KUALA LUMPUR: Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir said the ongoing row between his father, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamed, and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, had left him “stuck between a rock and a hard place”.
He said that while he wanted what was best for Umno, he felt it was unfair for his father to be accused of masterminding the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) scandal in order to bring Najib down.
“I’m stuck between two big figures in the country, one is my leader, another is my father. So you can imagine how I’m stuck between a rock and a hard place,” he said during a buka puasa event at the Putra World Trade Centre here on Sunday.
A recording of his speech was uploaded onto YouTube by freelance journalist “Minaq Jinggo”.
“The issue that my father is also involved in the scandal or tried to twist the facts or edit emails and whatnot does not arise. That is a very unfair allegation and accusation,” said Mukhriz.
He said that those who felt it was unfair to make unsubstantiated allegations towards the party leadership should realise that accusing his father of such things was just as wrong.
Mukhriz added that while many had criticised Dr Mahathir for speaking out against Najib, he believed his father only wanted to strengthen the party.
“The issue of truth, of what unites us as a party, that is what probably spurred my father to issue those statements that are rather harsh. I am not defending him, because he can defend himself.”
He said Umno members deserved to be told the truth behind the allegations against Najib, so that they could know why they remained united in supporting the prime minister.
He said the party must show to the public that it remained strong and united for the sake of truth, and not out of ignorance or blind obedience.
“Answers must be given to the issues raised, so that we know what we are actually supporting. So that we are making an informed decision and we understand the situation completely.
“If we must be loyal, let it be with our eyes wide open, and not loyalty out of ignorance.”
Last Friday, Najib rejected the Wall Street Journal’s (WSJ) report that 1MDB’s funds were pumped into his personal accounts, and pinned the blame for the report on Dr Mahathir, who has in recent months called for the prime minister’s resignation.
However, opposition politicians have taken Najib to task over his “ambiguous denial”, while WSJ is standing by its story, saying its report was based on solid documentation proof.
Najib’s own ministers, including Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and Rural and Regional Development Minister Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal, have urged the prime minister to take legal action against WSJ if the report is untrue.
But Najib told a press conference on Sunday that he had yet to decide what action to take against WSJ, and was in the midst of consulting his lawyers. — The Malaysian Insider
This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily, on July 7, 2015.