KUALA LUMPUR – Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad today said Datuk Seri Najib Razak is nothing like his father, the country’s second prime minister Tun Abdul Razak Hussein, as the two former prime ministers continue to lock horns ahead of the Johor election.
In his second open letter to Johor voters ahead of next month’s poll, Dr Mahathir drew comparisons between Razak and his son, noting that one is a nationalist while the other a thief.
According to the Pejuang chairman, his contempt for Najib was not personal, but said this had only brewed after the latter’s involvement in the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) scandal.
Dr Mahathir noted that, prior to this, he had even personally supported and pushed for Najib to become the deputy prime minister when Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi held the country’s top government post.
“Apart from believing that Najib is qualified, I also felt indebted to his father Tun Razak, who helped me in my political career,” he said today.
“Unfortunately, Najib is nothing like his father. Tun Razak is a dignified nationalist and warrior. Najib, meanwhile, robbed national assets with the help of Jho Low.
“Foreign newspapers labelled Najib as a ‘plundering idiot’, while the appeals court described him as a ‘national embarrassment’.”
Dr Mahathir said that, despite this, Najib is still shameless and is continuing his efforts to regain political influence with the assumption that if he is in power, he would escape court action.
His letter today was in response to Najib’s Facebook post on February 15, which mocked Dr Mahathir by saying the nonagenarian must have recovered from his illness to be able to pen an open letter to Johoreans attacking him.
In his first open letter dated the same day, Dr Mahathir had said that the upcoming Johor polls on March 12 was planned by Umno’s “court cluster” as a preparatory move to win the next general election.
Today, the two-time former prime minister stressed on the importance of ensuring Najib does not return to power and said he would continue to mention the latter’s name and others involved in graft for the good of the country.
Dr Mahathir also noted that it was Najib’s own brother, Tan Sri Nazir Razak, who approached him seeking intervention after billions of ringgit were reported missing during the peak of the 1MDB scandal.
“At the time, justice was yet to be served on the crime that took place.
“Nazir wrote in length about the scandal and the crimes committed by his brother. He did so feeling ashamed that his own family was involved.” – The Vibes, February 20, 2022
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