Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who is an unforgettable icon in the local political landscape, has long been an admired but divisive figure for years during his tenure as prime minister.
Now, the two-time prime minister has publicly claimed on a live interview that he and his family have never tangled in corrupt practices all throughout his time in office.
Mahathir denies being involved in corruption while he was PM
In an interview with CNBC, the 98-year-old politician pushed back against claims that he and his family were entangled in corrupt practices when he was prime minister from 1981 to 2003 and from 2018 to 2020.
During my time, there was corruption. But I myself was not involved in corrupt practices.
“I made sure that even my family cannot be involved in a government business because I might be accused of nepotism,” he said.
However, he admitted that his two sons, Mokhzani Mahathir and Mirzan Mahathir, are currently being investigated by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), where they were first grilled by the agency on Jan 26 and Jan 17 respectively.
When asked whether he and his sons would cooperate fully with the MACC, Mahathir said he would do so willingly, adding that he had nothing to hide.
The former Langkawi MP also said that he would declare his assets if ordered to but so far hasn’t been told to do so by the MACC.
As for Mokhzani Mahathir and Mirzan Mahathir, The Edge reported that they have requested for another extension to declare their assets after they were granted a 1-month extension on Apr 26.
Watch the interview here:
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