Mahathir slams Najib over scandals

Kuala Lumpur, April 2: Influential former Malaysian leader Mahathir Mohamad on Thursday launched a stinging attack on beleaguered Prime Minister Najib Razak, demanding explanations in two highly sensitive scandals and warning the ruling party will lose power with Najib at the helm.

Mr Mahathir’s broadside is significant because the retired 89- year- old former strongman spearheaded a campaign against his own successor, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, that resulted in Abdullah’s 2009 ouster and replacement by Mr Najib. In his widely read blog, Mr Mahathir waded into previously taboo territory in calling for the truth to be revealed in a sensational scandal linked to Mr Najib that concerned alleged corruption in a submarine purchase and the still- unexplained 2006 murder of a Mongolian woman. He also raised questions over a state- owned investment company launched by Mr Najib that is mired in $ 11 billion of debt and has been hit by numerous reports of alleged fraud and questions over the whereabouts of hundreds of millions of dollars. Mr Mahathir, whose 1981- 2003 rule was marked by crony capitalism and a sharp curbing of civil liberties, has ramped up pressure on Najib since the premier led the long- ruling United Malays National Organisation to its worst showing ever in 2013 polls. But Thursday’s comments were Mahathir’s harshest yet. He said Malaysians “no longer trust” Mr Najib. “UMNO members and their leaders must realise that ( the ruling regime) will lose if Najib leads UMNO,” into the next elections due by 2018, he said. “It is not easy for me to write this blog post.”