Mahathir: Economy will only recover with Najib's removal

The country's economy can only recover with the removal of Prime Minister Najib Razak, said his predecessor Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

The long-serving former premier, in a blog posting today, said this is the only way Malaysia's faltering economy and currency can be revived.

"If the currency and the economy is to recover, Najib must cease to be prime minister of Malaysia. Malaysians must demand for Najib’s removal.

"Only his ceasing to be the prime minister of Malaysia will the economy recover, the ringgit revalued up, and cost of living go down.

"Only after his removal can Malaysians stand tall again," he said.

Mahathir has been calling for Najib to step down over the 1MDB scandal, among others, and the worsening ringgit, which analysts predict will plunge even further in the next quarter.

He added the call for Najib's removal was "nothing personal".

"It is because he has failed terribly as prime minister," said Mahathir.

[More to follow]

-Mkini