KUALA LUMPUR, April 25 — After taking a swipe on Datuk Seri Najib Razak and his wife’s lavish lifestyle, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad today directed his attacks on the prime minister’s daughter’s wedding in a move apparently aimed at highlighting the former’s questionable wealth.
The former prime minister said the wedding was organised with such extravagance that it could be labeled as “the wedding of the century”, noting that even he could not afford to organise such weddings for his four children when he was in office.
“When his daughter got married, look at the wedding.
"Wow. It was like a wedding of the century.
"Not the wedding of the year, but the wedding of the century,” he told a packed townhall meeting held here.
“When my four children got married, did anyone know? No. You didn’t even hear of it,” he added.
Dr Mahathir also claimed that Najib brought with him 300 people to his daughter's wedding in Kazakhstan and demanded the latter explain who helped finance the trip.
"300 people. That's a lot. Can you imagine 300 people was taken with him to the trip to Kazakhstan. Who are this 300 people?"
Daniyar Kessibayev, the husband of Najib's daughter Nooryana Najwa, is a Kazakhstan national.
The alleged lavish lifestyle of Najib's family have been subject to intense scrutiny by Dr Mahathir whom have used to issue as fodder to his campaign to oust the prime minister.
Previously Dr Mahathir had said he knew of Najib and Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor's love for luxury before the latter became prime minister but was willing to overlook the matter.
Today, Dr Mahathir said despite Najib's shortcomings, he had vouched for him to become prime minister because he was indebted to Najib's father, Malaysia's second prime minister Tun Abdul Razak, who helped him re-enter Umno after he was expelled from the party in the early 70s.
"I loved and idolised Tun Abdul Razak..it was because of him that I became prime minister.
"And you know when you are indebted to a dead man, you will be indebted to his children and his grandchildren
"That was why I worked hard to ensure he would become PM," he said.
But Dr Mahathir said he can no longer support Najib as the latter's administration was marred with allegations of corruption, pointing to the RM42 billion scandal involving state investment arm 1Malaysia Development Bhd.
"I have been patient. How can I bring down the son of a man I am indebted to? I wish I do not have to but he has lost a lot of people's money. I cannot let that happen," he said.
Dr Mahathir had openly called for Najib to step down citing disappointment with a slew of scandals plaguing the current administration.
He said the time for diplomacy was over as Najib had allegedly ignored much of his "advice" in the past.
