Dr M says he will look into claims of 'deep state' among civil servants

LANGKAWI (Bernama): Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad says he will seek information over allegations of the existence of a "deep state" (daulah terpendam), which is trying to sabotage the administration of the Pakatan Harapan government, among civil servants.

The Prime Minister also expressed his confidence that the Pakatan government was capable of handling it if it was indeed taking place.

"I don’t know if it is taking place but if a hidden state exists, I think we can contain it. Prior to this, there were a lot of problems when I was prime minister, but we could continue to administer...I will deal with it, I will view and study the matter first," he said.

He said this to reporters after attending a friendly gathering at Adya Hotel, Kuah here Sunday (Dec 8).

When asked whether the transfer of Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry Ministry

secretary-general Datuk Mohd Sallehhuddin Hassan was due to the hidden state, Dr Mahathir said he was not sure and would seek information on the matter.

Meanwhile, Dr Mahathir stressed that the national anthem, Negaraku, could only be sung in the national language.

"We cannot sing (Negaraku) in other languages. What is written is to show the meanings so that non-Malays understand the wordings, but it is not for singing in other languages other than our national language," he said.

Dr Mahathir said this when asked to comment on a one-minute 23-second video showing pupils singing the Negaraku in Mandarin, allegedly recorded on Sept 26, 2018 at a school in Seremban, Negri Sembilan. - Bernama