Hitting out at Pakatan Rakyat, Kedah Menteri Besar Mukhriz Mahathir said today the opposition coalition did not seem ashamed of showcasing nepotism in the party.

"It is as though familial interests are more important than the interests of the rakyat," Mukhriz said at in a press conference this afternoon when asked to elaborate on the matter he had raised at an earlier function.

Mukhriz in his speech earlier had said that "political dynasties" in Pakatan appeared to be something normal in the coalition.

"Their side has the most practice of nepotism. If someone is really great, then we can close one eye.

"But if nepotism does not bring benefit, we should not sympathise with them or let them use familial ties as something positive in choosing a people's representative," Mukhriz said at an event in Permatang Pauh earlier today.

Not in his family

Mukhriz also pointed out that political dynasties never occurred in his family.

"During my father's time, he was prime minister for 22 years and not only did he not surrender his MP post to his own family, if there is a fatwa (edict) to forbid us, he did not allow his children to be actively involved in politics," he said.

The menteri besar added that he had to wait for his father to resign as prime minister before he could contest for an Umno Youth post in 2003.

He also clarified that nepotism had negative connotations as it opened space for favouritism for one's own family members.

"That's why my father did not allow us to be actively involved in politics.

"Even when we dabbled in business, it did not involve the government," he said.

Although Mukhriz may claim that he and his siblings were not actively involved in politics, critics point out how their father's position as prime minister certainly helped in their own respective ventures.

Mukhriz's brother Mokhzani Mahathir ( right ), for example, is one of the richest men in Malaysia with an estimated net worth of US$685 million (RM2.53 billion) in 2012.