PETALING JAYA, Oct 1: Dr Mahathir Mohamad says he will never forgive former prime minister Najib Razak for destroying Umno.
In an interview broadcast on Malaysia Gazette, he was asked if he was willing to forgive Najib like how he seems to have reconciled with his former adversary, Anwar Ibrahim.
“No, that is different. I cannot forgive someone who destroyed my party.
“His (Najib’s) actions have caused people to hate the party,” he said.
Mahathir said that when Barisan Nasional won the 13th general election in 2013, Najib had more supporters than he (Mahathir) ever received.
“But now, people reject him and Pak Lah. He even performed worse than Pak Lah,” the
nonagenarian said, referring to his successor, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.
Mahathir spent much of his first 22 years in power grooming Najib to take his place. Yet, shortly after Najib finally took office in 2009, Mahathir turned on him, citing worsening race relations and a tougher business environment.
The attacks continued for years, and Mahathir in January 2018 offered himself as a prime minister candidate for Pakatan Harapan while de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim was in jail.
Najib believed Mahathir turned away from him because the political veteran was obsessive about control and about calling the shots.
