KUALA LUMPUR, May 4 — Controversial columnist Ridhuan Tee Abdullah warned today that Putrajaya could fall into the hands of the “ultra kiasu” if the conflict between Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Datuk Seri Najib Razak to continues to persist unabated.

He said the ferocity of Dr Mahathir’s recent attacks on Najib “frightens” him as it puts Malay unity at risk, and could ultimately lead to a total split in the country’s dominant ethnic group.

“I cannot imagine if our country falls to the hands of the ultra kiasu. At the very least, they will ask for the role of deputy prime minister.

“They will continue to insist on vernacular schools and increase the number of houses of worship. The UEC (Unified Examination Certificate) will be endorsed,” he said, referring to the China-recognised education certificates issued by independent Chinese secondary schools here.

“Illegally occupied land will be given 999-year leases. And there will be more pig farms, alcohol factories, gambling and nightclubs as well,” Tee continued in his Sinar Harian column today.

Tee often uses the “ultra kiasu” euphemism to refer to those in the DAP, the Chinese and the Christians, although he has also denied targeting only the Chinese.

To avoid such a scenario, the columnist said Dr Mahathir and Umno’s top brass must sit together to straighten out their disagreements.

He denied siding with Dr Mahathir in the latter’s stand-off with Najib and insisted that he had never agreed with the former prime minister’s suggestion that the latter resigns.

“I did not take sides,” he said, and told an “ultra kiasu” news portal to be careful with its reports after it allegedly wrote that he had backed the call for Najib’s resignation during a recent speech.

“This country must be saved from falling into the hands of the ultra kiasu in the Tun-PM crisis.

“Muslims must unite in the name of truth, regardless whether they are Umno or PAS. We don’t have a lot of time. These arguments must be stopped before it is too late,” he said.

Dr Mahathir, Tee admitted, had brought much development and change to Malaysia during his 22-year rule and his claim of how money have gone “missing” under Najib is the truth.

“But how Tun has been attacking PM frightens me,” he said.

Tee then reminded Dr Mahathir of how he had warned Muslims in the past that any conflict among themselves would not benefit them and make them weaker instead.

Agreeing, he urged for an end to the stand-off with Najib, saying that prolonging the crisis would only be to the detriment of Muslims here.

Dr Mahathir has been pushing openly for Najib’s resignation, saying latter’s refusal to address allegations such as those surrounding 1 Malaysia Development Bhd and the murder of Altantuya Shaariibuu put BN’s rule at risk.

He also recently said that the Malays will be doomed if Umno loses the next general election due to Najib, stripping the Malays of the safeguards they have enjoyed since Independence.

Barisan Nasional (BN) lost a seven more seats under Najib in Election 2013, but the Umno president maintained that he performed better as his party added nine more seats to become the dominant force in BN.