Dr M: Mukhriz must fight his own battles

In a press interview, former premier says his views on Najib have been an embarrassment to his son.

PETALING JAYA: Former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad has acknowledged that his campaign to oust Najib Razak had been an embarrassment to his son Mukhriz, but denied that his campaign was to install Mukhriz as the future prime minister.

In a media interview published today, Dr Mahathir said the right time to have placed his family members to succeed him was when he was in power. However he had forbidden his children to hold office in Umno to avoid charges of nepotism.

“They do things on their own. People like them, okay. People don’t like them, it is okay,” he was quoted as saying. Mukhriz now had to fight his own battles, he said.

Critics of Dr Mahathir’s campaign have described it as an attempt to retain control of national affairs in his own hands and to install Mukhriz after Najib has been ousted.

Mukhriz was a former deputy minister in Najib’s cabinet, and later menteri besar of Kedah. He was ousted earlier this year, at the height of Mahathir’s campaign against Najib, for voicing criticisms of 1MDB.

Dr Mahathir Mukhriz had taken a risk: he could either play safe and support Najib or tell Najib that what he was doing is wrong, at the risk of Najib moving against him.

“I am known for what I stand for. In fact, I am an embarrassment to (Mukhriz),” he was quoted as saying. “Without me, he does not have to take a stand. If I say nothing about Najib’s wrong handling of 1MDB, he would not have any problem with Najib.”