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Malaysia
This Week in AsiaPolitics

Najib Razak’s charm offensive an ‘abuse of free speech’: Malaysia’s Mahathir Mohamad

  • The Malaysian prime minister downplays a pact between Najib’s Umno party and the Islamist PAS
  • He says a PR campaign by his disgraced predecessor, who is on bail awaiting trial, proves the difference between their administrations

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A supporter takes a selfie with former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak, who is on bail awaiting trial on corruption charges. Photo: EPA
Bhavan Jaipragas

A charm offensive by Najib Razak, Malaysia’s disgraced former prime minister who is out on bail awaiting trial on corruption charges, is an “abuse of free speech”, his successor Mahathir Mohamad has said.

In an interview with the South China Morning Post, the 93-year-old leader also downplayed the significance of a new pact between Najib’s Umno party – now in opposition after its defeat in last May’s general election – and the hardline Islamist outfit Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS).

Observers and some of Mahathir’s allies see the alliance between Umno (the United Malays National Organisation) and PAS as a way for Najib’s party to shore up its Islamic credentials and win back the support of Malays.

But Mahathir said that Umno, which he had himself spearheaded before crossing aisles to defeat Najib, was a shell of the party it once was. “Well, it is a threat. But not the biggest threat,” he said of the alliance.
Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad gives an exclusive interview to the South China Morning Post. Photo: Chris Healy
Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad gives an exclusive interview to the South China Morning Post. Photo: Chris Healy

“As you know, Umno has been depleted already, it is not the former Umno. Many of them have left Umno,” said Mahathir, referring to defectors who joined his Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM), one of the members of the Pakatan Harapan coalition that won the May election.

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