.jpg "PPBM deputy president Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir is pictured at the PKR National Congress in Shah Alam, May 21, 2017. u00e2u20acu201d Picture by Yusof Mat Isa")
KUALA LUMPUR, July 13 — Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has schemed to remove Datuk Seri Najib Razak as prime minister since 2014, Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir told the High Court here today.
According to The Star Online news portal, the former Kedah mentri besar said so when testifying in his defamation lawsuit against the prime minister's press secretary, Datuk Seri Tengku Sarifuddin Tengku Ahmad.
When asked by defence lawyer Datuk Seri Jahaberdeen Mohamed Yunoos whether the former prime minister has been working to depose Najib since 2015, Mukhriz replid in the affirmative but clarified that the efforts likely began the year before.
Mukhriz also told the court that both Mahathir and sacked deputy prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin were both party to the plan, but rejected the claim that this was a “conspiracy”.
He also agreed when Jahaberdeen asked if these efforts were public knowledge.
Mukhriz sued Tengku Sarifuddin for defamation in May 2016 over alleged insinuations that he is power-crazy and wants to be the next prime minister.
Muhkriz said in his statement of claim that Tengku Sarifuddin’s remarks had carried innuendoes suggesting that he was directly involved in an alleged plot by Dr Mahathir and Muhyiddin to topple the legitimately elected government.
