MAHATHIR ATTACKS NAJIB FOR BECOMING A STOOGE OF SINGAPORE

Former premier says Malaysia beholden to Singapore for approval of rail and bridge projects

(FMT) – Dr Mahathir Mohamad accused the prime minister, Najib Razak, today of causing Malaysia to lose its independence and becoming dependent on Singapore.

Stepping up his campaign against Najib, Dr Mahathir accused Najib of allowing Malaysia’s hands to be tied by the Singapore government.

“The prime minister had to go to Singapore and ask if we can have a high speed train, or if we can build a bridge. Singapore says no, so we can’t do anything that Singapore doesn’t want. So are we independent?,” he told reporters today.

He said that if Malaysia was independent, “we can decide for ourselves, we don’t have to go to other countries to play golf or whatever”, making a reference to Najib’s publicised golfing sessions with foreign leaders.

Dr Mahathir indirectly criticised Najib for having accepted a donation of RM2.6 billion in 2013, which he has said came from a member of the Saudi Arabian royal family.

To ensure Malaysia’s sovereignty, appropriate action should be taken against any country which attempted to influence national politics, he said. “The attempts may come in the form of financial aid, and this is the reason such practices should be stopped,” he added.

“It is okay for us to take local donations, but by accepting foreign funds, it means when the party wins (the general election) it will have to follow the said foreign country and that would not be good,” he said.

Najib has said that the RM2.6 billion was given to help the Barisan Nasional secure an election victory in 2013.

“Even from our own people we shouldn’t take too much. RM2.6 billion is too much. When I was prime minister I never used more than RM200 million, RM300 million. “Taking money from foreign governments will affect our sovereignty as they have different agendas, different policies than us.”

This prohibition should also be extended to NGOs, Dr Mahathir suggested, pointing to claims that the United States among several other countries, used money to control the future of certain administrations.

“They use money to bring down or change a regime,” he said.

Earlier this month, the minister for integrity in government, Senator Paul Low Seng Kuan, had said political donations from foreign interests and sources should be prohibited to safeguard against foreign influences on local politics and the sovereignty of the nation.