The arrest of Parti Warisan Sabah (Warisan) president Shafie Apdal is aimed at crippling the party ahead of the next general election, claimed Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

The Pakatan Harapan chairperson also claimed that the order to arrest Shafie came from Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.

"The aim is to cripple Warisan by arresting Shafie and scaring his supporters," Mahathir said in a blog post today.

Malaysiakini has contacted Najib's aide for a response to Mahathir's allegations.

Shafie was arrested by the MACC last night, four hours after he turned up at their Sabah headquarters for questioning.

The MACC had also arrested two of Shafie's younger brothers and a number of Warisan leaders in its probe into the alleged misappropriation of at least RM1.5 billion in rural development funds intended for Sabah.

The RM1.5 billion allegedly siphoned came from a total of RM7.5 billion in funds reportedly allocated for rural projects in Sabah over a six-year period.

MACC is probing some 60 companies that were awarded projects for the supply of water, electricity and roads to help people in rural Sabah.

Shafie held the rural and regional development ministry portfolio from 2009 to 2015. He has denied involvement in the scandal.