Criticism of Najib only a wake-up call

KUALA LUMPUR: Former Prime Minister Tun Dr.Mahathir Mohamad said he had no intention of asking Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak to resign but his criticism were merely meant to be a “wake-up call”.

“I did not say he (Najib) must step down, I just do not agree with a number of his policies. It is a reminder and nothing personal. Nobody dares to criticise him, so I am doing it,” he told reporters after launching the Institute of Excellence for Islamic Jerusalem Studies (IEIJS), here yesterday.

Dr.Mahathir in his blog posting yesterday said he had criticised Najib’s administration because leaders who are not criticised would tend to believe they are doing the right thing.

He added that only when they are criticised, leaders would realise and rectify their mistakes.

Dr.Mahathir said he had decided to post his comments on the blog because his criticism in the past had fallen on deaf ears.

Meanwhile, he said the setting up of IEIJS would enlighten the understanding and academic facts of what was happening in Palestine, to the Muslim world.

“There are not many factual studies about Jerusalem by Muslim scholars. With the establishment of this Institute, I hope there would be a better understanding of whatever happened there,” he said. – Bernama