Pro-Najib portal MyKMU has accused ex-premier Mahathir Mohamad of being the Malay version of 16th century political thinker Niccolo Machiavelli, driven to achieve his own ends at the expense of others and even up to the point of sabotaging Malaysia just to oust Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.

"All who know Mahathir must know that he is the Malay version of Machiavelli. His wishes are more important than anything else, even to the point of allowing tragedies like Memali just to prove that religious extremism exists in PAS," read an article on the website.

The Renaissance writer wrote the book 'The Prince', a manual of political intrigue in 16th century Italy, was credited with being the founder of modern political science, though he was mostly known for adroit advice on political scheming and how a ruler, or 'Prince', can retain control over the population.

The Umno-linked portal alleged that Mahathir did not care about the fate of the rakyat and petty traders, alleging that during the 1998 currency crisis, when many small traders were in trouble, Mahathir was busy saving his cronies and son's companies.

"Thus the suit has nothing to do with Mahathir's supposed anti-corruption or pro-rakyat stand that he is trying to portray," wrote MyKMU .

Mahathir's action to sue Najib is not because of public interest but to sate his interests and that of his cronies.

Echoing others, the portal also questioned if Mahathir actually has the standing to initiate the suit against Najib and if legal action actually holds water, but said that it is ultimately up to the court to settle the matter now.

"What is clear is that Mahathir's actions is a desperate move to oust Najib. History has shown that transparency, justice, and upholding the law equally is not something that Mahathir is known for," argued the commentary.

MyKMU posited that even the timing of the suit showed that there is Machiavellian intrigue tied to it as it comes at a time when the government is working hard to restore the economy from the effects of the fall in oil prices.

Pointing out that the suit comes just as the ringgit is creeping back past the RM4 mark against the US dollar, MyKMU claimed Mahathir's suit is to derail government efforts, regardless of the consequences for the country.