Mahathir, 90, is Malaysia’s longest-serving prime minister, having stepped down in 2003 after 22 years in power.
Since last 12 months, Mahathir has called on Najib to step down over scandal-hit state investment firm 1 Malaysia Berhad (1MDB), which has racked up 50 billion ringgit in debt over six years. Najib chairs 1MDB’s advisory board.
It’s completely absurd they usually [Najib and his supporters] he should know him higher
Mukhriz (51) is a politician of the ruling Umno party. But he said it South China Morning Mail He
he has no ambition to turn out to be Malaysia’s prime minister and has vehemently denied the federal government’s accusations.
Mukhriz, the fourth of Mahathir’s seven children, has an older brother, Mokhzani. Mahathir has publicly banned his members of the family from engaging in politics while in office.
“When he was a household name [Mahathir] was party president and prime minister that he discouraged family members, especially Mokhzani and me, from playing an active role in politics and government to avoid accusations of nepotism,” Mukhriz said.
“You would think so if he did [Mahathir] he had such ambitions for me, he could have easily realized it when he was in power. Why wait 13 years after retirement?
“It’s completely absurd, and they [Najib and his supporters] he should know him better than he is [Mahathir] he was their boss for 22 years.”
Mukhriz first ran for election in 2004 for the Umno Youth chief position in Kubang Pasu, Kedah, a position previously held by his father, and lost.
“My father told me I would fail, and I did. This was a real wake-up call for me that nothing can be taken for granted. It was a baptism by fire,” Mukhriz said.
Later that 12 months, Mukhriz won a seat on the Umno Youth executive council by winning probably the most votes.
His political star began to rise in 2008, when he won a parliamentary seat in Jerlun, Kedah, and in 2009 he was appointed deputy minister of international trade and industry by Najib.
Soft-spoken and humble, Mukhriz is described as closer to his gentle mother, physician Siti Hasmah, than to his tough, unyielding father.
“I actually don’t have any ambition to turn out to be prime minister because I believe it is a difficult job, especially now,” Mukhriz said. “If there is a leadership change, the new person will inherit the mess. I don’t envy the next one.
“I know how it is. I know how difficult it is. My father was [prime minister] for 22 years. It’s the kind of job you have to put your all into.”
On Tuesday, Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported that shortly before the country’s 2013 general election, $681 million in funds from 1MDB were transferred to Najib’s personal accounts. Najib’s adviser, Sarifuddin, denied the claims.
“The allegation that the funds came from 1MDB is completely false,” Sarifuddin said, repeating that the cash was a “donation” from the Saudi royal family.
“This is a lie that… Mahathir Mohamad tried unsuccessfully to overthrow the democratically elected government,” Sarifuddin said.
Najib denied any allegations and the country’s attorney general cleared him of any wrongdoing.
According to Mukhriz, 1MDB is in terrible shape.
“If the 1MDB issue just isn’t resolved quickly and satisfactorily, the nation will suffer… we do not understand how long it should take to repay these debts,” he said.
He criticized the sale of 1MDB’s core assets to “foreign firms” to lift money, saying there have been enough local firms with the financial resources and experience to seize the assets to lift funds.
“For us to lose such premium assets to other countries is, in my opinion, a serious loss,” he said.
“The money was loaned in billions of ringgit for development purposes. As we all know, tens of billions have gone missing. Now we have to sell these assets to pay off the debts… This is a double failure. We pay off debts and at the same time lose this property.”
[My father] it inspires much younger people to do something about our fate and never leave it to people we trust longer
At the top of last 12 months, the assets were purchased by Chinese state-owned enterprises.
Mukhriz can be the previous chief minister of the northern state of Kedah, where he served from 2013 to 2016. He stepped down in February after announcing that he had lost the support of a majority of the state legislature in a coordinated move by Najib’s camp to oust him while also attempting to muzzle his voice on various national issues.
Some observers concluded that Mukhriz was merely a victim of the quarrel between Najib and Mahathir.
According to Mukhriz, after his removal, Najib offered him the position of deputy minister, where he could be promoted to a full ministerial position inside a number of months. No portfolio was mentioned, but Mukhriz declined the offer.
“I thought it would be hypocritical of me to criticize [Najib] on the one hand, and on the other hand, take advantage of his offer,” Mukhriz said.
Although Najib is simply too entrenched within the system to be removed – general elections won’t be held until 2018, and he’ll remain in power because of the support of Umno’s 191 division chiefs – he’s believed to have lost significant public support.
“I think only 20 percent of Umno’s 3.4 million members support him,” Mukhriz said.
As criticism of Najib mounted, he cracked down on dissent and blocked at the least two critical news web sites.
Mahathir himself is under 4 police investigations. However, the previous leader just isn’t discouraged and delivers a series of speeches at public forums.
He recently launched a Save Malaysia campaign aimed toward collecting a million signatures to place pressure on the country’s Sultans, the normal rulers, to force Najib to step down.
When asked about Mahathir’s health, Mukhriz said “every little thing is advantageous.”
“He is almost 91 years old, but his health is fine,” he said. “He is driven, he is on a mission, so this is not the time to give up halfway. It inspires much younger people to do something about our fate and not leave it to people we trust longer.”
