No end to my attacks, vows Mahathir

Govt will have to jail me to shut me up, he says while renewing criticism of Abdullah

By Carolyn Hong
The Straits Times

TWO days after his defeat in a divisional election, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad is back on the war path.

He said yesterday that the 'so-called defeat' will not stop his attacks on his successor.

'No one can try and shut me up because I have a big mouth. I am going to use my big mouth to expose all the misdeeds of the present government.

'They will try to stay in power but, one day, truth will prevail. They will pay a price for converting the Malaysian government to the family government of Abdullah Ahmad Badawi,' he said.

He said the only way the government could stop him was to throw him in jail.

On Saturday, the former premier suffered a shock defeat in his bid to become a delegate from his Kubang Pasu division in Kedah.

The loss indicated he does not have enough grassroots support within the ruling party in his battle with Prime Minister Abdullah.

But Tun Dr Mahathir is clearly not deterred.

In an escalation of his clash with Datuk Seri Abdullah, he called the Prime Minister a liar and focused his attacks on his family.

In particular, he again attacked the Premier's son-in-law, Mr Khairy Jamaluddin, who is seen as influential and powerful.

Mr Khairy, who used to work for the Prime Minister, has left government service but remains an ambitious politician.

'He (PM Abdullah) can deny, but we all know of the influence of Khairy. He chose certain persons to work in Level 4 (the office of the PM's advisers) and ministries, and they are powerful.

'People with business proposals have to see Khairy. He has no position in government, but everyone must see him to get approvals,' Tun Dr Mahathir said.

He also said Datuk Seri Abdullah was lying when he said his son, Mr Kamaluddin Abdullah, did not have government contracts for his company Scomi.

The former premier claims that Scomi has RM1 billion (S$420 million) worth of contracts from state companies.

He also accused Datuk Seri Abdullah of wrongdoings as he had been implicated in the United Nations oil-for-food kickbacks scandal.

Last year, a UN report listed a Malaysian company with links to Datuk Seri Abdullah's sister-in-law as having paid kickbacks to participate in the scheme to buy oil from the Iraqi government.

The UN investigation committee cleared Datuk Seri Abdullah of any wrongdoing as he had reportedly merely wrote introductory letters for his sister-in-law's company.

Tun Dr Mahathir also attacked the Prime Minister's policies, saying that 'either he changes or he steps down'.

'Change the policies or change the government, that is for Umno to decide,' he said.

Among the policies that he has repeatedly complained about are the national auto policy which he felt disadvantaged the national car Proton, and the cancellation of the bridge to replace the Causeway.

Yesterday, he also criticised the country's foreign policy. He said the government no longer dared to speak against the United States or Britain, but instead bent over backwards to please them.

He also claimed that Malaysia was intimidated by Singapore and had shelved negotiations to revise the price of water sold to the Republic.

'We are still allowing it to be sold for 3 sen per thousand gallons, and by 2011, the agreement will expire. We will no longer have the chance to claim back payment,' he said.

Tun Dr Mahathir left yesterday for a 10-day visit to five cities in West Asia, Pakistan and Kazakhstan. He returns on Sept 20 and is more than likely to escalate the attacks.

'I have other ideas, I have lots of ideas,' he said.

RELENTLESS OFFENSIVE

'No one can try and shut me up because I have a big mouth. I am going to use my big mouth to expose all the misdeeds of the present government. They will try to stay in power but, one day, truth will prevail. They will pay a price for converting the Malaysian government to the family government of Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.' - TUN DR MAHATHIR