Putrajaya has killed democracy, says Dr Mahathir

Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, seen here at the Bersih 4 rally on August 30, says the Najib administration is behaving undemocratically by threatening those who criticise the government. – The Malaysian Insider pic, October 7, 2015 -

Putrajaya has destroyed democracy in the country by threatening and taking action against those who expose the wrongdoings of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said today.

He said the government has continued to accuse those who expose Najib's wrongdoings of attempting to topple the government through undemocratic ways.

"But in fact, the government, by threatening to take action against its people, forbidding Umno members from listening to political talks, is being undemocratic," the former prime minister wrote in his blog.

"There is no democracy left to be toppled by the people, because democracy has already been destroyed by the government."

Malaysia's longest-serving prime minister said that the country seemed to have descended into a police state, where the wrongdoings of the leaders in the government cannot be mentioned.

"The country's image has changed to be like a police state where laws are misused to put fear into the people. The wrongdoings of the government and prime minister cannot be mentioned. A meeting of the people is stopped using many ways, including accusations that it is racist.

"However, the government allows a racist demonstration, apparently because the Bersih  4 rally demanding Najib's resignation was racist, and an attempt by the Chinese to bring down a Malay government," he said, referring to the "red shirt' rally held on September 16.

The "red shirt" rally, or Himpunan Rakyat Bersatu, was held to counter the Bersih 4 rally, which was alleged to have insulted the integrity of the Malay race.

Filled with incendiary remarks and speeches as well as racially-charged banners and placards, the "red shirt" rally saw some tense moments when participants were upset over questions asked by some journalists and riot police sprayed chemical-laced water on a group of rowdy rally-goers who attempted to breach the police barricades to gain access to Petaling Street in Kuala Lumpur.

Dr Mahathir also weighed in on the arrest of former Umno Batu Kawan deputy chief Datuk Seri Khairuddin Abu Hassan under the the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act (Sosma).

"How can those who lodge police reports about a crime that has happened be accused of being terrorists?

"These things frighten the people, especially Umno members and its small-minded leaders. They know that something wrong is going on. But their mouths are closed. Their ears are closed too.

"The freedom of the media, that is apparently controlled by the government, is infringed because of their reports on 1MDB crimes and others," he added.

Khairuddin was detained as his move to use foreign enforcement agencies to put pressure on Malaysia over the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) issue could be deemed as an act of sabotage against the country, police have said.

Khairuddin first lodged a police report against the Finance Ministry-owned 1MDB in December last year, and was subsequently sacked from Umno for being declared a bankrupt.

He recently lodged reports with authorities in Hong Kong, Switzerland, France and the United Kingdom against the troubled firm, of which Najib is advisory board chairman.

It was reported that he was on his way to meet Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) officials in the United States when he was barred from leaving the country.

- TMI