Ex-premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad today said that he had information about government corruption which if he revealed would land him in jail.

"I will continue asking for answers from the current government, because if I reveal information, I would be charged with revealing state secrets under the Official Secrets Acts," said the former prime minister.

Speaking to reporters in Putrajaya, he explained that his persistent queries about outstanding issues were due to a number of unanswered questions, adding that those involved in corrupt practices would never admit to it.

"The prime minister never answered any (of my) questions. He just said that he was a good man, a religious man, and his son and son-in-law's business dealings were not any of his concern," said Mahathir.

"But based on news reports, Abdullah's son (Kamaluddin) has business dealings worth more than RM1 billion," he said, after delivering a keynote address on 'Positioning Malaysia in the World Arena' at the Perdana Leadership Foundation.

To a question on whether this is why he asked Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to step down as reported yesterday, Mahathir clarified that he was speaking in general terms.

"If that prime minister is a dictator, we shall remove him - cannot wait for five years. But generally, I think you should give a prime minister five years to give the chance to correct his mistakes."

'They have no standing'

On what it would take for him to have a four-eyed meeting with Abdullah to thrash out differences, the former PM said his successor would first have to remove those who were thought to be the power behind the throne.

"The problem is that he should not have done these things. He can undo what he has done. Get rid off the people on fourth floor, they have no standing at all in government.

"You can have an advisor, but not an advisor who gives directives to government servants what to do and not to do."

Mahathir has levelled a number of criticisms at his successor in recent weeks, including suggesting that Abdullah's advisors and his son-law Khairy Jamaluddin, 31, were controlling the administration.

Khairy's office is said to be on the fourth floor of the Prime Minister's Department complex in Putrajaya, just a floor below Abdullah's.

'More evidence'

However, in an interview broadcast on Monday, Abdullah denied the allegations saying that Khairy, who is also Umno deputy chief, no longer worked for him.

The prime minister also that his son, Kamaluddin, had never abused his position as the premier's son to gain advantage in his business dealings.

Mahathir today also hinted to having "more evidence of corruption" but would reveal this at a later time. He called for the Anti-Corruption Agency to be given the freedom to investigate corruption without interference from politicians.

"An ex-cabinet minister during my term was investigated for corruption [...] I thought he would be charged. Instead it was covered up," said Mahathir.

He said that the government should not be selective in declassfiying official documents.

Asked if he felt vindicated for not censoring the Internet which was now an avenue for him to voice out, Mahathir replied that he only wanted to censor pornography but not political news.

"I didn't want to censor any news except those that played up racial issues," he said.