PRIME Minister Najib Razak today launched his most scathing attack yet against his former boss Dr Mahathir Mohamad, accusing the older man of stooping to anything to ensure his son becomes prime minister.
 
“Mahathir demanded Abdullah Badawi resign as Prime Minister, now demands my resignation, and will demand my successor resigns until his son becomes Prime Minister – whatever the cost to Malaysia.
 
“This time we will not let him succeed because democratic process must prevail, and the interest of the country must come before Mahathir’s family,” said Najib in a press statement released around 9.30pm tonight.
 
Najib said Dr Mahathir would stop at nothing to get what he wants.
 
“He (Dr Mahathir) has no principles and will do anything – including allying with those he jailed, calling for foreign intervention in our sovereign democratic nation, sabotaging our economy and making 100 U-turns to manipulate people’s minds – just as a means to achieve his desired results.
 
“Anwar may fall for this, but I believe the nation will not. Because with only one Parliamentary seat, the Chairman of Pribumi cannot decide who becomes Prime Minister. It would be grossly undemocratic,” said Najib.
 
The prime minister said Dr Mahathir’s actions were motivated by selfish personal interest.
 
“He is obsessed with saving his family legacy and making his son Mukhriz Mahathir Prime Minister,” charged Najib, who has just returned from a holiday in Bali, Indonesia.
 
Najib also poured scorn on the Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia chairman backing Anwar to be prime minister.
 
“His latest U-turn and backing Anwar to be Prime Minister is not what it seems. It comes after 20 years of Mahathir vilifying him and using every possible means at his disposal to eliminate Anwar from the political process, including arresting him under the now-repealed Internal Security Act, prosecuting and jailing him and a sustained campaign to attack his moral character.
 
“However, as Mahathir knows well, Anwar cannot legally contest, so this U-turn is not about the coming general election. In reality, Mahathir’s new appeasement of Anwar is driven by his deep concern about the Cabinet’s decision to form a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) to investigate the truth behind the Bank Negara RM30 billion forex losses during his Premiership, as detailed in the Special Task Force report.
 
Najib said Mahathir knew that the RCI findings could lead to criminal prosecution, so he cannot afford to have individuals highly relevant to the case such as Anwar testify against him.
 
“It is ironic that Mahathir now needs Anwar, the man he sacked and jailed. Just as he now needs Lim Kit Siang, another man he jailed, because in reality Kit Siang controls the opposition as DAP has the vast majority of Parliamentary seats – whereas Mahathir’s party has just one,” said Najib. – July 7, 2017.