Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak may be too busy to visit Sabah over the Ranau/Kinabalu earthquake disaster, former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad has quipped.

"He must be very busy (to visit Sabah), the prime minister has many things to attend to," said Mahathir.

When he visited Kota Kinabalu yesterday, Mahathir ( photo ) was asked to comment why Najib didn't visit Sabah after the earthquake that occurred last Friday and instead continued with his trip to Saudi Arabia.

Najib left on Saturday on an official visit and is due to return today.

According to the Sin Chew Daily report, Mahathir was also asked whether he would meet Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, who was also in Sabah yesterday.

He replied that he didn't know Muhyiddin was there, and had no plan to meet him.

 

Najib has come under criticism for not heading to Sabah and taking charge of rescue operations there, with DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang suggesting that Najib should have flown straight there in the government’s VIP jet.

Najib's absence has also drawn scorn on social media.

The earthquake has since claimed 18 lives.

Najib also came under fire during the flood crisis that hit several states in December last year, when he flew to Hawaii on holiday to play golf with the US President, Barack Obama.