Mahathir accuses Najib of ‘destroying’ the nation

KUALA LUMPUR — Former Malaysian prime minister Mahathir Mohamad has vowed to topple Prime Minister Najib Razak, saying that he considered it a national duty, although the campaign is taking a toll on him. 

Accusing Mr Najib of  “destroying” the country by clinging to power despite a corruption scandal, he vowed to campaign vigorously for the opposition in the coming general election that has to be called by 2018, and that includes working with the party of his jailed former deputy Anwar Ibrahim. 

Anwar was the founder of opposition Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) and his wife, opposition leader Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, is the party’s president.

“For me overthrowing Najib is far more important than any personal feeling I have about anything else,” Dr Mahathir told AFP in an interview, in reference to patching up ties with Anwar and working with the opposition. 

“I know very soon I have to go the way other people go. I will die. But if I am alive and still capable, just to be selfish and think of my own comfort I think is wrong. I want to do something for this country. The main thing is they (the opposition) and I agree Najib is the destroyer of this country and Najib should be removed.” 

Anwar was deputy premier and heir apparent to Dr Mahathir until he was sacked in 1998 by his boss over political differences, an episode that continues to reverberate. Charged with sodomy and corruption, Anwar spent six years in jail. But he emerged to lead the previously ineffectual political opposition to strong electoral showings until he was jailed again last year by Mr Najib’s government. The two former nemesis reconciled in September when Dr Mahathir turned up at court and shook hands with Anwar in a show of support to his former deputy’s bid to challenge a new security law.

Dr Mahathir, who was Malaysia’s longest-serving prime minister, quit the ruling United Malays National Organisation (Umno) earlier this year after accusing Mr Najib of corruption linked to state investment firm 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB). 

The Prime Minister has denied any wrongdoing over 1MDB and consolidated power by cracking down on dissenters, stacking his Cabinet with loyalists, and securing the backing of powerful Umno division chiefs.

Dr Mahathir subsequently formed Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM) and joined hands with the opposition and critics of Mr Najib. Aligned with the opposition bloc, the bumiputra-centric party is made up mostly of former Umno members dissatisfied with Mr Najib.

Dr Mahathir warned in the interview that if Mr Najib were not ousted Malaysians were in for tough times amid rising prices of goods and a slowing economy on the back of mounting national debt. 

He also predicted that Mr Najib would play the race card to win support in the Malay-majority multiracial nation before the next national polls.

“He is going to be very Malay and very Islamic. He is moving away from that liberal attitude towards a more rigid and racist approach to the administration of this country,” Dr Mahathir said. “He wants the election to be between Malays against Chinese or Chinese against Malays.” 

Mr Najib and Umno no longer have popular support in Malaysia, Dr Mahathir claimed, predicting the opposition could win the elections. “Wherever I go, people actually curse Najib,” he said. “All over the country, you ask anyone, you ask a hawker, you ask a taxi driver ... they all don’t want Najib.” AFP