KUALA LUMPUR – Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad will be addressing the anti-graft investigation into his eldest son Mirzan Mahathir in a press conference today.
It is expected to take place at the Perdana Leadership Foundation around 3pm, confirmed his office.
Dr Mahathir has recently alleged that he and his family are victims of a political witch-hunt, as well as that one of his children was threatened with a five-year imprisonment.
He is also expected to comment on the country’s political situation.
On January 18, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) confirmed summoning Mirzan the previous day as part of investigations arising from leaked information in the Panama Papers.
He was present at the MACC headquarters at around 9.30pm on January 17 and was given a notice to declare all his assets both here and abroad within 30 days.
The probe is being conducted under the MACC Act 2009 and the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001.
As for Dr Mahathir, he has again made headlines after his racially-charged remarks became public.
He had told Chennai-based Thanthi TV that there was a lack of patriotic values in non-Malays, which later drew criticism from various quarters – including ministers, political figures, and the general public.
During the interview, the former prime minister referred to Malaysian Indians and Chinese as “immigrants”, saying that they should not identify as Malaysians unless they are recognised as Malays.
He argued that since Malaysian Indians did not speak Malay as their mother tongue or practise Malay culture, customs, or traditions, they should not refer to Malaysia as their home country.
Even though Perikatan Nasional disagreed with his claim that non-Malays were “disloyal” to the nation, the opposition bloc is keeping him as an unofficial adviser for a grouping of the four state governments under PN known as the State Government Four (SG4).
“Since he is old, maybe that’s why he is saying things that people don’t really agree with,” said Gerakan president Datuk Dominic Lau last Saturday.
Over the weekend, Dr Mahathir told at a forum at the Perdana Leadership Foundation that the Malays could face extinction in 10 years if they do not unite.
He claimed action must be taken and more Malays needed to be “awakened” to their “subjugation”, which he illustrated by saying that voter turnout by Malaysian Chinese in elections was higher than Malays, according to news reports on his remarks.
The country’s longest-serving prime minister also claimed that Malays would be enslaved if no one was concerned about their fate, and that Bangladesh nationals who come into the nation are more hardworking while Malays often refuse jobs.
This led Umno Veterans’ Club secretary Datuk Mustapha Yaakub to say it was possible that Dr Mahathir was attempting to divert attention from the MACC probe into Mirzan and his ally, former finance minister Tun Daim Zainuddin. – January 22, 2024