Najib steps up counter-offensive with web answers

Web site publishes set of answers to 13 issues frequently raised by Mahathir and opposition

KUALA LUMPUR: Najib Razak has stepped up his counter-offensive against Dr Mahathir Mohamad by publishing online his responses to 13 issues frequently raised against him, among them the murder of Altantuya Shaaribuu, the Crooked Bridge, 1Malaysia Development Bhd, the new government VIP jet, and whether Barisan Nasional would lose power at the next general election.

The questions and answers were published his personal web site NajibRazak.com in a new FAQ (frequently asked questions) section.

Dr Mahathir is not personally named in the published responses, but the internet address for the page is pointedly http://www.najibrazak.com/en/tun-m-faq/ and is clearly aimed at answering the matters that have most frequently been raised by Dr Mahathir.

The former prime minister has mounted a relentless campaign against Najib in recent months, demanding his resignation as Umno president and prime minister over published revelations of dubious financial transactions and investments by 1Malaysia Development Bhd, the luxurious lifestyle of Najib’s family, and the murder of Altantuya.

Last month he had raised the Altantuya issue after one of the two convicted killers, Sirul Azhar Umar fled to Australia and demanded that the case be reopened on the strength of the assertion by Sirul that he was merely acting under orders.

Najib’s FAQ section does not Dr Mahathir as one of his critics but makes use of pointed phrases such as “veteran leaders” and “opposition propaganda”.

In one of the answers, to whether Barisan Nasional would lose power at the next elections, he said: “Improvements are happening before our very eyes. But I know that many would of course rather look at the bad and continue to harp on never ending rumours, half-truths and spins. They continue to believe that the ‘end is nigh’ and that the Opposition will win. These are claims that have been made over and over again in the last five decades and yet we are still here.”