musical vocabulary to write into the song. I think it’s the progression of our songs and tastes that has set us apart.

9) Were there struggles or did things just flow naturally while you were in the recording studio?

For me, the struggles always come before we enter the studio. I get about 2 weeks of insanity around a month before we go in almost every time. By the time, I go in I’m fine, but that’s just when it hits me. We’re all different and we all have our days, but we’re quite attuned to each other, and we talk a lot about our expectations before we do anything – so there’s almost never in-fighting and morale as a group is generally high. 

10) You’re renowned as a band for your live shows. How important is it to get it right? What do you do that set you apart from other bands?

It’s very important, especially in the current landscape of music. If you want to be a professional band, you cannot have a weak live show. For us, playing live was always the purpose of our band. We would write the songs for the stage, imagining the movement of the crowd. It’s only been probably the last year and a half that we’ve really learned to express ourselves in the same way in the studio. I don’t know what sets us apart, but we all genuinely love it.

11) You guys are a rather stylish bunch, what is your favourite item in your closet?

I bought this vintage 70s burnt-orange leather jacket in New York on a holiday, but I haven’t had the chance to wear it in Brisbane because it’s so hot! I can’t wait to wear it.

12) What would you like to do while you are in Malaysia?

I’m really interested by Malaysian cuisine. The fusion of Indian, Chinese and Malay food just sounds really exciting to me. So, I’m just planning on eating until I explode. I might have to buy a second seat on the way home.

13) What are your plans for the band in the near future? 

In the coming months, we’ll be releasing a single, doing a South East Asian tour, then coming straight home to do a tour at home, and then rehearsing and organizing things for the album and the touring to follow it. I can’t wait. 

- Source: Astro Publication 

Kim Kardashian, Kanye West in Jerusalem to baptise daughter

Kim Kardashian carries her daughter North West as she and her husband Kanye West (back) exit a car upon their arrival at the Armenian St. James Cathedral in Jerusalem's Old City on April 13. - AFP Photo/Ahmad Gharabli

JERUSALEM: US reality TV star Kim Kardashian and her rapper husband Kanye West were in Jerusalem's Old City Monday for the baptism of their daughter at the Armenian Cathedral.

The couple flew in from a tour of Armenia, landing at Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion airport before driving straight to the Holy City for the ceremony.

As the convoy pulled up to St James Cathedral in a narrow street of the Armenian Quarter, hundreds of fans thronged the car, screaming and wolf-whistling as Kardashian climbed out holding her 21-month-old daughter, North.

"It's a baptism that will take place," Archbishop Aris Shirvanian told reporters gathered at the entrance to the church.

"Kim Kardashian's daughter will be baptised and she will become a Christian officially and a member of the Armenian church."

The diminutive star, known for her curves, was modestly attired in a floor-length gold pleated dress, with long sleeves and plunging cross-over neckline, while her daughter wore a long white dress, her feet bare despite unseasonably chilly weather.

West was dressed all in white.

The couple disappeared into the church for the ceremony, and left after 90 minutes, an AFP correspondent said.

They were later expected to visit the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the Christian Quarter, with US security guards seen combing the sprawling basilica built on the site where Christians believe Jesus was crucified and rose again.

They were also expected to visit the Western Wall, the holiest site at which Jews can pray which is in the Jewish Quarter.

The Los Angeles-based celebrity's Armenian roots are on her father's side, with the family emigrating to the US from an area that now lies inside Turkey.

Her eight-day trip to Armenia coincided with memorial ceremonies to mark the centenary of the massacres of as many as 1.5 million Armenians in the last days of the Ottoman Empire.

Many historians describe the World War I slaughter as the 20th century's first genocide, but Turkey hotly denies the accusations.

Pope Francis used the word "genocide" at a special mass at the Vatican on Sunday to mark the centenary, sparking fury from Turkey.

- Source: AFP

Google.com.my hacked?

A screengrab of the message that was posted on the Google Malaysia website today

KUALA LUMPUR: Has the Google Malaysia website been hacked? Attempts to visit the popular search engine's website at www.google.com.my were futile this afternoon as a message on the page read: "Google Malaysia Hacked by TiGER-M@TE #Bangladeshi HackeR."

Google Malaysia's spokesman, Zeffri Yusof, said they were aware of the incident but clarified that the domain was not compromised.

"We’re aware that some users are having trouble connecting to google.com.my, or are being directed to a different website. Google services for the google.com.my domain are not compromised. We’ve reached out to the organisation responsible for managing this domain name and hope to have the issue resolved," he told Astro AWANI when contacted.

At the time of writing, google.com.my however continues to be inaccessible.

This is not the first time that the search engine’s URL had been compromised. In 2013, a similar attempt was made on the Google website in Malaysia.

Micro-blogging site Twitter was filled with reactions from social media users who are currently facing problems accessing the website.

Some even felt that the incident was humorous in nature.

- Source: Astro Awani | April 14, 2015 

Mukhriz tidak perlu dipaksa sokong Najib - KJ

Menteri Besar Kedah, Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir tidak perlu dipaksa untuk menyatakan sokongannya terhadap Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Razak kata Khairy Jamaluddin.

KUALA LUMPUR: Menteri Besar Kedah, Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir tidak perlu dipaksa untuk menyatakan sokongannya terhadap Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

Itu pandangan Ketua Pemuda UMNO, Khairy Jamaluddin yang dipetik The Star Online yang turut berkata Mukhriz adalah seorang ahli politik yang berpengalaman.

“Saya percaya dia memahami keadaan dan dia akan membuat satu kenyataan tentang kedudukannya dalam masa yang sewajarnya .

“Beliau sedar apa yang sedang berlaku dan saya percaya beliau akan membuat pendiriannya . Tidak ada keperluan untuk memberi tekanan kepadanya,” Khairy dilaporkan berkata selepas menghadiri satu majlis di Putrajaya hari ini.

Sebelum ini, Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri (Adun) Bukit Lada, Datuk Ahmad Lebai Sudin menggesa agar Mukhriz meletak jawatan sekiranya tidak dapat menyatakan pendiriannya tentang sokongannya terhadap kepimpinan Najib.

Beliau berkata Menteri Besar adalah jawatan yang dilantik oleh Perdana Menteri dengan sokongan Adun Barisan Nasional dan sekiranya beliau tidak lagi menyokong Perdana Menteri, lebih baik untuk beliau meletakkan jawatannya.

Mukhriz yang juga Pengerusi Badan Perhubungan UMNO Kedah sebelum ini berkata beliau akan mengeluarkan kenyataan rasmi tentang pendirian UMNO Kedah terhadap kepimpinan Najib pada 24 April di Kuala Lumpur selepas mesyuarat dengan kesemua pemimpin UMNO negeri itu.

Mesyuarat itu akan membincangkan pendirian rasmi UMNO negeri itu tentang sokongan terhadap Perdana Menteri.

Kebelakangan ini Dr Mahathir sering mengeluarkan kenyataan mengkritik Najib atas pelbagai isu termasuk kes pembunuhan Altantuya dan 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB). 

- Sumber: Astro Awani