PM Najib stoking racial tensions: Mahathir

Malaysian ruling party icon Mahathir Mohamad has accused current leader Najib Razak of “destroying” the country by clinging to power despite a corruption scandal, and vowed to campaign vigorously for the opposition in coming elections.

In an interview with AFP, the 91-year-old former prime minister excoriated Najib over the sensational graft allegations swirling around the 1MDB sovereign wealth fund.

The man who strove to subdue Malaysia’s opposition parties during his time in office from 1981-2003 said he could now work with them to topple Najib, including the party of his jailed former deputy Anwar Ibrahim. 

“He (Najib) is destroying this country... he is bringing in racism... very, very serious crime has been committed,” Mahathir said on Tuesday. In a July lawsuit the US Justice Department detailed how an unnamed “Malaysian Official No. 1” -- later identified as Najib -- and his family members and close associates diverted billions from 1MDB, which Najib founded.