Riza’s deal - Dr M takes a swipe at PM’s denial

Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad has likened the denial that Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin was involved in discharging Riza Shahriz Abdul Aziz from 1MDB money laundering charges to the repeated denials that Muhyiddin wanted to become prime minister.

Mahathir said he was puzzled why the Prime Minister's Office had to issue a statement to deny that Muhyiddin had any role in the prosecution's decision to grant a discharge not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA) to Riza, who is the stepson of Najib Abdul Razak, Umno's last prime minister.

"As far as I know, no one had ever accused the prime minister (of involvement in discharging Riza).

"This is similar to the repeated claims that Muhyiddin did not want to become prime minister.

"There was no need to protest because no one proposed Muhyiddin as prime minister to begin with.

"But in the end, (he) wanted to become the prime minister even if it meant destroying the party," Mahathir said in a blog post.

Mahathir, whose position as Bersatu chairperson is in dispute, is engaged in a power struggle with his successor and Bersatu president Muhyiddin for control of the party.

The Pakatan Harapan government led by Mahathir collapsed in late February after Muhyiddin took Bersatu out of the coalition to join forces with a group of PKR defectors led by Gombak MP Azmin Ali.

Together, they formed the new Perikatan Nasional government with BN, PAS, GPS, PBS and STAR.

Bersatu had initially wanted Mahathir to lead this new coalition as prime minister but after he refused, Muhyiddin was appointed as prime minister.

Mahathir has embarked on a campaign to paint Muhyiddin's move as leading Bersatu to disaster in the 15th general election.

This is because Bersatu clashed with Umno and PAS in almost all the seats it contested in the last general election and Umno and PAS have indicated they are unwilling to make way for Bersatu in the next general election.

Instead, Mahathir has indicated he plans to bring Bersatu back to Harapan if he can regain control of the party.

Riza was granted a DNAA on May 14 for his money laundering charges involving US$248 million (RM1.08 billion) linked to 1MDB funds.

The prosecution did not reveal the exact terms of the plea bargain but the MACC said it will see US$107.3 million (RM465.3 million) in overseas assets returned to the Malaysian government.

The move had courted criticisms from the opposition.

Riza was also accused of using 1MDB-linked funds to produce Hollywood films, including the Academy Awards-nominated The Wolf of Wall Street through his firm Red Granite Pictures.

Red Granite had since entered into a settlement with the US government which was seeking to forfeit the proceeds from the film which it said was produced using illegal funds.

Red Granite reached a settlement to the tune of US$60 million without any admission of guilt.

The money was subsequently returned to the Malaysian government. - Mkini