“PH has never given money to anyone,” he told reporters after the launch of a liquid petroleum gas composite cylinder product at the Royal Chulan Hotel today.

Mahathir said money given by the government was usually for a targeted group which stood to benefit from the funds.

“The money is given by the government, everyone will get it. That is all,” he added.

Arvind Bharet, the Jelai PH operations centre deputy chief, had clarified that those in the pictures, posted on social media yesterday morning, were volunteers receiving reimbursements for their petrol expenses.

He said the volunteers had gone to Tanah Rata on their motorcycles from their homes in the interior areas during nomination on Saturday.

“These reimbursements will be declared as part of election expenses.

“Everything has been done in accordance with the law,” he said in a statement in response to criticism from social media users as well as several Barisan Nasional leaders.

The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission meanwhile said it was investigating if PH members had indulged in vote-buying in the run-up to the parliamentary by-election.

Earlier in his speech, Mahathir said Putrajaya had policies in place to further industrialise the country.

“For this, we do not rely on local and foreign investors to manufacture local products. We also need support from the people.

“The people need to support the local industry if they want Malaysia to be an industrial nation,” he said.

Mahathir, who is also PH chairman, said they were aware that an industrialised nation would generate more profits and offer more job opportunities for Malaysians.

“When something is produced in Malaysia and subsequently exported, there will not be an outflow of our money,” he added.

“There are also many economical benefits to Malaysia. The government encourages more local industries to come up, and we will support them to the best of our abilities.”