The BN Backbenchers Council today urged Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak to stand up for himself on thorny issues raised by former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

Its president and Johor Bahru MP Shahrir Samad said BN MPs support and defend Najib, but it is best that he also speaks for himself.

"We have discussed this with the PM and we feel that we'll answer on things that we are able to, especially the purchase of the government jet , 1Malaysia Development Bhd and the goods and services tax.

"All this we can answer but we also advised him to speak up on this himself when the time is right. And I don't think this is a problem for him.

"Sometimes we cannot pretend nothing is happening, and I am confident Najib will answer the allegations made against him," he told reporters at the Parliament building today.

Shahrir (left) also frowned on Mahathir's "personal attacks" against Najib.

He said that when he asked Najib how things are between him and Mahathir, the PM said: "Hot and cold."

Mahathir last week took to his blog to attack Najib's credibility by among others asking who ordered the murder of Mongolian national Altantuya Shaariibuu.

Najib was linked to the murder when police commandos assigned as his bodyguards and his close associate Abdul Razak Baginda were charged in 2006.

The bodyguards were sentenced to death for the murder while Abdul Razak was acquitted of abetment.

One of the bodyguards, Sirul Azhar Yusuf, fled to Australia to escape the hangman’s noose and has threatened to tell all on the murder.

We believe Najib's sumpah laknat

But Shahrir said the case had gone through courts while Najib took a religious oath ( sumpah laknat ) to prove he did not know Altantuya.

"It’s strange that a statement by someone convicted of a crime is given more weight [...]

"As Muslims, we saw Najib sincerely take the oath. This is why we have no doubts about his position in the case.

"As human beings, we are not only guided by law but also religion and faith," he said.

Shahrir said BN MPs were silent when Mahathir launched broadsides against his successor Abdullah Ahmad Badawi because Abdullah made clear his intention to resign after the 12th general election.

"There will be no end to this if we keep quiet (this time)," he said.

He said Mahathir (right) is not aware of what BN and Umno is doing at grassroots level so his assessment that Najib has no support is not true.

"Yes, we leave it to the both of them to discuss but if they can’t do this, we as party representatives and MPs need to show our support for Najib.

"If people ask why we support him, the answer is we are happy with his administration."

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