KUALA LUMPUR, March 12 ― Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan took to Twitter to defend Putrajaya’s decision yesterday to remove Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad as Petronas adviser, telling followers that the move was appropriate given the former prime minister’s current campaign against the administration.

In a series of replies, Abdul Rahman also criticised Dr Mahathir’s about-turn in his support for the government, pointing out that when the latter helmed the administration, he was shown loyalty by those in Umno.

“Under the present circumstances, his position as Petronas Adviser is clearly untenable,” the Umno supreme councillor said after tweeting a Bernama flash on Dr Mahathir’s termination from Petronas.

“He can’t have the cake and eat it too,” he said in another posting.

To one follower who accused him of failing to understand Dr Mahathir, Abdul Rahman said: “To the contrary. We all in Umno are way too familiar with his SOP, inside out.”

The minister also disagreed with one Twitter user who claimed that Dr Mahathir was representing the interests of “everyone” in his campaign to remove Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

“Liberal use of the term “everyone” without basis is not good for any argument,” Abdul Rahman said.

Some Twitter users also took to criticising Abdul Rahman over his comments about Dr Mahathir but the minister appeared to take the remarks in his stride.

He told one user who wondered if he really believed in his own words to “wonder no more”.

To user @CiceroMax1 who said he was not impressed with the Kota Belud MP’s blind loyalty to Najib, Abdul Rahman said in reference to Dr Mahathir and another Umno rebel Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, “Ahhh... If someone supports PM it’s blind loyalty, if supports TSMY or Tun, it’s called what? #GiveMeABreak.”

In a statement last night, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) announced the federal Cabinet’s unanimous decision to axe Dr Mahathir from his post as advisor to national oil giant Petronas.

PMO said the Cabinet in its decision agreed that due to his role in last week’s unveiling of the “Citizen’s Declaration” calling for Najib’s removal from office, Dr Mahathir should no longer hold any government-related posts.

Dr Mahathir led a delegation of politicians and activists last week to sign a “Citizens’ Declaration” that called for the replacement of Najib as prime minister and a change of his government.

The declaration also expressed concern over the controversies surrounding state investment firm 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) and the RM2.6 billion deposited in Najib’s personal accounts.

It carried over 40 signatures comprising Barisan Nasional (BN) veterans, opposition politicians and civil society leaders.

In Parliament on Tuesday, BN’s MP for Silam Datuk Datu Nasrun Datu Mansur said Dr Mahathir should relinquish all his posts in government-linked firms now that he has publicly declared his loss of confidence in the current administration.