'Mukhriz, we couldn't hold our heads high under your father, too'

Umno could not hold its head high under the leadership of former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad as the party was having difficulty defending the draconian laws introduced by him, says Umno minister Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz.

He said this when rebutting Mahathir's son and former Kedah menteri besar Mukhriz Mahathir, who claimed the party could not hold its heads high following scandal after scandal.

"Let me tell you this: when his (Mukhriz's) father was the prime minister, we couldn't hold our heads high because, like it or not, we had to defend many draconian laws under his father's (leadership).

"As president of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, Malaysia, it was difficult (for me) to defend the government over the Internal Security Act and other issues," said Nazri, who is tourism and culture minister.

"Even during Mahathir's time, we couldn't hold our head high. But (we) supported him and we survived," he said.

At a press conference earlier today to announce his resignation as Kedah menteri besar, Mukhriz claimed that Umno will be at its weakest if Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak continues to lead the party.

Nazri said the government had introduced safeguards in the new and amended security laws compared to Mahathir's time.

Umno stronger now

Nobody would be arrested for political reasons under Najib's rule, he added.

Nazri also defended his boss, saying Umno is stronger now as the party won 88 parliamentary seats (in the 2013 national polls) compared with 79 seats in the 2008 general election and was able to reclaim power in Kedah and Perak.

"Umno is stronger under Najib," he said.

He also ticked off Mahathir for being a hypocrite for acting as though he is a civil liberty fighter.

"Whack him nicely, he is a big hypocrite, he is now trying to be a civil liberty fighter when under him, civil liberty is zero," said Nazri, who is also Padang Rengas MP.

Mukhriz had claimed the move to oust him was meant to silence him for his critical remarks against Najib over the RM2.6 billion 'donation' and 1MDB case.

"But now I feel independent and free and won't be silenced," said Mukhriz.

However, Nazri said Umno is unpertubed by such remarks, coming from a frustrated person that enjoyed no support in the party.

"It is not going to affect us anyway. It is just a mosquito bite from someone who had no support to continue attacking us. It is nohting," he said.

'Toothless, old tiger'

Without mincing his words, the outspoken minister called Mahathir a "toothless, old tiger" who failed to bring down Najib despite working on it in the past one year.

"When the father cannot (topple Najib), the son all the more cannot do it," he said.

"We never silence him (Mukhriz) when he was holding the menteri besar's post; now when he is toothless, what is there to silence him? Go ahead, no problem," he said.

He called Mukhriz "vicious, childish and low class" for telling the new Kedah menteri besar Ahmad Bashah Md Hanapiah not to doze off when he takes his oath of office tomorrow.

He also dismissed the speculation that Mukhriz might be the next to be expelled from Umno.

"I want to put a stop to this rumour; it can't be true, he is not important at all. He is not a supreme council member and Kedah Umno liaison chief," he said. -Mkini