Mahathir calls on Malaysians to join anti-Najib Yellow Shirt rally on Saturday

Mahathir is seen wearing a yellow Bersih T-shirt for the first time in a video posted online.

Former Malaysia PM Mahathir questioned by police for the second time in June
Malaysia's former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad during an interview at his office in Putrajaya Reuters

Mahathir Mohamad, Malaysian political patriarch and fierce critic of Prime Minister Najib Razak, has exhorted his supporters to join the anti-Najib Yellow Shirt demonstration in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday.

In a video clip shared by his followers on twitter, the elderly leader is seen wearing a yellow Bersih T-shirt for the first time, calling on Malaysians to take part in the protest.

"Malaysia is now in distress because (Prime Minister) Datuk Seri Najib's administration has caused the country to rake up billions of ringgit in debts that are unable to be paid by the Government and the country," says Mahathir, Malaysia's longest-serving prime minister.

"That is why we need to show our dissatisfaction with the Government by taking part in this demonstration by Bersih in Dataran Merdeka and also at other locations," adds Mahathir, under whose tutelage Najib rose to power, only to turn his bitter foe years later.

When the financial scandal at state investment fund 1 Malaysia Berhad broke into the open, Mahathir publicly called for the ouster of Najib.

Mahathir, who has been in the forefront of anti-Najib protests, said the country should fee itself "someone who embezzled so much money" and was being "accused by the whole world", according to Asia One.

He said all Malaysians should join the Yellow Shirt rally in order to revitalise the country. Kuala Lumpur is preparing to deal with clashes on Saturday as outfits supporting Najib and his government under the 'Red Shirts' umbrella have pledged to come out into the streets to confront the Yellow Shirts.

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