KUALA LUMPUR – Former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak has doubled down on his cronyism allegations against Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, citing several business dealings between the latter’s sons and tycoons.
Responding to Dr Mahathir’s recent denial on the matter, Najib sarcastically noted two “coincidences”, with the first involving Datuk Danny Tan Chee Sing, the brother of Berjaya Corporation Bhd founder Tan Sri Vincent Tan Chee Yioun.
The Pekan MP also took a veiled swipe at Vincent Tan, who made recent headlines after it was revealed that former attorney-general Tan Sri Tommy Thomas had reduced drug charges against his son during Dr Mahathir’s second stint as prime minister.
Najib said one of the coincidences was Danny Tan buying over public-listed group Diperdana Corp Bhd in 1994, which was at the time Malaysia’s third-largest haulage company.
“But not even two years later, the brother of the tycoon (Vincent Tan) sold the company to (Dr) Mahathir’s eldest son (Mirzan Mahathir) who was aged 37 at the time,” Najib said on Facebook.
Dr Mahathir today dismissed the allegations, saying government backing was given to those with capability.
The former prime minister also rubbished claims that he practised nepotism during his time in federal power.
The Langkawi MP explained that when he led the government, support and grants were only given to individuals with potential and a good track record.
However, Najib said that, in 1997, Vincent Tan sold the largest hospital chain in the country, Hospital Pantai Bhd, to Dr Mahathir’s second son, Tan Sri Mokhzani Mahathir, who was aged 35 at the time.
The sale of the hospital chain, Najib said, came two years after Vincent Tan bought the company.
Najib also shared a link to an article about Mokhzani acquiring 35.53% of Hospital Pantai from Berjaya at RM306.3 million at the time.
“It feels like the tycoon’s investment style is to buy public-listed companies to be resold to Mahathir’s children less than two years after acquiring them, perhaps,” Najib said.
“It’s also a coincidence that the tycoon had obtained many government projects while Tun (Dr Mahathir) was the fourth prime minister.”
Najib also claimed Dr Mahathir had given Vincent Tan a 20-year gambling license monopoly for sports betting without any tender and cabinet approval, with licensing charges amounting to RM25 million when it could have amounted to tens of billions due to the long duration.
“That licence was frozen by Pak Lah (former prime minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi) when he was PM, and also frozen during my time as PM,” Najib said.
“So Tun M (Dr Mahathir) reproached me at the time.” – The Vibes, February 23, 2022
