PUTRAJAYA, April 19 — Criticism of the federal government will continue until the “end times”, a senior Umno minister said today, as he shrugged off the recent attacks on Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s leadership by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein said the only way that the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition and lynchpin party Umno can withstand such attacks is by staying united.
“In this matter, if we were to answer all the criticism and allegations, we won’t see any solution,” he said at a news conference here.
“So we have to be united to be able to move forward,” he added.
Hishammuddin, who is also Umno vice-president, advised Putrajaya’s detractors from within the party and those linked to it to bear the party’s unity in mind when airing their dissatisfactions in public.
Dr Mahathir has recently ramped up pressure on Najib to step down, claiming the latter has lost support in the party over controversial dealings by state-owned investment firm 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), among other matters.
In more recent remarks, Dr Mahathir said he could no longer remain silent and that the days for diplomacy have long passed, adding he will now push for Najib’s resignation openly.
He said the prime minister’s refusal to address allegations such as those surrounding 1MDB and linking him to the murder of Mongolian model Altantuya Shaariibuu put BN’s rule at risk.
Najib responded recently via a televised interview with TV3, during which he said Dr Mahathir’s criticism was due to his desire for the “Crooked Bridge” to be revived and the 1Malaysia People’s Aid (BR1M) discontinued.
The so-called “Crooked Bridge” was Dr Mahathir’s idea to replace the Causeway, but was discontinued by his successor, Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, and believed to be among reasons why the latter was hounded out of office by the man who put him there.
Umno and BN leaders have also urged the former prime minister to cease his hostility towards Najib, warning that continuing to do so will only harm the government and country.
Over the weekend, Dr Mahathir reportedly said BR1M was spent on ingrates when others, such as those on the island of Langkawi in his home state, were in much greater need.
