Mukhriz Mahathir has questioned whether the Malaysian variant of democracy means that when a leader is elected, he is given a blank cheque to abuse public funds.

“Does it also provide a leader with the inalienable right to do as he pleases, with the hope and trust that the people have placed on him?

“Does it mean being exempted from responsibility for public monies embezzled by interested parties, relatives and friends to buy lavish properties overseas, pay gambling debts, buy private jets, expensive artwork and produce a ‘soft porn’ movie?” Mukhriz asked.

The former Kedah menteri besar said the perception being created is that there is a massive conspiracy involving domestic and foreign quarters to topple Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and his government through undemocratic means.

“Does this make sense?” he asked in a Facebook post.

Mukhriz said the question to be asked is whether for Najib, after being elected unopposed as Umno president, it meant that the people had chosen him as prime minister as well.

“Does the narrow victory in the last general election, in the absence of the 1MDB, RM2.6 billion and SRC International issues, legitimise his wrongdoings now?

“When did the people give Najib permission to misappropriate public monies amounting to billions through 1MDB?” he asked.

Najib has denied abusing public funds and blamed such allegations on Mukhriz’s father, former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, and those attempting to engineer his downfall.

Attorney-general Mohamed Apandi Ali has also cleared the prime minister of any wrongdoing.

Police report filed on 'high-level conspiracy'

Yesterday, Umno Youth vice-chief Khairul Azwan Harun filed a police report alleging a high-level conspiracy against Najib and the government.

He named former Bank Negara governor Zeti Akhtar Aziz, outgoing Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Abu Kassim Mohamed and former attorney-general Abdul Gani Patail.

Khairul Azwan claimed the three are suspected of providing classified information to foreign agencies, including the United States Federal Bureau Investigation (FBI), without authorisation.

He also accused them of providing falsified information to these agencies.

The police report came in the wake of the court filings by the United States Department of Justice to seize assets allegedly purchased with money misappropriated from 1MDB.

Mukhriz also said the impression given is that whoever questions 1MDB violates democratic principles.

“It is assumed that a leader or government chosen by the people through a democratic process has immunity from any legal action if found to be guilty of corruption and breach of trust.

“Najib, his ministers, Umno supreme council members and several hired NGO leaders accuse those who raise the 1MDB case as movers of a coup d’etat...

“Tun Mahathir, Tan Sri (former deputy prime minister) Muhyiddin Yassin, (former minister) Dato' Seri Shafie Apdal, myself, Pakatan Harapan leaders, NGO leaders, and the latest, the DOJ and FBI have also not escaped from this charge,” he added.

Mukhriz also argued that if Najib was ousted prior to the next general election, it would not mean that BN would lose federal power.

“Wouldn’t a MP with majority support replace him? Does this mean BN would fall? Of course not,” he said.

He further questioned whether the people were is feeling detached from the 1MDB issue or if they assumed that a prime minister should rightly lead a lavish life at any cost.

In stressing that Najib has, as a leader, had breached the people’s trust, Mukhriz said the people should not abdicate their duties to change the current situation.

He therefore urged the people to support the Save Malaysia movement to prevent the country from further downfall.

Mukhriz, together with former deputy prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin, were recently sacked from Umno for their criticisms of Najib and his handling of the 1MDB scandal.