Dr M: Government not out to bankrupt Umno

KUALA LUMPUR: Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has brushed off criticism that the Pakatan Harapan government is out to bankrupt Umno.

This is following the civil forfeiture suit initiated by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) against the former ruling party.

Dr Mahathir said if Pakatan had intended to bankrupt Umno, it would have "done that much earlier."

"If they did something wrong then action must be taken. What happened the last time is UMNO took money that was stolen and given to the divisions and they spent it.

"Stolen money must be paid back, not to Umno but to the government because that money belongs to the government and it was stolen by former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib (Razak)," he told reporters on the sidelines after officiating the Asia Oil and Gas (AOGC 2019) conference Monday (June 24).

Dr Mahathir said Najib has been allowed to move about quite freely although he has been charged.

"He is going around being bossku," said Dr Mahathir.

Online portal The Malaysian Insight reported that Umno members have alleged that the MACC civil forfeiture suit against Umno is a bid by Pakatan to bankrupt it.

It was also said in the report that the suit is aimed at distracting the people from the sex scandal allegedly involving Economic Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali.

The MACC named 41 inviduals, political parties, trust funds and business entities as having received monies from Najib.

MACC announced that it aimed to recover RM270mil misappropriated from 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB).