The UMNO Veterans Club wants action to be taken against Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad under the Sedition Act for trying to bring in foreign interference into the administration of the country.

Its secretary Datuk Mustapha Yaakub said the former prime minister had gone overboard, a clear indication that he was desperate in his attempts to overthrow Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

"UMNO Veterans do not want the government to compromise in matters affecting the stability of the country, and we cannot allow any citizen to sabotage their own country.

"There can be no consideration and compromise about the country's dignity," he said in a statement today.

Yesterday, in an interview with Australian newspaper The Weekend Australian, Dr Mahathir said without foreign pressure, there was little hope of Najib resigning.

Mustapha said Dr Mahathir, who is a former UMNO president, was willing to swallow his own words and cast aside his principles as at one time he hated foreign interference in the affairs of the nation.

"Clearly he has double standards. He did not want foreign interference during his time, but he himself is working to get the foreign powers to bring Najib down.

"This shows he is facing an internal conflict, between being rational and emotional," he said.