Dr M willing to work with Opposition for nation’s interest

Former premier also feels BN risks losing more support in the coming election if Najib Razak remains as prime minister of the country.

PETALING JAYA: Dr Mahathir Mohamad has expressed his willingness to work with the Opposition if it is “in the interest of the country.”

“I’ve worked with everybody. I will work with the Opposition even, if it is in the interest of the country,” he said in a video interview with Bloomberg Business, when asked if he would consider working with former Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim in the future.

The former prime minister also felt the Opposition could possibly win the 2018 General Election.

“If you don’t support Barisan Nasional (BN), obviously the Opposition will win by default, even if the Opposition is ‘in disarray’, as you say.”

Mahathir said he still held the view that BN risked losing more support in the coming election if Najib Razak remained as the prime minister.

During the interview, Mahathir repeated his stand that investigations into the 1Malaysia Development Berhad controversy had to be reopened, and that Najib’s avowed innocence could not be taken at face value.

“If you steal money and somebody accuses you of stealing money, do you say ‘No, I didn’t’? Is that it? Is that the end of the whole story? You have to re-investigate the matter.”

Mahathir also said that while he too faced political problems when he was prime minister, it was nothing compared to what the country faced now.

He also dismissed Najib’s defence that money banked into his personal accounts was just a donation, saying that it was a claim that required documented proof.

“Just (his) saying no, this is a donation, therefore we must believe? And that oh, we have given back the money – where is the proof? Show documented proof.”

Mahathir also commented that he had no way of telling how much support he had in his crusade against Najib, as many of his supporters were scared to acknowledge openly that they were supporting him.