Ex-Umno man lodges report against NGO chief over threat to punch Dr Mahathir

A former Umno leader today lodged a police report against a non-governmental organisation president for asking Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad to be arrested and "punched until he loses his teeth" over the demand for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's resignation. Datuk Seri Khairuddin Abu Hassan said the report was lodged at the Sri Hartamas police station this afternoon out of concern for Dr Mahathir's safety, following the alleged threat by Pertubuhan Minda dan Sosial Prihatin Malaysia president Ramesh Rao. "The remark is a threat with the intention to cause harm on the former prime minister. So I lodged the report out of fear for his safety. "As president of an NGO, Ramesh should respect the law and show good example to other Malaysians. "He should not act like a thug who is against the law and the constitution," he said in his report. Khairuddin said he learnt of the threat allegedly made by Ramesh when he read about it on the Malaysian Review website. In a separate statement, he said one should not resort to making threats when there were laws to follow. "When I disagreed with Najib and suspected misappropriation of funds in the 1MDB (1Malaysia Development Berhad) scandal, I lodged reports with the police, the MACC (Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission) and even foreign authorities. "I followed and respected the law... If a person wants to be a leader, he should watch his attitude. "An ugly look is no problem but an ugly behaviour makes it hard for one to be a leader." Dr Mahathir had become Najib's biggest critic after the prime minister was linked to the 1MDB financial scandal. Dr Mahathir is also leading a movement to oust Najib known as the Citizens' Declaration. Khairuddin, formerly Batu Kawan Umno division vice-chief, is also a 1MDB critic and has lodged a series of reports with various authorities in and outside Malaysia over the 1MDB scandal. He lodged reports with agencies in Switzerland, Hong Kong, France, Singapore and the United Kingdom, and was prepared to meet the Federal Bureau of Investigations in New York last year before he was detained by Malaysian police. Last September, Khairuddin was arrested after he submitted evidence related to the troubled state fund to the Swiss attorney-general. He and his lawyer Matthias Chang were detained under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 or Sosma. In October, Khairuddin and Chang were charged with attempting to sabotage the Malaysian economy and the country's financial and banking system. They are accused of committing the offence in France, United Kingdom, Switzerland, Hong Kong and Singapore – countries where Khairuddin lodged reports on 1MDB – between June 28 and August 26 last year. – March 8, 2016.]]>