Sabah Speaker Salleh Said Keruak warned today that former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad's obsession to oust Najib Abdul Razak as prime minister could bring down Umno as well.
"I am worried that in Mahathir's obsession to oust the prime minister, he no longer cares whether he brings down Umno in the process," Salleh said in a blog posting today.
He said Mahathir appeared bent on removing, Najib regardless of whether Najib latter was involved in the 1MDB fiasco or not.
"Mahathir wanted 1MDB to be investigated, this is already being done.
"But he is still unsatisfied and continues to attack the prime minister.
"I have been asked this before: Does Mahathir want to know what happened to 1MDB or does he want the prime minister to be ousted regardless whether there is any wrongdoing in 1MDB?" he said.
NEP similarity
Salleh ( photo ) also rubbished Mahathir's accusation that Najib's policy of handouts through BR1M was an act of buying votes, likening it to Mahathir's own policy of perpetuating the policies of the New Economic Policy (NEP) that favoured the bumiputera.
"Mahathir did not end the NEP as that would mean the end of Umno and he allowed it to continue for another 25 years until today.
"Even though some call it affirmative action, others call it as vote- buying," he said.
Mahathir has demanded that Najib, who is also finance minister, step down for his handling of 1MDB which has accumulated RM41.8 billion in debt.
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