Mahathir: Opposition will arrest rivals if in power

The opposition coalition will move against its political rivals once it comes into power, says former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

"They will take action against people who were not friendly, or they think were not friendly to them," Mahathir said in a speech in Kuala Lumpur today.

He said there was talk that a Pakatan-controlled federal government would arrest such people, including himself.

"Some say I should leave Malaysia before election results are announced. That the first thing they (Pakatan) will do (when in power) is to close down all the airports so that no private plane can take off.

"But I don't think they will do that. The opposition are nice people. They may arrest people and charge them."

Mahathir joked that he was happy the Internal Security Act no longer existed and that Pakatan, which agitated against the law, could not simply throw people in jail if it came to power.

"Without the ISA, I feel more comfortable," he said.

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