The Malays and Umno have more reasons to fear Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's reliance on China than the DAP, according to Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

The former prime minister said there was a likelihood that Malacca and Kuantan's new port facilities, approved by the Najib administration, would be used by the Chinese military.

"A victory for Najib and Umno (in the next election) would bind Malaysia with China and Malaysia would no longer have a neutral foreign policy like before," he added in a blog post.

Mahathir cited a Chinese writer, whom he did not name, as stating that the two ports would be used by the superpower's naval forces.

Malaysia and China are jointly developing a new deep sea port as part of the Malacca Gateway project. It is expected to begin operations in 2019.

Three Chinese companies - PowerChina International, Shenzhen Yantian Port Group and Rizhao Port Group - are involved in the deal.

In Kuantan, China is heavily investing in the Malaysia-China Kuantan Industrial Park as well as the Kuantan Port expansion project.

The East Coast Rail Link (ERCL) would eventually serve as a land bridge, linking the South China Sea with the Straits of Malacca, and allow cargo shipments to bypass Singapore.

All these new projects were initiated by the Najib administration.