“I have no doubt at all that it was Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad who plotted a move to topple Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak,” Hishammuddin, who is defence minister, was quoted as saying by New Straits Times (NST) today.
He was reported to have said he had no doubt at all that Zahid would never do what was alleged by Mahathir, who was prime minister from 1981 to 2003.
He said Zahid had nothing to do with a plot headed by Mahathir to make Najib resign from his office.
“I have no doubt at all that the person who wants to topple the prime minister is Tun Mahathir. Datuk Seri Zahid is the latest victim of (Dr Mahathir’s) scathing attack on (Umno) leaders,” he was quoted as saying.
“I believe that I am the next target, followed by other cabinet members, to be attacked by him,” he added.
Hishammuddin said this after officiating at the Kangar Umno division meeting in the Perlis capital today.
According to the NST report, Hishammuddin said the attacks against Zahid and other Umno leaders were expected as Mahathir wished to cause a split in the party leadership in the lead-up to the 14th general election (GE14).
“I wish to stress that it will not work. All three of us (Najib, Zahid and himself) have a very strong relationship.
“The line has been drawn that this is our team and we will not be torn apart by attacks from outside,” he was quoted as saying.
On Aug 1, Mahathir had claimed in a video recording posted online that Zahid had approached him to get his backing when he was appointed to take over as deputy prime minister.
He criticised Zahid for coming to see him when wanting his sympathy but going on a path of deception (“jalan bohong”) when he could not get it.
The remarks were made after Zahid had on July 30 claimed at the Kelana Jaya Umno division meeting that Mahathir’s old blue-coloured IC carried the name “Mahathir a/l Iskandar Kutty”.
The “a/l” stands for “anak lelaki” which in Malay means “son of”, and is commonly used in the official naming of Malaysians of Indian ethnicity.
Zahid had said that “the man who struggled for the Malay agenda” was actually “using the Malays”.