Former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad may stop blogging about scandal-ridden 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) because he is worried of the possibility he may be arrested.

Mahathir was asked by reporters today whether he will continue blogging on the controversy, after saying yesterday he would not make comments on the matter now that it is a "crime" to do so.

"I don't know. I have to think about it because it's very serious.

"I might be invited by the police to be questioned. I don't think they will put me in jail yet but there is that possibility," he told reporters after launching former information minister Zainuddin Maidin's book entitled 'Mahathir is not my friend'.

Mahathir said there was a possibility that he would be asked why he had written this and that as even The Wall Street Journal had been asked to explain its writings.

The former prime minister had been very vocal on the 1MDB controversy and had blogged occassionally on the matter, never mincing his words.

However, he has been quite reserved in his postings as of this week, coincidentally after the sacking of former deputy prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin, whom many believe had been removed primarily for being vocal on the 1MDB imbroglio.

Media fears 'hurting leaders' feelings'

Meanwhile, Mahathir was also asked on the difference between press freedom today and when he was prime minister.

The country's longest-serving premier believes there was freedom of the press then but media practised self-censorship.

"It is as though they did not want to hurt the feelings of leaders. The mainstream media are always cautious; they will first think whether the country's leaders would like their writings or not.

"Other than that, there were media outlets such as (PAS organ) Harakah and (DAP organ) The Rocket which gave opinions that were not necessarily in support of the government as it is not their job to do so. But sometimes, they can go overboard (in their criticisms)," he said.

Asked to elaborate, Mahathir pointed out that since the Internal Security Act (ISA) was no longer in use, it could not be used to arrest people.

"And the media should thus be free. But recently, we were told that we cannot talk about 1MDB as it is an incitement to topple the government.

"As a Malaysian citizen, I will abide by the opinion that any discussion on 1MDB is a crime, and I do not like to commit crime," he said in his usual sardonic manner.

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