Court hears Dr Mahathir's testimony on toppling PM Najib

Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad told the High Court today he did not think that his attempt to topple Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak would destroy UMNO.

He admitted that he had tried to bring down Najib since 2014, but that the attempt would not destroy UMNO but Najib who, he said, had brought disrepute to UMNO.

Dr Mahathir, 92, who is chairman of Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM), said this when responding to a question from counsel Datuk Seri Jahaberdeen Mohamed Yunoos during cross-examination in the hearing of the defamation suit filed by his son, Datuk Seri Mukhriz, against Datuk Seri Tengku Sarifuddin Tengku Ahmad, press secretary to the Prime Minister.

Dr Mahathir, the second witness of plaintiff Mukhriz, also admitted that PPBM was in opposition to UMNO.

The former UMNO president also said that one of the three vice-presidents of UMNO could be appointed by the UMNO president as the deputy prime minister. Dr Mahathir himself had appointed Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who was an UMNO vice-president then, as the deputy prime minister to succeed the sacked Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.