Should Najib be put in jail if found guilty, journalist asks 'uncle' Mahathir

Erich Parpart, a senior reporter with the Bangkok Post, felt like he was talking to one of his uncles when interviewing former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

In his article titled “Mahathir's words of wisdom” published today, Parpart said the experience was different from what he had expected from a politician looking for a stage to deride his adversaries.

“Having served as prime minister of Malaysia from 1981 and 2003, longer than anyone else, Dr Mahathir is one of the most influential Asean leaders of modern times.

“Now 92, he clearly merits more respect than most other elders in his field, but he doesn't act like someone who expects or demands it.

“I felt like I was talking to one of my uncles, someone who, even if I asked a stupid question, would answer patiently, like a friendly teacher to a pupil. My only wish is that I can be as coherent and as passionate about what I do when I am his age,” he wrote.

In the interview, Mahathir had repeated his allegations against Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and related how numerous people had urged him to act.

The former premier said he had initially attempted to fix the situation from within Umno by offering his views and opinions but this proved ineffective.

Eventually, Mahathir said he was forced to quit Umno, which he led for more than two decades, and form Bersatu with several others.

Parpart also noted that Mahathir had remained calm and collected during the interview where he expressed optimism over the prospect of the opposition coalition capturing federal power in the coming election.

He said that Mahathir had even declined to take the bait when the journalist provided him “an opportunity to go on the attack”.

"Do you think Mr Najib should be put in jail if he was later proven guilty?” was the question posed and Papart wrote that it courted a “careful political response”.

“People would want to see him on trial if there is any evidence that he has committed anything wrong,” replied Mahathir.

“The law does not differentiate between a prime minister and ordinary people and it is up to the court to decide.

"As far as we know, he has done something wrong but we will follow the law," he added.

Parpart praised Mahathir for not dodging the question and answering it in a straightforward manner while maintaining respect for his rival and the judicial system.

Though the former premier's critics back home would disagree with such glowing accolades or that Mahathir holds his tongue when attacking rivals, the Bangkok Post journalist made it clear that the interview had left a lasting impression.

“One could not ask for any more from a veteran statesman.

“And while I have to concede that his administration was certainly no champion of media freedom, I can honestly say that it was an honour to have spoken to a man with such experience such as Dr Mahathir,” he wrote.- Mkini