(Nov 9): Lawyer and social activist Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan today said civil society was willing to help Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad if the former prime minister agreed to change the country's system of government instead of focusing solely on Datuk Seri Najib Razak's removal.

Dr Mahathir at the moment appeared to be only interested in removing Najib as prime minister and in ensuring that the Umno-led federal government continued to stay in power, said Ambiga, the former Bar Council president.

"If indeed Tun Dr Mahathir is concerned about what has happened over the past 30 years, if indeed there is some recognition that in fact the system is the problem and that he is trying to fix it, if indeed he is trying to fix it as opposed to just kicking out one prime minister, then I think anyone who is trying to do that, we should be open to working with him.

"But it has to be about a change in the whole system not just getting rid of Najib and allowing Umno to carry on as it is," Ambiga said at a book launch at Sunway University in Petaling Jaya today.

Ambiga said this in reply to a question on Malay moderates group, G25, and their position that it would remain non-partisan and above politics in order to focus on improving Malaysia's institutions.

The group consisting of prominent retired Malay civil servants said in a statement yesterday that it had conveyed its apolitical stance to those it has had dialogues with, including influential leaders such as the Malay rulers, Dr Mahathir and former deputy prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

Ambiga said civil society should not agree with an agenda that focused solely on "replacing one guy".

"I'm glad they're talking about the system. They've realise the system is bad but I don't think it is about changing the system.

"But you know the minute he comes out and says the system had to go and there had to be a complete overhaul, and it may actually mean not supporting Umno, then that's a different issue all together," she said.

The prominent lawyer said she never expected Dr Mahathir would be called by the police to have his statement taken over his attendance at the Bersih 4 rally in August.

She was also surprised that former Umno minister, Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz, had of late been vocal in voicing her views against the government.

"I never expected Dr Mahathir and Rafidah to come forward and talk about abuse of power and the failure of our system.

"They are now fighting against the system but it is not something easy."

Najib has been under fire over the RM2.6 billion deposited into his personal accounts by an unknown Middle Eastern donor ahead of the 2013 general election as well as controversies surrounding his brainchild, state-owned investment firm 1Malaysia Development Berhad.

These have promped Najib's critics, led by former prime minister Dr Mahathir, to call for his resignation.

Malaysia's longest serving prime minister had attended the Bersih 4 rally and while he said he did not support the electoral reform group's calls for institutional change, he said he wanted Najib to step down.

At the rally, Dr Mahathir had talked about Najib's taking of funds, which resulted in the retired statesman being questioned by police for criminal defamation last Friday. – The Malaysian Insider