Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak has insinuated that his predecessor Dr Mahathir Mohamad was responsible for existing problems in Proton Holding Berhad, a company which Najib claims needed to be rescued from an “unsustainable” business model.

Without naming Mahathir, he said the "chief tester" for the automobile company lacked an appropriate commercial understanding of the industry.

"The reality has dawned on almost everyone; namely, that the business model (of Proton) was, and always has been, unsustainable in the long run...