I’m prepared to be investigated — Dr Mahathir

PUTRAJAYA: Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad Monday said that he is willing to be investigated for alleged corrupt conduct during his tenure as prime minister.

“I disagree when people say it’s not easy to investigate a Tun because I am easy. Anytime you can investigate me. I am prepared to be investigated.

“(They) can look into my accounts, at any bank. Everything (they want), the government can have the access to investigate,” he told a press conference here yesterday.

Dr Mahathir said this in response to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s statement Sunday that it is not easy to conduct investigations on high-profile figures, including those with the title of Tun, in connection with the misappropriation of government funds.’

The former premier said, however, that every allegation must be presented with evidence to enable investigations by the authorities and also to allow him to prepare for his defence in court.

Dr Mahathir has served as Prime Minister twice, first from July 1981 until October 2003, and then from May 2018 until February 2020.

On the Malaysian AntiCorruption Commission’s (MACC) investigation into his son, Mirzan, Dr Mahathir described the agency’s order for the businessman to declare all his assets acquired over 42 years within a 30-day period, as “unreasonable.”

On Jan 18, the MACC was reported to have served Mirzan a notice under Section 36(1)(b) of the MACC Act 2009, requiring him to declare all movable and immovable assets in his possession within 30 days from the date of the notice.