Dr Mahathir Mohamad today said his indebtedness to former premier Abdul Razak Hussein will not blind him to any wrongdoing which may have been committed by the current premier.

While he may feel he owed his political career to Abdul Razak and has helped the son's rise to the top political position, Mahathir said he will not turn a blind eye to any wrongdoing.

"The truth is, I am indebted (to Tun Razak). Tun Razak uplifted me to become prime minister, and I tried to make his son prime minister (too).

"I love (him). I love (him). But even though I love (him), we must be concerned.

"We cannot love someone to the point that when they kill someone, we say ' ok la ', " he told a 500-strong audience in Kuala Lumpur today.

Mahathir, however, was quick to deny what he said may suggest Najib was a murderer.

"This has nothing to do with anything. I'm only giving an example," he said at the 'Bicara Negarawan: You Are Not Alone' talk organised by NGO coalition Prihatin.

Mahathir followed this by making reference to love for one's wife.

"Even if we love our wife, if our wife commits a heinous crime, we can't accept it because 'she is my wife'," he added.

The former premier again denied he was referring to any specific case.

'Cannot overlook 1MDB'

Mahathir said one of the things he cannot overlook is 1Malaysia Development Berhad's crushing RM42 billion debt.

"I wouldn't do anything to destroy (Razak's) son; that is not how you repay debts.

"But as time goes by, I see the money disappearing [...] I think that this cannot be, if it's RM1 million, tak apa lah (never mind), but this is RM42 billion!" he said.

He also expressed concern that if Najib loses the next election and Pakatan comes into power, then all of the current premier's dirty secrets will be uncovered.

"(If Pakatan wins) action will be taken against the person who created this mess.

"At that time, I fear for Najib's fate. So it is better for him to step down now," Mahathir said, ending his speech to a standing ovation.

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