Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad has issued a statement railing against an anonymous social media post claiming vast sums of money of up to RM1 billion were involved in funding a bid to replace the government.
Malaysiakini was not able to determine the exact claim that led to Mahathir’s post but it is believed to be linked to a police report made yesterday by Perikatan Nasional secretary-general Hamzah Zainudin’s private secretary Ahmad Ikhwan Fadhli.
Ikhwan filed a report on a blog’s claim Hamzah tried to bribe the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to change the government.
Mahathir said in his post on Facebook that he was responding after “social media carried a statement that I bribed the Yang di-Pertuan Agong with RM500 million to RM1 billion.”
“Please prove that I did this. Making such a statement and hiding your identity is cowardly.
“In bribery, both the giver and the receiver would be guilty.
“Is the writer suggesting the Agong should be arrested for taking the bribe? Does he have evidence that the Agong took RM1 billion from me?” Mahathir asked.
Although Mahathir’s post called for evidence of the bribe, it must be noted that the blog in question had claimed that the veteran politician had merely tried to bribe the king.
Two days ago, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s political secretary Azman Abidin urged police to investigate allegations that some parties are willing to provide funds of up to RM1 billion to topple the government as part of the Dubai Move, although it is not clear whether his statement is linked to the report filed by Ikhwan.
Mahathir asked his unnamed accuser to prove he had the money to fund such an attempt and included a barb at Anwar for good measure.
“As everyone knows Anwar had said I have billions of ringgit. I asked him to show proof that I had the money, but until now he has not been able to prove I had the money.
“Now the statement that I bribed the Agong with RM1 billion means I have the money. If Anwar cannot prove it until now perhaps the originator of the statement should show Anwar that I had the money to bribe,” said Mahathir.
Mahathir also claimed that opposition and dissent in Malaysia were being stifled.
“We cannot talk about 3R (race, religion, and royalty). We cannot politicise the budget. Now we cannot talk about the overthrow of the prime minister.
“So, nobody can talk about anything. And this is the government led by a man who before talked about reform, about freedom,” said Mahathir. – Malaysiakini