PKR vice-president Rafizi Ramli believes former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad will find it tough remove current Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak compared to predecessor Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

 

Rafizi said this after the stinging attack on Najib that Mahathir made on his blog today, which drew similarities to the moves he made in wanting to remove Abdullah from office several years ago.

 

“I think he will have difficulty in removing Najib who is much stronger than Abdullah - stronger not in terms of support from the Umno grassroots but in terms of zeal and the will to stay in power,” Rafizi told reporters today.

 

The Pandan MP added this was because Abdullah was willing to understand the message and move on, while Najib on the other hand would battle to stay in power till the bitter end.

 

“Najib is all about defending his position now. He will really put up a fight. I hope he won’t imprison Mahathir ( left ),” Rafizi added with a hint of sarcasm, referring to his own recent imprisonment.

 

Rafizi also surmised that Mahathir’s scathing post today was because he has not gathered enough traction from Umno members to support his move to oust Najib unlike in the time of Abdullah, where he was allegedly had help from the current Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin.  

 

“It is more difficult now to find a person who is willing to put his neck out to take out Najib. The last time, he (Mahathir) had Muhyiddin but as we all know he didn’t become prime minister.

 

“This time around, everyone is a lot more careful in playing the game. Nobody wants to be Brutus,” Rafizi ( left ) concluded.

Brutus was the Roman politician who infamously known for leading the conspiracy to assassinate dictator Julius Caesar.

 

Meanwhile, DAP lawmaker Tony Pua echoed Rafizi’s sentiments, that Mahathir’s blistering attack today was due to not gaining traction among Umno members in his drive to remove Najib from office.

 

“The reason he has to come out so harshly is because there is no momentum. Umno people are too scared to make a move. No one wants to act on it even if they are unhappy with Najib,” the Petaling Jaya Utara MP reckoned.

Related stories

Umno men defend Najib, say attacks too soon

Rafizi: Dr M won’t find it easy to get Najib out

Perkasa backs Dr M on solving Altantuya poser

Dr M wields his scalpel closer to the jugular

Ku Li: Dr M seeks answers, time for truth to emerge

Kadir: Will police report be lodged against Dr M?

Shahidan: Ku Nan must mediate PM-Dr M rift

Kit Siang: Send Dr M and Pak Lah to see Sirul

Dr M's anti-Najib rant sets Twitter ablaze

Dr M: Nobody trusts Najib, BN will lose

Mahathir: Who ordered killing of Altantuya?