(July 8): Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has refuted Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s claim of participating in a plot with foreign media to topple him.

The former prime minister told the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) in a video interview that his attacks against Najib had nothing to do with his "personal demands" that some of his past policies be continued.

He added that his criticism came out of his concern over 1Malaysia Development Berhad and Najib's poor business strategies.

"I know all about the money that has been borrowed. But all these other shenanigans that followed is something that I read in the foreign press and confirmed it by asking local people.

"I didn't work with the foreign press," Dr Mahathir said in the interview which is posted on the BBC's website.

"His (Najib's) decision to set up a company and to borrow money very extensively, and the company is not very well managed.

"They borrowed at a very high interest rate. They gave commission of 10%. Then they bought power plants at a higher price than market price.

"All these things show there isn’t good business acumen," the former prime minister said.

Dr Mahathir is the spotlight for criticising Najib, particularly over 1MDB which is the brainchild of the prime minister.

Najib hit back, saying Dr Mahathir was "creating" a crisis over 1MDB and his leadership because he did not continue certain "personal demands".

Asked by the BBC what these demands were, Dr Mahathir said that they included the crooked bridge project over the Johor strait and a high-speed railway line to Singapore.

Dr Mahathir has accused Najib of bowing to Singapore over these projects. But he told the BBC that this was "a minor thing".

"Every prime minister has a right to have his own policies," he said.

Dr Mahathir has made outright calls for Najib to resign over 1MDB.

After The Wall Street Journal reported last Friday that US$700 million (RM2.6 billion) had been channelled to Najib's personal bank accounts, the prime minister blamed Dr Mahathir for the expose and accused him of working with foreign media to attack his administration. – The Malaysian Insider