(May 29): An elected leader is not immune from removal before his term is out, Malaysia's longest serving prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said today in reference to Datuk Seri Najib Razak who faces mounting pressure over escalating scandals involving debt-ridden state fund 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB).

Writing in his blog, Dr Mahathir said that even former prime minister Tun Abdullah Badawi, who was elected with a bigger majority, was persuaded to step down by Najib.

As such, he said, there was nothing wrong in asking the prime minister to step down.

"He has obviously made a bigger mess of the country than the previous PM," said Dr Mahathir in repeating his call for Najib to step down.

He wrote that before this, there was no talk of a prime minister's lavish spending or living a life of luxury.

"Some of these talks may not be true, but such talks were not heard during the tenure of the previous prime ministers.

"That there are such talks must be the result of a way of life that is different from what is expected of prime ministers," he said.

Over the past few months, strident criticism by Dr Mahathir, including his calls for Najib's resignation, has been testing Umno's cohesiveness with some party leaders urging Najib to give clear answers to the allegations thrown at him.

Criticism has been mounting after 1MDB, wholly-owned by the Finance Ministry, chalked up debts of up to RM42 billion.

The auditor-general is currently looking through 1MDB's books, with a preliminary report expected to be submitted to Parliament in June, while the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) started its investigation into the company on May 19. – The Malaysian Insider