Dr M lets loose on BN's future, Altantunya murder, jet purchase

PETALING JAYA: Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad (pic) fears that Umno and Barisan Nasional will lose the 14th general election if Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak remains as the Prime Minister.

In a strongly worded statement posted on his blog, chedet.cc on Thursday, Dr Mahathir said many members and leaders from Umno supported Najib blindly.

“When Umno loses, Malays will criticise the leadership for making the sacred party weak until it is rejected by the Malays themselves.

“Once Umno loses, it can never recover,” warned Dr Mahathir.

The former premier added that he is loyal but his loyalty is only for the party and the Malays representing it.

“It is not easy for me to write this blog, but from the people and the country, I have to reveal all this.

“I am not senile although I am nearly reaching 90 years old. Those who say I am senile are just lying to themselves.

“Malays will only be safe if they care for their community instead of themselves,” he said.

Dr Mahathir claimed that people from all races would no longer trust Najib because he did not answer the accusations hurled at him.

Among the accusations were those involving the murder of Mongolian model Altantuya Shaariibuu, the 1Malaysia Development  controversy and the purchase of a private jet for VVIP use.

On the murder of Altantunya, Dr Mahathir said it was tied to the purchase of submarines and now two police officers were freed of the charge, then later found guilty after the court ordered a re-trial.

Dr Mahathir asked why was it that only one of the accused was in custody (awaiting the death sentence imposed by the court) while the other accused, Sirul Azhar Umar, was now in Australia.

Sirul Azhar, Dr Mahathir pointed out, had made a statement that he was under orders to commit the killing of Altantunya and the public had been asking "who ordered the killing." 

Dr Mahathir said as Sirul was a personal bodyguard of Najib, his claims had to be investigated as to who ordered the killing.

He asked why no investigation was carried out on the claims.

On IMDB, Dr Mahathir said there were many allegations and questions against the firm which was set up by Najib as the adviser that have not been answered.

Among others, Dr Mahathir said questions remained unanswered as to the low purchase price of government land that was bought by 1MDB.

The government incurred massive losses on the prices that did not reflect the market value, he said.

He also said if 1MDB was profitable why should it borrow just to pay interest of RM2bil. Why was government funds given to the firm, he said.

He also wrote about the deal with little-known oil company, PetroSaudi International, Najib's stepson Riza Aziz and Malaysian businessman Low Taek Jho - topics which he had dealt with in a previous posting.

On the new jet, Dr Mahathir said the purchase of the luxury jet was made eventhough the government was now faced with shortage of funds.

He noted that it was public knowledge that government aircraft were not only used for official functions but for the personal use of "Datuk Sri and Datin Sri."

In these present uncertain economic times, when the people had to pay higher taxes and with the value of the ringgit depreciating, Dr Mahathir questioned as to why the government was spending hundreds of millions of ringgit on the jet when it already had a fleet at its disposal.