MUSTAPA Mohamed was unhappy serving in Najib Razak’s government due to its numerous misdeeds, but was too afraid to speak up.

Dr Mahathir Mohamad, revealing this today, said Mustapa, better known as Tok Pa, was in contact with him back then.

“Even when he was in Najib’s cabinet, he used to see me. He was not happy, but he was afraid. A lot of people were afraid of Najib,” the prime minister told a press conference at the Perdana Leadership Foundation in Putrajaya, after chairing a Pakatan Harapan leadership council meeting.

Former international trade and industry minister Mustapa quit Umno in September, and last month joined Dr Mahathir’s Bersatu.

The Jeli MP previously said he quit the Barisan Nasional lynchpin as he no longer believed in the party’s struggle.

Other Umno leaders are expected to follow suit.

Dr Mahathir said Bersatu will only accept Umno defectors who have been vetted and are free from graft charges.

He reiterated that those planning to leave Umno should become independents first, and apply to join Bersatu only afterwards.

“We will assess the quality of those who want to join (Bersatu). Not all of them are guilty.

“The ones who supported those who had stolen money, we will obviously not take them in. We will have to follow what is happening in the courts.” – November 3, 2018.