KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 20 — Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad today said that he would continue to call out Datuk Seri Najib Razak, or anyone who tries to damage the country’s good image and deceive the public. 

In his second open letter to Johor voters ahead of the state election, Dr Mahathir said that the convicted former prime minister is only trying to win back power so he can help himself escape punishment for his role in the 1MDB scandal. 

“To tell the truth, I am ashamed to keep calling out Najib. He has humiliated Malaysia, the Malays and Islam. Unfortunately, he is not one bit remorseful but instead pretends to be persecuted, including by me.

“He hopes Malaysians think he is innocent and that he is only a victim of persecution by his political enemies. There are those who have fallen into his trap, call him ‘boss’ and kiss his hand,” he said. 

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The Parti Pejuang Tanah Air chairman alluded that before the 1MDB scandal, he had supported Najib and even pressured fifth prime minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to appoint Najib as deputy prime minister during his tenure. 

“Unfortunately, Najib is not like his father. Tun Razak was a nationalist and a dignified fighter for the nation. Najib on the other hand steals the country’s wealth with the help of Jho Low. 

“Papers outside the country have called him a ‘plundering idiot’. The Court of Appeal has called him a national embarrassment. And even with his, he is still not ashamed and is working to get his power back,” he said. 

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Dr Mahathir then said that even Najib’s own family are ashamed of him and his nonchalant attitude towards the theft of millions of the nation’s money — referring to Najib’s brother Tan Sri Nazir Razak — who released scathing details about Najib’s involvement in the 1MDB scandal in his book, What’s in the Name. 

“Tan Sri Nazir wrote a lot about his brother’s criminal involvement in the 1MDB scandal. He revealed all this because of the shame and guilt his family has to bear,” he said. 

Last week, Dr Mahathir had written the first open letter to Johor voters, in which he accused Umno of forcing the premature Johor election to gain the political power it needs to save its leaders he described as “kleptocrats” and a “court cluster”.

A day prior to that, Najib had called on Johor Crown Prince Tunku Ismail Ibrahim and wife Che Puan Khaleeda Bustamam as part of his visit there ahead of the state election.

The Pekan MP said they had discussed the state’s development and further potential if it is led by his Barisan Nasional coalition.