Dr Mahathir facing four police investigations, including one for sedition

KUALA LUMPUR — The Malaysian police have opened four investigation papers against Dr Mahathir Mohamad for several offences, including sedition, after the former premier allegedly urged foreign intervention to oust Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak.

“Some are incomplete and some are being discussed with the Attorney-General,” Malaysian Police Chief Khalid Abu Bakar was quoted as saying by Malaysian media on Monday (April 11). 

“Some (investigations) are for sedition and some for other things. No decisions have been made so far.”

However, Dr Mahathir on Monday denied making such a call during his interview with Australian newspaper The Weekend Australian and shrugged off the latest probe against him.

“I didn’t asked for any foreign government (to interfere). I said that all the means of redress in this country has been shut down by Najib, so I will tell the foreign press about that,” he said. “They (the police) can investigate, they have done it twice. All my friends have also been investigated.” 

In the interview with the Australian broadsheet published last Saturday, Dr Mahathir had said there was “little hope” that Mr Najib would quit without external pressure.

“Normally I don’t like foreign interference in Malaysian affairs but our avenues for redress have been closed completely,” Dr Mahathir was quoted as saying. 

“So now we have to allow foreign­ interference in our domestic­ affairs. If it is legal, legitimate, yes. If they have informatio­n, they should give informa­tion. And if there is money laundering, just because it is Najib it doesn’t mean they should suspend that law.”

Mr Najib has been under intense political pressure over irregularities in 1MDB, as well as over RM2.6 billion (S$899 million) deposited into his private accounts.

The Wall Street Journal alleged last year that the money from 1MDB-linked entities was banked into Mr Najib’s accounts before the 2013 General Election, but local investigators have since declared the sum to be a gift from an Arab royal, the bulk of which has been refunded. 

Dr Mahathir’s interview with the The Weekend Australian caused a furore in Malaysia, with Communications and Multimedia Minister Salleh Said Keruak describing Dr Mahathir’s call “an act of desperation” while Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said such a move could result in the people losing respect for Dr Mahathir.

Monday’s police investigation was not the first for Dr Mahathir.

Last month, Deputy Home Minister Nur Jazlan Mohamed said the police are investigating Dr Mahathir, possibly for sedition,  following the statesman’s purported call for Malaysians to look “beyond the confines of the Federal Constitution” and seek the Malay Rulers’ help to oust Mr Najib. 

In February, the Malaysian police said Dr Mahathir was under probe for defaming the Attorney-General in blog posts criticising his failure to bring corruption charges against Mr Najib. Despite the investigations, no charges has been filed against the former premier, to date. AGENCIES