(Nov 3): Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak could not be accused of sabotaging the banking and financial system because of 1Malaysia Development Bhd, a minister said today.

Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Seri Salleh Said Keruak was answering a blog post by former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who said yesterday Najib should be the one charged with sabotage of the economy, and not two critics of the government-owned investment firm.

Dr Mahathir has no basis to make such a claim, Salleh said today.

“I don’t understand the basis of Tun Dr Mahathir’s views and don’t see what the prime minister has done wrong.

“He (Dr Mahathir) should furnish the basis of his allegation,” Salleh told a press conference after an event at Universiti Putra Malaysia.

Dr Mahathir had written about former Umno man Datuk Seri Khairuddin Abu Hassan and his lawyer Matthias Chang, who were charged under a security law with attempted sabotage of the economy after lodging reports against 1MDB with foreign authorities.

The retired statesman said the ones who should be rightfully charged with sabotage were those who had set up 1MDB.

He also said the charge against Khairuddin and Chang was illogical as media reports about 1MDB's alleged wrongdoing had been published long before Khairuddin lodged his police reports.

Dr Mahathir has become Najib's arch-critic over 1MDB and some RM2.6 billion deposited into the prime minister's personal accounts, repeatedly calling for his resignation.

1MDB, owned by the Finance Ministry, has debts of RM42 billion and is undergoing restructuring to help shave off its debts. It is Najib's brainchild and he is chairman of its advisory board. – The Malaysian Insider