Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal says today if police can question Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad for criticising the prime minister, then they should not spare other leaders who broke the law. – The Malaysian Insider file pic, November 7, 2015.
Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal today asked why former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad was questioned for criticising Datuk Seri Najib Razak and a state-owned investment firm but not other leaders who broke the law.
The former minister, who was removed after questioning Najib over alleged financial scandals, said Dr Mahathir was a statesman who should be respected for his many contributions.
“I hope that if a statement is taken from an icon like Tun, others who broke the law will also be questioned,” Shafie said on the sidelines of a diabetes-awareness event in his constituency of Semporna, Sabah, today.
“They must be consistent in executing the law. We cannot be selective about how we use the law,” he said.
Police questioned Dr Mahathir yesterday for about 45 minutes at his Kuala Lumpur office at the Al-Bukhary Foundation. The veteran Umno leader said he did not answer the questions.
Dr Mahathir attended the Bersih 4 rally in August, which called for democratic reforms and Najib’s resignation over alleged financial scandals. At the rally, he talked about Najib and his alleged taking of funds.
The country’s longest-serving prime minister, who has become a strident critic of Najib, is being investigated for criminal defamation under Section 500 of the Penal Code.
Police today said investigation papers on Dr Mahathir were almost complete and would be forwarded to the public prosecutor soon.
Shafie, along with former deputy prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, had questioned prime Najib over 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB), which is the prime minister’s brainchild. Both leaders were removed from the Cabinet in a reshuffle in late July.
In addition to 1MDB’s alleged financial scandals, Najib is also under pressure over RM2.6 billion deposited into his personal bank accounts.
He denied that the funds were from the Finance Ministry-owned investment firm, but otherwise has not accounted for the money. It later emerged that the funds were from an unknown Middle Eastern donor.
Shafie was also one of several veteran Barisan Nasional leaders who joined Dr Mahathir in a surprise press conference to condemn the use of a security law against former Batu Kawan Umno leader, Datuk Khairuddin Abu Hassan and his lawyer Matthias Chang, who have been charged with attempted sabotage of the economy after Khairuddin lodged several reports overseas against 1MDB.
- TMI
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