Dr Mahathir Mohamad's presence at Bersih 4 was simply because he could no longer stand Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and not because he supported the movement itself, said Umno veteran Sabaruddin Chik.
Sabaruddin, who was a minister under Mahathir's administration, said the former premier was standing with the rakyat as he could no longer stand Najib's ( photo ) stubbornness in refusing to resign as prime minister.
"I am confident it is because he could no longer stand to watch the current situation... he does not support Bersih but he supported that (for Najib to resign).
"I do not think he is someone who would go against Umno or Malays, I am certain he is only opposing the current situation," he was quoted as saying in Sinar Online .
He added that the current situation in the country has prompted people to openly demand the prime minister's resignation.
"It was not like this before, there was none of it but now people are upset with the current situation, that is probably why people are now using other means (protest).
"I see now people are expressing openly in asking for the prime minister to resign," Sabaruddin was quoted as saying.
Mahathir had turned up on both days of the Bersih 4 rally over the weekend.
This prompted several government leaders to criticise Mahathir for his presence at a rally which Putrajaya had declared "illegal".
The rally demanded for sweeping reforms in the country and also the resignation of Najib.
Najib is plagued by several controversies including his handling of 1MDB and the deposits of RM2.6 billion into his personal bank accounts.
The prime minister had denied taking public funds for personal gain while his supporters claim the massive deposits was a political donation.
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