Najib etched in history as a criminal, says Dr Mahathir

Dr Mahathir Mohamad today continued his attacks against Najib Razak, this time saying the Umno leader will be immortalised in history books as a criminal convicted of stealing billions of ringgit.

“It is impossible that Najib and the crimes he committed would not be mentioned (in history). The human instinct is such that something, when repeated many times, will be accepted.

“I am not the only one who mentions Najib’s name and his link to crime. History books will mention Najib so that future generations will know him as a criminal who stole billions of ringgit as confirmed by the courts,” Mahathir said in a blog post.

Najib was sentenced to 12 years’ jail and fined RM210 million after he was found guilty of seven charges related to the misappropriation of funds from SRC International, an entity linked to 1MDB.

The sentence was upheld by the appeals court late last year, with the panel judges describing the crime as a national embarrassment.

Mahathir, 96, who in 2018 led an opposition alliance to victory to topple Najib’s nine-year rule and bring down Umno’s 60-year stranglehold on the government, said Malaysia’s founding fathers were always synonymous with some national achievement.

He said Tunku Abdul Rahman was known for his contribution towards the nation’s independence, followed by Abdul Razak Hussein, Najib’s father, who was credited with development.

He said when Razak died, Najib was an unknown.

“Unfortunately, Najib chose to be linked closely with crime. Unlike his father, Najib saw power as an opportunity to enrich himself.

“Such is the scale of his crimes that the whole world knows Najib and the crimes he committed.”

Mahathir also mocked Najib’s “Malu Apa Bossku” tagline again, calling it an attempt to justify his crimes by saying there was no shame in stealing.

“The idea that there is no shame in crime goes against human values and Malaysian society. If not rebutted, society will be ruined.”