Dr M: I'm clean and my sons are self-made

Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad has again attacked his former deputy who he dramatically sacked and jailed in 1998.

This time, Mahathir denied Anwar Ibrahim's allegation that he had awarded Petronas contracts to his son.

Prior to this, Anwar questioned the government's below-market sale of its stake in ExxonMobil to Phillipines conglomerate San Miguel Corp, of which Mahathir' son Mirzan Mahathir was one of its directors.

Anwar said Mirzan despite resigning from San Miguel still remained a director of its associate company Petron Corporation. In 2011, San Miguel offered to buy ExxonMobil’s stake in the Malaysian oil refiner at a lower price than the current market value.

Mahathir however hit back at Anwar, saying the latter had been dishing out contracts to his supporters while in power.

He said his administration had then publicised a list of government contract awardees.

"There you will see names of (Anwar's) supporters and family members. None of my children was listed," said Mahathir, writing on his blog today.

Mahathir said as PM, he had many times blocked any of his sons from getting involved whether in politics or government-related business.

"If they succeed in business or politics, it is due to their own efforts. And all this took place after I resigned as prime minister," he added.

Prepared to swear upon Qur'an

He pointed out that Petronas, in which he is the advisor, subscribes to a level-playing field and does not favour only his son.

He claimed that he came to know news that his son Mirzan had been awarded a contract by Petronas only after the deal had been finalised.

"I am prepared to swear upon the Qur'an inside a mosque, that I have never participated in the awarding of the contract to my son," said Mahathir, who even repeated his challenge to Anwar to take an oath of innocence over allegations of sodomy.

Mahathir argued that the authority behind Petronas's decisions rests on prime minister Najib Razak, and defended Mirzan against accusations that he was involved in San Miguel, once a major brewery, saying the company has now diversified its business.

He said due to the accusation, his son had to let go his post in the company's board of directors.

"Now he is only a director of Petron," said Mahathir, referring to the former Exxon Mobil, and added that Petron's contract to supply aircraft fuel in KLIA was inherited.

-Harakahdaily