[UPDATED] It’s not challenging to investigate me, I’m just a Tun: Dr Mahathir

PUTRAJAYA – Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has slammed Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki over the lack of investigation into the anti-graft chief’s share ownership saga.

“Azam Baki is not a Tun, but you don’t see any investigation on him. He (Azam Baki) was once accused of ‘main shares’. So supposedly an investigation should be carried out against him.

“But since he is the head, it is hard to investigate him,” said Dr Mahathir in a special press conference at the Perdana Leadership Foundation, here today.

“There is nothing challenging about investigating me, I’m just a Tun. If they stick me in jail, matilah in jail. If I’m dead, there is no need to investigate me.

“I just want to explain. I know what I’m doing makes me sweat… eee… ‘saya takut jail’ (I’m scared of jail). I’m already 98 years old.

“But this is what is happening now. People are being pressured. Those who ‘befriends’ the government, even when a prima facie case is established against the individual, he can walk free,” Dr Mahathir claimed.

He added that he is aware that the government will “jump” at what he said today.

“The government has access to everything (on his health and wealth). You can investigate that.

“They said they have boxes of evidence. Well, show me. I’ve brought this matter to court. Why so secretive?

“Instead, my son was pressed to give evidence, so I can be prosecuted,” said Dr Mahathir, referring to the ongoing MACC investigation into his eldest son Mirzan Mahathir.

He also claimed that Mirzan was called up to MACC headquarters for questioning by the authorities even though no offence has been established.

“My son was pressed to give evidence, so that I can be prosecuted. There’s no offence established against my son, when he was called to explain himself at the MACC.” 

Dr Mahathir then repeatedly urged the authorities to investigate Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim based on a statutory declaration made by former Bank Negara assistant governor Datuk Abdul Murad Khalid on October 28, 1999.

“Instead, you (authorities) asked my son to give evidence so the father can be charged.” 

Murad had claimed Anwar had RM3 billion in more than 20 bank accounts.

Dr Mahathir was prime minister from July 16, 1981 to October 31, 2003 under the Barisan Nasional banner, and May 10, 2018 to February 24, 2020 under the Pakatan Harapan ticket.

Meanwhile, he stopped short of saying the ongoing MACC probe into his long-time ally Tun Daim Zainuddin is a form of revenge or a witch-hunt.

Instead, he said Daim and him, who had once campaigned for Anwar, are being targeted for investigations.

“I don’t know whether it is revenge or not… This man (Anwar) was in jail. And when I became prime minister the second time, during my time, he was released. And then he wanted to contest in an election, in which, during the contest, I campaigned for him.

“So did Tun Daim. Both of us campaigned for him. But after campaigning for him… now he wants to investigate me for ‘wrongdoing’.

“Okay. If I did something wrong, please investigate (me) but don’t use the government to threaten people,” he alleged.

MACC, in December 2023, said former finance minister Daim was being investigated for corruption as well as acquisitions of his assets and business, such as property and financial institutions overseas.

Daim, on December 28, deemed MACC’s investigation into his family and wealth, including the seizure of Ilham Tower, a political witch-hunt. – January 22, 2024