The following is an excerpt of what former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad said when questioned by journalists today on his on-going spat with the government.


On Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz’s comments yesterday.

Mahathir: Nazri is what they call a hatchet man. I don't care at all for his opinion.

I know there is this process of demonising me so that I will be hated by Umno. At that stage, I think they will take action to expel me. At the moment, they cannot. It has to be built up, and they are building this up through the newspapers, showing pictures of me with PAS leaders.

(They said) I was supposed to be on the same platform (with PAS leader); I don't know what they meant about platform. Those PAS people, they came together with all the other NGOs. I wasn't on the same platform with PAS people but if they want to come, I can't say no. I am giving a talk to NGOs, and they came. It wasn't even organised by me. I went there, and they were there; so be it.