Najib has undermined democracy, says Dr Mahathir

Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad says the prospect of Datuk Seri Najib Razak continuing to rule the country is ‘utterly depressing’. – The Malaysian Insider file pic, August 10, 2015.

Democracy in Malaysia is dead, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad declared in his blog today, saying that what Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak had done to investigations into 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) was "unprecedented" and aimed at "sustaining himself".

In a lengthy post on his blog chedet.cc, the former prime minister who led Malaysia for 22 years said people were now "at a loss as to what to do" because of the blatant moves by the current administration against those involved in investigating 1MDB.

He mentioned the former attorney-general, Parliament's Public Accounts Committee (PAC), the police action against the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) and the special task force that had been investigating 1MDB.

"What Najib is doing is unprecedented in Malaysia. The people are at a loss as to what to do. The prospect of Najib continuing to rule this country is utterly depressing.

"The Malaysia where elections can even see opposition parties winning whole states will be no more.

"Democracy is dead. It is dead because an elected leader chooses to subvert the institutions of government and make them his instruments for sustaining himself.

"There is no more democracy for anyone to undermine. Certainly talking about 1MDB will not undermine something that no longer exists. If anyone should be questioned by the police, it is Najib," Dr Mahathir wrote today.

In his blog post, he recounted some of 1MDB's alleged misdeeds, including its joint venture with PetroSaudi International and its funds in the Cayman Islands, the whereabout of which he said nobody could be certain of now, saying it was unclear if the money repatriated was in units of assets or cash.

He recounted 1MDB's struggle to pay interest on loans and how tycoon Tan Sri Ananda Krishan's help was sought, as well as Putrajaya's credit line of RM900 million.

Dr Mahathir then detailed how Najib had systematically clamped down on investigations into allegations of US$700 million (RM2.6 billion) in his personal bank accounts, after the claim was reported by The Wall Street Journal (WSJ).

He said Najib had called it a donation because he could not deny outright WSJ's report that the money had gone to his accounts.

He listed the steps Najib took, first by telling the public to stop talking about 1MDB, then by sacking Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail who was part of the special task force investigating the claims, and subsequently dismissing Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin from the Cabinet.

Dr Mahathir said the new deputy prime minister, Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, "had never questioned Najib about 1MDB".

He then noted how the Cabinet reshuffle by Najib had "effectively paralysed" PAC and stopped its work of investigating 1MDB.

He also delved into the harassment of MACC officers by police.

Dr Mahathir said there was rumour now that another member of the task force – the Bank Negara Malaysia's governor – was being investigated for corruption.

"With PAC and the task force paralysed and the A-G sacked, investigation work on the 1MDB and the 2.6 billion in Najib’s private account grinds to a complete halt.

"Najib is now safe from being charged with illegally amassing funds," he wrote.

- TMI