KUALA LUMPUR, April 10 — Malaysia’s ruling government should pay close attention to criticism on its handling of recent controversies from its former leader Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad even as senior Umno politicians close ranks behind Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, South China Morning Post (SCMP) said in its editorial today.

The Hong Kong daily said the former prime minister’s “extraordinary attack” on Najib should not be taken lightly despite the latter’s apparent popularity within his own Umno party, pointing out Dr Mahathir’s words still carried weight despite leaving public office over 10 years ago.

“Najib appears to have enjoyed support within the party but history shows that politically, 89-year-old Mahathir’s word is not to be discounted.

“Whether it could prompt another change in the leadership will be closely watched in Malaysia and around the region,” SCMP said in the article titled “Former PM Mahathir Mohamad is still playing kingmaker in Malaysia”.

In the same editorial piece, the paper noted that Dr Mahathir had led a campaign in 2009 that ultimately saw his successor Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi being replaced by Najib.

The paper said Dr Mahathir’s “intervention” has worsened the growing “political and economic uncertainty” here after the ruling party sustained major losses in the 13th general election - including losing the popular vote and failing to regain its two-thirds parliamentary majority.

SCMP listed its observations of how Umno has moved to re-identify itself with Malays and Islam in response to the alleged “mass defection” of non-Malay voters, noting that the federal opposition’s leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s imprisonment on a “morals charge” of sodomy.

“Najib has reversed a promise to abolish a colonial-era sedition law used recently to detain opponents and journalists. And now parliament has passed an anti-terrorism bill providing for detention without trial, coincidentally on the same day as the announcement of the arrests of 17 militants said to belong to an Islamic State terror cell,” it also said.

Last week, Dr Mahathir quizzed the Najib administration on unresolved questions revolving around the debt-ridden 1Malaysia Development Berhad and the high-profile murder of Mongolian Altantuya Shaariibuu, claiming that all this was causing falling confidence in the administration.

Dr Mahathir has also criticised the Najib administration’s annual cash handout to low-income groups through BR1M.

His attacks prompted several BN leaders to criticise the former prime minister over his own time in power and come out in support of Najib.

More than a week later, Najib finally responded to the criticisms by Dr Mahathir in a pre-recorded interview that was broadcasted last night on national television.