Former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has denounced a corruption investigation into his associates as politically motivated, alleging that the government is using graft charges to target its rivals. This criticism comes in the wake of his eldest son being ordered to provide information to investigators.
Mahathir, a prominent figure in Malaysian politics with two terms as prime minister, claimed that Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's government is weaponizing corruption allegations against its political opponents. Mahathir, who returned to office briefly in 2018 following the 1MDB scandal, accused the government of pursuing selective prosecution and using the law for political gain.
The investigation into Mahathir's associates stems from the Pandora Papers, a 2021 leak that exposed offshore accounts held by influential individuals worldwide. Businessman Mirzan Mahathir and tycoon Daim Zainuddin, both linked to Mahathir, were implicated in the leak.
Mirzan was ordered to disclose all his assets within 30 days by the anti-graft agency, which had also initiated a probe into Daim, a former Finance Minister and Mahathir ally. Mirzan faces allegations related to questionable dealings in the sale and acquisition of a government-linked company.
Mahathir, 98, accused Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim of using the investigation to gather evidence against him, suggesting that the government is unfairly targeting those opposed to its rule. He criticized the dropping of graft charges against Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and the lack of action against the anti-graft agency chief over a share trading scandal.
Mahathir's political history with Anwar dates back to the 1990s, when Anwar served as his deputy and finance minister before their fallout during the Asian financial crisis. Anwar was later imprisoned on corruption and sodomy charges, which he claimed were politically motivated.
In the 2018 general elections, Mahathir and Anwar united to topple the long-ruling coalition, with Mahathir returning as prime minister and promising to hand over power to Anwar. However, their alliance crumbled amid internal conflicts.
Mahathir now aligns himself with the opposition Malay-Islamic alliance and has been critical of Anwar's unity government, which took power in November 2022. The anti-graft agency, despite investigations beginning before Anwar's tenure, has faced accusations of bias and unconstitutional actions from Daim and his family, who maintain that their offshore assets are the result of legitimate business activities.
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