CONGRESS | Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad has urged the people to sign the Citizen’s Declaration without fear of the repercussions.

What the declaration needs now, he said, is to gather enough brave people to sign the declaration as there is a need to make it a real people’s movement.

Admitting that he knows how people are frightened, Mahathir said this is because the current government threatens people.

“So people are afraid of this government, it’s difficult to get people to sign the declaration,” he said in a press conference today.

He said some were even reluctant to give out their identification numbers for fear of action that will be taken against them.

Mahathir, however, doubted that one million people could be arrested.

The movement, which demands for the resignation of Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, today held the People’s Congress in Shah Alam, which saw 19 speakers taking to the stage expressing reasons why Najib must go.

Meanwhile, Mahathir said the group is currently looking at obtaining one million signatures before the year’s end.

“But we’ll get there earlier,” he said, expressing confidence.

Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad has urged the people to sign the Citizen’s Declaration without fear of the repercussions.

What the declaration needs now, he said, is to gather enough brave people to sign the declaration as there is a need to make it a real people’s movement.

Admitting that he knows how people are frightened, Mahathir said this is because the current government threatens people.

“So people are afraid of this government, it’s difficult to get people to sign the declaration,” he said in a press conference today.

He said some were even reluctant to give out their identification numbers for fear of action that will be taken against them.

Mahathir, however, doubted that one million people could be arrested.

The movement, which demands for the resignation of Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, today held the People’s Congress in Shah Alam, which saw 19 speakers taking to the stage to list reasons why Najib must go.

Mahathir said the country has to finds itself with a new prime minister, and he is confident that the new premier would be scared to misbehave.

“If we have a new prime minister, I'm quite sure he will be aware of what happens to a prime minister who deviates or misuse their power.

“They can do what I did, of course. I was a dictator before,” he quipped.

But the rakyat did not demonstrate against him to the extent of how they do so today, he claimed.

Mahathir cracked down on prolonged street demonstrations after he sacked then deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim.

Some protestors, including then pro-Anwar Umno Youth leader Ahmad Zahid Hamidi was arrested under the Internal Security Act. Zahid is now deputy prime minister.

Last August at least 100,000 people thronged the streets of Kuala Lumpur to attend the Bersih demonstration, which among others called for Najib’s resignation amid corruption allegations.

Najib has consistently denied abusing public funds.

Attorney-general Mohamed Apandi Ali said there is no evidence of corruption in the RM2.6 billion and RM42 million found in Najib’s bank account.

Apandi said the RM2.6 billion was political donation from a Saudi royal family member, and Najib returned RM2.03 billion.

He did not elaborate on the RM42 million, which reportedly came from state firm SRC International.

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