Dr M: Quarrel with Najib kept my brain sharp

Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad today attributed his falling out with former premier Najib Abdul Razak as one of his secrets to longevity.

He said this was in keeping with his belief that keeping an active body and mind was one of the secrets to a long life after retirement.

"It is not just your muscles but also your brain. If you don't use your brain it tends to regress.

"Then the ability to talk, to lecture, to speak out, to complain, all that will go because your brain is no longer functioning," said Mahathir in his opening speech at a conference in Kuala Lumpur.

"So I suppose it is good for old people to read, to write, also to quarrel. Because that exercises your brain.

"I had a big quarrel with the previous prime minister so all the time my brain was actively thinking on ways and means to change the government," he said to laughter from the day's participants.

In urging seniors to remain active beyond their retirement age, Mahathir said he was pushed to start working again after only two weeks of being "retired" as the fourth prime minister.

"Two weeks after I retired, people come to see me. They were not happy with my successor," said Mahathir in reference to the fifth prime minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, whom he handpicked.

"They asked me, can you do something about it? So I started doing something. I became very active.

"Of course, when that successor eventually gave up, we had a second man to succeed the first man after me," said Mahathir who pointed out how he then decided to leave Umno, form Bersatu and eventually lead Pakatan Harapan to topple BN in the 14th general election.

Mahathir had resigned as the fourth prime minister in 2003 after 22 years in office and quit Umno to form Bersatu in early 2016.

The conference themed "Aging, Learning and Technology: Enriching Lives, Connecting Communities" was organised by the Third Age Media Association in conjunction with the International Day of Older Persons which fell on Oct 1.

Also present was his wife Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali and Third Age Media Association president Cheah Tuck Wing. -Mkini