PUTRAJAYA: Following the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s (MACC) probe against his son Datuk Mirzan Mahathir, former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad says he too is prepared to be investigated by the authorities.
The veteran politician refuted a statement by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim that it was hard to investigate those with the Tun title.
Instead, Dr Mahathir said, it was harder to investigate those who are in power.
“There is nothing challenging about investigating me. I’m just a Tun. If they put me in jail, I will just die in jail. If I’m dead, there is no need to investigate me. There won’t be many problems,” he said in jest, during a press conference at the Perdana Leadership Foundation yesterday.
He added that his bank accounts, Inland Revenue Board statements and others could be easily accessed by enforcement agencies.
He also claimed that the investigation was done to scare those who did not support the government.
“Of course I am worried. My son told me he received a notice to disclose all his transactions since he was a 20-year-old,” he said, adding that Mirzan was told to provide a 42-year history of transactions within 30 days.
On Jan 20, businessman Mirzan was issued a notice to declare his assets, both inside and outside the country, within 30 days.
The notice was issued in relation to “revelations” in the Panama Papers and the Pandora Papers.
“He (Mirzan) has to ask banks, PETRONAS, the Inland Revenue Board and also has to dig up documents from his old office,” added Mahathir.
Asked if the probe was “revenge” by the Prime Minister, Dr Mahathir replied that he was not sure.
“When I became prime minister for a second time in 2018, Anwar was released.
“Then, when he contested an election, both Tun Daim Zainuddin and I campaigned for him. After we campaigned for him, now he wants to investigate me for wrongdoing.
“It is all right if I have done something wrong, but don’t make use of the law to threaten people,” said Dr Mahathir.
When Anwar contested in a seven-way fight in Port Dickson in 2018, Daim, who at the time chaired the Council of Eminent Persons, joined the former’s campaign and urged locals to support Anwar.
