By P Prem Kumar
KUALA LUMPUR (AA) – Former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad claims he is being harassed by Malaysia’s police force for criticizing the current premier, Najib Razak.
The 90-year-old — Malaysia’s longest serving prime minister — wrote in a blog post Saturday that each questioning he has been subjected to constitutes harassment.
“I have been subjected to police questioning four times. There is another one scheduled after Raya,” he said, adding that he was confident that once the post goes online he would again be questioned.
Raya (Hari Raya Aidilfitri), marks the the end of the month-long Ramadan fasting month in Malaysia
Prior to Saturday, police had opened eight probes into Mohamad — all linked to his criticism off Razak.
Mohamad has claimed Razak is responsible for the collapse of heavily indebted state wealth fund 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB), and suggested impropriety was involved in the discovery of $681 million found in his personal bank accounts.
The most recent probe was opened after a report was lodged against Mohamad for likening Razak to dead ex Ugandan President Idi Amin during a recent parliamentary by-election campaign.
Mohamad was investigated under Section 500 of the Penal Code for criminal defamation.
In Saturday’s blog post, Mohamad said when he led the country for 23 years, he never punished those who called him names — critics branding him with terms such as “ultra, firaun or pharaoh, dictator”.
“I did not take any action against them, I did not threaten them, I did not ask the police to question them, I did not arrest, detain and charge them for being terrorists, for sabotaging Malaysia’s banking system, sabotaging Malaysia’s economy,” he wrote.
“I was and am a politician. Being cursed, being called names, being accused of corruption or nepotism, being asked to step down and having your portraits being torn down — these are all to be expected. If you cannot stand these, then don’t be a politician.”
