Police assured former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad that he would not be arrested under Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (Sosma) for being vocal against his successor Najib Abdul Razak.

"Why do we want to arrest him? No such thing," deputy inspector-general of police Noor Rashid Ibrahim curtly told reporters in Putrajaya today.

Mahathir had expressed concern that he might be the next target after the arrest of former Batu Kawan Umno deputy chief Khairuddin Abu Hassan under the same law for allegedly sabotaging the country.

Following Khairuddin's ( photo ) arrest, Mahathir had pondered if same fate might befall him.

The police is currently probing the former premier over an alleged defamatory remark made when he attended the Bersih 4 rally on Aug 30.

He lamented yesterday that he was not ready and too old to be detained under the security law.

"I am not ready, I am old, not very well and unable to think. (I am) 'nyanyuk' (senile), you know ?" quipped the 90-year-old former premier yesterday.

"But there is no excuse for the nyanyuk people to say the wrong thing.

"This is the law. I suppose I have to submit. If I am guilty I will have to face life imprisonment," he added.

Reports lodged overseas

Prior to his arrest, Khairuddin was barred from leaving the country, after lodging reports against 1MDB with various international enforcement agencies.

Khairuddin was first arrested on Sept 18 at his home in Mont Kiara, under Section 124C of the Penal Code, for attempting to commit acts detrimental to parliamentary democracy.

This was in relation to his police reports in Switzerland, London, New York, Singapore and Hong Kong on the 1MDB scandal.

On Sept 19, he was remanded for six days.

He was released on Sept 23 only to be re-arrested under Sosma for allegedly violating Sections 124K and 124L of the Penal Code.

Sections 124K and 124L deal with sabotage and attempting to sabotage the state.

Najib, who conceived the state investment fund 1MDB, had said there is an international plot to topple him.