(April 27): Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad should meet and talk to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak before publicly criticising the latter, former MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu told Bernama.

He said that Dr Mahathir, as a respected veteran statesman, should realise by now that Najib was always approachable for discussion.

"If I were to take the phone and call Najib now, saying that I need to see him at 6pm, he will definitely say yes and ask me to come right away... that's Najib," he told Bernama after the launch of Nepal Earthquake Relief Fund in Petaling Jaya today.

Samy Vellu's support came after continuous criticism hurled by Dr Mahathir on the Najib administration lately.

He said that criticism, when publicly done without prior discussions, would not only weaken Umno and Barisan Nasional, but would also dampen the spirit of other component parties.

Dr Mahathir has gone on a tirade against Najib in recent months, urging the prime minister to step down over the 1Malaysia Development Berhad scandal, for continuing the 1Malaysia People's Aid and also over the murder of a Mongolian woman, Altantuya Shaariibuu. – The Malaysian Insider