As a member of the government during the infamous Operasi Lalang in 1987 which saw hundreds detained under the now-defunct Internal Security Act (ISA), Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak was also responsible for the arrests, said his predecessor Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
"It's the collective responsibility of the government. If I was doing something that he thinks is wrong, he's quite free to criticise me or to object," Mahathir told reporters in Petaling Jaya today.
Najib at the time was the minister of culture, youth and sports while Mahathir held the home ministry portfolio.
Mahathir was responding to Najib, who on Thursday had questioned those who said that he had been cruel, citing how it was Mahathir who had detained people under Operasi Lalang.
"Who arrested people under Operasi Lalang? Najib or that 93-year-old man?” he asked some 5,000 civil servants in Perak, in reference to Mahathir.
Najib abolished the ISA in 2011, much to the chagrin of Mahathir, who had been accused of using the draconian law to stifle dissent and imprison opposition politicians.
A total of 106 people were detained during Operasi Lalang.
Mahathir has repeatedly stated that Operasi Lalang was conducted by the police and he had no power to object to the detention orders.
As Pakatan Harapan chairperson, Mahathir is now allied with several individuals who were detained during the operation. -Mkini
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