KUALA LUMPUR, July 29 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has dismissed Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s prediction of a 5-1 victory for Perikatan Nasional (PN) in the state polls, calling it wishful thinking.

National daily New Straits Times reported that the Pakatan Harapan (PH) chairman as saying he has confidence in the Pakatan Harapan-Barisan Nasional (PH-BN) collaboration and expressed his optimism that a significant surprise awaits on polling day.

"He (Mahathir) thinks they (PN) will win 5-1, and that’s his assumption or expectation. When he contested in Langkawi (in the 15th general election), he said he could win big, but in the end, when the results were announced, he lost his deposit.

"Now, he says they will win 5-1. Learn from experience. When he says there will be a big win, it means losing the deposit.

"God willing, we will see a big surprise happen in the state elections this time,” he was quoted as saying at the launch of Terengganu’s Desa Sentuhan Kasih programme at the Al Muktafi Billah Shah City Sports Complex yesterday.

On Friday, when speaking at the 13th Social Entrepreneur Day Assembly in Langkawi, Dr Mahathir said that PN could easily win 5-1 in the upcoming elections in six states.

He said the coalition has good potential to maintain power in Kelantan, Terengganu, Kedah and seize Selangor and Negeri Sembilan but could not penetrate Penang.

The Election Commission (EC) has set August 12 as the polling date for the state elections in Selangor, Kedah, Penang, Kelantan, Terengganu and Negeri Sembilan as well as the Kuala Terengganu by-election.