CYBERJAYA: Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said he was not acting as a consultant to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Najib Tun Razak.
He added Najib didn’t depend on him for advice, for example, on the appointment of Cabinet members, claiming that some of the ministers who had been appointed by Najib were corrupt.
Dr Mahathir declined to say who they were, but singled out Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz and Deputy Agriculture and Agro-based Industries Minister Datuk Johari Baharom, whom he said should have not been appointed minister and deputy minister respectively.
“Nazri was nasty to me, so of course, I don’t like him.
”And Johari, he had this accusation against him that he had accepted RM5mil to release some people (from jail).
“Of course, he was cleared. But, some people feel that he should have not been made deputy minister,” the former premier told reporters after presenting a speech titled “The MSC and leadership in the information age” at the MSC Malaysia Leadership Talk Series here Wednesday.
Nazri had been a vocal critic of Dr Mahathir when the latter constantly made scathing attacks on his successor Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi when he was prime minister.
Johari was Deputy Internal Security Minister when he was accused of accepting bribes to release a detainee in 2007.
Dr Mahathir also said he was only giving his personal opinion that the Barisan Nasional should contest if a by-election is called in Penanti, although Najib had indicated that the coalition should focus more on improving the economy.
“I give valid reasons. But, I’m only expressing my opinion. He (Najib) doesn’t have to follow me.
“I give my opinion, but they don’t consult me. I’m not a consultant on every issue,” he added.
However, Dr Mahathir said it didn’t mean that he was opposed to Najib, saying that the Umno president had the right to decide on Cabinet members and their deputies.
News by TheStar..
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