Former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad today said his main beef with Prime Minister Najib Razak is over the debt-ridden 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) and not the crooked bridge to Singapore that was shelved by Putrajaya.

 

"I wrote about 1MDB but people say 'Oh, he is unhappy not with 1MDB but with the crooked bridge.

 

"I don't advocate the removal of a prime minister because he is too afraid of Singapore to build a crooked bridge," Mahathir was quoted as saying by The Star Online today.

 

Mahathir sarcastically added that he was "sympathetic" over Najib’s weak political position and thus cannot push for the construction of the bridge which was initially proposed more than a decade ago.

 

"So for that I excuse him - but when you lose money and cannot explain where the money is, I think you are not competent to become prime minister," said Mahathir.

 

Mahathir, who served as prime minister for 22 years is on a war path with Najib, insisting that the later will lead Umno to defeat in the next general election.

 

However, Najib's team struck back, forcing Mahathir's son Mukhriz, who is Kedah menteri besar, to pledge support to Najib or resign.

 

Mukhriz has yet to declare his stance but said he will do so on April 24.

 

Can’t comment on Mukhriz

 

Asked to comment on this, Mahathir refused to weigh in on the matter.

 

“That’s unfair. (The) Kedah menteri besar is my son. I can’t answer, it’ll be biased,” he was quoted as saying by the Malay Mail Online .

 

Mahathir also refused to respond to a proposal for him to work with former opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim to oust Najib, merely replying "I don't know" repeatedly.

 

The proposal was mooted yesterday by former minister Zaid Ibrahim.

 

Mahathir has attacked Najib on several fronts, including the massive RM42 billion debt by 1MDB, his family wealth as well as the motive of Altantuya Shaariibuu's murder.

 

Najib, in an interview on national television to respond to the allegations, had alluded that Mahathir was attacking him because he was upset over the crooked bridge and the Bantuan Rakyat 1Malaysia (BR1M) policy.