Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad today poured cold water on Najib Abdul Razak's insistence that he is democratically elected and will therefore serve his full term as prime minister.

Mahathir pointed out that Najib's predecessor Abdullah Ahmad Badawi ( photo, below ) had it better, as he was not plagued with allegations of a luxurious lifestyle, yet decided to quit before completing his term as prime minister.

"Before this, there was no talk of a prime minister's lavish spending, of purchases of expensive things, of a life of luxury.

"Some of these talks may not be true. But such talks were not heard during the tenure of the previous prime ministers.

"That there are such talks must be the result of a way of life that is different from what is expected of prime ministers," Mahathir said in a blog posting today.

He added that an elected leader is not impervious to removal before his or her term is over.

"The previous prime minister was also elected, in fact with a bigger majority, but he was persuaded to step down by the current prime minister.

"So what is wrong with asking the current prime minister to step down? He has obviously made a bigger mess of the country than the previous prime minister," Mahathir wrote.

'Supporters' were there for incentives

On Wednesday, Najib in his frequently asked questions (FAQ) section posted on his blog defied calls for him to step down.

"I was democratically elected by both the party and the people, and, as I have the mandate, I will complete my term as party president and prime minister," he said.

Najib has also gone on a nationwide blitz to shore up his support, with thousands gathered to welcome him.

However, Mahathir today cast doubt on the level of Najib's support.

"As for the big crowds in support, we all saw such demonstrations before the 13th general election. The result was worse than the 12th general election.

"Those demonstrations do not translate into support for Najib. They come because of various incentives.

"For these and many other reasons, Najib should step down," Mahathir said.