Communications and Multimedia Minister Salleh Said Keruak said many of Dr Mahathir Mohamad's ideas on how things should be done were outdated and no longer work.

He said the former prime minister should brush up on his knowledge on how things were done in this day and age and what the word 'globalisation' meant.

"The world is now borderless and Mahathir needs to come to terms with this," Salleh posted in his blog yesterday.

He was commenting on Mahathir's reply to the statement by the Sultan of Johor, Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar, on Chinese investments in Johor, in Mahathir's interview with English daily The Star on Monday.

Salleh said Mahathir, as usual, had resorted to "warped logic" in his reply to the sultan. 

"For example, Mahathir said he was using foreign news reports as his point of reference and since these reports have not been challenged or denied, then they must be true.

"Using that same logic, much has also been said about Mahathir, which he also has not denied. And it was Mahathir who said not all foreign reports are true.

"Mahathir then went on to explain the difference between acceptable and unacceptable FDI. Foreigners are welcome to invest in Malaysia as long as they do not benefit and only Malaysia benefits," he said.

Salleh explained that investors would only invest in any country if it benefits them, such as during Mahathir's time,when he allowed them tax holidays and guaranteed them cheap labour.

Investors were out to make profits and not do charity work and Mahathir knew this, he added.

- Bernama