Dec 29, 09 7:42pm Malaysiakini
Prime Minister Najib Razak said there was no need for a royal commission of inquiry to look into allegations hurled at former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad in the book ‘Malaysian Maverick: Mahathir Mohamad in Turbulent Times’ authored by Barry Wain.
“There is always this call for a royal commission, everything you want royal commission, but (this) is not appropriate to call for a royal commission just because somebody has written a book.
“What is important for us is to look forward to the future. Each prime minister has made a lot of contribution, otherwise we wouldn’t be what we are today, Malaysia will not be a successful nation and regarded as a role model if all the PMs in the past had not made their contribution,” he said.
On Dec 21, DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang in his blog had urged Najib to set up a royal commission to probe the allegations contained in the book, which among others had claimed that Mahathir had squandered up to RM100 billion during his 22 years as prime minister.
In an immediate response, Mahathir in his ‘Chedet’ blog welcomed the call for a royal inquiry and said he would cooperate fully with the commission.
Wain, who is the former managing editor of Asian Wall Street Journal, has estimated that Mahathir had squandered up to RM100 billion in his years as PM.
– Bernama